It’s safe to say that the sacking season is firmly underway in the EFL Championship this week as the growing pressures to deliver success in the Football League have intensified with ever-increasing demands to reach the promised land of the Premier League and its financial rewards.
On a day when England’s top division announced a record-breaking new multi-billion pound television rights contract with Sky and TNT Sports to show its enhanced coverage for the next four years, the Championship lost two of its managers in Swansea’s Michael Duff and Sunderland’s Tony Mowbray to the ever-increasing pressure for success.
Duff now will be the 37th departure in the Championship since the start of last season – a statistic that equates to an incredible casualty every 13 days.
45-year-old Northern Irishman Duff arrived in South Wales on a three-year contract in June full of promises, with talk of bringing an exciting and clear brand of football and a pledge of a promotion challenge.
The former Barnsley and Cheltenham Town leaves SA1 after just 21 competitive games in charge after a run of one win in eight matches leaving the Swans sitting in 18th place in the table – just five points clear of the relegation zone with Saturday’s trip to the New York Stadium to face second-bottom Rotherham, also managerless, a huge six-pointer for both sides.
Initial bookmaking odds from Bet Victor (subject to change) suggest that former Luton head-coach Nathan Jones is the early favourite to take over in SA1 priced at 5/4, whilst Tottenham Assistant Chris Davies, heavily linked to the role in the summer is the other leading contender at 6/4, with recently dismissed ex-Birmingham City number one John Eustace making up the top three at 11/4.
Current interim boss Alan Sheehan, himself among the names in the running, was also assistant to Jones at both Southampton and Luton Town, which may add further weight to Jones’ status as an early favourite.
Known Cardiff supporter Jones’ antics over recent seasons inciting the Swans faithful after gaining victories with both Stoke City and Luton is likely to make the Welshman’s task of winning the Jack Army over a challenging task if successful or even interested in the post.
A lack of connection with the fans
The managerial merry-go-round is a fraught business at the best of times and right from the beginning, Duff told the press on his arrival his time in SA1 would be judged by his results on the pitch.
What the Northern-Irishman failed to grasp would be not only would his sides seven game winless streak in the league set his tenure off to a rocky start, but a failing to understand and connect to the home faithful would be his downfall.
The shock amongst support and media alike after an early season defeat against Bristol City that Duff would suggest that it would not matter if his side beat fierce rivals Cardiff City if they were to achieve promotion did not sit well and would sum up the distant connection between the manager and the fans.
After four wins in a row over the Bluebirds the task of following in former head-coach Russell Martin’s shoes in the South Wales derby would not be easy. The comments would set the tone for the matchup as his side produced an equally dismal performance on the pitch as their leader’s motivation impact on the match. A far cry from the togetherness that was seen from the kit man and chef’s morale-boosting antics to the players desire to win at all costs for the supporters and the local community – something which now seems a lifetime ago.
Whilst Duff got off the mark in what many were calling a must-win match against rock-bottom and newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday back at the end of September, there would be no clear identity in brand of the football. It certainly would not follow in the coined phrase ‘Swansea Way’ with at times a confused mix of what the players were most comfortable with and what Duff was trying to implement.
A glimmer of hope occurred with a four-match winning streak from games against Wednesday, Millwall, Norwich City and Plymouth Argyle. It would though be short-lived as the Swans would since take just six points from a possible 24 as the loyal support would be starved particularly of results on their own patch. Just two wins from 10 all season, with the final straw coming in the failure to beat a struggling Huddersfield Town side at the Swansea.com Stadium on the weekend.
Duff will reflect on his time and look at the mistakes made but will count himself unlucky with the number of injuries to key players through his short tenure, whilst he will point to the fact that the Swans recent run of poor form has been against many of the top six sides in the league.
It is, however, a results business and the Northern-Irishman’s time will be looked back on as one of the worst by a Swans boss in recent times with only American Bob Bradley having a worse win ratio than Duff’s 26%, culminating in the former Burnley defender to be the first manager since Paul Clement in December 2017 to be dismissed by the club.
Odds in full to become the next perminant Swansea City head-coach
Nathan Jones 5/4
Chris Davies 6/4
John Eustace 11/4
Luke Williams 10/1
Steve Cotterill 10/1
Steven Schumacher 16/1
Alan Sheehan 20/1
Tony Mowbray 20/1
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
