Goodbye Guidolin: The Swans’ latest managerial mishap

“Swansea part ways with their manager” - it’s becoming an annual tradition!

Sometimes a club decision, sometimes a manager’s. Sometimes a surprise, sometimes a long time coming. Whatever way the manager has left his position at Swansea City over the last decade, at least we could say “we can trust the board to take us forward”.

This time I’m not so sure that’s the case.

It’s no secret that there’s been a great deal of animosity between Swans fans and the board recently. The way they treated Francesco Guidolin over the past month or so has been shocking.

While Guidolin was not the shrewdest of mangers (when it came to Swansea’s style of playing anyway) and made plenty of questionable decisions, he did the job that was asked of him, tried to make the best of a squad he didn’t choose, and remained dignified when the club all but abandoned him.

His removal wasn’t surprising, with all the rumours that have been spreading over the last month. I thought he may get one more game to turn things around, but it seems like Liverpool was the final nail.

With just one win and four points all season it’s easy to see why the decision has been made.

Or is it?

We all knew how tough the first part of the season was going to be. With a mediocre squad of players and Borja Baston unable to make his debut, combined with visits from Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, the start of the season was always going to be hard to get much from.

We were close to emerging from that. Baston is now fit and (almost) firing, the players finally seem interested in the season, and the schedule looks a little less intense.

But it’s too late for Guidolin. I think we can finally admit that he was nothing more than a long-term caretaker, holding the position until the American owners found someone they wanted.

So in steps Bob Bradley. No real surprise, and I’m pretty sure this decision had been made weeks ago.

What do we know about our new American manager?

He’s been in football management since the early 80′s, so has plenty of experience - even though his “proper” managerial career started in 1998 with Chicago Fire.

He led them to a cup double in his first season in charge, but since then hasn’t won much in the way of silverware - the highlights of his career are probably winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2007 and guiding America to a second place finish in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009.

On that note, we know he has international management experience (including his stint with Egypt), which is always a plus - but how well will it transfer to the notoriously difficult Premier League?

More worryingly is the state he has left his recent club, Le Havre. They are in 11th place in France’s Ligue 2, with only three wins in nine games this season. In fact, it’s been said that fans of the French outfit are over the moon he has gone.

Swansea City, through their official website, suggest that Bradley may “produce a Swans team playing the sort of high-tempo, high-intensity possession game which has brought the club so much success in their recent history.”

Let’s hope so. He needs to get the club playing that style of football - and quick.

He won’t have a lot of time until the pressure mounts. Sure, Swans fans will allow him a game or two to settle in, and will back him after the whole Guidolin situation eventually dies down - we have to - but there is a certain degree of expectation now, and it must be reached soon.

Otherwise things could turn ugly.