Swansea City make significant club decision | OneFootball

Swansea City have made the decision to sack Michael Duff after their tough start to the season under the former Barnsley boss.

Swansea City sack Michael Duff

With Russell Martin moving to Southampton in the summer, the Welsh club were on the lookout for his replacement, and they eventually turned to Duff.

The 45-year-old had developed a reputation as one of the brightest coaches in the Football League after impressive work with Cheltenham and then the Tykes, with the latter losing the League One play-off final to Sheffield Wednesday in May.

However, he has struggled to make his mark in the second tier, with the Swans winning just five of the 19 league games Duff has been in charge of.

They are currently on a five-game winless streak, and they required a stoppage-time equaliser to draw with struggling Huddersfield last time out.

Therefore, the pressure from the supporters has been growing, and The Athletic reporter Stuart James has revealed that the hierarchy have decided a change is necessary.

Shortly after, the club would announce the news on their official site, ending Duff's short spell in charge, with the side 18th in the table and five points clear of the relegation zone.

Is this the right decision?

Firstly, you have to say that 19 games isn't a long time, so Duff would no doubt say this is an extremely harsh decision, and he will feel that he needed longer to get his ideas across.

As well as that, he could rightly point to the summer window and feel he wasn't given enough support after losing some key men, such as Joel Piroe and Ryan Manning.

However, the reality is that it's a results-based business, and Swansea are languishing near the bottom, with QPR's recent resurgence, under a new manager, no doubt having some at the club looking nervously over their shoulders.

As well as that, a major issue with Duff has been the style of play.

There is an expectation at Swansea that you build a stylish team, and there have been many complaints about the way the team plays.

So, when you take that into account, it's a decision that is easier to understand, and the reality is that it will be a popular call among the fan base.

What has Andy Coleman said?

Speaking to the club's media, the Swansea chairman touched on the importance of building a better relationship with the fans as they look to identify Duff's successor.

"I understand how important it is to reconnect the leadership of Swansea City Football Club with its supporters. That is one of the primary reasons why I moved here with my family this summer.

"Being present in Swansea matters, but so does taking responsibility. I will learn from the experience of these last several months. My appreciation for how critical the Swansea identity is to this club has grown since the summer and it will be high in my mind as I make the decision on our new head coach."

What next for Swansea?

Duff's assistant Martin Paterson has also left the club, with Alan Sheehan named as the interim Swansea boss.

So, he will lead the time as they prepare for the trip to Rotherham United this weekend.