It's been a while, but Keith Haynes is back in usual hard-hitting style
Back in July 2012, only some two years back, the Swansea City story was really unfolding. The club had already experienced a season of success under Brendan Rodgers - neither a carefully selected managerial candidate when Roberto Martinez left, nor a person much in the footballing public eye at that time. In the last thirty-six months however, Brendan has had as crazy a journey at Liverpool as he did when he took the Swans to the Premier League via the play offs. Us, he and I would say most certainly the board at Swansea could never have predicted what high levels the club would reach.
And we maintain those high standards today.
I started off this article in the summer of 2012 because Garry Monk found himself at that time in a very difficult place. Shortly before the club embarked on their inaugural 'official' USA tour that year Monk as club captain had a number of pretty disillusioned players to deal with. Complaints about certain changes in methodology on the training ground and the new manager (Laudrup) introducing a more continental approach to players, coaching and systems saw four or five players questioning these changes. They doubted Laudrup, so Monk carefully broached these topics with the board, and more specifically Huw Jenkins.
Much may have been written with regards to that meeting by certain 'informed' journalists; indeed the tabloids led with some ridiculous headlines. What really happened of course was simple - some players were unhappy and Garry Monk informed the hierarchy. Hardly world news, but of course what also happened at that time was Monk being seen by Huw Jenkins and certain others as maybe a slightly different proposition when it came to moving on from playing for our club.
They had a club man in Monk, a person who clearly could see personal and wider ranging benefits to being the link between the board and the players. Someone the established and more long term players liked and to an extent, he was trusted - and of course the board would have eyes and ears on the ground. It was a two way street that would work. The success the club gained over the next twelve months, as we all know, was massive. Monk wasn't that involved on the pitch, but off it he continued to improve his pathway by gaining coaching badges and learning some basics in coaching management. Maybe player and people management would come later.
Monk's roots were now firmly in a city that had given him a second footballing chance, and he has always given the general belief he had a little bit more about him than most players of his age. This suited him and the club fine, and as it always is at every big club the manager, no matter who he is, would move on in time. Swansea City FC would need a replacement and a pliable, keen, and enthusiastic Garry Monk would maybe fit the bill just fine.
The economics of appointing Monk were simple - he would come far cheaper than any manager the board could locate at this level. This would fit the ethos of the club which has been developed over a number of years, and recent seasons had seen some successful transfers by the club that were clearly not instigated by the manager of the day (be it Rodgers, Martinez or Sousa, the latter proving to many that a 'continental' system of player recognition and acquisition could be the way forward for the Swans).
In Europe the 'open eyed' ability of clubs like Freiburg in Germany who have the foresight to produce quality academy players has resulted in a number of youth trophies and sees them currently as the countries most successful producers of local talent. This talent will impact on the national side - as if they need any more help! Swansea over the past four years have invested heavily in academy buildings and improved their training centre stock no end.
Also within the German structure are clubs like St Pauli and Bayern. St Pauli are a Hamburg based club who has a similar fan history to Swansea in as much as fans walked from the terraces to the board room and led the club to the top of their league structure. St Pauli also employ a strategy within their own boardroom of identifying transfer targets and seeking out the players ability to fit in to the clubs style and character before discussing his benefits to the club with the coaching staff.
To an extent many European clubs do this, including Barca and indeed a number of French clubs - Lyon springs to mind. It shouldn't come as a shock to any football fan that managers and coaches don't locate and trace players in general and that this feature of the modern game is covered by many facets within a club, including the employment of scouts and agents to do that work for you. Swansea have had some degree of success doing this, especially when it became clear to the board that Paulo Sousa had little if any ability or desire to fulfil this role.
That aside what this enables is players come managers like Garry Monk to continue in the mould they have become accustomed. They are provided with ambitious and raw talent to improve and develop. Much has been made of 'The Swansea Way' in recent years, and at times rightly so, to an extent though it is mythical. Passing the football to someone in the same colour shirt as you should not come as a shock when a team like Swansea become so good at it. However, the chemistry and make-up of a player which allows him to do it (and which makes him want to do it) is a measured one. This is the area that a club like Swansea can help the manager.
There is a considered route the board will go down to employ players, and just because a player is good (read any fans forum about players available) it doesn't mean they will fit the club mould. It isn't just a case of approaching the club or player, a medical and bang, he is a Swansea player. If it was that easy it wouldn't take weeks to get a player's signature. The player has to fit a certain criteria, the board have learned much from previous players gambling issues and marital problems, and indeed last seasons off the field stresses that saw Michu eventually leave. These problems must be avoided if possible. It isn't perfect but investigation has to be done as best as is possible. Nothing is certain, but of course, you cant leave it to chance. Some pre work has to be done.
The system we now see at Swansea is a carefully laid down plan - at least that's how most reading the game see it presently - a system that see's board and manager working in a co-operative and ethical way for the best of their community club. Transfers will be discussed but the ethic is simple, Garry Monk has seen and witnessed for himself the Swansea way, and as a supposed intelligent coach with the Swansea system stamped on him he should be able to coach through the squad that simple style that the rest of the country has come to love. And once the player has been identified and agreed he will be supplied in to that system and coached by a manager and staff who knows the complete picture.
That's the theory, and that is the way it has been for several months and will continue to be for the coming season. For me it is a gamble that could easily backfire and reduce the clubs stock dramatically. Swansea City are now in their fourth Premier League season, the board and club as a whole are now experienced and well versed football people. They have seen many differing club strategies over the years from their contemporaries and employed some of them at Swansea. Much of it has worked.
That takes a degree of skill and understanding, and maybe a slice of luck too.
So with Garry Monk in place on the training ground and a much more co-operative transfer policy running throughout the club all that is needed now is a manager who can help with all those ego's the modern day footballer brings with him. Someone who can foresee and manage situations and develop trust and understanding, educate and sympathise whilst still getting the best out of that player for the club that pays them thousands every week. A manager with all the positive characteristics of Shankly and Clough, the stubbornness of Ferguson and the foresight of Bertie Mee.
Any ideas ?
No, nor me, but it is simpler than that, as long as Monk keeps his head, and retains the philosophy that has enabled him to be put in place as Swansea manager (and then retains the clubs Premier League status) I don't think many will mind. And anyway, when all is said and done if he looks around the training ground next month and see's he is a few players short and the Chairman's office light is burning the midnight oil - well. At least he will know what's occurring, and hopefully how to deal,with it, or indeed how to avoid it happening. The boot when on the other foot sometimes doesn't always feel comfortable.
It is time for stability now at Swansea and a return to simple values, and this brave new world has to work, because if it doesn't Garry and maybe a number of others could well be facing more than the music in the coming months. And that isn't in the strategy - well, none that I have seen.
The season is here and in a short amount of time we will know. And so will Garry Monk.
You can follow Keith on Twitter @_KeithHaynes, and his books on the Swans are available to purchase here: link