Cardiff City connection must not put Swansea off 49-year-old: Opinion | OneFootball

Swansea City are expected to lose boss Russell Martin to Southampton, which will leave the club on the lookout for a new head coach.

And, one man who has been linked with the job already is Nathan Jones.

Normally, he’d be an obvious candidate. Jones has overachieved with Luton over the years, and whilst he struggled with Southampton this season, he has enough credit in the bank from his time with the Hatters to say he is a very good Championship manager. Plus, he excelled at Kenilworth Road on a budget, which will appeal to Swansea.

However, there’s one problem for some Swans’ supporters - Jones is a huge Cardiff fan.

The 49-year-old has made no secret of his love for the Bluebirds, and he memorably celebrated a Luton win at the Swansea.com Stadium with more passion than usual. So, it’s natural that many Swansea fans do not want him, as the rivalry between the two clubs is undoubtedly one of the most fierce in Britain.

Nathan Jones can take Swansea to the next level

But, in the bigger picture, the only thing that matters to Swansea is trying to get back in the Premier League. They are about to embark on a sixth consecutive year outside the top-flight, and more tough times could lie ahead.

Ryan Manning, a key player, is about to leave on a free, whilst keeping Joel Piroe another year seems a long shot, as history shows the club are vulnerable to losing their key men.

So, it’s been a miserable period for the fans, and it’s not getting any easier. Ipswich Town will arrive from League One armed with finances and ambition to make it successive promotions, whilst Southampton and probably Leeds and Leicester, are three very big hitters for this level.

Therefore, Swansea will need to overachieve to be in the mix for promotion, which is what Jones has done in the past.

As mentioned, the work he did at Luton was outstanding, and even though some will point at failures with Stoke and Saints, his time with the Hatters seems more comparable to Swansea.

At Luton, he worked with a young, hungry squad, which is what the Swans have. He also has shown he can identify quality youngsters from the lower leagues to make the step up, which is also what they require, as they will operate with a strict budget.

Tactically, there’s no doubt he’s more direct than Martin, but that could be a positive. A constant criticism of the ex-MK Dons chief was that they kept the ball with no purpose. Jones would bring a balance to that, as he isn’t afraid to go more direct, yet he will also recognise the possession based principles that Swansea have historically had. He will also ensure a high energy approach is in place, which is something the fans will enjoy watching.

From the perspective of the 49-year-old, his stock has suffered from that poor spell on the south coast, and his next job is crucial to restoring his reputation. So, he would arrive fully motivated and ready to prove himself again, knowing how critical this job is.

It may seem an unlikely match, but Nathan Jones and Swansea City could be just what each other need right now, and if he can take the club back to the Premier League, that Cardiff City connection will seem irrelevant.