Swansea City manager Graham Potter wanted reassurances over the club’s plans for the future, according to a report on Wales Online.
It’s something that I can’t help but write about in articles relating to our new manager – I’ll probably get bored of it soon but it can’t be under-estimated just how important it is that Graham Potter works under a very different structure compared to the ones that some of his predecessors including the likes of Carlos Carvalhal, Paul Clement and Francesco Guidolin worked under.
The early signs that he’ll have more control and input on transfers is promising.
Firstly, Wales Online, in an article where they have finally sought their own facts and done their own research on the matter, have said that Potter wanted “reassurances on the club’s plans for the future” and “clarity on the structure he would be working in.”
But can we take Wales Online’s word for it? Hardly. They’ve always been a media outlet that has tried to portray the club in a much better light than reality. You only had to read their coverage of the American takeover to see that. Their coverage and backing of Guidolin’s sacking decision to make way for Bradley’s arrival can be added to the list of evidence to back up that claim too.
Anyway, let’s hope they’re accurate on this one.
Like @SwedeStats said in our recent Q&A, it’s unlikely that Potter would have taken the job without these reassurances.
"I really don’t know if Graham Potter would have signed for Swansea if he didn’t get a little bit of control with signings." – @SwedeStatshttps://t.co/ig1dYDZhXQ
— Vital Swansea (@VitalSwansea) June 5, 2018
Potter himself also commented on recruitment, saying there’ll be a reshuffle as well as working on identifying the right type of players and individuals to bring to the club:
“There will be a bit of a reshuffle along the way; there always is when a new manager comes in.
“Firstly we need to look at what type of people and footballers we want to bring into the club. Then once we’ve identified them and aligned them with the values of the club, it’s how we can also improve them as players.
“Recruitment isn’t always the solution or problem, but the signs have been positive and I’m confident we can make good additions to support the good players we already have here.’’
There are encouraging signs, but we heard the likes of Clement and Carvalhal saying that they too had an input in transfers.
That’s not enough though, but Potter has brought along with him his recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay to help identify targets. He was hands-on at Ostersunds, and surely anyone with an ounce of sense would realise that there are 3 men appointed at the club now who have shown that they’re more than capable of identifying the right players to turn a club around – without the interference of a severely failing chairman.
Huw Jenkins’ only involvement should only come into play right at the very end when a contract needs to be drawn up and offered.
There was a mention of a new Technical Director to be appointed this Summer, but we’re yet to hear an update on this as yet.
