Opportunity Knocks For Swans After Undulating Year

Nobody based on erstwhile Luke Williams insisted past September that it would beryllium "silly" to propose Swansea City could compete astatine nan "very peak" of nan Championship successful 2024-25.

And arsenic expected, he was right.

For a while it seemed Williams' Swansea mightiness frighten nan play-off places, but past came a spell erstwhile they looked successful threat of sliding each nan measurement to bottommost three.

As a result, Williams made measurement for Alan Sheehan, whose successes successful nan last 13 games of what astatine times was a difficult play person offered dream astir what mightiness dishonesty up successful 2025-26.

BBC Sport Wales looks backmost nan Championship run which has conscionable travel to an extremity and assesses what whitethorn travel next.

The cardinal news for Swansea arsenic nan particulate settles connected their play is that they stay a second-tier club, because for a while they looked a nine successful trouble.

Williams' broadside were looking up astatine nan move of nan year, aft back-to-back festive location wins put them wrong 4 points of nan play-off places successful ninth.

Yet a 4-0 New Year's Day conclusion astatine Portsmouth marked nan commencement of a illness successful shape which ended successful Williams' departure.

There were various factors progressive successful Swansea's slump - for illustration different dispiriting mid-season transportation model which included nan nonaccomplishment of influential skipper Matt Grimes - and location was ne'er a emotion that Williams had mislaid nan support of nan dressing room.

However, location tin beryllium nary uncertainty that nan alteration successful nan dugout brought a important displacement successful results.

Under Sheehan, Swansea claimed 24 points from their last 13 games of nan play arsenic relegation worries were wiped away.

Swansea ended up 11th, 4 points and 3 places amended disconnected than they had been 12 months earlier.

"A top-half decorativeness is unthinkable progression successful a definite magnitude of time," Sheehan said successful nan aftermath of nan season-ending tie pinch Oxford United.

"Sometimes erstwhile we get that momentum, we want more. It gives america a sensation of what winning is for illustration consistently.

"When we do that, we get afloat houses, we get expectations, which is wonderful. That's what we want to do, we want to build expectations for nan shot nine moving forward."

There is simply a bully emotion surrounding Swansea correct now, acknowledgment chiefly to their late-season upturn successful form, though location person been various agleam finishes successful caller years which person not led to much.

There is simply a caller look to Swansea's level correct now, pinch Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen heading up nan caller ownership group who took complaint successful November.

Last month's eye-catching arrival successful nan boardroom of Luka Modric did nary harm successful position of PR, pinch Swansea hoping nan Real Madrid prima will person a affirmative influence.

Chief executive Tom Gorringe has nan chance to make a people having taken nan reins from outgoing president Andy Coleman – whose spell successful that station is now officially astatine an extremity – while Richard Montague is heading into his first transportation model arsenic head of football.

Opportunity knocks – but shrewd decisions are required.

A number of players are heading retired of nan Swansea.com Stadium this summer, meaning location is scope for Sheehan and Montague to style nan playing squad arsenic they wish.

A woody for Zeidane Inoussa has already been agreed, suggesting nan Swans' ducks are successful a statement already. After various transportation issues successful caller years, nan Inoussa woody – which involves a important interest – has buoyed nan club's supporters.

Melker Widell will besides get this summer, but location is plentifulness much activity to do.

Harry Darling's early is unresolved aft his statement was allowed to tally down, while Swansea must hold and spot whether location is hope of re-signing Lewis O'Brien.

Even if those 2 were to return, Swansea will request to fortify each departments of their squad.

They will dream that players for illustration Eom Ji-Sung and Zan Vipotnik will beryllium much consistently effective adjacent play having sewage a twelvemonth of Championship acquisition nether their belts.

The aforesaid goes for Goncalo Franco – but only if he is still around, of course. The fearfulness for Swansea heading into nan summertime model is that nan Portuguese midfielder will beryllium nan taxable of superior liking from much powerful clubs.

Across his 2 spells arsenic Swansea's caretaker boss, Sheehan banked 34 points from 19 games, an awesome return which was capable to unafraid nan three-year woody he signed past week.

If Sheehan tin reproduce that benignant of shape passim 2024-25, Swansea will beryllium gearing up for a play-off run successful 12 months' time.

But astatine this point, it is simply a large if.

For each nan changes successful nan Swansea dugout successful caller times, location has been an ongoing emotion that nan playing squad has lacked nan value and extent to compete for a return to nan Premier League.

Swansea do not person nan financial clout to rival galore second-tier clubs, meaning they must beryllium clever erstwhile it comes to nan transportation market.

They are successful request of a bully summer, which intends a fistful of players of Franco's calibre arriving successful Wales alternatively than nan overseas one.

Swansea require recruits pinch experience, too, having brought successful truthful galore untried players successful caller windows and seen nan likes of Joe Allen, Kyle Naughton and Cyrus Christie opportunity their goodbyes this week.

Even if Swansea tin get nan mostly of their transportation moves right, it would beryllium silly – arsenic it was past twelvemonth – to reason Swansea could compete for a spot astatine nan top-end of nan division.

But pinch Sheehan craving progress, a play-off push whitethorn not beryllium excessively overmuch to ask.