Swansea stalwart reveals when relationship started to break down
Ouch. It appears for all Michael Laudrup's continental cool, tact appears to be something he's occasionally lacking. Maybe too much time with Bayram...
Today the Evening Post have a story where Alan Tate explains how his time under Laudrup started badly, and didn't really get any better:
"It was before the Everton game [in September 2012]. I didn't know that I wasn't going to be captain. He took the captaincy off me but didn't tell me, and things went from there really. I've been a Swansea player for 12 years, but sometimes a new manager comes in and you don't get on with him. He wasn't really my type of person."
As for how he sees the future going, Tatey has pulled at Monk's heart strings a bit...
"Garry and I have been together for a long time. It's different from when Roberto got the job. We were friends, but we weren't as close as me and Garry. We have been on holiday together, our kids were born at the same time, we used to live next to each other in Birchgrove.
"It's going to be a bit strange now that he's the manager, but I will do whatever Garry wants, and we'll sit down in pre-season and have a chat."
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Swansea-City-s-Alan-Tate-reveals-relationship/story-21267450-detail/story.html?#4f5fYBdCCqSPYs2V.99
I've said it before and I'll say it again: give Alan Tate a job for life. He clearly wants to end his career at the Swans, and I think at this point as long as he gets along with the manager he'd quite happily take on a squad role with no immediate probability of first team football. That's not to say he wouldn't have an impact - the effect players like Tate have in training can't be underestimated and along with the likes of Monk, Britton et al the more links with the club's past we can retain the better. He'll push people in training and reinforce the values of the club to young players coming through - players that love the club like Tate does are invaluable.
Tate will be almost thirty-three by the time his current contract ends. Whether he plays any first-team football for the Swans beyond that seems doubtful, but I firmly expect him to be around for a long time to come.