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Sunday, April 11, 2004 Matt's finish is taste of future

Wales on Sunday NEW Swansea boss Kenny Jackett is poised to rebuild Swans pride around youth - and borrowed Millwall youngster Matthew Rees could be his first summer signing. The 21-year-old, born within a goal-kick of the Vetch Field notched his Swans' opener two minutes from the break in his Nationwide League debut. But it wasn't enough to stop his side sliding to a fourth consecutive defeat thanks to second-half strikes from Peter Gain and substitute Simon Yeo. Two of the recent setbacks - including a calamitous FAW Premier Cup semi-final demise at part-time Rhyl last Wednesday - have arrived in Jackett's first five Vetch days. Yet the former Wales defender seemed inspired as he reflected on a gritty Swans display. The inspiration might have come from the fact that his mentor - ex-England and Watford manager Graham Taylor - cut his managerial teeth at Sincil Bank, just a few years before he weaved magic with pop icon Elton John at Vicarage Road. Taylor lifted the Hornets from the basement to soccer's top table in only a few seasons - clearly Jackett feels he can etch such telling marks at Swansea. But he is likely to do that around youthful exuberance studded with experienced know-how. If that comes from the likes of evergreen keeper Roger Freestone and smooth Spaniard Roberto Martinez, freshness will arrive from the likes of Wales Under-21 international Rees. And the towering centre back is ready to turn his back on six years in the Isle of Dogs to join Jackett's Swansea revolution. Speaking after his goalscoring bow he said, "All I wanted was an opportunity to play. It hasn't come at Millwall, but Swansea provided it. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself out there. I have another year left on my contract at Millwall. But I don't seem to be in the new manager's [Dennis Wise] plans. "If Swansea want me, I'd have to look at it. I supported the Swans as a boy, I've always loved the club - maybe it's because I was born in the city." Rees' opening arrived because of Izzy Iriekpen and ex-Manchester United rookie Alan Tate's unavailability through injury. But Jackett argued: "I think Matthew was ready to play. "Some lads are ready for their debuts at 18, others at 21. Either way, Matthew had a fine debut, I'm so pleased his dad was up here to see it." Rees, ex-Cardiff star Layton Maxwell and on-loan Brentford left-back Lee Fieldwick might be some of the names Jackett will secure in the months ahead. But there are 10 Swans out of contract this July - many of those will be racked with anxiety. Jackett insists he is ready to make harsh decisions. Time will tell if his words ring true. Either way, the ex-QPR number two made three changes to the side humiliated at Rhyl 72 hours earlier. Stuart Roberts was one of the axed, Fieldwick, Maxwell and Rees coming into the frame. The Imps are right in the play-off fray. Boss Keith Alexander elected for an aggressive 3-4-3 formula - and the selection appeared spot on in the opening moments. Wobbly Swansea were in trouble after only 10 seconds. Careless distribution let in Marcus Richardson, who ran up a blind alley after skating around Freestone, Ben Sedgemore then sent a low right-footer fizzing inches wide of the far post before Freestone foiled Gary Fletcher. Former Leyton Orient striker Fletcher saw an effort deflected across a packed penalty area minutes, and Freestone clutched Kevin Ellison's free-kick underneath his crossbar. Lincoln should have had a breakthrough by this stage. Yet the Swans launched a potent raid on 22 minutes. Brad Maylett escaped Ben Futcher on the right, and Stuart Jones jabbed over from 12 yards. Swansea had their shock lead on 43 minutes, though. Martinez, back to his influential best in flashes, speared in the perfect left-side free kick, Rees took a couple of touches and managed to send his drive looping over Alan Marriott and into the net. It was an unforgettable moment for the rookie and he was mobbed by team-mates while punching the air with glee. Just a few minutes on, Swansea were denied a clear-cut penalty when Maylett was tripped in the area by Gain. And there was more anguish for the battling visitors minutes into the second half as the flying Marriott pushed Lee Trundle's ferocious drive to safety. The former Wrexham player was out of luck again as he blasted an angled shot into the side netting. But the match was drifting away from them as Gain ghosted into space to bring the Imps deservedly level four minutes from the hour. And any chance of a share of the spoils evaporated eight minutes from time. Yeo had replaced Ellison and he moved onto Sedgemore's ball to nudge the ball over an advancing Freestone.

Saturday, April 10, 2004 Baby named after Vetch

BBC Online James Price hopes his daughter will be the last Vetch mascot A Swansea City football fan has named his baby girl after the club's Vetch Field stadium. Little Imogen Chloe Vetch Price was given the striking middle name because her father James spends so much time at the football ground. He celebrated her arrival by enrolling her in the junior supporters' club within 19 hours and went a step further when registering her birth. Swansea will move to a new ground next year but Mr Price says his daughter will remind him of his 'second home.' He also hopes Imogen, who is three weeks old, will be a mascot when the Swans play their last Vetch match before going to the city's new White Rock Stadium. Mr Price, 29, who lives in Llanelli but was born in Swansea, saw his first Swans' game at the age of three. "I play football on a Saturday but I won't miss an evening game for anything," he said. "It's somewhere I've been going for the last 25 years - it's the focal point of my life and something I've grown up with." His wife Helen follows the results but is not a big fan although she was expecting her husband to show his devotion to the Swans in some way when their first baby arrived. "Everyone who knows James was expecting something," she said. "If she had been a boy then he would have been called Jack. "James went to register her birth on his own and told me what he was going to do but I didn't think he would go through with it." Mr Price, a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence, said he would miss the Vetch badly when the Swans moved at the end of next season. "It's got to happen because football has got to move to the next century but it will be a very sad day when the time comes. "There will probably be a tear or two shed when it happens." Tate blow for Swans Alan Tate picked up a foot injury in Swansea's FAW Premier Cup semi-final defeat against Rhyl. The problem leaves him doubtful for the weekend fixtures against Lincoln and Hull. Kevin Nugent and Karl Connolly could return for the Swans, though, while Layton Maxwell, Matthew Rees and Lee Fieldwick are all back in contention. Swansea manager Kenny Jackett says his side must show they want to be part of his plans for the club. "It's about us putting together a team which first can be strong enough to compete and second can go on and create some chances," said Jackett.

Friday, April 09, 2004 MARTINEZ: WE MUST FIT IN WITH JACKETT

Evening Post Roberto Martinez has warned that new boss Kenny Jackett will need time to stamp his mark on Swansea City's underperforming squad. But the Vetch Field club captain believes Brian Flynn's successor will soon be enjoying watching his new charges in action after a desperate debut at Rhyl in midweek. Jackett was left deflated and dejected as Swansea rolled over against the part-timers from the North Wales coast. But Martinez, one of Flynn's henchmen, reckons the former Queens Park Rangers No. 2's focus on hard work, commitment and a high-tempo pressing game will soon consign the Belle Vue embarrassment to distant memory. ''Wednesday was a massive disappointment for us and for the new manager,'' the 30-year-old midfielder said. ''But we are looking forward rather than back and this is a learning process for us all. The new boss knows exactly what he wants and hopefully we will be ready to produce that very soon.'' Jackett, who finished in mid-table during one season as Watford boss in the Second Division, has had his players doing overtime this week as he bids to impress his philosophy on them. Gone, it seems, are the days off of the Flynn era, and gone too is the lop-sided formation that frustrated many in the stands. Having been known for his fitness during his playing career, Jackett is determined that his new side should not lose out on that score, nor that they should be beaten in the many physical battles a Third Division campaign throws up. ''Rhyl was bad, but we're trying to build something here and it's going to take time for the players to adjust to the new manager's tactics,'' Martinez adds. ''It takes time for any new manager to bed in and all we can do is work as hard as we possibly can to start moving in the right direction again. ''It's been enjoyable so far - you can see that Kenny Jackett has immediately got a feeling for Swansea City. He is a very passionate man who wants to bring this club success. ''His approach is very organised and our supporters will soon see how enthusiastic he is about his role and how determined he is to do well. ''Everybody should be happy with that.'' Just as all at the Vetch - especially Jackett - will be pleased with any sort of result tomorrow in the new man's first league game, against a no-nonsense Lincoln side hoping to secure a play-off place for the second straight year. ''We need to avoid any more disappointments like Rhyl,'' continued Martinez, the former Wigan player whose career began at Real Zaragoza. ''It always helps a new manager settle in a bit more quickly if you can get a few good results. It accelerates the process. ''The manager has already shown us that he has a winning mentality that he wants to bring to Swansea. Now it's up to us to fit in with that.''

Friday, April 09, 2004 EX-SWANS CHIEF IN FRAUD PROBE

Evening Post Former Swansea City Football Club chief executive Mike Lewis could face allegations of conspiracy to commit fraud, it emerged today. The claims relate to his time at Exeter City Football Club where he was vice-chairman before resigning last season. The Fraud Squad of Devon and Cornwall Police arrested Mr Lewis and two other people 11 months ago and he has been on bail ever since. At the time they seized papers, including company accounts, relating to his time at the helm of the Swans. Police said today four people, none of whom have any current links with the Exeter club, have had a file prepared on them which has now been sent to the CPS. In a statement the squad added: "The Crown Prosecution Service has considered the file submitted to them by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in connection with allegations of conspiracy to defraud, theft and deception. "The CPS has now requested a full file with a view to instructing counsel. The file submitted to the CPS concerns alleged offences committed by four persons, none of whom are presently involved with Exeter City Football Club." At the time of Mr Lewis's arrest last year Swansea City said it would be happy to help with any inquiry. Mr Lewis was at the Vetch from summer 1998 to the end of 2001. At one stage he sold the club for a nominal £1 to controversial Australian businessman Tony Petty. Mr Lewis, who still lives in Gorseinon, has consistently denied any wrongdoing either at Swansea or Exeter. Police in Devon acted after the Football Association described the finances of Exeter City as perilous. Mr Lewis said he did not want to comment until he was officially informed of the action to be taken by his solicitors or the police. But following his arrest last May Mr Lewis, who is in his 60s, was questioned for 12 hours. He insisted at the time: "I have not done anything wrong. It is the first time I have been in a cell and it was not very pleasant. "They asked me about Swansea when I was there, and I told them there was no wrong financial activity."

Friday, April 09, 2004 Jackett: Player fitness an issue

Western Mail KENNY JACKETT last night revealed the Swansea City players he has inherited from Brian Flynn are not as fit as he would like them to be. Jackett expressed his concerns about the fitness level of his players as he gave his first assessment of the Swans squad since succeeding Flynn in the Vetch Field hot-seat earlier this week. The former Wales midfielder delivered the verdict as the post-mortem continued into Wednesday night's miserable 2-0 FAW Premier Cup defeat at Rhyl. Jackett disagreed with some criticism levelled at the Swans players in the wake of that result, insisting he was happy with the amount of effort and commitment they had displayed at Belle Vue. But he did go on to question the fitness of the players he has inherited from Flynn - and admitted they were not in as good a shape as those he left behind at Queens Park Rangers. "To be fair, I can't really comment on what's gone in the past as I haven't been around all season," said Jackett ahead of tomorrow's Third Division clash at Lincoln. "But what I am doing is starting to look at these players and the club as a whole to impose my own personality on it and maximise the potential of the people we've got here. "And I do think that (fitness levels) is one area where we can improve things. "We also have a long injury list. We need to get players back fit and available because we haven't got the biggest of squads." Asked how the fitness of the Swans men compared to those at QPR, where he was the assistant manager, Jackett said, "There is no doubt they are not as fit as that group of players (QPR)." Jackett would not talk about specific players, but he said, "I'm sure there are individuals here who are conscientious and determined to do well. "But, having been here for only four days, that is something I'll hold my judgment on for now." Claims that some of the Swans players looked unfit were among the strong criticisms levelled at them on the fans' websites following the defeat at Rhyl. But, though Jackett expressed some sympathy with that view, he disagreed with some of the other complaints. "I don't think it was a performance that was lacking in passion or desire," he said. "I thought they did show application and effort. "Don't get me wrong - there are no excuses in terms of the result. You would hope that Swansea, a Third Division side, would be able to cope with a team from the Welsh Premiership. "But I have to say that, so far, the players are giving me everything every day. I wouldn't question their commitment to the cause." Jackett will doubtless seek an improvement on Wednesday's poor show when the Swans travel to Sincil Bank to meet a Lincoln side aiming to consolidate their place in the play-off positions. But fortune is not shining on the new manager in terms of the injury problems which have blighted Swansea's season. Jackett - already without James Thomas, Izzy Iriekpen, Michael Howard and Karl Connolly - is expected to be lose Alan Tate (bruised toe), Leon Britton (hip) and Leon Hylton (hamstring) for the first Easter fixture. With six games to go and the side 10 points adrift of seventh, Jackett insists promotion has been well and truly wiped off the Swansea agenda. He said, "Someone said we'd need to win seven of our last six matches to get into the play-offs and they're probably right!"

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 TESTING TIME

New Swansea City boss Kenny Jackett is urging his players to pass their first examination with flying colours at Rhyl tonight in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final (6.55pm). Jackett has spent two days of hard training with his new charges impressing his doctrine of a high-tempo, pressing game on them. ''Without wanting to change things too drastically I think I have worked very hard to impose my own style and my own system on the playing squad,'' he said. ''I am looking now to see who has taken that on board to play the way I want the game played. I judge in games,'' he added. ''Training gives you an idea, but games for us in professional football are like examination day. ''After tonight, Saturday and Monday, I will have a better idea how things are going.'' Swansea will guarantee themselves £50,000 with victory tonight while the eventual winners of the competition will collect £100,000. Jackett has done his homework on the competition and the opposition ahead of tonight's clash. ''I know Malcolm Allen well and he has told me about the FAW premier Cup so I am fully aware of the competition and it's one as a club we value and if at all possible we would love to win,'' he said. ''We realise we have got a very tough tie at Rhyl but we are going up there with lots of confidence and with an effort and ambition to try to win the tie, with a long-term view of winning the competition. ''Everything would contribute to the club and put us in a healthier position, so I fully realise the opportunity that this brings. ''Leighton James has given us a match report which was a very thorough and acute assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. ''We are aware they are a goalscoring team who are full of confidence.'' Jackett has spoken with his squad extensively and recognises form has not been good in the past two games, but he hopes his arrival can provide that extra lift. ''I didn't see the game with Carlisle but I gather it wasn't a fantastic performance,'' said Jackett. ''Speaking to the players they didn't feel they did themselves justice. ''It looks like to me they're playing with a lack of confidence at the moment and what I hope is that I can renew their vigour, perhaps point them in the right direction of where they are going wrong, and we can come out fighting again. ''Hopefully I can give them a lift and some direction, starting up at Rhyl tonight.'' Lee Trundle will return to his old club and is set to partner Paul Connor up front with Jackett likely to go with a 4-4-2 formation. Swansea will be without the injured Karl Connolly (ankle), Izzy Iriekpen (ankle), Michael Howard (hernia), James Thomas, (thigh), Kevin Nugent (hamstring), Leon Britton (hip) and Andy Robinson (hamstring). Leon Hylton could return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but Lee Fieldwick, Matthew Rees and Layton Maxwell are all ineligible.

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 DETERMINDED TO PUT ON A GOOD SHOW

Lee Trundle returns to Belle Vue tonight determined to put on a good show at his old club. The 27-year-old Liverpool-born hitman scored 15 goals in 18 games for the North Wales outfit between July 2000 and February 2001. He was then picked up for £60,000 by then Wrexham boss Brian Flynn after scoring a hat-trick against the Dragons on a friendly. Since then Trundle has hardly looked back and this season has banged in 20 goals for Swansea. He cannot wait to make a nostalgic return to the club who helped him on his road to league football. ''I am looking forward to it,'' said Trundle. ''I have still got a few friends up there and I have some fond memories of my time at the club. ''It will be nice to go back because they were the club that helped give me my big break. ''It's a competition I have won twice before with Wrexham and it would be great to win it again. ''It's not something you take lightly because it is a great moneyspinner for the clubs. ''We want to win tonight and we want to win the whole competition.'' Trundle will go head to head with Andy Moran who is the leading scorer in the FAW Premier Cup with six goals and has 38 in all competitions this season, including a hat-trick in Rhyl's 4-2 win over Cwmbran in the Welsh Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 Trundle takes to Jackett

BBC Online Lee Trundle says new Swansea City manager Kenny Jackett has already impressed the players in training. "He's enthusiastic and been working on some shapes we're going to play. He's got involved straight away and all the lads are up for it," said Trundle. "I was upset when Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves left because they were the main reason I came down to Swansea. "But these things happen in football and you've just got to get on with it. We'll give the new manager 100%." Trundle returned to the Swansea side after injury on Saturday, but even his presence could not save the Swans from a hugely disappointing defeat to Division Three bottom side Carlisle. The club's top scorer makes a different kind of return on Wednesday in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final when he plays at Rhyl for the first time since leaving the Welsh Premier side for Wrexham in 2001. "I've still got a lot of friends back there It was a good club for me because it gave me my chance to get into League football," he told BBC Wales Sport. "It's the first time I've gone back there to play since I left so I'm looking forward to it. "I went back just after I signed for Wrexham to watch one of the games, but this will be the first time I've played there."

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 QPR boss: Why we couldn't keep Ken

IAN HOLLOWAY last night admitted even the offer of a 10-year contract from his old club QPR would not have been good enough to keep Kenny Jackett away from Swansea City. Holloway admitted he was resigned to losing his Loftus Road No 2 the moment the Swans said they wanted Jackett as their new manager. QPR manager Holloway spoke for the first time about the loss of his highly-valued assistant as Jackett gets ready for his first game in charge of the Swans tonight. Jackett takes his team to Rhyl's Belle Vue ground for an FAW Premier Cup semi-final clash. And Holloway said, "I wish Kenny the very best. He's a top friend of mine. "And, much as I didn't want to lose him, even if he had been given a 10-year deal by our board, he would probably still have gone to Swansea. "He has been keen to become a manager in his own right." But Holloway stressed the loss of Jackett wouldn't make any difference to QPR in their quest for Division two promotion. "Nothing's broken so we don't have to fix anything," said Holloway. Jackett himself said he wants his Swans to start winning - right from tonight's clash with Rhyl. "Quite often teams start one season as they have finished the previous one - and we don't want this one to tail off," said Jackett. "We want to finish strongly in the league and we want to do well in the FAW Premier Cup so we hit the ground running next season. "This is a time for me to assess the players and see what we need to bring in next season. "There are a number who are out of contract at the end of the season."

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 It's the Rhyl deal for Jackett's men

Paul Abbandonato reports on how the first game for Swansea City's new manager is against a Welsh side chasing even more trophies than Arsenal SO, Kenny Jackett's got an easy start to his time as Swansea City manager, has he? Little North Wales part-timers Rhyl, in the FAW Premier Cup. Full-time Swans professionals fired up by a no-nonsense new manager against butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers. Should be a cakewalk, shouldn't it? Think again, Swans fans. On the contrary, it could turn out to be a televised nightmare for Jackett and his team. Hull, Doncaster or Huddersfield, Rhyl are not. But what they are is perhaps the in-form team of Welsh domestic football this season. Daft though it sounds, Rhyl are the Arsenal of the Welsh game. Although, unlike Arsene Wenger's Gunners, they are still hoping to win every trophy they have entered this season! Where do we start with the potential Rhyl roll of honour. Well, tonight they hope to edge past the Swans and secure an FAW Premier Cup final spot against Wrexham. The Swans clash comes in between two other big ones for Rhyl. Last Saturday they beat Cwmbran to reach the Welsh Cup final - meaning they have secured a Uefa Cup spot, at the very least - for next season. On Sunday, leaders Rhyl meet rivals TNS in a table-topping Welsh Premier clash which will probably decide who wins the title and goes into the Champions League. For good measure, Rhyl have also reached the final of the League Cup and are in the semis of the North Wales Challenge Cup. To be fair to Jackett, he is too shrewd a coach, and too much of a diplomat to treat any opposition, whichever league they come from, with anything other than respect. But when he reads that little lot, Jackett will realise that victory in his first game in charge is not quite the foregone conclusion others seem to think it might be. To make things even more complicated for the Swans, Rhyl are understandably bubbling with confidence - and they will be roared on tonight by the biggest crowd in the club's history. It may only be 1,500, but it's still 1,000 more than they get week in, week out in the Welsh Premier. Rhyl manager John Hulse smiled, "Arsenal? Hey, without wishing to sound too daft, we're in a better position than them because Manchester United knocked them out of their domestic cup. We're still in ours!" Hulse went on, "No, there will be no silly boasts from us. We've had a fantastic season, but we've got to look to follow it through by actually winning things. "What I will say about the Swansea game is that we will be as professional as we can be and we won't be lacking in confidence. "We can't be, not after the form we've been showing. I was hoping for a top four spot in the league this season. To be going into the second week in April, and still be involved in every competition, is fantastic." Tonight, Hulse acknowledges, is probably the toughest test yet for his team, who top the Welsh Premier on goal difference from TNS. "Since we beat Cwmbran in the cup on Saturday, I won't have seen the players again until we meet up just before the Swansea game tonight," said Hulse. "The players have been doing their day jobs since. Some of them will have a full day's work before coming to the ground for the Swansea match. "At a professional club like Swansea, by contrast, the players are there day in, day out. "And, to make things worse, we're playing a Swansea side who will be extra fired up by the very fact that they have got a new manager. "Yes, if I'm honest, I'd rather Kenny Jackett's arrival at the club had come a couple of days after our game against them. "In any job, in any career, if you have got a new boss, you try that extra bit harder at the start to impress them. That will be the case with Swansea tonight, too." But Hulse went on, "Can we upset the odds and still beat them? Yes we can. "At home, cheered on by our own fans, we have got a chance. "And, if we can pull it off, we have the extra incentive of knowing we will be at home again in the final, because that's the way the draw has been done." Rhyl's previous record home gate was around the 1,000 mark for a friendly against Manchester City. In a competitive game, they drew 700 for a League Cup final against Bangor which was played at their Belle Vue ground. Tonight those figures will be outstripped - and Rhyl hope to give the crowd something to really cheer about. Central to those aims will be leading scorer Andy Moran, who has smashed 39 goals in the club's bid to do the quadruple. Jackett and co have been warned. On the other hand, the prospect of an embarrassing start to his reign is perhaps exactly the extra incentive the new Swans boss needs to make sure his players don't take Rhyl lightly. That said, even if the Swans win, Rhyl still have the treble to go for. Hey, even Arsenal can't say that any more! Not bad in its own right, is it?

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 KENNY WILL NEED FAIR SLICE OF LUCK

The Good Luck in Your New Job cards will be flooding in at Kenny Jackett's new Swansea address this week. On the evidence of Swansea City's final showings before their new manager's arrival, he is going to need a fair slice of fortune to succeed where Brian Flynn failed. Hammered at Huddersfield seven days earlier, Jackett's new charges were cut down on home turf by a Carlisle side who, with a relegation battle to fight, looked considerably more interested in winning on Saturday. The visitors, still five points adrift of safety at the foot of the Nationwide League despite succeeding at Vetch Field, were clapped off at the end by sections of the home crowd. Conversely, Swansea, under the guidance of caretaker boss Alan Curtis for the last time, were booed down the tunnel after a performance which suggested minds were already on summer holidays. ''To be honest, I'm quite relieved the new man's on his way after that,'' Curtis admitted. ''We were awful.'' With seventh-placed Mansfield now 10 points away, Swansea's players can stop muttering about the play-offs as they stutter towards the end of the season. Instead they will talk of pride in the shirt and the chase for new contracts as motivational tools between now and May 8, but against Carlisle there was only one side intent on succeeding. The Cumbrians were by no means impressive, anything but the best side to visit the Vetch this season, but their greater will to win carried them home even after goalkeeper Peter Keen's clanger had gifted Swansea a 16th-minute lead. ''We started okay and managed to get the goal and, looking at their bench then, I thought they might be thinking 'here we go again', as can happen with sides near the bottom,'' Curtis added. ''But as it turned out they were not ready to collapse. They were fighting for their lives for 90 minutes and our players owe it to the fans to do the same.'' Jackett, due to be unveiled at a press conference today after leaving his post as Queens Park Rangers No. 2, will spend the closing weeks of this campaign assessing what he has to work with next season. He will find a squad that has lost its way badly since the much-talked about happy days of early season, and now looks two or three players short of a promotion-winning unit. Flynn's legacy is a host of gifted performers the likes of whom have not graced the Vetch in years. But Curtis's short spell in charge has left him adamant that a handful of tough operators are required if the chairman's dream of Second Division football in time for the White Rock Stadium is to be achieved. ''I've told the players that reputations count for nothing now there's a new manager coming in,'' he went on. ''Everybody starts from scratch and it's a level playing field. ''I still think the player base is strong here and maybe it just needs a bit of tweaking around. ''I said after Huddersfield that we weren't physical enough and, although we were a little better against Carlisle, we still lacked in that department and I think any new manager coming in would see that straightaway. ''Maybe some players will have to go and others brought in, he is bound to have his own ideas. Certainly I think we need to be stronger next season.'' With Jackett's arrival still to be confirmed officially, Curtis's players were pretending they did not know who Flynn's successor would be over the weekend. Their eloquent captain did appeal, though, for the new man to be given a chance as Swansea brace themselves for manager No. 5 inside two and a half years. ''Nothing went for us against Carlisle,'' Roberto Martinez claimed, ''and that reflects the situation the club is in. ''These have been difficult times and I just hope that there is a period of stability on the way. ''It's not just here - any club needs stability. That's the key for things to work.'' Martinez, one of 10 Flynn signings involved this weekend, claimed Jackett would not want for support from his new playing staff. ''We cannot wait for the new manager to come in because things need to be addressed and we want to follow his direction,'' the Spaniard insisted. ''He will find a squad that is really looking forward to working hard for the last six games of the season. ''We want to produce some performances for the fans and finish as high in the league as possible. ''He will be given a great reception and will have the backing of the players, the staff and the board of directors. ''We will all be looking to help in any way we can, and hopefully together we will be able to bring a bit of excitement back to this club.'' If Jackett, in charge of Watford for a season seven years ago, is to enjoy lasting success in his second stint as a manager, improving on Saturday's effort should not prove too difficult. Swansea were that bad. They have slumped to such an extent that some fans cannot wait for the curtain to fall on a campaign which had promised so much. Save for the memorable FA Cup win over Preston, Martinez and Co have rarely hit the heights in 2004, collecting just 17 points in 16 league matches since the turn of the year. Despite the fortuitous opening, when reserve stopper Keen let Paul Connor's header through his legs, they rarely looked like improving that record even with the basement boys in town. There were other chances, Lee Trundle going close once on a quiet return to action and the impressive Brad Maylett seeing a sweet 25-yarder well saved. But in the second half especially, the team that Flynn built crumbled in the face of Carlisle's greater determination. The visitors had levelled through Craig Farrell's penalty after the same player had tangled with Alan Tate, and the winner their greater purpose deserved arrived on the hour through Peter Duffield. ''We've got to be winning games at home against teams like that,'' said Trundle. ''Teams at the bottom will give everything because they're fighting for points, but they're down there for a reason. ''They haven't got enough quality in the side to be at the top of the league whereas we know we have. ''We should be beating them easily, but it looked like they wanted it more than us on the day.'' Jackett's arrival should inspire some sort of upturn from Swansea's underachievers this week. But with a first league game at play-off probables Lincoln and then second-placed Hull due in these parts two days later, an examining start, just like the good luck messages, is on the cards.

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 JACKETT WILL FIT RIGHT IN, SAYS THE CHAIRMAN

Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins is predicting a bright future for the club under new boss Kenny Jackett. Speaking after unveiling the 42-year-old ex-Welsh international at a press conference yesterday, Jenkins was confident the club had the right man. ''Kenny comes across as the most honest, genuine, trustworthy, passionate, committed and knowledgeable person I have met in football,'' said the chairman. ''Only time will tell if he is going to be successful. Every manager needs a bit of luck along the way and I hope he gets that. ''We hope that the supporters will give him time. But I think that when any fan meets him and sees what he is about, they will know that we have made the right choice. ''I can't wait for games to start to see what he can do with the players we have got. ''During the summer we will strengthen the side with players he wants to bring in. We really can't wait for next year as well.'' Jenkins admitted he could have waited until the end of the season to bring in a new man, but decided last week things needed changing and quickly. ''At Huddersfield I felt we looked very disjointed. People may disagree, but that's what I felt,'' he said. ''We lacked leadership on and off the field and that's no disrespect to Alan Curtis. ''He had made it clear he wasn't really interested in taking the job full-time and we felt we needed someone in as soon as possible to make sure the right attitudes started to be enforced again. ''Our level of professionalism had dropped and so had our levels of fitness, which Kenny is fully aware of. We feel that he will not allow that to happen again. ''If at all possible, things like strength and fitness will shine through and, with the ability our boys have got, that will be the recipe for success.'' Around 50 people applied for the Swansea manager's post but when Jackett expressed his interest that was good enough for Jenkins. ''There were a lot of good applicants who we took a look at,'' he said. ''But I can say from day one when I knew Kenny was interested and after checking up on what others in football thought of him, his credibility, his knowledge of players and his organisational skills, there was no other choice for us. ''He gave up a lot at QPR which just goes to show the commitment he had to becoming a manager.'' Jenkins agrees with the new boss that the relationship between the chairman and the manager has to be good and believes that this one will work out best for the club. ''The relationship is vital, I know that personally,'' added Jenkins. ''You have to enjoy each other's company and be comfortable. ''We both know where we are coming from in wanting success. ''There is no pressure on him nor was there on past managers about when we have success. ''We just felt that with Kenny the club is certainly going to be run properly and quite naturally success will follow. ''He's going to bring youthful energy, youthful experience and above all he has that desire to achieve in a manager's role. ''There are a lot of managers who move from club to club and job to job. ''We felt we needed somebody young, refreshing, with new ideas - a modern manager as such - to take the club forward and we know we have got this man. ''The fact that he came with no baggage as such and with past managerial experience was a plus point not a minus. ''I just hope that I am proved right.''

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 GOLDEN BOY KENNY CAN HANDLE VETCH PRESSURE

Kenny Jackett was part of the Watford side known as the Golden Boys in the 1980s which stormed towards the summit of the old Football League. He began life at Swansea City yesterday knowing falling too far short of a podium finish in Division Three next season will see the pressure pile up as he takes on one of the most demanding jobs in the lower leagues. Swansea's current owners have made their expectations clear in just over two years at the Vetch Field helm, axing three different management teams in a relatively brief reign. Colin Addison and Peter Nicholas went first, Nick Cusack followed shortly afterwards with Alan Curtis staying on to help Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves. Their arrival prompted much talk of stability and continuity, but the 2-1 defeat at Macclesfield three weeks ago proved to be the final straw for the ex-Wrexham duo, who packed their bags after 18 months in charge. If the 50-plus applicants to take the reins did not realise they were going for a pressure job already, Huw Jenkins spelled it out for them last week. ''We recognise how vitally important this appointment is going to be for Swansea City now and in the next few years,'' the chairman said. ''It's probably one of the most crucial in the club's history as we look for somebody to lead us into the new stadium.'' Swansea's owners have spoken in the past about the desire to ensure Second Division football in time for White Rock's opening next autumn. In other words, while Jackett has a two-year contract, questions might well be asked if he has not achieved promotion in just one season. Flynn, after all, agreed a two-year contract extension after preserving the club's league status last May but is now looking for work. There was some irony as the new man was unveiled yesterday morning, for the last time Swansea's owners and the press came together at Morgans Hotel was to celebrate Flynn's manager of the month award last August. No doubt Jackett is well aware of his new employers' high demands, but in a bullish debut appearance as Swansea's manager he was keen to play down talk of undue pressure. ''I have been in the game a long time and I know how the football industry is,'' he said. ''The situation here isn't any different from any other club. ''Wherever you are, there is pressure as a Football League manager. ''That's the nature of the industry I'm in. ''You can talk about Swansea's expectations being high, but I say expectations are high at every club. ''I believe pressure is something you put on yourself, and I will always put pressure on myself to be as successful in my career as possible. ''That's been my outlook all along and that's the way I'm looking at being Swansea manager.'' Jackett, assistant to Ian Holloway at Queens Park Rangers since 2001, has been linked with a number of manager's jobs in recent times having made no secret of his desire for a second crack at a No. 1 role after a brief stint in charge at Watford ended in 1997. He arrives with a fine reputation as a coach - he holds a Uefa A Licence already and plans to get his Pro Licence in the summer - and spelled out his plans for Swansea ahead of an impressive first training session with the squad Flynn left behind. ''I have my own ideas on exactly how a football club should be run,'' added the 42-year-old, who has also taken the applied management course at Warwick University so lauded recently by Mark Hughes. ''I set very high standards for myself, for my staff and for my players and I will not budge on those. ''Division Three is tough to get out of because it's very competitive, but I have an idea of what I want and a blueprint that I think will bring success. ''I had very good jobs at QPR and Watford, they are both excellent clubs, but I have been waiting quite a few years for the opportunity to manage again myself. ''There have been other jobs that I felt weren't any better than what I was doing, but this is a fantastic opportunity for me and I'm really looking forward to getting started.'' With his wife and two sons in tow, Jackett's move down the M4 - which, crucially in the board's eyes of course, is a permanent one - represents a return to roots for the family. There are relatives scattered across Swansea, with Watford-born Jackett seeing Morriston as a spiritual home. ''My mum and dad were both born here and I remember coming here to see my grandparents,'' he added. ''We've still got plenty of family in the area and I've got some fond memories of the place - especially of Joe's Ice Cream. ''I'm looking forward to moving to Swansea, and to getting back down there with my kids on a few Sunday afternoons.''

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 ON THE ATTACK

New Swansea City boss Kenny Jackett has pledged to attack the top end of the Third Division next season. The former Queens Park Rangers No. 2 met the Swansea squad for the first time yesterday after penning a contract that will keep him at Vetch Field until summer 2006. And Jackett, a 31-cap Welsh international whose family hail from Morriston, believes he can build a team to reach the Second Division before the club moves to the White Rock Stadium in autumn 2005. ''I would like to think that we will be able to attack the top end of this division next year,'' said the ex-Watford boss. ''I know that's easy to say - it will take a lot of hard work and organisation and there will be some ups and downs along the way. ''But with everyone working together I think that is what we can achieve. ''Under me, the fans will see football which is all about energy and enthusiasm. We'll play a high tempo, pressing game where we close down the opposition. ''They will see a team that is going to be very, very good at creating chances and pushes on into the other half of the field as much as possible. ''We will win the ball back as quickly and as often as possible and then play early incisive football to create chances through crosses. ''Again, that's easy to say and at times difficult to do, but that's going to be the aim and the ambition of the side from day one.'' Jackett leads Swansea for the first time in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final at Rhyl tomorrow. With six meaningless-looking league games to come before the end of the season, the 42-year-old has insisted there is plenty for his new charges to play for. ''Quite often,'' he declared, ''teams start one season as they have finished the previous one and we don't want this one to tail away. ''We want to finish strongly in the league and we want to do well in the FAW Premier Cup so we hit the ground running next season. ''This is a time for me to assess the players and see what we need to bring in. ''There are a number who are out of contract at the end of the season and I know a fair bit about the players already having spoken to Alan Curtis and to other managers in Division Three who have seen Swansea on a regular basis. ''I don't want to talk about individuals because I'm open-minded about all the players. They will all get a chance to prove they can fit in with my way of thinking and be part of an exciting future for this club.'' Jackett seems set to take his strongest available squad to face the Welsh Premier leaders, where he will be assisted by youth boss Curtis. ''Just as is the case with the players I'm staying open-minded about my staff,'' he added. ''I won't be on my own for long, but it's going to take a little time to decide what kind of people I need to bring in.'' Meanwhile Scunthorpe, searching for a new manage r to replace Brfian Laws, look to have failed in their bid to recruit Scarbrough's Russell Slade. Slade said: ''I have heard the rumours, which is nothing new in football, and if I have been associated with Scunthorpe then I am obviously flattered. ''My loyalty does belong to Boro though.''

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 Jackett: I'm the right man for Swans

NEW Swansea City manager Kenny Jackett has vowed to prove he is the right man to bring the glory days back to the Vetch Field. Jackett's arrival at the Third Division club had shocked Swans fans who were expecting a big-name appointment following the controversial departure of Brian Flynn. But, after being officially unveiled as Swansea's fifth manager in six years yesterday, the former Wales midfielder played down suggestions his first task would be to win over the Vetch Field doubters. And Jackett, who has been handed a two-year contract to manage the Swans, insisted he has the right credentials to deliver success. "I don't particularly feel I need to win over the fans immediately," said the 31-times capped Jackett, who left his job as Queens Park Rangers No 2 to become Flynn's successor. "I feel that, as an ex-Welsh international, there will be a certain amount of goodwill towards me in the early stages. "You tend to get that anyway when a new management regime comes in. "If you come in with a certain amount of enthusiasm to kick things on, the fans will go with it. They'll give you a bit of time. "Obviously that goodwill only lasts so long. People will demand results and performances. I'm fully aware those two things will guide people's opinions of me. "Ultimately, it's up to others, rather than myself, to judge whether I am the right person to take the club forward. "But, having been a coach for 14 years, having learnt a lot and observed people in management - people like Graham Taylor - I feel ready to step into this position. "I feel I can meet the challenge that lies in front of me and I hope everyone will be 100 per cent behind the team so we can attack the top half of this division next year." Jackett, whose only previous spell as a No 1 came at Watford in 1996-97, was not setting any specific targets yesterday as he met his new Swansea players for the first time. But he admitted he will be expected to succeed where Flynn appeared to be failing and deliver the promotion that looked such a good bet earlier in the current campaign. "I do accept that, given the high standards the club have set, I will be under pressure next season," said the 42-year-old. "But as a Football League manager, you accept there's going to be pressure on you wherever you go. "Expectations are high at Swansea but, anyway, pressure is something I thrive on. Pressure is something you place on yourself and what drives you on to be successful." Jackett - who is moving his family to the Swansea area - inherits a team stuck in mid-table after a disastrous post-Christmas slump which has seen them fall 10 points off the play-off pace. He said there could be changes to the playing staff in the summer - eight Swans players are out of contract then - but added it was down to each member of the squad to convince him they had a future at the Vetch. "There are lots of theories on where Swansea might have gone wrong this season, but it's not for me to pass comment on that," he said. "My main concern is what happens from this point on. And I'm not going into the club with any pre-conceived ideas about the playing staff. "I already know quite a bit about the players, but I want to remain open-minded. Everyone will have a chance to convince me they can be part of the future of the club." Jackett - who is not expected to appoint an assistant until the summer - added, "Football-wise, the Swansea fans can expect to see a team that plays with energy, enthusiasm as well as a high-tempo game. "They will see a team that will be very good at creating chances, pushing into the opposition half of the field and wins the ball back as many times as possible. "Now, that's very easy to say and sometimes quite difficult to do. But that's the aim. That's the way I want the team to be playing." Jackett will get his first chance to assess his new charges at first-hand when Swansea travel to Rhyl in tomorrow's FAW Premier Cup semi-final. He said, "I'm pleased that there are three games coming up over the next seven days as I'll be able to have a good look at things. "The thing I will impress upon the players is the importance of finishing the season as strongly as possible."

Tuesday, April 06, 2004 KENNY MOVES IN

Evening Post Kenny Jackett was today unveiled as the new Swansea City manager on a contract which will keep him at Vetch Field until summer 2006. The 42-year-old former Welsh international arrived in Swansea last night after quitting as Queens Park Rangers No. 2 following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Bristol City. And Jackett, who has pledged to move his young family to the city, admits he is relishing the prospect of a second crack at management having taken charge of Watford between 1996 and 1997 before stepping down to work under Graham Taylor. ''Swansea City is a club with huge potential and I'm looking forward to the challenge,'' he said. ''My last two jobs have been as a No. 2, but I've always wanted to be a manager myself and this job at Swansea is a fantastic opportunity for me. ''It's a super club with passionate fans and I hope everything goes well for me. ''I understand the chairman has said publicly that I was always his first choice and that's really nice and flattering to hear.'' Jackett will take charge of Swansea for the first time at Rhyl in the FAW Premier Cup semi-final tomorrow and has a maximum of seven games after that to assess the talents of the current Vetch squad. He will be assisted temporarily by Alan Curtis, whose last game in caretaker charge ended in a dismal home defeat by Carlisle on Saturday. It may be the summer before a permanent assistant is appointed, with Andy Legg, John Cornforth, Colin Addison and Leighton James all being linked to the role. Jackett, whose dad Frank hailed from Pontardawe, holds a Uefa A coaching licence and is known for his powers as a coach. He has been Ian Holloway's assistant at Loftus Road since 2001 and had a five-year stint as the second in command - including 12 months in the Premiership - at Watford before that. He spent six years in youth development at Watford after his playing career, all of which was spent at Vicarage Road, was cut short by injury in 1990. Tommy Smith, who played in the FA Cup semi-final for Sunderland yesterday, West Ham's David Connolly and Welsh international Robert Page are among the players who he brought through. Second Division promotion-hopefuls QPR are sad to lose Jackett but felt they could not stand in his way. ''Kenny has always been honest with the board and had already stated his ambition to be a manager in his own right,'' said Rangers chief executive David Davies. ''This is an opportunity he felt he could not pass up and we fully understand and appreciate his desire to take on this role at Swansea. ''We owe him a debt of gratitude for all the hard work he has put in. He will be greatly missed by everyone at the club and we wish him the very best of luck.'' Curtis, who met former Welsh international colleague Jackett yesterday to hand over the reins, said: ''As a player Kenny was always very professional and I assume he will take that into management. ''Fitness was always key to him and I think that will be a priority along with good discipline. ''Kenny might be a bit of a shock appointment, but he has obviously got good credentials.''

Monday, April 05, 2004 Jackett fits for Swans

Sky Sports Swansea City have confirmed Kenny Jackett as the club's new boss after he left his assistant manager's role at Queens Park Rangers over the weekend. He has signed a deal until the end of the 2005/2006 season with the Vetch Field club and replaces Brain Flynn, who was sacked as Swans boss last month. The 42-year-old takes charge of the South Wales club with immediate effect, with QPR announcing over the weekend that he was to leave Loftus Road for the Division Three side. Jackett takes over a squad that has underachieved this season, despite a fine run in the FA Cup. Swansea are ten points adrift of the Third Division play-off places with only six matches left in the season. Meanwhile, The Swans are close to extending the contract of winger Bradley Maylett by another 12 months. The 23-year-old has impressed since joining Swansea from Burnley and despite having a year to run on his current contract, it looks likely the youngster will receive another year with the club.

Monday, April 05, 2004 Jackett lands Swansea job

BBC Online Former Wales international Kenny Jackett has been confirmed as the new Swansea City manager. Jackett, 42, has been assistant boss at Queens Park Rangers for three years but quit to accept a contract at the Vetch Field running to the end of 2005/06. Swansea took their time seeking a replacement for Brian Flynn, who left the post in March. It is understood Jackett beat off the likes of ex-England defender Mark Wright to get the job. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins told BBC Radio Wales that out of all the candidates who had put their name forward, Jackett had shown the most desire to get the job. "He's probably the most experienced 42-year-old in the Football League with his coaching knowledge," Jenkins added. "He's young, professional, organised, committed and passionate. He's certainly the right man at the right time to come to take the club forward." Jackett made all his Wales appearances in defence and midfield, primarily on the left, while playing for the Hornets in the 1980s. In 1990 he became the youth team coach at Vicarage Road and was promoted to assistant manager, a job he held until Gianluca Vialli's arrival in May 2001. Jackett was then snapped up by QPR manager Ian Holloway but will become Swansea's sixth manager in just over two and a half years. Alan Curtis has been caretaker manager at the Vetch Field since Flynn and assistant Kevin Reeves departed "by mutual consent".

Monday, April 05, 2004 Jackett Taylor-made for Swans

BBC Online Former England manager Graham Taylor says Kenny Jackett has all the attributes to become a top manager. Jackett will be confirmed as Swansea manager on Monday morning, and Taylor is sure his former assistant at Watford will succeed at the Vetch. "He's his own man. He's very strong and I think this is the time for him to come into management," Taylor told BBC Wales Sport. "He'll be very thorough and Swansea will be pleased with what he brings." Jackett's only previous managerial experience so far came back in the 1996-97 season when he took over from Taylor after Watford's relegation to the Second Division. He led the side on a remarkable 22-game unbeaten run in the league and helped stabilise a club struggling with off-field turmoil. "He kept the club together and kept the team performing," Taylor added. "He had the longest run of unbeaten games in that year. "A lot of those were draws admittedly, but he went on a 22 game unbeaten run and I think he did tremendously well to keep Watford going. "I don't think he got the recognition he should have done." Taylor returned to the Vicarage Road hot seat at the end of the season as part of a deal that saw Elton John back as club chairman. Jackett, who won 31 Wales caps and reached the 1984 FA Cup final as a Watford player, reverted to first-team coaching duties, and "was first class" according to Taylor. He became surplus to requirements in May 2001 when Gianluca Vialli was appointed manager, but Queen's Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway recognised his abilities and snapped him up as his assistant. Taylor says he always sensed a desire in the 42-year-old to move from coaching to management, and believes Swansea could just be the ideal setting for a "proud Welshman" to begin his managerial career in earnest. "Kenny's been in the game long enough and if he's going to have a go at management now's the time to do it," said Taylor. "Deep inside Kenny's always wanted to be a manager and make the final decisions himself. "Now he's got the opportunity and I think Swansea could have done a lot worse."

Monday, April 05, 2004 Slipshod Swans in urgent need of a wake-up call from Jacket

KENNY JACKETT will breeze in at Swansea City today armed with an in-depth knowledge of the squad of players he inherits. The former Wales international was not at the Vetch on Saturday to watch his new charges crash to defeat in a horror show against bottom club Carlisle. But he didn't need to be sat in the stand to know all about the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the Swans squad. The Western Mail can reveal that Jackett provided Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins with a detailed analysis of each and every player he inherits from Brian Flynn. We understand he gave Jenkins an in-depth assessment of each individual Swans man when he was interviewed for the job last week. That was one of the key factors that saw Jackett beat off competition from former Liverpool and England defender Mark Wright to land the Vetch Field manager's job. Amongst his vast portfolio on the Swans playing staff, Jackett is understood to have told Jenkins Swansea have a solid goalkeeper in Roger Freestone, who does not need replacing. He went on to mention the strengths and weaknesses of all the first-team players and how highly he rates each one of them. That backs up the assessment of Jackett's mentor from his Watford days, former England manager Graham Taylor, who revealed in Saturday's Western Mail just how methodical and knowledgeable a coach he is. The news of Jackett's appointment at Swansea was met with dismay over the weekend by many Swans fans who were expecting a big-name appointment following Flynn's controversial exit. But the fact Jackett came to his Swansea interview armed with such an extensive knowledge of the Swans players - and a clear understanding of the job that lies ahead - helps explain why he was the club's top target from the moment Flynn left. Alan Curtis, who hands over the managerial reins today after a four-match run as caretaker boss, believes whatever misgivings people might have about him, they must focus on what Jackett will bring to the club. "It probably came as a shock to everyone to learn that Kenny was in the frame for the job," admitted Curtis. "And, yes, there were a number of bigger names mentioned in connection with the position. "But if Kenny comes in with enthusiasm and a fresh approach I don't see why it can't work. "Obviously, he's going to have to prove himself at Swansea. But the crucial thing here is that he's given time to do the job... and people support him in that." Curtis went on, "Kenny does have good credentials. He was brought up at Watford and has coached there and at QPR - two big, well-run clubs. "I knew Kenny as a player, having played with him for Wales a couple of times, and he was a very good professional footballer. "Fitness and discipline were two big things with Kenny. I'd assume he took the same approach with his coaching roles and will do so as a manager at Swansea. "He'll make sure the squad is fit, well-disciplined and everyone knows exactly what their jobs are. "When Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves were sacked last month, one of the main complaints aimed at the Swans board was that the timing could not have been worse. Looking at the situation now, though, it is clear the arrival of Flynn's successor comes not a moment too soon. Swansea are in desperate need of a shake-up. As at Huddersfield seven days earlier, the Swans were woeful. Laboured and lethargic, they again lacked any of the zip and zest that propelled them to the top of the Third Division table seven short months ago. Even the normally-inspirational presence of Lee Trundle - returning after a long injury layoff - could not prevent Swansea sleep walking through most of this match. Second best in all departments, the Swans were outfought and outclassed by the Football League's lowest-ranked team. The home side started off well enough, Paul Connor putting them in front on 15 minutes when his fierce close-range header slipped embarrassingly through the fingers of keeper Peter Keen. But the clumsiness with which Alan Tate conceded a penalty 10 minutes later - striker Craig Farrell was drifting away from goal but the Swans defender still contrived to bundle him over - summed up their whole slipshod approach. It was a surprise to no one when Carlisle went in front on the hour mark, Andy Preece profiting from lax Swansea defending to spray a pass from left to right for Peter Duffield to fire past Freestone. What went wrong? And how does Jackett start to deal with this mess? The two main questions Curtis had to grapple with after a result that left the Swans a whopping 10 points adrift of the coveted seventh spot. "I'm not sure where it all went wrong. That's down to the new manager to sort out now," said Curtis, with half a smile, clearly somewhat relieved to be stepping back from the frontline. There is no doubt Jackett inherits a talented group of players. But the one thing he must introduce is some backbone to the side. He will discover that physically - if not mentally, too - Swansea simply aren't strong enough. Then again, Jackett probably knows that already.

Monday, April 05, 2004 Skipper Martinez promises great reception from players for new boss

ROBERTO MARTINEZ has assured new Swansea manager Kenny Jackett he will be given a warm welcome when he walks into the Vetch Field dressing room today. And the Swans captain has urged fans and everyone at the club to give Jackett their full support as he takes charge of the Third Division side for the first time. The general reaction to Jackett being appointed as Swansea manager was one of surprise, many expecting a more high-profile figure to succeed Brian Flynn in the Vetch hot-seat. But Martinez insisted, "Whatever people's personal opinions are about the new manager, I hope that everyone will get right behind him and give him a chance. "I can promise that the new gaffer will have a great reception from the players. Everyone will be 100 per cent behind him, absolutely. "And I very much hope that everyone - from the board, through to the supporters and all the club staff - will give him their total support." Martinez went on, "One thing is certain - the new manager needs to be given more than 12 months to achieve something. "That would apply to whoever took charge here. What we need more than anything is some stability. "What the new boss will find is a squad of players that will do whatever they can to help him and one that is determined to finish the season on a high. "No one is happy with the situation we're in at the moment, but there's a big determination here to put things right. To bring the exciting times back to the club again." Martinez admitted Swansea produced another poor performance against Carlisle - and said the players sensed the anxiety coming from the stands during Saturday's defeat. "We were aware that the fans were growing restless and we understood that because it was not a good performance," said the Spanish midfielder. "As much as we understand the supporters' frustration, though, we'd ask them to stick with us because we've got a new face coming in and hopefully the problems we're experiencing will be addressed. "We know that kind of performance can't happen again. We want to turn things round quickly and give the supporters a performance that they deserve."

Sunday, April 04, 2004 Curtis is happy to help Ken out

Wales on Sunday OUTGOING caretaker boss Alan Curtis admits he would be willing to stay on as Kenny Jackett's temporary assistant when Swansea City's new manager is unveiled on Monday. Curtis signed off with a terrible home display but believes the new boss must be given the time that his predecessor Brian Flynn was not afforded. "It's probably one of the worst-kept secrets in football at the moment, but if it is Kenny who takes over I hope he is given time by everyone at the club," he said. "I know him as a player from our time together for Wales. He was a very good professional player and he will have taken that into his coaching and I'm sure he will be the same as a manager. "Until I'm told otherwise, I will do my best to help the new man. "In an ideal world, he will probably bring his own man at some time to freshen things up, but until then I am happy to work with him. "I've told the players that they are starting from scratch under the new manager. It's a level playing field for everybody and reputations will count for nothing now." Curtis branded his final performance in charge 'awful' - but admitted he was relieved to be giving up the management reins after four games in charge. Swans captain Roberto Martinez said the squad are now anxious to start working with their new manager and finish the season with a flourish. "We can understand the fans' frustration, but we hope our problems can be redressed when the new manager comes in," he said. "The problems at the club have been clear to everyone, but we cannot wait to get our new manager and start moving in the right direction again. "We need stability at the club, hopefully it starts on Monday."

Sunday, April 04, 2004 It's time to Jackett up

Wales on Sunday MANAGER-ELECT Kenny Jackett was not at the Vetch to watch his new side in action - and it was probably just as well. If the former Wales international had witnessed this horrendous home horror-show no-one would have blamed him if he decided to pack his bags again and head back down the M4. Thankfully for Swansea, Jackett was in Bristol watching his current side QPR in his final game as assistant manager before being unveiled as City's 10th manager in 10 years tomorrow. As the latest chapter in the turbulent history of Swansea City begins to unfold, it is to be hoped that the club can at last find some stability and start to live up to their undoubted potential. It seemed to be happening under Brian Flynn until his shock departure two weeks ago. But whatever your feelings on the handling of his exit, it has now been consigned to history. The fans, board and squad must now unite behind Jackett and give him the time his predecessor was absurdly never given. But in some quarters the grumbling has already started before Jackett has even arrived in town. Swansea fans were promised a big name with international experience to replace Flynn and deputy Kevin Reeves. By Monday they will have the international experience but 31-capped Jackett is hardly the household name the Vetch faithful had been anticipating to get their juices going again. Flynn was bizarrely ditched due to his reluctance to buy a house in Swansea allied to a downturn in results that has seen the season go flat for the once buoyant Swans. But if the supporters wanted an indication of how far the club had come under their previous manager, they needed only look at their opponents' predicament. The perennial strugglers once again find themselves at the foot of the table, a situation City were also in just 12 months ago. Swansea eventually saved themselves with a 4-2 victory on the final day of the season, but Flynn then transformed them into genuine promotion contenders until they hit a lean spell in the second half of the season. Carlisle started the brighter with Brendan McGill shooting wide before a mistake by Lee Trundle - in a disappointing return following a hamstring injury - set up another opening for the visitors which defender Lee Fieldwick almost put through his own net on his full debut. Trundle quickly made amends, winning a free-kick on the very edge of the box, but he curled his effort high and wide. Seconds later he was back in the thick of it, spinning away from Kevin Gray with his goal-bound shot cannoning off Brian Shelley and Stuart Roberts failing to keep his composure with the loose ball. United player-manager Paul Simpson tried his luck from 25 yards before Swansea seized the lead on 16 minutes when Paul Connor rose to meet a Roberto Martinez free-kick with a thumping header to claim his third goal since joining from Rochdale last month. Carlisle refused to buckle though and equalised nine minutes later through a somewhat fortuitous penalty. There seemed little to worry about as veteran Andy Preece played in Craig Farrell. But as the striker ran away from goal Swans centre-half Alan Tate made a clumsy challenge from behind, bringing the inevitable but needless spot kick which Farrell dispatched past Roger Freestone with the minimum of fuss. Brad Maylett stung the hands of Keen with a blistering effort from 25 yards yet United were within a whisker of taking a shock lead four minutes later when Peter Duffield was just a fraction away from connecting with Farrell's tantalising ball across the face of goal. Connor almost grabbed a second but as he charged in at the far post after Keen was beaten by a Martinez shot, Lee Andrews cleared over his own crossbar. The second half started and finished in lacklustre style with nothing much better in-between. The few chances that did arrive generally fell for Carlisle who looked the only side desperate to win. Gray shot wide from a McGill corner before Simpson's weak volley was too easy for Freestone. But on the hour mark, Carlisle snatched the lead with a superb goal by Duffield. The on-loan striker started and finished the move which brought him his third goal for the club. Duffield won possession in midfield with the ball moving to McGill and Preece before Duffield popped up again unmarked on the right hand side of the area to hammer his shot over the head of the advancing Freestone.

Saturday, April 03, 2004 Kenny Jackett factfile

Western Mail Born Watford, January 5, 1962 Age 42 International honours 31 Wales caps 1980 Breaks into the Watford first team at the age of 18 1980-1990 Makes 428 appearances for the Hornets, scoring 34 goals. Part of the team that took Watford to runners-up spot in the old First Division, the 1984 FA Cup Final and the UEFA Cup 1983 Makes his Wales debut in a European Championship qualifier against Norway 1990 Injury forces him to end his playing career at the age of 28 but he goes on to manage the youth and reserve teams at Vicarage Road February 1996 Takes charge of first-team affairs along with Graham Taylor and Luther Blissett June 1996 Placed in sole charge of first-team after club are relegated to Division Two and Watford finish 13th June 1997 Reverts to first-team coach as Taylor returns to the helm June 2001 Ends long association with Watford when Gianluca Vialli takes over. Joins QPR as assistant manager April 5, 2004 Expected to be unveiled as new Swansea City boss

Saturday, April 03, 2004 Jackett is Taylor-made for Swans

Western Mail PASSIONATE, methodical and knowledgeable - three of the qualities ex-England manager Graham Taylor believes Kenny Jackett will bring to Swansea City. In a ringing endorsement of Jackett's credentials to become the new Swans boss, Taylor also stressed the former Wales international played a pivotal role in getting Watford promoted to the Premiership. The news that Jackett - currently assistant manager at Queens Park Rangers - is poised to succeed Brian Flynn in the Vetch Field hot-seat left many Swans fans stunned last night. They were hoping for a big-name appointment to lead Swansea into what the club have termed one of the most important seasons in their history. But Taylor, who worked closely with the 31-times capped Wales midfielder throughout his Watford career, is adamant the Swans have made a good choice. Taylor told The Western Mail, "I'll be honest - if someone had asked me 15, 20 years ago whether I thought Kenny would break into management I'd have probably said 'no' because he was so quiet. "But when I went back to Watford for a second spell as manager the Kenny I found was different to the one that I had known as a player. "He had become the youth team manager at Watford and done a first-class job. "It was clear he had developed a strong interest in coaching. "And, having worked closely with him, I can tell you he is passionate about what he does and he's very methodical in the way he goes about it. "He also has a great knowledge of the game. "He knows what he's talking about and he will know the players who are out there. "In my opinion, Kenny will be a real asset to Swansea. "What they will get is a very thorough manager who will work very hard at the job." Chief among the concerns of Swans fans, though, will be what Jackett has achieved as a manager. Despite spending more than a decade on the Watford coaching staff and the last three years as No 2 to Ian Holloway at Loftus Road, Jackett was a manager in his own right for only one full season. That was in 1996-97, the year after the Hornets had been relegated to Division Two, when the Hertfordshire club finished 13th. But Taylor, who gave Jackett his big breakthrough at Vicarage Road when he was 18, believes his former protege deserves more credit than he has received. "Kenny is one of the unsung men of football," said Taylor. "That's something that goes all the way back to his playing days. "He was a very hard-working midfielder - John Barnes couldn't have played if Kenny hadn't kept giving him the ball - but he didn't get the recognition he deserved. "Again, people look at Kenny's spell as manager from 1996-97 and think perhaps he didn't do too well. "But what they don't understand is what was going on at the club at the time. "Elton John's consortium was getting involved again, but amid all of that Kenny just got on with what he had to do and did an excellent job. "And two seasons later, after I had taken over the first-team again - something Elton's consortium had wanted - Kenny played a vital role in our promotion to the Premiership. "I was away through illness for five or six weeks, but Kenny stepped in and actually took the club to the top of the First Division in that time. "He has never received the credit he deserves for that." Taylor added, "I always knew Kenny wanted to have a crack at management and I know he'll relish this job at Swansea. "And another thing - even though he was brought up in Watford, he never forgot his Welshness. "It shouldn't be overlooked that he played 31 times for his country. "It is difficult to say for sure whether anyone will be a success and Kenny won't need me to tell him that football is a results business. "But I wish him all the success in the world. "I think he's been waiting for a chance like this and I'm certain he'll make a real good go of it." There was speculation last night that Jackett's former Watford colleague Luther Blissett could be installed as the new No 2 at the Vetch. Whether current Swans caretaker boss Alan Curtis would be invited to remain part of the first-team coaching staff or return to his youth development role remains to be seen. Curtis will pick the side for the final time this afternoon when Swansea face rock bottom Carlisle. Andy Robinson misses out through injury, but the Swans should be boosted by the return up front of 20-goal top-scorer Lee Trundle. Winger Brad Maylett is also expected to be back as the Swans seek compen-sation for last Saturday's dismal 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield. After the visit of Carlisle - eight points adrift of safety at the bottom - Jackett will inherit a Swans team left with an outside chance of sneaking into the play-offs. As Taylor acknowledges, Jackett will need a run of good results to help convince Swans fans he is the right man for the job.

Saturday, April 03, 2004 It's Kenny Jack-ett

Western Mail FORMER Wales international Kenny Jackett will be installed as the new manager of Swansea City early next week. The news will stun Swans fans - and dismay many - who were hoping for a big name appointment following the controversial departure of Brian Flynn. But The Western Mail has learned the race for the job came down to a straight choice between 31-times capped Jackett and bookies' favourite Mark Wright. We understand the two men were each interviewed for the post on Thursday and the Swans five-man board have come down in favour of Jackett. And, according to former England manager Graham Taylor, Jackett's old football mentor at Watford, the Swans have got the right man. Speculation has begun that Jackett - currently assistant manager at Second Division Queens Park Rangers - is ready to pick former Watford colleague and ex-England striker Luther Blissett as his Swans No 2. Whatever the misgivings of some Swans fans, the news about Jackett's impending appointment has delighted Taylor. He has worked closely with the incoming Swans boss throughout his football career and had him as his assistant at Watford. Speaking to The Western Mail, Taylor insisted, "Swansea have got a real asset in Kenny. "He's got bags of experience to step into a role like this and I'm absolutely delighted for him. "He's one of football's unsung men. What Swansea will get is a very thorough manager - someone with a great knowledge of the job. "You can't really predict how successful someone will be and Kenny will know this is a results business. "But I wish him every success in the job." Jackett, 42, is not expected to be at Swansea's Third Division clash at home to Carlisle today. But he should be officially unveiled as Swansea's fifth manager in six years on Monday. The Swans had considered former Liverpool and England defender Wright for the post vacated by Flynn just over a fortnight ago. But they believe Jackett fits the bill better as the man they want. Last night Swans chairman Huw Jenkins insisted "nothing would be made public" regarding the club's new manager until after the weekend. But Jenkins had earlier insisted, "The person we are talking about has been our top target from the start. "I can assure our supporters that the person we hope to get has got the enthusiasm, the ambition and the footballing credibility to lead us from the Vetch to the new stadium. "He was not one of those who applied, but as soon as I knew he was interested I was thrilled. "He has visited the Vetch on numerous occasions with other sides and every time he could not believe the passion of our supporters." Jackett has close ties to Swansea but was brought up in the Watford area. He played in Taylor's team which marched from Division Four into the top flight, before moving into coaching. Jackett was in charge of Watford after they were relegated to the Second Division in 1996. He guided the club through one of the bleakest periods in their history, securing a mid-table finish in 1997, before handing over the reigns to former England manager Graham Taylor. The fact Jackett played a key role in Watford's rise from the Second Division to the Premiership gave extra appeal to the Swans board as they hunted for their new boss. Jackett is expected to be at Ashton Gate this afternoon for Bristol City's clash against QPR, the club he joined as assistant manager in 2001 after his association with Watford ended with the arrival of Gianluca Vialli. But on Monday he will take charge of a club who have already set their sights on winning automatic promotion next season after sliding out of contention this term. Whether current Swans caretaker boss Alan Curtis will remain part of the first-team coaching staff is not known.

Friday, April 02, 2004 ALMOST THERE

Evening Post Swansea City are closing in on the manager they say has been their No. 1 target since the day Brian Flynn left Vetch Field. But Huw Jenkins has revealed that long-time favourites Steve Cotterill and Frank Burrows plus the latest man to be linked with the vacant post, Chester's Mark Wright, are not in the running to be Flynn's successor. Instead Swansea's chairman is adamant that he has found the right man to lead the club to success as they build for life in the new White Rock Stadium. ''The person we are talking about has been our top target from the start,'' Jenkins said. ''We recognise how vitally important this appointment is going to be for Swansea City now and in the next few years. It's probably one of the most crucial in the club's history. ''And I can assure our supporters that the person we hope to get has got the enthusiasm, the ambition, the commitment and the footballing credibility to lead us from the Vetch to the new stadium. ''I have hammered our need for those qualities into everybody I have met this week, and out of all of them, what this man has shown has been second to none. ''He was not one of those who applied, but as soon as I knew he was interested I was thrilled. ''He has visited the Vetch on numerous occasions with other sides and every time he just could not believe the passion of our supporters. ''He knows of the passion I feel, the rest of the board feels and the fans feel, and he is hugely committed to coming down and igniting that.'' Jenkins refused to confirm whether the new boss he hopes to unveil on Monday is currently in charge of a Football League club, revealing only that he is under contract in some role until the summer. There is an alternative in place should the proposed deal fall through, but Swansea are optimistic that they will get their man. ''It wouldn't be appropriate for me to name names or say what our final two are doing at the moment,'' added Jenkins. ''The people in question have got their own bits and pieces to sort out with their own clubs and we just have to wait and see what develops. ''We feel it is time to get somebody in because the club needs a focus and a direction between now and the end of the season, and it's more or less about finalising a release now. ''Hopefully the fans will be pleased, but as with any manager the proof will be in what we see on the pitch, in the commitment and attitude he can inspire from the players. I think the man we're talking about is definitely the right one to bring us what we want.'' Swansea's manager in waiting is unlikely to be at the Vetch to watch tomorrow's home clash with Third Division bottom club Carlisle. What looks like being the last side caretaker-boss Alan Curtis will pick could include fit-again Lee Trundle, who is battling with James Thomas to partner Paul Connor in attack. Brad Maylett, another who is available again after injury, could also figure in the absence of hamstring victim Andy Robinson, while Curtis must choose between loan signing Lee Fieldwick and Jon Coates on the left side of defence as Michael Howard and Leon Hylton remain on the sidelines. A home victory could re-ignite Swansea's dwindling play-off hopes, though the visitors will be desperate to succeed as they battle to avoid the drop to the Conference. Former Port Vale boss Brian Horton, one of those considered as a possible replacement for Flynn, has taken over at Macclesfield.

Friday, April 02, 2004 MAYLETT LOOKS AHEAD TO A FRESH CHALLENGE

Evening Post Brad Maylett will always remember the influence Brian Flynn had on his career. But as he contemplates a new two-year Swansea City contract, the former Burnley winger is urging his team-mates to put Flynn's shock departure out of their minds and concentrate on pushing the club forward under a new boss. ''The lads have had their say about Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves going,'' said Maylett. ''And without a doubt, they were a major part in me ending up at Swansea in the first place. Brian was the one who brought me here. ''But I think now it's time to forget about what's gone on because the football club has got to move forward. ''The arrival of the new manager, whoever he is, will mean a new challenge for all of us and that's something we've got to look forward to.'' Nowhere has the identity of Flynn's successor been a hotter topic of conversation than at Swansea training sessions in the last couple of weeks. ''Apparently 50 people applied, so we've had plenty to talk about,'' Maylett admits with a smile. ''Just like all the fans, we're all waiting to find out who is going to get the job and hopefully there'll be a decision soon. ''As players we just can't wait to get settled again and start concentrating on the football." Maylett, signed on a free from the Clarets last summer after a brief but encouraging loan spell, had actually begun talking about extending his deal prior to Flynn's sacking. But he says the fall of the regime that brought him to South Wales has not changed his desire to agree fresh terms. ''Before Brian left, the club came to me to talk about a new deal which was pleasing. ''The negotiations have continued since he went and I just want to get things done as soon as possible now. ''I'm enjoying my football at Swansea and feel it's the right thing to do. I've taken to the place and the fans have been great, so I'll be pleased when I've signed and I can focus on the rest of this season and beyond.'' With just a handful of games remaining, the 23-year-old seems likely to look back on his first full season as a Football League regular with mixed emotions. He is set for a return to action against Carlisle tomorrow after missing out last weekend with a calf problem - the latest in a long line of injuries that have hampered progress since his memorable hat-trick against Bury on the opening day. One of Flynn's star performers in the early days of this campaign, Maylett was one of too many who suffered a dip in the latter stages of Flynn's reign. The signs of a return to his best, goals against Rochdale and Macclesfield, came a little too late for the departed director of football. ''I have had fitness problems and a few darker days,'' he adds. ''But generally it's been brilliant for me at Swansea. I'm starting to feel a lot more confident again and hopefully that will continue.''

Friday, April 02, 2004 Swans size up Jackett

BBC Online Former Wales international Kenny Jackett has emerged as the firm favourite to become the next manager of Swansea City. Jackett, 42, currently the Queens Park Rangers assistant manager, could be unveiled as early as next week. The club has taken its time seeking a replacement for Brian Flynn, who surprisingly left the post last month. But Jackett, who won 31 Wales caps before injury cut short his playing career, appears to fit the bill. It is understood that club chairman Huw Jenkins met him and Chester City manager Mark Wright on Thursday. Jackett has been assistant manager at QPR for nearly three years and is believed to be keen on a managerial post - he has been interviewed for the manager's job at his old club Watford in the past. He made all his Wales appearances in defence and midfield, primarily on the left, while playing for the Hornets in the 1980s. In 1990 Jackett became the youth team coach at Vicarage Road and was promoted to assistant manager, a job he held until Gianluca Vialli's arrival in May 2001. Jackett was then snapped up by QPR manager Ian Holloway but is set to become Swansea's sixth manager in just over two and a half years. Alan Curtis has been caretaker manager at the Vetch Field since Flynn and assistant Kevin Reeves departed "by mutual consent". The Swans face Carlisle on Saturday with top scorer Lee Trundle fit to return to action, although there is still a long injury list including Andy Robinson, Brad Maylett, Kevin Nugent, Izzy Iriekpen and Leon Hylton. Swansea City Football Club has released its accounts for the year ending 31 May 2003. The club lost £415,000 in the trading year despite increasing turnover from £2.04 million to £2.09m and reducing expenses. However, the overall loss was a great improvement on the previous year's deficit of £1.39m.

Friday, April 02, 2004 ACCOUNTS SHOW PROFIT AND LOSS FOR THE SWANS

Evening Post Swansea City AFC Ltd published their first set of accounts under the current board's stewardship today. The accounts reveal a profit for the year ended May 31, 2003 of £1million before tax compared to the previous year's loss of £1.4m. Included with the current year's figures, however, is an exceptional item of £1.4m relating to the finalisation of the CVA. Without this 'exceptional item' and on a like for like basis, the company would therefore have traded at a loss of £0.4m. Football turnover increased by £0.1m, undoubtedly aided by the fight to avoid relegation with increased gates. Commercial revenues have seen a fall off of some £0.1m. The board, in their attempt to stabilise the business, have successfully been able to reduce operating costs by £0.9m. A statement from the board acknowledges the continued level of support given by both sponsors, like main contributor The Travel House, fans and also the critical contribution made by the Supporters' Trust. ''With less TV money being available,'' the statement reads, ''the club now depends largely on sponsorship, season ticket sales, gate receipts and other match income. ''Retaining the good will and support of everyone in the city, prudent ongoing management of the club's finances, including particularly the wage bill, and participation in a new stadium are all critical to the welfare of the club.''

Friday, April 02, 2004 It looks like Wright stuff for Swans

Western Mail WELSH bookmakers last night dramatically suspended betting on Mark Wright becoming the next manager ofSwansea City. Jack Brown stopped taking money on the former Liverpool and England defender becoming Brian Flynn's successor at the Vetch after a flood of bets. The big money, placed in shops in Llanelli and Swansea throughout the day, led to the bookies saying at 6.30pm last night that they were taking no more bets on Wright. Jack Brown spokesman Karl Williams explained that the price for Wright - currently manager of Conference promotion-chasers Chester City - had been slashed from 5-1 at the start of the day to 4-5 odds-on favourite. Williams said, "We had to make the decision to suspend bets because we believe something suspicious has been going on. "When you get bets of £100 being wanted on one person you begin to smell a bit of a rat. "We had a flood of money on Wright throughout the day. In this sort of situation our experience tells us there is often no smoke without fire. "And it also strikes us he is the sort of person who would not cost the Swans too much money. "The betting on him started as early as 10.35am and it continued throughout the day. "We suspended betting on Wright himself briefly in the morning, reopened the book and then suspended it again. You can still get a bet, however, on anybody else for the Swansea job." Swans chairman Huw Jenkins said yesterday the club hoped to unveil their new manager at the start of next week. Wright's name emerged as Jenkins admitted he had sounded out former Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill about accepting the Swansea vacancy. Wright, after a spell as manager of Merseyside non-league outfit Southport, had a brief taste of Football League management when he took charge of Oxford United for six months in 2001. But he left the Kassam Stadium under a cloud, after allegedly making racist remarks to a black referee during a match against Scunthorpe. In January 2002 the former Southampton defender resurrected his career at Chester when the club were struggling in the Conference. In his first full season in charge he took them to the Conference play-offs, where they were beaten by Doncaster on penalties. The Deva Stadium outfit are currently three points clear at the top of the Conference with a game in hand on closest rivals Hereford. Wright, who won 45 England caps between 1984 and 1996, also has connections with Swansea. He is a friend of former Vetch Field youth development supremo Malcolm Elias, who knew Wright from his days at Oxford and helped him break into professional football. Wright also knows current Swans caretaker boss Alan Curtis from their days together at Southampton in the 1980s. Curtis spent three years with the south coast club from 1983 to 1986, while Wright was there from 1981 to 1986. The former England centre-back, now 40, went on to play for Liverpool and Derby before managing Southport. The problem with any move for Wright is whether Chester would be willing to release him from his contract with the club so close to promotion. Jenkins said, "We'd like to unveil a new manager at the start of next week, though that could depend on whether that person is free." Other names that continue to be linked with the Swans job include Cotterill, Frank Burrows, Leroy Rosenior, John Gorman and Andy Legg.

Thursday, April 01, 2004 DOWN TO THREE

Evening Post Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has whittled the shortlist to replace Brian Flynn down to three candidates. Jenkins remained tightlipped yesterday on who they were, but confirmed all were still attached to clubs. Steve Cotterill, currently assisting Micky Adams and Alan Cork at Premiership Leicester City, and Frank Burrows, No. 2 at West Bromwich Albion, remain among the favourites to take over the Vetch Field hot seat. The latest names to be linked to the post are Chester boss Mark Wright and Torquay manager Leroy Rosenior. Ex-England star Wright has taken Chester to the top of the Nationwide Conference, while Rosenior has led Torquay to fourth spot in the Third Division, just two points off the third automatic promotion spot, but both seem to be outside bets for the job. The Post also understands that the club have spoken to Glenn Hoddle's former No. 2 with both England and Spurs, John Gorman. Swansea had 50 applicants for the vacant position and one of those believed to have applied is former Vetch Field favourite Dzemal Hadziabdic. The former Yugoslavian international full-back has been coaching in the Middle East for the past few years and was in charge of the Qatar national side. But while he has experience at international level, he has little knowledge of the British game and is believed to have been ruled out because of that. Jenkins wants to sort out the situation sooner rather than later and is hopeful things can be concluded early next week. ''It's down to three.'' he said, ''and we have a clear picture in our minds of what sort of person we want. Early next week would be the right time to sort it all out. ''That would give whoever comes in the chance to get to know the players between now and the end of the season and start working with them the way he wants to. ''Hopefully by Monday or Tuesday next week we will have a clearer picture of what is going to happen.'' Jenkins is expecting to release a joint statement from the club and Flynn in the next day or so and is also hopeful of finalising details with Brad Maylett on a new two-year contract. On the playing front star striker Lee Trundle came through 45 minutes of yesterday's reserve match against Cheltenham and is ready to face strugglers Carlisle at Vetch Field on Saturday.

Thursday, April 01, 2004 TRUNDLE: BRING ON CARLISLE

Evening Post Swansea City's top scorer Lee Trundle declared himself fit and ready to face bottom club Carlisle United after a 45-minute run out for the club's second string at Vetch Field yesterday. Trundle had been out of first-team action since February 24 when he injured his hamstring against Leyton Orient. He attempted one comeback for the reserves against Plymouth two weeks ago but broke down. This time, though, there was no signs of any tightness in the injury and he looked sharp in the time he was on the pitch. A fair-sized Vetch crowd looked on as Trundle proved his return to fitness and the striker confirmed afterwards he would be back in league action on Saturday. Trundle's trickery was unable to break down a strong visitors' defence in a first half which remained goalless thanks mainly to the shot-stopping of Brian Murphy in the home goal. The Irishman made a decent block from Luke Corbett before turning away a Ben Cleverley free-kick. Swansea's side included loan signings Matthew Rees and Lee Fieldwick, while James Thomas partnered Trundle up front in the first half. But it was Cheltenham who had the better chances and Shane Duff headed wide 10 minutes before the break. Swansea's best chance fell to Matthew Roberts but he could only head Thomas's cross straight at Steve Book in the visitors' goal. Corbett saw his weak shot from veteran Bob Taylor's cross saved by Murphy and the youngster did even better to turn behind Corbett's effort after he outpaced Jamie Rewbury just before the break. Mark Pritchard and Chad Bond replaced Trundle and Thomas at the break but they had little chance to shine as Cheltenham continued to dominate. Graham Fyfe shot wide when put through before Taylor, who soon after had to be taken to hospital suffering with concussion after colliding with his own player, put a free header past the post. Murphy was at his best again to push a Richard Crotty shot round the post, but he was helpless to stop substitute Craig Dobson's header from hitting the back of the net with two minutes left.

Thursday, April 01, 2004 Horton denies Swansea link

BBC Online Former Port Vale manager Brian Horton has denied that he is in the running for the vacancy at Swansea. Horton, who left Vale Park by mutual consent in February, has also managed Hull, Oxford, Manchester City, Huddersfield and Brighton. However, he explained: "I am looking to get back into management as soon as possible but I didn't apply for the job at Swansea." The Swans are still searching for a successor to Brian Flynn.

Thursday, April 01, 2004 Trundle poised to return as Robinson out

Western Mail SWANSEA CITY have lost Andy Robinson for up to three weeks - but could be boosted by the return of top scorer Lee Trundle. Midfielder Robinson suffered a hamstring injury after 25 minutes of Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town. The former Tranmere player is expected to miss the Swans' next four matches - against Carlisle, Lincoln, Hull and Bristol Rovers. But caretaker-manager Alan Cutis might be able to select 20-goal striker Trundle for Saturday's home match against bottom club Carlisle. The 27-year-old from Liverpool has been out of action since damaging a hamstring in the 2-1 win over Leyton Orient at the Vetch Field on February 24. But he had a run-out in the reserve game against Cheltenham yesterday and he may be ready to face the Cumbrian outfit on the weekend. "I've never done my hamstring before so I haven't been quite sure when to start playing again," said Trundle, who has seen two previous comebacks fail after aggravating the injury. "But this is the best it's felt and, hopefully, I'll come through and be available for the weekend." Curtis is also hoping Brad Maylett, who is trying to shake off a calf problem, is able to return. But the Swans will be without Kevin Nugent, Izzy Iriekpen and Leon Hylton.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 MAYLETT CLOSE TO AGREEING TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

Evening Post Brad Maylett is close to agreeing a new two-year Swansea City contract. The former Burnley winger should put pen to paper in the next few days after a largely impressive first campaign as a Football League regular. Speedster Maylett was signed by Brian Flynn last summer after a loan spell at Vetch Field at the back end of last season. The 23-year-old agreed a one-year deal with a further 12 months guaranteed by 30 first-team appearances this season. He has already reached that landmark, and in doing so has done enough to persuade Swansea's owners to tie him to the club until 2006. ''Brad is very happy to commit himself to us and that shows that he has faith in the direction we are going,'' said chairman Huw Jenkins. ''Things might have been sorted a week ago were it not for our manager situation, which is taking up a lot of our time at the moment. ''But the good thing is that this shows that Brad is confident that we remain intent on taking the club forward. ''I have been speaking to him and his agent and the contract is virtually sorted now.'' Jenkins revealed that Swansea could re-open negotiations with Shaun Byrne at the end of the season after the West Ham defender returned to Upton Park following a loan spell. The Republic of Ireland Under-21 utility man rejected a permanent move to the Vetch because he could not agree terms. ''We offered Shaun a deal until the end of next season - he wanted two years,'' Jenkins explained. ''We felt we could not agree to that at this moment, but it could well be that we talk again in the summer when Shaun will be a free agent.'' Michael Howard will not face a ban despite collecting his fifth yellow card of the season in the 4-2 win over Scunthorpe 11 days ago. Under Football League rules, players who receive a fifth booking after February are only warned as to their future conduct. Howard, however, looks set to miss Saturday's meeting with Carlisle because of a hernia problem. The Third Division's bottom club will come to the Vetch without midfield regulars Chris Billy and Will McDonagh, who have both been ruled out for the rest of the season. The news is a major blow for player-boss Paul Simpson, who reckons his side need five wins from their remaining seven matches to avoid the drop to the Conference.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 MANAGERS SAY NO

Evening Post Swansea City's owners have ruled out Brian Horton and Steve McMahon as possible successors to Brian Flynn - despite showing an interest in the duo. But the Evening Post understands Steve Cotterill and Frank Burrows remain among the favourites for the vacant manager's job, along with at least one other. Former Manchester City boss Horton impressed the Vetch Field board with his work at Second Division Port Vale, who he left last month by mutual consent having steered the cash-strapped club to the edge of the play-offs. And current Blackpool manager Steve McMahon, who has led the Tangerines to promotion from Division Three and two LDV Vans Trophy successes in just over four years at the helm, is another who is admired by Swansea chiefs. But it is believed both names have now been scratched off their hitlist as the search for Flynn's replacement intensifies. Horton, who has also had spells in charge of Hull, Oxford, Huddersfield and Brighton, will not be considered because he is not keen to relocate to South Wales from his Cheshire home. Ex-Liverpool and England hardman McMahon, who led Swindon to the Second Division championship in his first full season as a manager, applied for the vacant manager's post at Oldham and has hinted that he would like to move on. But it is believed high wage demands will scupper any chance of a move to Swansea. Andy Melville, Andy Legg, Dean Saunders, Mike Walker and John Aldridge are other names who have been linked with the Vetch who seem unlikely to be coming, while Ian Atkins is another who appears to have been ruled out. As well as Cotterill and Burrows, Vetch chairman Huw Jenkins is also understood to be very interested in one of the 50 applicants for the job, although he is refusing to mention names. "I met some people yesterday, and I will be meeting more today and tomorrow," he said. "I'm doing a lot of travelling because the candidates are spread all over the country and it's probably going to be the end of the week at least before any decision are made. "We're determined to make the right appointment to show we mean business. "The right man may not necessarily be young, but he will be ambitious and enthusiastic with a good background at all levels of football. "By that I mean at international level as a player, so that their credibility cannot be questioned." Jenkins, who spoke to Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe for advice yesterday, went on: "We need someone who firstly will make our players realise that we have ambitions to carry on moving forward. "Secondly the fans, some of whom have questioned the decision to get rid of Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves, will realise that we are planning on being stronger for that decision. "And thirdly we need the sort of person who will make people sit up and take notice of Swansea and will be able to attract the right sort of players to the club. "If we can get any of three or four names on top of our list, I think people will recognise that we'll have done remarkably well."

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Robinson blow for Swans

BBC Online Swansea City midfielder Andy Robinson will be out for three weeks. Robinson, the club's joint second top scorer with seven league goals, limped off with a hamstring injury in last Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield. But Swansea are hopeful that striker Lee Trundle will be available for Saturday's Division Three match against Carlisle United at the Vetch. Trundle will be given a chance to prove his fitness in Wednesday's home reserves game against Cheltenham Town.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 TRUNDLE INSISTS: I'M NOT LEAVING SWANS

Lee Trundle has quashed speculation linking him with a move away from Swansea City. Suggestions that the 20-goal top-scorer's future may lie away from Swansea have intensified since Brian Flynn, the man who brought him to Swansea and previously Wrexham, left Vetch Field. Premiership West Ham and Second Division Tranmere have been repeatedly linked with Trundle, with anything between £200,000 and £400,000 being mentioned as possible transfer fees. But the 27-year-old Scouser, who returns to action in the reserves' home clash with Cheltenham tomorrow, insists he will not follow Flynn through the exit door. "I signed a contract until the end of next season with Swansea City Football Club and I will definitely be seeing that out," he said. "People have talked about me going because Brian and Kevin (Reeves) have gone, but that's not going to happen. "Although I came down here for them, the way the fans have treated me since I got here has given me a strong feeling for the club. That's not going to change because the gaffer has gone and I'm just going to ignore all the speculation. "I read about West Ham, but you get stories in the papers all the time. Unless anything concrete ever happens, there's no point talking about it really." Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins was equally dismissive about talk of Trundle leaving. He said: "We're not about to sell Lee. We are more concerned about getting him playing again. "Certainly, neither Tranmere nor anyone else has made an offer to us." Trundle, who damaged a hamstring against Leyton Orient on February 24, is expected to have a 45 minutes outing for the reserves tomorrow at home against Cheltenham (2pm) after two previous comebacks ended with an aggravation of the injury. "I've never done my hamstring before so I haven't been quite sure when to start playing again," he added. "But this is the best it's felt and hopefully I'll come through and be available for the weekend." Swansea should also be boosted by the return of Brad Maylett (calf) when bottom-club Carlisle visit on Saturday, while James Thomas and Karl Connolly will aim to build up match fitness tomorrow. New boys Layton Maxwell, Lee Fieldwick and Matthew Rees will also turn out for the second string. But Andy Robinson (hamstring) is facing between two and three weeks on the sidelines, and Kevin Nugent, Izzy Iriekpen and Leon Hylton all remain out. Swansea-born Andy Melville has said he would be very tempted should his hometown club offer him their vacant manager's post. But the 35-year-old, who has just signed a two-year contract at West Ham, has not applied for the job because now might not by the right time.

Monday, March 29, 2004 GIVE US A HAND

Swansea City will interview 10 candidates for their vacant manager's job this week in the wake of Saturday's thumping at Huddersfield. And Vetch Field chairman Huw Jenkins has revealed that he will turn to Swansea footballing heavyweights like John Toshack and Chris Coleman for advice before appointing Brian Flynn's successor. Jenkins feels it is time to act after caretaker-boss Alan Curtis, in charge for just three matches, ruled himself out of the running for the role on a permanent basis. ''I had a long meeting with Curt last night to clarify the situation and he has made it clear that he doesn't want to be considered,'' revealed Jenkins. ''Initially we let things ride after Brian's departure and wanted to gauge Alan's thoughts because we hold him in such high regard, but now I will push ahead this week and talk to as many candidates as possible. ''We're looking for someone who is enthusiastic, has young, bright ideas and has the ambition to come here and push our club forward. ''We want someone with extensive knowledge of the football world and contacts within it who above all has the desire and passion to match what we feel as supporters.'' Jenkins revealed that of the 50 applications received by the club, only 10 were worth serious consideration. For now youth boss Curtis remains in temporary charge of the first team, and could remain there until the summer. ''Some of the people we are talking about are currently under contract at other clubs,'' Jenkins explained, ''and we have got to take time to make sure we make the right decision. ''As a board we would not try to hide the fact that we are inexperienced in terms of bringing new managers in and we will seek as much advice as possible. ''I have already spoken to Colin Addison and will talk to Toshack and Chris Coleman this week in an attempt to build up a background on people to see if they are right.'' Former Swansea manager Terry Yorath, meanwhile, has revealed how Flynn had been preparing himself for the bullet before he was sacked 11 days ago. ''I've spoken to Brian and he told me all about it,'' said Yorath, now Huddersfield's assistant boss. ''He is sad in a way but he told me he could see it coming because he felt the chairman was looking for someone else, a different character or personality. ''All you can think is that there was a very close relationship between the chairman and the manager and that was obviously faltering. ''When that happens, there's only one person who's vulnerable.'' Yorath, who had two spells at the Swansea helm between 1986 and 1991, said he was shocked by Flynn's dismissal. ''I think if you asked anyone in football they would have been,'' he added. ''There was talk of recent form being relegation form and Brian not spending enough time at the club, but I just think people start to look for excuses. ''Brian did a great job at Swansea. He has connections in good places. At Huddersfield we could never get a player out of Manchester United, but he could regularly. That shows you what Sir Alex Ferguson thinks of him. ''I think Swansea have lost an asset, either because the directors were panicking because they had slipped out of the play-off places or because of a something we don't know about. Whatever it was, I'm sure Brian will be back in the game soon.'' Swansea, meanwhile, were running a fitness check on Andy Robinson today amid fears he could be sidelined until the final fortnight of the season after limping off with a hamstring injury over the weekend.

Monday, March 29, 2004 THE HONEYMOON IS OVER ALREADY

Alan Curtis appeared ready for a split after his honeymoon period at the Swansea City helm ended inside a week. For all the overtime demanded by his dual role, the head of youth development at Vetch Field had been quite enjoying his return to life with the first team following Brian Flynn's departure. But while football researchers have claimed a change of management at any club prompts an eight-game upturn in fortunes, Swansea's post-Flynn revival lasted only a matter of days. Curtis's first game as caretaker manager, the 4-2 win over Scunthorpe, was a day to savour, with last Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Mansfield a very satisfactory night's work.. Saturday's trip to Huddersfield, however, reminded the former assistant to John Hollins and Nick Cusack just how miserable bus trips home can be. ''The job's okay,'' said Curtis, contemplating a couple of hundred miles on the motorway after his team had been run over in West Yorkshire. ''But it's all about results and to lose 3-0 is very disappointing, even if it was probably a fair reflection of the game. ''I'm not just disappointed for myself, I'm disappointed for everyone at the club. I want us to win games whether I'm in charge or not.'' Cutting a somewhat beleaguered figure in the depths of the excellent McAlpine Stadium, Curtis was once again keen to play down any talk of becoming Flynn's long-term successor. ''The club have had well over 50 applications, with a high standard of candidates, and I think they will take stock now and set up whatever interviews that need to be done,'' he said. ''I've no idea how long I will be in charge, it could end this week or it could be in the summer. If a new man walks in now then I will go back to the calm of youth development. ''Will I be applying?'' he added, managing a smile. ''Not after that.'' Curtis and his stand-in No. 2 Richie Evans, the club's physiotherapist, had suffered on the sidelines as their injury-hit team were taken apart by a Huddersfield side keen to obliterate anything which comes between them and an automatic return to Division Two at this decisive stage of the season. The Terriers were impressive, with giants in defence and attack and a midfield full of running. But Swansea were unrecognisable from the side that had tormented the same opponents at the start of the season. Remember Lee Trundle's breathtaking shoulder-to-shoulder trick, the epitome of the whole team's soaring confidence back in September? Peter Jackson, the Huddersfield manager, had not been overly impressed by Trundle's antics, and took extra pleasure in seeing Swansea steamrolled this weekend. ''We won 3-0, but it might have been six,'' he declared. With a little more ruthlessness in front of goal the hosts could have humiliated Curtis's men, such was their dominance. Miraculously, the sides were level at the break after Swansea had spent 45 minutes arguing between themselves about their defensive shortcomings. Pawel Abbott and Andy Booth might have had three goals between them inside the first seven minutes, and against different opposition could have paid for their wastefulness. But the chances kept coming as Swansea failed miserably to get their act together, and the deadlock was finally broken when Booth won his umpteenth header of the day and Danny Schofield was first to react. Curtis sent on Layton Maxwell and Lee Fieldwick for debuts, but by then their new team-mates looked lost. They had not managed a shot on target, and Maxwell's half-hit 20-yarder, which rolled harmlessly past the post, was about as good as it got. For home skipper Efe Sodje, the centre-back with the bandana, this afternoon's work was at the opposite end of the difficulty scale to the day he spent marking Michael Owen when playing for Nigeria at the 2002 World Cup. Swansea had been overwhelmed, and so it was entirely just when the impressive Schofield latched on to a Sodje clearance to score his second and then Anthony Lloyd rounded off Huddersfield's happy day with a smart chip at the end. ''The two late goals just summed up what was a very disappointing afternoon for us,'' groaned Curtis, ''though we can have no complaints. ''To have a chance of winning games against teams like Huddersfield, you have to match them first of all. ''We've got some good players, no doubt about it, but I think physically we lost the battle. ''We've almost got a reputation as a five-a-side team, with good players who away from home need to be stronger. You've got to earn the right to play.'' Recalling the team he and Hollins guided out of Division Three four years ago, Curtis continued: ''We were a big, strong side. ''In terms of talent we were nowhere near as well blessed as this squad is, but that team would have enjoyed playing in a battle against Huddersfield. ''In this division, especially, you've got no chance if you can't compete. Teams will just knock you over.'' Floored by Huddersfield, Curtis must try to lift Swansea for a run-in which now looks meaningless even if results in the play-off race did go their way this weekend. ''For the first 10 games of the season we matched sides and were top of the league,'' Curtis said. ''But since then we've had a tendency to get bullied out of games and it looks now as if we're playing for our professional pride. ''Whoever he is and whenever he comes in, I think that's one of the first things the new manager will want to address.''

Monday, March 29, 2004 Yorath: Swans board had no reason to sack

BRIAN FLYNN feared he would lose his job at Swansea because his relationship with the chairman of the club had faltered. That's according to friend and former Wales colleague Terry Yorath, who spoke to Flynn in the wake of his surprise departure from the Vetch 11 days ago. Flynn has steadfastly refused to express his feelings about his dismissal, or respond to the club's reasoning behind the decision to let him and No 2 Kevin Reeves go. But Huddersfield coach Yorath shed more light on the circumstances surrounding Flynn's departure after his current charges thumped his old club 3-0 at the McAlpine Stadium on Saturday. The result nudged Yorath's men back into the top three and left the side that Flynn built in need of a miracle to get into the play-offs. On Flynn's Swansea exit, Yorath said, "When it happened I thought either the directors panicked because the side were out of the play-off places or there was something else going on - a different agenda perhaps - that we didn't know about. "I spoke to Brian and he told me all about it. He was sad in a way, but he said he could see it (the sack) coming. "His relationship with the chairman (Huw Jenkins) was faltering and when that happens there's only one person who's vulnerable - the manager. "It seemed the chairman was looking for someone else, a different personality and a different kind of character." Yorath's revelations come as Flynn and Swansea prepare to release a joint statement intended to draw a line under his departure. But the statement is expected to simply confirm the club have reached a financial settlement with their former management team rather than convey Flynn's views. Yorath went on, "I was shocked when I heard Brian had left Swansea. I think most people in football would've been. "It makes you wonder what the club want. First there was talk Swansea's form had been that of a relegation team and then that Brian wasn't spending enough time there. "I just think that when results aren't going well, they (the club) look for excuses. But they haven't really got a reason. "I think Swansea have lost an asset in Brian. He did a good job and the thing about him is he's got connections in good places. "Huddersfield could never get a player out of Manchester United, but Brian could. Regularly." Up until Saturday, it had to be said the Swansea players were coping more than adequately without their former manager. A professional demolition of Scunthorpe and a hard-earned draw at Mansfield had suggested Flynn's exit had actually galvanised the Swans into getting their season going again. But, with the seemingly unbridgeable gap to the play-off places stretched to six points with seven games left, old problems came back to haunt them in West Yorkshire. Defensive brittleness and a desperate lack of imagination were the major faults of the kind of poor Swansea display that frequently blotted the last three months of Flynn's reign. Huddersfield could scarcely believe their luck when they were gift-wrapped a flurry of early chances from which they should have been at least 3-0 up inside the first 15 minutes. That the Terriers had to wait until the 51st minute to go ahead, when Andy Booth flicked on a long free-kick to allow Danny Schofield to lift the ball over Roger Freestone, was remarkable. "From that point on, it really was quite easy for us," admitted Yorath, No 2 to manager Peter Jackson since the pair returned to Huddersfield last summer. "Getting another two goals was the icing on the cake for us. But I thought our performance deserved a 3-0 scoreline." The Swans' fate was sealed five minutes from time when a long ball forward pierced their flimsy rearguard and Schofield steered the ball round Freestone to slot home his second. And it was game over with a minute to go when Pawel Abbot's deep cross found Schofield loitering on the edge of the area, the Town striker laying the ball off for Anthony Lloyd to beat Freestone with a delicate chip. Perhaps Swansea, who handed second-half debuts to former Cardiff midfielder Layton Maxwell and on-loan Brentford defender Lee Fieldwick, might have fared better had key man Andy Robinson not been forced off with a hamstring injury after just 25 minutes. Because, if truth be told, it was difficult to recall a single flash of inspiration from the visitors, inspiration Robinson can normally be relied on to provide. Yorath, though, believes all is not lost for the club he managed from 1986-89 and from 1990-91. "It's possibly not the end of the road for them," he said. "There are always teams that will go on a losing run and Swansea could get themselves back in. "But I think the big problem for them at the moment is they're missing their strikers. "Lee Trundle is a class act in this division and Kevin Nugent always gets you goals. If you're missing them, you're going to struggle."

Monday, March 29, 2004 We need some big strong lumps, admits caretaker boss Curtis

ALAN CURTIS admits Swansea City are not physically strong enough to compete with the top teams in Division Three. And the Swans caretaker boss insists beefing up the side must be one of the top priorities for the new manager at the Vetch. Curtis claimed Swansea were "bullied" out of the 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield on Saturday that virtually condemned them to another season in Division Three. And, admitting the result leaves the Swans with little left to play for but pride, Curtis said, "When we won promotion to Division Two a couple of years ago, we were a big, strong team. "The squad was nowhere near as blessed as the current one in terms of ability, but this game against Huddersfield was a battle they would've enjoyed. The fact is we've got a tendency of being bullied out of games and that's what happened here. Physically, Huddersfield were too strong for us. "We've got some good players, but away from home you've got to be strong. If you don't compete with teams physically, you've got no chance. "Perhaps one of the key tasks for the new manager is getting the right mix of big, strong lumps and gifted players. Just look at Huddersfield - they're a powerful unit. They had three big centre-halves and three big strikers. Even the substitutes were big units! "The new manager is going to have to look at ways of addressing that in our squad. "But it's not rocket science. You should be able to get your team to compete physically." Though Curtis insisted the play-offs were not completely out of reach, it is a different kind of "P" word that now finds itself on the Swansea agenda. "We've got pride to play for," he said. "We've just got to keep on going and keep being professional. Irrespective of whether we can still get into the play-offs, the last thing we can do is let the season die." With Swansea still sifting through the long list of applicants for the vacant manager's job, Curtis insisted he was happy to continue in the hot-seat until Brian Flynn's successor was appointed. "I said to the chairman I'd do the job on a game-by-game basis and if I end up being in charge until the end of the season, then that's fine," he said. "But I've still got no intention of applying for the job myself. I'll be quite happy to return to the calm of youth development!"

Sunday, March 28, 2004 Play-off dreams down the Swan-ee

Wales on Sunday SWANSEA CITY'S flickering play-off hopes were finally extinguished as they were hammered in Huddersfield. A day before the clocks went forward, the dishevelled Swans found themselves exiled to the Twilight Zone - yearning for their early-season form, and equally keen to see the end of this campaign for regrouping. With Brian Flynn departing 11 days ago, the Swans' directors are now sifting through 50 applicants - but it appears that Vetch Field caretaker chief Alan Curtis is not among them. But urgency is of the essence for Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins and his board need to appoint their fifth boss in four years, judging by this horror show. Swansea's play-off dreams are now clinically dead - six victories in the remaining seven games is far too much to expect. Curtis was honest enough to admit pride, rather than promotion, is all that remains as Vetch fans dig out the maps and prepare for trips to Scunthorpe, York and Mansfield next season. There will be no return to the McAlpine Stadium, though -- Huddersfield displayed their Second Division credentials in a devastating second-half spell. A Danny Schofield brace and an Anthony Lloyd chip found the feeble Swans' net - and the carnage could have been even greater. Curtis had made two changes coming into this debacle, bringing in winger Stuart Roberts and Chris O'Leary with borrowed West Ham defender Shaun Byrne switching from right to left-back, and keeping deadline day signings Layton Maxwell and Lee Fieldwick on the bench. The Terriers, defeated only twice in their last 15 matches coming into the clash, brought in local hero Steve Yates for injured Nathan Clarke - their new recruits Iffy Onuora and Gary Harkings among the subs. And the mix appeared potent enough as the Swans almost crumbled three times in the opening seven minutes. Ex-Sheffield Wednesday star Andy Booth was kicking himself in the fourth minute as he lifted over the bar from only eight yards. Tony Carss was equally frustrated moments later as his left-foot missile whistled wide. Managerless Swansea had a huge problem down the left. Schofield easily went past Byrne and Pawel Abbott spooned off target from point-blank range. A Terriers breakthrough appeared inevitable. The Swans wilted again as Abbott cut inside Stuart Jones, Booth heading wide at the near post. Former Cardiff midfielder Carss' free-kick was then touched wide by David Mirfin. Curtis painted an anxious silhouette on the near side touch-line because his black-shirted Swans appeared a team of strangers. When the Vetch side did eventually venture into Huddersfield territory, their careless distribution ruined raids. Swansea were struggling to find any fluency. And their cause wasn't aided on 24 minutes as limping link-man Andy Robinson was replaced by James Thomas. Yet the Swans almost snatched a shock lead two minutes later. Jones' looping throw was misjudged by Efe Sodje, Roberto Martinez lifting over from 12 yards. Swansea's O'Leary and Alan Tate did not appear to be on the same wavelength in central defence. The bickering duo allowed Mirfin to steam through, the tall defender pulling his angled effort past the post. Town had no problem continuing to construct intricate assaults on a pitch badly rutted by rugby's Super League show. And Swansea's frustration escalated as Tate and Martinez were booked for poor tackles. Swansea's veteran keeper Roger Freestone must have been horrified by the sheer indifference unfolding before him. The ex-Wales cap was forced to sprint to his right to foil Schofield on 43 minutes. Yet all home anxiety evaporated as Town went ahead when Schofield hit the target six minutes after the restart. Statuesque Swansea never dealt with Carss' swerving free-kick and Booth flicked on for Schofield to fire home. It was deserved - Huddersfield had held a vice-like grip on this encounter since the start. Desperate Swansea sent on Maxwell and Fieldwick two minutes after the hour. The Swans were out of this contest on 85 minutes as Schofield waltzed around Freestone to jab into an empty net. And 60 seconds from the end Lloyd found the far corner.

Friday, March 26, 2004 SWANS SWOOP FOR DEFENDERS

Evening Post Swansea City have signed Millwall's Matthew Rees and Lee Fieldwick of Brentford on loan for the rest of the season after failing in bids for two Vetch Field old boys. The Evening Post understands that former Welsh international Andy Legg was very keen to return to the club where his career began but a proposed move was blocked by current employers Peterborough. And Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins also enquired about Brentford's Stephen Evans, who enjoyed a successful loan spell in his native South Wales in 2001, but was told no by the struggling Second Division club. Instead, another left-back at Griffin Park, 21-year-old Fieldwick, heads west in search of first-team football having last played for the Bees way back in September. The Croydon-born youngster has just a handful of Football League appearances to his name but could feature at Huddersfield tomorrow with Michael Howard (hernia) and Leon Hylton (groin) injured. Swansea-born Rees has even less experience, his only taste of senior club football having come during loan spells in the Conference with Aldershot and Dagenham & Redbridge earlier this season. A Wales Under-21 international, the 6ft 3in central defender is likely to start on the bench at the McAlpine Stadium. Swansea's need for defensive cover has heightened after on-loan West Ham utility man Shaun Byrne rejected the offer of a permanent Vetch contract because he could not agree terms. The Irish Under-21 player wanted a two-year deal but was only offered terms until the end of next season, and now seems set to play his last game for Swansea this weekend. ''Matthew has been keen to come here for about six months because he doesn't feel he's got a chance at Millwall,'' Jenkins explained. ''He will get that here and it could be that he ends up joining us permanently if things go well. ''Alan (Curtis) felt we needed some cover at centre-back and also at left-back, so that's why Lee's joined us. He has been recommended by a few people. ''Shaun will be leaving us after Huddersfield but it could be that we talk again in the summer, when he will be a free agent.'' Caretaker boss Curtis had little involvement in the double signing, but welcomed the additions to a squad depleted by injury. ''I'm not really up on the scene,'' Swansea's youth boss admitted. ''If you'd asked me if I knew of any good players, I would have told you about a 14-year-old boy at Barry. ''I know Matthew - we actually tried to sign him five or six years ago - and he's a big, strong, no-nonsense type defender. ''I don't know that much about Lee, but we needed some cover given that Michael isn't fit and has a one-match ban next weekend. We're desperately short of lefties.'' Curtis will also be without injured trio Lee Trundle, Kevin Nugent and Izzy Iriekpen tomorrow as Swansea bid to make it three games unbeaten under his stewardship against fourth-placed Huddersfield. ''If we get something out of the game, we can really have a go for the play-offs in the last part of the season,'' added Curtis, who will name teenage goalkeeper Ryan Harrison on the bench in the absence of the suspended Brian Murphy. ''But if we lose we can look forward to another season in Division Three.'' One bonus for Swansea is that they will not come up against ex-team-mate Lenny Johnrose tomorrow. The 34-year-old midfielder was set to sign for the Terriers after leaving the Vetch earlier this week but after a last-minute call signed for former club Burnley and jumped up two divisions in the process.

Friday, March 26, 2004 TATE: GIVE CURTIS THE MANAGER'S JOB

Evening Post Alan Tate has called on Swansea City's owners to make Alan Curtis the permanent successor to Brian Flynn. Youth boss Curtis has been in caretaker charge since Flynn and No. 2 Kevin Reeves were sacked eight days ago. And centre-back Tate has seen enough already to persuade him that the former assistant to John Hollins and Nick Cusack deserves a shot at running first-team affairs long term. ''Alan Curtis should be given the job,''said the ex-Manchester United youngster. ''There are a lot of similarities between him and Brian Flynn. He's laid back like the gaffer was, he knows the club inside out and he's a Swansea legend. ''Though he never played for the club, Brian Flynn cared because he was from the area and Curt's got a feeling for Swansea too. ''He's really impressed me this week, especially in the dressing room after the Mansfield game. I'm not going to tell you what he said, but I was impressed because I thought he was spot on. ''I really think that if he fancies the job, he should get it.'' Curtis has played down the chances of a permanent move to the manager's office, insisting that his spell in charge will conclude at the end of the season if not before. But with a win and a draw to his name so far, Curtis might soon be contemplating a longer stint at the Vetch Field helm should Swansea succeed at high-flying Huddersfield tomorrow. For Tate, such a move would help ease the disappointment he felt following Flynn's surprise exit. ''Gutted would be the right word,'' he adds. ''I think everybody was shocked and we were subdued against Scunthorpe as a result. ''But I think the lads are coming to terms with what's happened now and realising that whether the gaffer is here or not, life goes on and Swansea City goes on. ''Most if not all of the lads were close to Brian Flynn, but football doesn't stop because he's gone and we've just got to get on with it now.'' Fears have grown among some fans that Flynn's departure would signal the break-up of what is undoubtedly a promising young Swansea team. But there is no danger of Tate departing, it seems, for he is more concerned with winning at the impressive McAlpine Stadium this weekend to keep the club's slender play-off hopes alive. ''There were three reasons why I came back to Swansea,'' he explains. ''One the gaffer, two the football club and three the fans. ''One of those has gone now and that's disappointing, but the good still outweighs the bad. ''Hopefully, we can reach the play-offs for Brian and Kevin because this is their team and they brought us all together. ''You have to admit the chances are slim now though, and I think if we lose tomorrow then that will be that.''

Friday, March 26, 2004 SWANS OFF TO HOLLAND IN SUMMER

Evening Post Swansea City have announced details of their summer tour. The club will not take part in the Isle of Man tournament, but will travel to Holland for the third year running. The squad will play four matches on tour and will be based this year in Noordwijk. They take on Den Haag at Zuiderpark on Tuesday, July 27 (7.30pm) before playing Stormvogels/Telstar (7.30pm) two days later. On July 31 Swansea come up against hosts Noordwijk (3pm) and round off the trip with a clash against Haarlem (3pm) on Sunday, August 1. All the matches are a short journey from the Swansea base. The club has advised fans that the Noordwijk area is the best place to stay as it is central for all matches and is serviced by a good coach, rail or road link. Tickets for the four matches will be available for the four games will be available from the club shop shortly. The club is also hoping to arrange at least one pre-season friendly at Vetch Field before the new season kicks off on August 7. There are still some tickets available at the club shop for the all-ticket game at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, April 17. Vetch Field will host the FAW Premier Cup final, provided Swansea beat Rhyl in the semi-final. The clubs meet next Wednesday at Belle Vue but if the Mitsubishi Welsh Premier side are victorious, the final will be played at their ground. No date has yet been finalised. Meanwhile, West Ham winger Daryl McMahon, brought to the Vetch by Brian Flynn just before his departure with a view to a possible loan move, has joined Torquay United for a month. Brian Laws is the latest Third Division manager to be axed. The Scunthorpe United boss paid the price for a string of bad results. The final two defeats under the former Nottingham Forest defender were 4-2 at Swansea and 3-2 at home to Carlisle.

Friday, March 26, 2004 FLYNN AND CLUB TO ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT

Evening Post Axed management team Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves will issue a joint statement with Swansea City in the next few days after finalising their Vetch Field pay-offs. And chairman Huw Jenkins, who played down suggestions that the double sacking had cost the club around £100,000, hopes it will be last the word on their departures. ''Part of our agreement is that we issue a statement together,'' Jenkins explained, ''and hopefully that will be the end of the matter. ''There's no ill feeling between Brian, Kevin and ourselves, we've just ended our association. ''It was black and white what they were entitled to financially, but it's not as much as £100,000.''

Thursday, March 25, 2004 Maxwell given Swans chance

BBC Online Former Liverpool and Cardiff City midfielder Layton Maxwell has joined Swansea City on a non-contract basis until the end of the season. Maxwell had his contract terminated by Cardiff in December after failing to hold down a regular first-team place. "All I want to do is settle down and get some first team action," Maxwell told the South Wales Echo newspaper. "I miss first team football and now I hope that Swansea will give me the chance to play competitive football."

Thursday, March 25, 2004 A DECENT MAN WHO DESERVED FAR BETTER

Evening Post Under pressure at Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough once emerged from a showdown meeting with the club's directors to declare: ''I've just given our chairman a vote of confidence.'' I wonder if Brian Flynn would feel like giving Huw Jenkins similar backing today. Flynn left as Swansea City director of football a week ago, hurried through a door opened for him by Jenkins and his colleagues on the Vetch Field board. After saving the club from relegation to the Nationwide Conference, and inspiring their best FA Cup run in a quarter of a century, the little man from Port Talbot could have been forgiven for believing he had done enough to deserve some margin for error in his first full campaign in charge. But football management is a cruel, unforgiving business. With Swansea struggling to make the Division Three promotion play-offs, the board contrived to make Flynn feel he had no alternative but to leave. Jenkins popped up on TV to say something about Flynn not living in the area and the problems it had caused, but it was an unconvincing performance. In the past decade, Swansea City have given the impression of being a club that changes managers as casually as most people change socks. Ten bosses have come and gone from the Vetch in that time. Armed with that knowledge, which manager in his right mind would hurry to put down roots in the city? ''We have had a huge amount of interest - it seems that everybody in the world applies for a manager's job,'' reported Jenkins in Tuesday's Evening Post. Apparently, 50 people have already thrown their hats into the ring to succeed the unfortunate Flynn. Given the events of the past week, that's 50 people more than Swansea City deserve to be interested in managing them, it has to be said. I have never met Flynn, but during his time at Vetch Field he gave the impression that he would have managed the side for nothing. A local man, he seemed to have a passion for the Swans. He was also dignified and decent in his pronouncements, reluctant to criticise players publicly or opposition teams and their managers. Maybe such qualities are as outdated as cloth caps, rosettes and wooden rattles. Perhaps they are old-fashioned and belong to a bygone era. But they were still impressive and highlighted why Flynn had gained his reputation as one of the most genuine men in football. He was well-connected, too, with links to the likes of Manchester United and West Ham which yielded important signings for the Swans. Rumours persist that because of the Flynn connection, Sir Alex Ferguson was thinking of sending a United team to Swansea to open the White Rock Stadium. Will that still happen? Let's just say the possibility has not been enhanced by Flynn's departure. How did it come to this? Fifteen months ago Jenkins had indicated the Swans were in for the long-haul with the man who had been brought in to oversee an act of escapology that would have given Harry Houdini a sleepless night or two. Swansea were in disarray, their squad weak and ineffectual. Even in a division that housed a chronically weak Shrewsbury team and Uri Geller's Exeter, they looked prime candidates for the dreaded drop out of the Football League. Nonetheless, Jenkins suggested the board did not view Flynn as a transient figure. ''There's no quick fix,'' said Jenkins. ''We've had numerous managers - (Jan) Molby, (Micky) Adams, (Alan) Cork and (Kevin) Cullis - and numerous owners and we're a laughing stock. ''We want to build this club bit by bit and gain success over a period of time and we see Brian here until he retires.'' It seemed that the penny had dropped, that here was a board who at last recognised the importance of continuity, who at last appreciated that the upheaval caused by chopping and changing managers could prove detrimental to a team's performances. Research published a few years ago showed that changing a manager during a season rarely brought the sought-after benefits. Academics found that things improved initially before the same old problems resurfaced. Jenkins's words on New Year's Day 2003 suggested he and the board were aware of such matters and had a broader vision, an appreciation that stability counts. But Flynn's departure suggests our hopes on that score were sadly misplaced. When will people learn? Successful football sides are not built over a season and a half. Flynn recognised that when he spoke of having a five-year plan to revive the Swans. Yet now the club are looking for someone else to transform their fortunes, someone else to wave a magic wand. Of course, there are times when there needs to be a parting of the ways with a manager. But the Swans blundered in getting rid of Molby. They erred when parting company with Addison. And they have done themselves no favours in allowing Flynn to move on. Vetch Field supporters, who rallied to the cause magnificently when the club needed them to last term, have a right to expect so much more.

Thursday, March 25, 2004 SWANS RULE ATKINS OUT OF VETCH JOB

Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has dismissed rumours linking Ian Atkins to the vacant manager's job. Last weekend Atkins was suspended by Oxford chairman Firoz Kassam after it was revealed he was to become Bristol Rovers boss at the start of next season. But local papers in Bristol yesterday claimed there may be a new twist in the saga, with the Vetch Field club interested in bringing in the former Birmingham defender in to replace Brian Flynn. Punters enquiring about wagers on Atkins being the next Swansea manager in local bookmakers only fuelled the rumours, but Jenkins said: ''There is nothing in it. The situation he has found himself in is unfortunate. ''It is something that we don't want to get into and the last thing he needs is us getting involved. ''On the manager front as I have already said, we are in no rush to do anything. ''We have been very pleased with how things have gone. The players' commitment and reaction to everything has been first class.'' Jenkins, meanwhile, has responded to comments made by former player Lenny Johnrose in last night's Evening Post regarding the board of directors' stance over Welsh players and a Swansea-based manager. ''I was disappointed to read something like that from someone who has been well looked after and well paid by this football club,'' he said. ''Not only is it disappointing for myself but I think it reflects badly on his thoughts for the football club and the supporters in general. ''For a footballer to make comments about players going to Cardiff City because they pay more than us is incredible. ''I think it's sad he made a statement like that because it's a slur against the club and a kick in the teeth for the supporters.'' Jenkins added: ''I don't care what country people come from or what nationality they are. ''All we are asking any member of staff, be they players, managers or whatever, is to give 100 per cent commitment to Swansea City. ''I think that we are justified in asking for that commitment seven days a week from everyone. ''All we want is players committed to our cause. We have quality players here in abundance and we want to get the best out of them. ''I find it shocking that someone as experienced as Lenny can make a statement like this that puts footballers in the wrong light. ''I don't have a problem in asking players, or anyone else for that matter, for commitment to this club. ''I am to all intents and purposes an extended arm of the supporters and feel I should ask those questions. ''That is why I have been so pleased with the commitment and the attitude of the players over the past few days. ''It shows if you all work together in what you are trying to achieve you will get that success and that is what we are looking for.''

Thursday, March 25, 2004 Hands off Atkins, Rovers tell Swans

SWANSEA CITY target Ian Atkins was last night told not to break his promise of taking over the manager's job at Bristol Rovers next season. The message came from the Bristol club's chairman Geoff Dunford, who was responding to reports that Atkins is high on the Swans' hit-list as the Vetch club seek a successor to Brian Flynn. Atkins has been suspended by fellow Third Division club Oxford after it was revealed he was in line to take charge of the Pirates at the end of this season. But speculation is rife that the former Carlisle, Northampton and Doncaster chief is in the running to replace Flynn. With Rovers just two points above the Third Division trap door and in danger of dropping out of the Football League, the Swans are a more attractive option for Atkins. But Dunford said, "We have an agreement with Ian and I expect him to be in charge of Bristol Rovers next season. "I don't know what Swansea are doing. I have no knowledge of what is happening at the club. "The only thing I can say is that we reached an agreement with Ian to be our manager next season." Rovers have offered Atkins a two-year deal with incentives if the Bristol outfit win promotion to the Second Division. But Dunford refused to say whether Atkins has signed any agreement with the West Country club. Atkins is the bookies' favourite to succeed Flynn after two large bets were placed on him becoming the next Swansea boss earlier this week. Also heavily linked with the Swans job are Frank Burrows, Steve Cotterill, John Cornforth and Andy Melville. Swans chairman Huw Jenkins said it was likely Flynn's replacement would not be appointed until the 2003-04 campaign was over. "We are happy to let things carry on as they are for the time being. We are taking things slowly," he said. Under caretaker Alan Curtis, the Swans have taken four points from their last six. "There is a good chance that Alan will be in charge of the first team for the rest of this season," continued Jenkins. "He's had a good response from the players in the last couple of games and we want that to carry on. "We will be looking for a new manager - but we are in no rush to make an appointment. We want to make sure we appoint the right man. "There has been a lot of interest in the job. We've had some very good applications. On the whole, it has been encouraging. "I'd like to think Swansea City is an attractive package for a manager. We have cleared our debts, we have a good squad of players and we have a new stadium on the horizon."

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 JOHNROSE: WHY I'VE LEFT SWANS

And I want to be at Swansea for the rest of my career then he probably would have asked me to stay. ''But why should I? I'm proud of being English. Don't get me wrong, I loved playing for Swansea City, I've really enjoyed my time at the club and my wife and I both thought the place was wonderful. I want people to know that. ''But only looking for players who are Welsh and a manager who will buy a house in the city might not be the best idea. All the best Welsh players, after all, will go to Cardiff anyway because they pay 10 times more money. That's just fact.'' Johnrose, signed by axed director of football Brian Flynn just over a year ago, has left Swansea after his wages were held back last month and the club made him aware of Macclesfield's interest. ''I had been asking Brian Flynn about what the chances of a new contract were because I wanted some back up for next year if I was going to be released, and for whatever reason the chairman felt that meant I was showing a lack of commitment,'' he explained. ''I wasn't happy, but he explained that he wanted to talk to me and always had a cheque waiting for me, so we agreed to disagree. ''When Brian Flynn went, I went to see Alan Curtis about a different matter and he told me that the chairman had mentioned Macclesfield. I got the impression that I wasn't wanted, so that's why I've left." Johnrose is the first of Flynn's signings to leave the Vetch in the wake of his exit, a departure that the former Burnley and Bury player believes has come at the wrong time. ''It seems strange to me,'' he added, ''but only the chairman knows why he has done it. ''I still think on our day we are the best side in the division, but with five or six players playing their first full season it's always going to tell. You can't expect miracles from young lads, and we're still in with a chance of making the play-offs. ''I don't think Brian Flynn should have gone because there's not a lot wrong with the club, and he hasn't lived in the city from the start after all.'' Meanwhile, Carlisle gave themselves a survival lifeline in Division Three with a battling 3-2 victory at Scunthorpe. The visitors, who started the night bottom of the table 10 points from safety, took a 15th-minute lead through on-loan Peter Duffield. The prolific Steven MacLean levelled in the 28th minute, only for Mark Boyd to restore the visitors' advantage 10 minutes into the second half. MacLean, on loan from Rangers, netted again in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot after Cleveland Taylor had been fouled by Kevin Gray. But their hopes of averting a fourth successive defeat were ended when Chris Billy netted four minutes later with a powerful shot to give Carlisle only their second win of the season away from home - and a precious three points.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 FLYNN: TRUST BACK CLUB ACTION

The departure of Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves from Swansea City has seen many representations made to Trust Board members, by fans, on the matter itself and also in relation to the Trust's own stance on these recent events. The Board cannot realistically speak for all Trust members on this subject as many will have differing personal views on whether the club has made the correct decision or not, in parting company with Brian and Kevin. It would be wrong to suggest, however, that members of the Trust Board do not have their own opinions on the matter because as ordinary fans they do. These are, however, personal and have no bearing on this statement although we can say that the Trust, as part owners of Swansea City FC, recognises fully that the club's actions were implemented only after great consideration, deliberation and with the long-term interest of this club and its supporters in mind. The Trust Board was kept fully informed of developments in advance of the management changes and we can say that based on our knowledge and understanding of the club's views and concerns, we are confident in confirming our full support of the club's actions. The club has issued a statement and there has been much debate on the merits of the decision. It may not be prudent for this Board to enter that debate fully but as the sole recognised supporter organisation for the Swans, we feel that we have to echo the long-standing concerns of fans, be they members or non members, about the decline in the team's league performances since the early part of this season. The specific reasons for the management team's departure should remain between the club and the individuals concerned. Such details are private, confidential and not for public consumption in our view. There are, however, many elements which are claimed as having contributed to final events. Often quoted are: poor player fitness levels, poor training methods, unacceptable levels of training injuries, lack of management/player discipline, a reluctance by management to reside in Swansea to be constantly with players, and even a predictable game plan. Supporters will have their views on these and others and it is not for us to pass comment on them. However, one concern in particular highlighted by many fans relates to the conflicting figures being bandied about relating to the current playing squad. This appears to have been of great concern to many, given the downturn in league form and to explain the matter we turned to our supporters' director, Leigh Dineen for some clarification. He commented : ''I can't go into exact totals on what our players wages are for the year. However, I can say that we laid down our budgets at the beginning of the season based on a set crowd figure and a minimum cup run. With the size of the budget we expected decent/average crowds based on the type of player we were bringing in. ''In football things change almost daily and with budgeted income exceeded through gate receipts and the cup run we increased our wage budget accordingly and reinvested it in the team. ''This is not seen necessarily through transfer fees but through renegotiation of player contracts to secure them for a longer term as well as the signing of high calibre players during the past three months - Tate, Roberts and Connor (contrary to belief Stuart Roberts's Wycombe contract has been taken over by us and he is not here on loan) and an increase in the loan player expenditure. ''We also paid a fee for a player for the first time in five years. ''I am confident that our player budget this year is in the top three in this division. I would think that only Hull and Huddersfield have a bigger wage bill. ''Based on this we had designs on at the very least a top-five finish. Anything below this will be seen as an under achievement. ''We hope that this helps fans understand that particular issue.'' Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves are to be thanked for the part they have played, especially last season, in helping to strengthen this club for the future. However, their era is now over and we hope that every fan will now direct his or her positive support towards the club, its Board, the players and to the eventual new management team.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 CURTIS OPTIONS HIT BY TRIPLE INJURY SET-BACK

Swansea City will count the heads for Saturday's testing trip to Huddersfield after suffering a triple injury setback in the 1-1 draw with 10-man Mansfield last night. Brad Maylett (calf), Jonathan Coates (hamstring) and Shaun Byrne (leg) all face a race to be fit for the McAlpine Stadium clash as the problems pile up for Alan Curtis. Swansea's caretaker boss had just 14 senior professionals available last night - two of whom, Kris O'Leary and Karl Connolly, were rushed back onto the bench following injury lay-offs - after Stuart Roberts dropped out at the last minute with flu. One of those was No. 2 goalkeeper Brian Murphy, who sits out through suspension this weekend following his red card at Southend. Swansea plan to sign trialist Layton Maxwell on a short-term contract to help ease their injury crisis, but with Lee Trundle, Kevin Nugent, James Thomas, Leon Hylton, Richard Jones and Izzy Iriekpen all sidelined last night and Lenny Johnrose now departed, they are in danger of running out of bodies. '"We are a bit light at the moment to say the least,'' said Curtis. Vetch Field chairman Huw Jenkins has said there is money available for emergency signings, but rejected rumours of a move for transfer listed Cardiff pair Jason Bowen and Mark Bonner before Thursday's deadline. ''We are hoping to do something with Layton Maxwell today,'' he said, ''but not the other two.'' Curtis, meanwhile, has told Swansea they must smarten up their act after they failed to hold onto the lead given to them by Andy Robinson against a Mansfield side who had Tony Vaughan sent off just 18 minutes in at Field Mill. ''If we win our home games then we still might have a chance of reaching the play-offs,'' said Curtis, whose side remain five points short of the top seven. ''I've said to the boys just play when we're at home, and that's what the players we've got like to do. ''We are a good footballing team, there's no doubt about that, but away from home especially we've got to learn how to win games. We've got to play some ugly football at times, we've got to clear our lines and play in the opposition half. ''A point at Mansfield is good and we probably would have settled for that beforehand, but the disappointing thing was our failure to see out the game.'' Of the mood in the Swansea camp following the shock sacking of Brian Flynn, Curtis added: ''Footballers have got to be resilient and the boys are showing that they are. Andy Robinson might not have celebrated his goal (against Scunthorpe) on Saturday, but you could see the joy on all the faces when we scored last night.''

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 TIME BEGINNING TO RUN OUT NOW

Given the number of jobs Alan Curtis is doing right now, maybe he can be forgiven for missing the key moments of Swansea City's draw at Mansfield last night. But while the Vetch Field youth boss-cum-caretaker manager went down with a dose of Arsene Wenger-itis, most others at Field Mill were left urging referee Peter Walton to stop off at Specsavers on his way home. In his frustration, Mansfield manager Keith Curle spent much of the night jumping around the dugout, just as he had done in the reverse fixture last August when two of his players were sent off and his team were trounced 4-1. But this time the Swansea camp - excluding Curtis, of course - were grumbling too. For this was a contest punctuated by incidents involving the Premiership official, with both sides complaining that they had been unfairly treated. The hosts' major gripe was over an 18th-minute clash between their left-back, Tony Vaughan, and Swansea midfielder Jon Coates. There could be no argument about the former catching the latter with a late tackle, but the red card that followed guaranteed boos for the man in black for the rest of the evening. There were conflicting explanations doing the rounds, one that Vaughan's lunge had been two-footed, another that he walked for pushing Coates in the face when he got up to remonstrate. ''I thought the tackle was worth at least a booking and the reaction was too,'' declared Roberto Martinez. ''The ref had no other option.'' Curle, a man under pressure having lost five of the previous seven games before Swansea came to town, was not so sure. And the former England defender, hauled up in front of the Football Association following the last meeting of the clubs, became increasingly irate as Curtis's team capitalised on their numerical advantage. First, Stuart Jones crashed a header against the post after meeting Martinez's free-kick unchallenged at the far post, then a neat through ball from Swansea's Spanish skipper allowed Paul Connor to turn on his weaker left foot and cannon against the crossbar from 20 yards. With the pressure building, the lead the visitors deserved arrived when Connor touched on Shaun Byrne's cross. Andy Robinson skipped round Bobby Hassell at the far post before lashing in a low left-foot drive which was too fierce for Kevin Pilkington. There was a brief spell before the break when Walton was a peripheral figure, as Liam Lawrence was superbly denied by Roger Freestone and Neil MacKenzie matched Connor with a sweet strike against the bar. But the whistler was back calling the tune soon after the interval. Lawrence, not for the first time, made inroads on the Swansea left before cutting into the penalty area. With Michael Howard left appealing frantically for handball, Martinez slid in and Walton pointed to the spot. ''First, it was handball right in front of the linesman, then the player just kicked my leg and went down,'' moaned Martinez. ''The ref decided to give a penalty, and I've no doubt he was wrong.'' With 10 spot-kicks to his name already this season, Lawrence was never likely to miss from 12 yards. Despite a valiant effort from Freestone, he did not. The player once described as the David Beckham of the lower leagues - the blond-locked Lawrence, not Freestone, that is - was soon back in the spotlight, flooring Connor with a clumsy tackle and then collapsing when Swansea's new boy got up and shoved him in the chest. Referee's decision? Yellow card for Connor. Curle's verdict? He went berserk again, of course. The steam continued to flow out of his ears for much of the rest of the contest as Mansfield enjoyed a healthy share of possession but Swansea came closer to a winning goal. There were a couple of efforts from Robinson and a shy from Byrne before Walton's final key decision came two minutes from time when Martinez lofted a pass to Brad Maylett on the right flank. The speedy winger, definitely on his way back to better form, hooked the ball from the byline to the penalty spot, where Connor's run appeared to be hindered by a shirt-tug from centre-back Rhys Day. Off balance as a result, the former Rochdale frontman saw his toe poke go straight at Pilkington, and Curle started to like the referee just a little. ''That was the other major decision he got wrong,'' added Martinez. ''Paul Connor was in front of goal with a great opportunity and his shirt was pulled back. The ref said both players were pulling at each other, but Paul was in front of goal.'' Centre-back Alan Tate was typically blunt, adding: ''The sending off was probably on his mind and he thought he'd even things up. ''It should have been a penalty, but I think if he'd given that he would have been shot on his way out.'' A second victory from two in the post-Brian Flynn era would have catapulted Swansea to within two points of last night's opponents, who occupy the last play-off spot. Instead they remain five points shy, knowing defeat at high-flying Huddersfield on Saturday would almost guarantee another season in Division Three. ''We've spoken a lot about Brian Flynn in the last few days,'' added Martinez. ''He's the one who started the play-off project, and we have to carry on working as hard as we can to complete the job. ''The whole team is taking a lot of responsibility and showing character and I still believe we can do it because I think we can beat any other side in this division. ''With eight games to go there are still enough points available, and hopefully the refereeing decisions that went against us here might even out a little bit too.''

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 WE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE TOP FIVE - BOARD

Swansea City's owners have shed more light on Brian Flynn's shock sacking by revealing they had expected to compete for automatic promotion this season. The Vetch Field board had put the departure of Flynn and No. 2 Kevin Reeves down to the management team's refusal to move their families to Swansea. But in a Supporters' Trust statement released today, vice-chairman Leigh Dineen claimed money spent on player wages should have prompted a concerted push for a place in the Second Division. "I am confident that our player budget this year is in the top three in our division," said Dineen, who is also chairman of the trust. "I would think that only Hull and Huddersfield have a bigger wage bill. "Based on this we had designs, at the very least, on a top-five finish, Anything below this will be seen as an underachievement."

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Swans chief: 'Flynn was a failure'

BRIAN FLYNN has been dubbed a Swansea City failure this season by the club's vice-chairman. In an astonishing statement, Leigh Dineen became the first Swans board member to break ranks by saying Flynn had not delivered results in 2003-04. Dineen argued that Flynn was given a playing wage budget bettered only by Hull City and Huddersfield in Division Three. And he believes that, in return, the Swans should have been guaranteed at least a top-five finish this season. Big-spending Hull are currently second in the table, while Huddersfield are fourth - each in with a genuine shout of promotion. Dineen made his comments in an official Supporters Trust statement which sought to expand on the reasons for the club's surprise dismissal of Flynn and his assistant Kevin Reeves last week. Dineen, who represents the Supporters Trust on the board, put his name to a statement which also highlights various criticisms of Flynn's management, including claims about a predictable game plan and the players' fitness levels being poor. It is the first time Swansea's results under Flynn have been brought up following the parting of the ways. Swans chairman Huw Jenkins had previously insisted Flynn's reluctance to be based 100 per cent in the Swansea area was the main reason for his departure. Dineen's comments came ahead of last night's 1-1 draw with Mansfield at Field Mill - a result which sees the Swans in ninth place in the table. "I am confident that our player budget this year is in the top three in this division," said Dineen. "I would think that only Hull and Huddersfield have a bigger wage bill. "Based on this we had designs on (at the very least) a top-five finish. "Anything below this will be seen as an under-achievement." Over the course of the last year, Swansea have invested heavily in star players. And, as Dineen acknowledges in the statement, more money was made available for Flynn to spend on strengthening his squad on the back of the club's good FA Cup run and higher gate receipts. "I can't go into exact totals on what our players wages are for the year," said Dineen. "However, I can say that we put down our budgets at the beginning of the season based on a set crowd figure and a minimum cup run. "With budgeted income exceeded through gate receipts and the cup run, we increased our wage budget accordingly and re-invested in the team. "This is not seen necessarily through transfer fees, but through re-negotiation of players' contracts to secure them for a further term, as well as the signing of high-calibre players during the past three months. "We also paid a fee for a player (£35,000 on striker Paul Connor) for the first time in five years." The statement insisted the specific reasons for the departure of Flynn and Reeves should remain private. But it did go on to highlight "many elements which are claimed as having contributed to final events". The statement drew attention to criticisms such as the players' fitness levels and an unacceptable number of training ground injuries, as well as Flynn's reluctance to be based in Swansea full-time. When contacted by The Western Mail, Flynn declined to make a response to the contents of the statement.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 10 TO PICK FROM

Swansea City plan to draw up a 10-man shortlist for their vacant manager's post after being inundated by applications. Former Everton and Norwich City boss Mike Walker is understood to be one of over 50 people to have registered their interest in taking over at Vetch Field. Andy Melville, Andy Legg and John Cornforth are among others to have put their hands up, while rumours abound that Swansea have targeted ex-Stoke boss Steve Cotterill, West Brom No. 2 and Vetch old boy Frank Burrows and the suspended Oxford manager Ian Atkins, who Bristol Rovers say will take over there come the summer. Bets of around £200 and £50 were placed at bookmakers in Swansea yesterday on Atkins, but Vetch chairman Huw Jenkins insists the club have not yet contacted anybody about replacing Brian Flynn. ''We haven't spoken to anybody as yet and I don't envisage anything happening for at least a couple of weeks,'' he said. ''But we have had a huge amount of interest - it seems that everybody in the world applies for a manager's job. ''There have been quite a few strange applications, though, and I would say only a couple of those that we have received so far are ones that we will seriously consider. ''We have had some people who are currently in work at other clubs and are under contract but obviously they're looking for something next year. ''I imagine there might well be a few more applications worth considering, and then there will be some that we have targeted. ''We plan to put together a list of about 10 that we will look closely at.'' With nine league games of the season remaining and a play-off spot still within reach, Jenkins insists Swansea are in no hurry to install a new man at the top. ''I keep telling everyone not to panic,'' he added. ''It could well be the summer before anyone is appointed because as far as I'm concerned there are more important things to worry about now. ''We've got two important league games coming up this week, and I'm hopeful that the players can respond in the right way and do something positive either tonight against Mansfield or at Huddersfield on Saturday. Ideally they will win both. ''I think (caretaker boss) Alan Curtis has what it takes to guide us through our forthcoming games - we've got every confidence in him - and what I don't want is somebody coming in and being detrimental to our hopes in the final push.'' Burrows, who managed Swansea between 1991 and 1995, has admitted he would consider a return if approached, while Jenkins conceded that a man of his experience could not be ignored.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Flynn shock could spur play-off push

KEVIN NUGENT believes the shock of losing manager Brian Flynn could prove the catalyst for Swansea City reviving their promotion dream. The surprise departure of Flynn and his assistant Kevin Reeves last week sparked fears Swansea would disintegrate over the final 10 games of the season. The Third Division club were attacked for allowing the duo to leave when the Swans were still on the fringes of the play-offs, captain Roberto Martinez insisting in The Western Mail on Saturday that the timing could not have been worse. But, as devastated as the Swansea players were by his exit, there was a highly impressive start to the post-Flynn era with the thrilling 4-2 weekend win over Scunthorpe at the Vetch. The victory cut the gap on seventh-placed Mansfield to five points and, as the Swans prepare for the re-arranged trip to Field Mill tonight, rekindled hopes the club could make the play-offs. And Nugent believes, somewhat perversely, Flynn's departure could galvanise the squad into realising the promotion dream that appeared dead and buried just a week ago. "Funnily enough, I've been in this position once or twice before," said the veteran Swans striker, on the scoresheet in Saturday's four-goal show. "I remember at Bristol City years ago the manager left towards the end of the season (Joe Jordan in 1997) when we were on the edge of the play-offs. "We had to win something like six of our last seven games, which was a tall order, but we did it and finished in fifth place. "So sometimes you've got to take the positives out of the negative things that happen and try to make the best of the situation. "We were all disappointed to see Brian and Kevin leave the club because we had such great respect for them, but they've since urged us to go out and get that play-off spot. "And if we continue to perform as we did against Scunthorpe, we'll still be in with a shout." Unfortunately for Swansea, neither Nugent nor Lee Trundle will be available tonight since both have suffered a recurrence of their hamstring complaints. As for the uncertainty surrounding his and the club's future, Nugent went on, "I've been in football long enough to know that these things (Flynn's exit) happen. "Once you go out on to the pitch it doesn't really matter who the manager is. You do it for the fans and for your own contract. "Players just have to get on with it. When we ran out against Scunthorpe no one was going to say, 'Oh, the manager's gone, we'll allow them a day off.' "We're all getting paid to do a job and we have to be professional about it. "To be fair, footballers are pretty resilient characters really. You just tend to carry on from day to day." Nugent's absence could see Paul Connor, who got off the mark with a brace against Scunthorpe, on his own up front tonight. Swans caretaker-boss Alan Curtis could decide to fill the void in the side by bringing in right winger Brad Maylett and switching Stuart Roberts to the left. Kris O'Leary is added to the wafer-thin Swansea squad as Curtis' men chase three points against a team whose weekend home match against Oxford had to be abandoned at half time because of gale-force winds. Keith Curle's side, who have slipped out of the automatic promotion picture in recent weeks, are seeking vengeance for their 4-1 defeat at the Vetch back in August. Match Guide Mansfield Town Probable: Pilkington, Hassell, Vaughan, Day, Baptiste, Corden, Lawrence, Curtis, McKenzie, Disley, Mendes. Subs: J White, Artell, Williamson, D'Jaffo, Larkin. Player to watch - Rhys Day: Up-and-coming Wales Under-21 defender making good progress under the tutelage of former England centre-back Keith Curle. What they say - Mansfield boss Keith Curle: "Lately, we are playing as if the ball is a live hand grenade with the pin missing." Swansea City Possible: Freestone, Byrne, Tate, S Jones, Howard, Maylett, Martinez, Britton, Robinson, Roberts, Connor. Subs (from): Murphy, Coates, O'Leary, Connolly, Pritchard, Corbisiero. Player to watch - Paul Connor: Ended his six-month goal drought by hitting a double at the weekend and doubtless hungry for more - possibly as the lone striker - at Field Mill. What they say - Swans caretaker-boss Alan Curtis: "This is the first of two tough games this week but if we can produce a performance like the one against Scunthorpe I'll be delighted." Form guide: Seventh-placed Mansfield have won two and lost four of their last six games. Swansea have suffered just one defeat in their last seven. Bookie's corner: Mansfield to win 5-6; Swansea to win 13-5; Draw 12-5. Mouth-waterer: Stuart Roberts to score first and Swansea to win 2-0, 135-1.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Atkins diet on menu for the Swans

IAN ATKINS yesterday emerged as a surprise contender for the vacant manager's job at Swansea City - as Frank Burrows admitted he would consider a return to the Vetch. Atkins - currently suspended by Third Division rivals Oxford - was attracting interest last night in the betting for Brian Flynn's successor as Swansea boss. Speculation surrounding Atkins intensified when Welsh bookmakers Jack Brown reported taking two large bets on him becoming the next Swans manager. Atkins was suspended by promotion-chasing Oxford last week after it was revealed he was in line to become Bristol Rovers manager next season. But the former Carlisle boss, who has guided Oxford to the verge of automatic promotion this season, could be tempted by a move to Wales. Atkins was in charge of the Northampton side that beat Jan Molby's Swansea side 1-0 in the 1997 Third Division play-off final at Wembley. He has also had spells in charge at Doncaster, Cambridge and Colchester as well as a short stint as Alan Cork's assistant at Cardiff City during the 2001-02 season. Burrows, meanwhile, insisted he had neither been approached by Swansea nor applied for the vacant manager's job. But the West Bromwich Albion assistant manager, who had a four-year spell in charge at the Vetch from 1991-95, is not ruling out a return to South Wales. "I've had no contact whatsoever with Swansea and I haven't applied for the job," said Burrows. "At this moment in time I'm under contract at West Brom and I've got my hands full trying to get the club back into the Premiership. "But it's well-known in football circles that Gary (Megson) would let me go if and when another club wanted me. And it's been well-documented that, if the right offer came along, I'd like the chance to go back into management. "So if Swansea were to approach me I'd have to listen to what they had to say and consider the options. "I certainly see it as a real privilege that people are putting my name forward." Club chairman Huw Jenkins has admitted he would consider Burrows, with the possibility of former Swans defender Andy Legg, now a player-coach at Peterborough, coming in as his No 2 having been mooted. But Steve Cotterill remained favourite with the bookies last night, Jack Brown offering evens on the former Cheltenham manager taking over. Atkins came in at 2-1, followed by Burrows at 7-2, John Cornforth (9-2), Andy Melville (6-1), John Aldridge (8-1) and Ian Rush (10-1). Caretaker-boss Alan Curtis will be in charge again for Swansea's trip to Mansfield tonight, with the Swans seeking a win that would cut the gap on the final play-off place to two points.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Ninian stars linked to Swans job

South Wales Echo FORMER Cardiff City boss Frank Burrows and Bluebirds stalwart Andy Legg could be the new management partnership at Third Division Swansea City. Legg, who left Ninian Park at the start of the season and is currently at Peterborough, confirmed today that he fancies returning to the Vetch Field to fill the vacancy created by last week's shock departure of Brian Flynn. "I'd love to start my management career working alongside Frank," said Legg today. And ex-Ninian Park supremo Burrows also refused to rule out leaving First Division West Bromwich Albion. "I get great satisfaction working with Gary Megson at West Brom," he said. "But I have never kept it a secret from him that my spark as a manager is still burning bright. "Whether it was in the Premiership or anywhere in the Nationwide League, in the right circumstances I wouldn't hesitate." Legg, 37, is currently still a player at Peterborough where his coaching duties have been largely taken over by Bobby Gould. But he is out of contract at the end of this season and keen to break into management. "Swansea City were my first League club as a player and I'd love them to be my first in management," he said. "That certainly appeals and working alongside Frank, learning the ropes from such a man, would be fantastic. "If it proved possible for us to work together at Swansea City it would be brilliant. "I never wanted to leave South Wales anyway and it wouldn't take much to get me back there."

Monday, March 22, 2004 FLYNN STUNNED

Brian Flynn was shocked and disappointed by his Swansea City sacking because he thought he had more time, the Evening Post has learned. Flynn and No. 2 Kevin Reeves are still to speak out publicly after being shown the door by the club last Thursday. But it is understood the departing Vetch Field director of football and right-hand man Reeves had no inkling that the axe was about to fall. ''They were stunned,'' said a source close to the former Swansea management team. ''At no stage had they ever been told that they had to get promotion this season. ''They had agreed when they were given new two-year contracts after saving the club from relegation last May that they had two seasons to get the club into Division Two. ''They fully understood then that if they didn't get promotion at the end of next season, their contracts would not be renewed. ''The fact that has all changed has left them really down." Alan Curtis, meanwhile, admits he is still struggling to fathom Flynn's departure. And amid speculation linking the likes of Andy Legg, Dean Saunders and Andy Melville with the vacant Vetch Field hotseat, Swansea's caretaker boss has warned that the new man will be under huge pressure from the start. ''I'm disappointed by what's happened to Brian and I still can't believe it really,'' Curtis said. ''I don't know what type of manager they are looking for because there aren't too many like Brian. ''He is from Port Talbot, he has bags of experience and his contacts are second to none. ''He and Kevin are both excellent coaches who know the league, so whoever comes in now is going to have to have some CV. ''I think there have been at least 30 applications for the job already, but there aren't going to be many who fit all the criteria and whoever gets the job is going to be under pressure from the start. ''Having said that, there are a lot of advantages about coming here when you consider the player base we have got, the new stadium and the fact that we are out of the Company Voluntary arrangement in a week. ''It's a big job and people will be falling over themselves just to get an interview, never mind the job itself. ''It will be a fantastic opportunity for somebody, but the fact that we are looking for our fifth manager in two and a half years gives you an idea of the sort of pressure they will be under.'' Youth boss Curtis all but ruled himself out of the running despite his first game in charge ending in a comfortable 4-2 win over Scunthorpe. Goals from Andy Robinson - who did not celebrate because of Flynn's departure - and Kevin Nugent plus two from home debutant Paul Connor helped Swansea to within five points of the play-offs with daunting trips to Mansfield and Huddersfield to come this week. ''The players showed that if they match teams, there aren't many who can live with them in this division,'' added Curtis. ''I don't mind people talking about play-offs, but no one's getting carried with two tough games next.'' Lee Trundle and Michael Howard are both injury doubts for tomorrow's trip to Field Mill.

Monday, March 22, 2004 FANS SAY NO

More than two-thirds of Evening Post readers think Brian Flynn should still be at Vetch Field. Our exclusive phone poll and website vote over the weekend showed that 69 per cent believe Flynn should have continued as director of football compared with 31 per cent against.

Monday, March 22, 2004 JOHNROSE LEAVES THE VETCH

Lenny Johnrose has become the first player to follow Brian Flynn out of Vetch Field. Signed by Flynn just over a year ago, the midfield ball-winner played a key role in Swansea's successful fight against relegation to the Conference and will be remembered for scoring in the 4-2 win over Hull on the final day of last season. But Johnrose, who played in Flynn's last two games in charge, has had the last three months of his contract paid up and is being linked with a move to Macclesfield.

Monday, March 22, 2004 IT'S ALL SO LOW KEY FOR BRIAN'S BOYS

The fallout from Swansea City's shock sacking of Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves will no doubt blow over in the coming weeks and months. For now, though, it continues to rip through Vetch Field just like the howling winds that might have ruined the club's first game without him. Those left behind will be glad, in hindsight, that Saturday's meeting with Scunthorpe survived the gales and the rain, for Swansea cruised to their best win since the heady days of early season. But from the moment a significant number of fans on the North Bank began chanting Flynn's name in the opening minutes of the contest, there was something not quite right about their 4-2 success. There was a subdued atmosphere both on and off the pitch, with the majority of players and a good proportion of supporters deflated by the prospect of manager No. 11 in just nine years. ''Just when it looked like they had finally steadied the ship,'' said the former Swansea and Wales boss Terry Yorath this weekend, ''they have gone and rocked it again.'' No doubt there were some in the stands who did not agree, those who did not like Flynn's formation and felt a failure to take Swansea from Division Three's death row to the promised land of the Second Division in 12 months was not acceptable. But evidently there are many who feel the club's owners have dropped a clanger this week by dismissing their management team for the third time in only two years. Some stayed away - Wales's Six Nations meeting with England no doubt played a part, but 4,400 is the lowest league crowd of the season at the Vetch. A handful of players, those who were not brought to the club by Flynn and have been out of favour this season, will be pleased their old boss has gone. But caretaker manager Alan Curtis's first matchday 16 featured no fewer than 13 of the departed regime's signings, and the mood in the dressing room is generally downbeat. Lee Trundle, Roberto Martinez and Leon Britton had all made their feelings clear in the frantic build-up to Scunthorpe's visit, now another of Flynn's masterstrokes in the transfer market had his say. First, Andy Robinson used body language, trudging back to the halfway line with head bowed after scoring from the penalty spot, then the normally ebullient Birkenhead boy spoke out. ''I didn't celebrate the goal because I don't feel I've got anything to celebrate,'' he said. ''Brian Flynn brought me into the game and I've got huge respect for him and Kevin. Nearly all the players were brought to the club by them and I think they all feel the same. ''I'm absolutely devastated, to tell you the truth.'' The shining example of Flynn's eye for a rough diamond, Robinson went on: ''The gaffer's departure has hurt me. It's as if I've lost someone close to me. ''It's hard to find managers like Brian. I can't speak highly enough of him, and I think he definitely should have been given more time. ''He was a class boss and he was also a class person to me, and with Kevin they made a great team which is certainly going to be missed. ''I don't know who they're going to bring in to replace them, but whoever it is will do well to get the respect from the players that Brian Flynn had.'' The real disappointment, Robinson lamented, was the failure to produce performances like Saturday's before Flynn's departure. ''We showed what we are capable of, but it's come too late for the gaffer,'' he said glumly. There can be no doubt that had the Scunthorpe showing come a couple of weeks earlier, Flynn would still have been at the Vetch helm now. The suggestion that his failure to move lock, stock and barrel to Swansea would have cost him his job even if Martinez and Co were still top of the league is little short of laughable. For all the club's fans care, Flynn could live on Pluto provided his team were on the way up the Nationwide League. They are not, of course, courtesy of a string of lacklustre showings, and there was no shortage of irony this weekend as they conjured four goals for the first time in six months to put them back within five points of the play-off spots. Scunthorpe had gone ahead through Cleveland Taylor after the sort of defensive dallying which had characterised the latter stages of the Flynn era, but Robinson's 41st-minute leveller, after Paul Connor had been shoved over by Darren Holloway in the box, was entirely deserved. After Curtis had reminded the players of their duties to Flynn and Reeves, Swansea assumed total control in the second half. First, Kevin Nugent rounded off a sweet move involving Britton and Stuart Roberts, then Connor tapped in his first goal for the club after substitute Trundle had almost profited from Shaun Byrne's cross. Trundle and Connor, the front two Flynn never got to pick despite signing them both, then combined again for the home debutant to register a sweet second, with a scrambled Taylor effort near the end counting for little. ''I'm shocked and really disappointed by what's happened,'' admitted Connor, clearly a little bewildered by goings on since his £35,000 move from Rochdale less than a fortnight ago. ''I've got a lot of respect for Brian Flynn - you could say those goals were for him. He's a great manager and I'm sure he'll go on and do well at another club.'' As for Swansea, the search begins for the man who will be able to cope with what has become one of the highest-pressure jobs in the lower divisions.

Monday, March 22, 2004 Vetch celebration subdued

THERE might be a new regime on the way at the Vetch, but it was clear on Saturday that few of the Swansea players are prepared to forget the old one in a hurry. Least of all midfielder Andy Robinson, one of several Swans men who wouldn't be playing League football right now had it not been for Brian Flynn. So distraught was Robinson at the departure of Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves that he couldn't even celebrate a goal which put Swansea on course for a win that did much to lift home spirits at the end of a demoralising week. "For me, there was nothing to celebrate - not after the gaffer going," said the player plucked from non-league obscurity by Flynn last summer. "I was devastated to see Brian and Kevin leave the club. It feels like I've lost someone close to me. "I had so much respect for Brian. He brought me into the professional game, gave me a great chance and it really hurts to see him go. "He's going to be greatly missed at this club. "It's hard to find managers like him and whoever comes in, it's going to be difficult to build up the same respect for him that Brian had. "Thanks to Brian, I've had an unbelievable first year in the game, but now I'm not so sure what to expect. "I don't know what's round the corner." You had to feel for one of the other Swansea goalscorers too. Paul Connor, who ended his six-month goal drought with a brace and an excellent performance on his home debut, had joined the Swans just seven days before Flynn's untimely exit. "Brian - and everything he had to say about the club - was the main reason I came to Swansea," said the striker, who dedicated his 61st and 70th minute goals to his old boss. "It seems strange that a week after being given £35,000 to sign me he's gone. "I spoke to Brian and he said, 'That's football for you' but I was shocked and disappointed by the decision." Connor went on, "I've been through this sort of thing before. "When I was 19 Brian Little signed me for Stoke in the last month of the season and in the summer he quit. "Having gone there hoping to get to know Brian, a new manager - Gary Megson - had arrived in a matter of months. "And this season at Rochdale I was playing well for Alan Buckley and then he got sacked! These things do happen to players, but not normally this quickly." Whether or not it was entirely down to Flynn's departure it was hard to tell, but there was something surreal about the atmosphere at the Vetch on Saturday. Certainly, a combination of other factors - the recent run of poor results, the bad weather, the alternative allure of the Wales-England Six Nations showdown - had contributed to the poor turn-out. But how ironic that those who were there saw the post-Flynn era get off to such an impressive start. For here was the kind of proud and passionate Swansea performance that Flynn had been searching for, yet not received, for the last three months of his reign. The conditions were hardly conducive to neat, free-flowing football, but truth is Swansea were able to win this match without needing to find top gear. That was partly down to the fact Scunthorpe were so poor, but also because the Swans at long last showed glimpses of the power and panache that marked them out as genuine promotion contenders at the start of the season. Swansea's caretaker boss Alan Curtis summed it up. "Unfortunately, it has taken Brian and Kevin leaving the club to get them back into gear again," he said. Curtis, who ruled himself out of the manager's job full-time, went on, "I said to the players that the best way they could show their admiration for Brian and Kevin was to go out and perform and you have to say that that's what they did. "There is terrific ability in this side." They might have gone off the boil in the last 20 games or so but, once they match the opposition, there are few teams in this division who can better them. It was ironic, too, that Connor should have found his goalscoring touch after being paired with Lee Trundle - the strikeforce Flynn never got the chance to unleash. After Robinson had cancelled out Cleveland Taylor's opener with a 41st-minute spot-kick, Nugent made it 2-1 when he acrobatically headed home Stuart Roberts' cross two minutes after the break. But then it was all about Trundle and Connor, the Scouser coming off the bench for the last half-hour and playing a part in both goals. First Connor stabbed home a rebound after Trundle's shot was blocked and then raced onto a pass from the former Wrexham man before rounding the keeper and firing into an empty net for his second. Taylor pulled a goal back with nine minutes to go, but Swansea never looked like surrending a lead that cut the gap on seventh place to five points ahead of tomorrow's trip to Mansfield. "People can talk about the play-offs still being a possibility and if that happens then great, but we're not really thinking along those lines," said Curtis. Curtis to lead the side that Flynn built to promotion? That would indeed be the cruellest of ironies.

Monday, March 22, 2004 What's it all four?

Swansea City 4-2 Scunthorpe ANDY Robinson's dejected look said it all after the final whistle. The Merseyside midfielder no doubt would normally have been all smiles coming off the back of a four-star performance which ended miserable months of under-achieving from a side who seemed to have it all. Too little, too late. Not so much in terms of play-off prospects. If the Swans keep to the standard they set yesterday the string of results needed which looked so unlikely not so long ago may not be impossible after all. But instead the phrase sums up what the players were all feeling: "If we played like that a week ago Brian would still be in charge." Whatever the reasons for Flynn's sudden exit, no doubt a couple of results like these a few weeks earlier would certainly have pushed all other issues into the shade. And you can't help wondering what the ousted Swans boss must have felt when he saw the result come up on the vide-printer. Swansea 4 Scunthorpe 2, Robinson, Nugent, Connor (2). All Flynn men, playing in Flynn's formation, Flynn's style and - as many admitted afterwards - playing for Flynn. Although the start certainly wasn't exhilarating, the finish was sublime. A hit-and-miss first half was followed up with a second which heightened many Swans fans' - and probably Flynn's - frustrations as they showed they have the individual ability to beat most teams in this league. It was a case of slowly, slowly in the opening stages, the Swans taking their time to impose themselves on Brian Laws' side, who showed no signs of really testing the hosts' back line despite all their huff and puff in the midfield battle. But as this week proved, things can change very quickly down at the Vetch and that was the case yet again after 25 minutes. An untimely slip from Tate was the catalyst for disaster, allowing Matt Sparrow and Darren Holloway to combine before freeing Cleveland Taylor, who took great pleasure in firing past Roger Freestone. But led by the more vocal than usual Roberto Martinez, the Swans dusted themselves down and built again, Martinez himself beginning to rediscover his range that has been sorely missing for so long, while Stuart Roberts and Andy Robinson both threatened briefly. It was the right-sided Roberts who caused the chaos for the equaliser on 40 minutes, his lofted cross aimed for Nugent, who was clattered by Holloway, and setting up Robinson to score from the spot. For the fans, the interval was made up of conversations on the inevitable topics, questions such as 'why now' and 'who next' being banded around the queues for pies and teas. But judging by the way the Swans came out flying for the second half, such discussions were a million miles away from what was being said by Alan Curtis in his dressing-room talk. All of a sudden it clicked for the hosts and there was no more shining example of that than Leon Britton. The diminutive midfielder looked full of running and it was his one-two with Roberts that opened up the Irons for Swansea's second, Nugent's glancing header into the far corner of the net a fitting finish to Robert's perfectly placed cross. And still they came, Britton causing all sorts of problems as he was hauled back by a desperate Andy Butler, Tate unlucky not to tap home the resulting Martinez free kick. The third that Curtis must have been expecting and Laws dreading came on the hour mark, notably 45 seconds after the introduction of a certain Mr Lee Trundle. But it was Connor who was left celebrating - Trundle unable to finish off another clever Roberts cross leaving the former Rochdale striker to grab the glory. For a man who hadn't scored in six months, Connor was keen to make up for lost time and pounced on to a selfless through-ball from Trundle, rounding Evans before firing home to make it 4-1 ten minutes later. Scunny replied with ten minutes to go, through Taylor at the end of a goalmouth scramble. There were no rapturous celebrations from the supporters at the end of what has been another one of those Swansea City weeks, and certainly none from the players who must have known their stuttering slump played its part in the downfall of the man they respected so much. The message was simple - "Brian, we're sorry."

Monday, March 22, 2004 Swans fight back after hard week

ANDY ROBINSON admitted the Swansea players were determined to show their respect for departed boss Brian Flynn by returning to winning ways. Robinson, who got the Swans back on track with his 40th minute equaliser from the penalty spot, revealed the mood in the dressing room was at a low point following the shock exit of Flynn. And the man plucked from no-league obscurity by the former Wrexham boss insisted the side wanted to make up for letting the ousted manager down. "I don't know if we were playing for Brian," said Robinson, who grabbed his ninth goal of the season with a spot kick after Darren Holloway felled Kevin Nugent. "I think it was more of a case of playing for ourselves because maybe we've let him down. "Everybody knows what I personally and we as a side feel about Brian. He brought me into the game and I was very close to him and Kevin. "We had a bad result in midweek and we've come here and showed that the players here can perform. "He'll be happy because he had Swansea at his heart when he was here. It's just disappointing that result didn't come a couple of games ago. "We are a better team with better individual players than anyone else in this division and you have to look at the last six or seven games and say it wasn't good enough. We had a bit of a run but we still didn't perform well enough. "I don't know if that would have made any difference but it should have come." Robinson hardly raised a smile following his strike five minutes before the break, emphasising the disappointment of the recent week's events. And the 23-year-old admitted it will be hard for whoever comes in to levy the same belief out of the players as Flynn. "He should have been given more time because he and Kevin were a great team," he said.

Sunday, March 21, 2004 Swans: Yes, Cotterill is on our list

Western Mail SWANSEA CITY last night admitted Steve Cotterill was on their list of possible candidates to replace Brian Flynn as manager. Chairman Huw Jenkins confirmed the interest in the former Cheltenham manager as it emerged the original plan had been to part company with Flynn at the end of the season. But he said Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves chose to bring their 18-month stint at the Third Division club to an end this week rather than hang on until the summer. As the shock-waves continued to be felt following their departures, Welsh bookmakers Jack Brown revised their early betting last night to make Cotterill 4/6 favourite to become Swansea's next manager. The former Stoke boss was followed by Peter Nicholas at 4/1, John Aldridge at 5/1, John Cornforth at 6/1, Leighton James at 8/1, Alan Cork at 10/1 and Andy Legg at 25/1. And Jenkins admitted, "Steve Cotterill is one of a number of people on a list that we are considering talking to. "He's coaching at Leicester at the moment and in some quarters he's held in high regard." Jenkins went on, "There are many people we could consider for the job, but we've got a short-list of six to eight people. "Ideally, we're looking for someone with experience. Someone with a good track record in the Football League. I don't think we'd go down the road of appointing a player-coach with no or little previous managerial experience." Cotterill made his name at Cheltenham, guiding them into the Football League before leaving for short spells at Stoke and Sunderland, where he was Howard Wilkinson's No 2. One punter in Swansea seemed particularly certain yesterday that Cotterill was on his way to the Vetch. "This one guy went round six of our shops in the city betting on Steve Cotterill becoming Swansea's new manager," said Karl Williams, spokesman for Jack Brown. Flynn, meanwhile, stayed in Swansea yesterday to negotiate a settlement on the remaining 18 months of his contract. And Jenkins revealed, "In order to keep everything above board, we made it clear to Brian and Kevin that we wanted to make a change in the summer. "That would have given both them and the club time to make plans for the future. We thought that was the best route to take, but they made the choice to go now rather than see out the rest of the season."

Sunday, March 21, 2004 This is not so sweet, Martinez

Western Mail SWANSEA CITY captain Roberto Martinez believes the departure of boss Brian Flynn could not have come at a worse time. The Swans midfielder expressed his "total shock" at the club's decision this week to part company with Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves just 18 months after they took over. Martinez insisted the club had made huge strides under Flynn's management and no-one within the Swansea dressing room had wanted to see him leave the Vetch. Caretaker-boss Alan Curtis will look to Martinez to ensure the players are properly focused when they take to the pitch for today's home clash against Scunthorpe. Assuming the game survives the wet weather - a pitch inspection was planned for 8.30am - Swansea will set out to rescue their seemingly doomed promotion bid. But the Spanish midfielder, who may assist Curtis with some coaching duties, believes it was a mistake to let Flynn leave at this stage of the season. "I couldn't think of a worse time than this for Brian and Kevin to leave the club," said Martinez. "There are 10 games to go and 30 points to play for. That's a lot of points and we felt we really needed them to be here for us to achieve our aim of getting into the play-offs. "Them leaving is very, very harsh for us to take. "We were looking forward to having some kind of stability but that appears to have collapsed. "There are a lot of upset people in the dressing room. "We've got to pull together for the sake of Swansea City Football Club but sometimes it's hard to deal with situations like this." Revealing the players' reaction to the news, Martinez went on, "We had no idea when we had a training session with Brian and Kevin on Thursday morning what was about to happen. "So it came as a total shock to everyone when we heard they were leaving the club. "No-one had even considered it as a possibility. "It's very sad for us because Brian and Kevin were both very well respected and admired by the players and everyone was right behind them. "There was never any question of them not having the full support of the players and I, for one, can't thank them enough. "Brian was the main reason I came to Swansea. In fact, I think he's been the major factor for 90% of the players who he's brought to the club." Martinez, one of the most influential of Flynn's recruits, was reluctant to express his opinion on whether the club was right to part company with their management team. But he said, "Since Brian and Kevin took over there is only one direction the club has gone in and that is up. "A lot of people have been frustrated at how things have gone in recent weeks and the fact our current league position - 10th - is the lowest we've been in this season. "But that just shows you how far we've come under Brian's management. "Perhaps we need to change the way we look at things. "The atmosphere at the club has been one of desperation to get back to where we were at the start of the season and every time we've dropped points it's been seen as a catastrophe. "We need to start looking at things in a more positive light, to see the fantastic opportunities that lie in front of us rather than being negative about things." One of the fears triggered by Flynn's departure is that star players such as Lee Trundle, Andy Robinson and Martinez himself could follow him out of the Vetch. But Martinez insisted restoring pride was the only thing on the minds of the Swansea players as the countdown to the end of the season begins with the visit of mid-table Scunthorpe. "The situation is clear - Swansea City is all that counts at this moment in time," said the 30-year-old. "Now is not the time to talk about what may or may not happen as a result of Brian's departure. "We've got to be more professional than ever and a lot of us must play in a way that shows why Brian brought us to the club in the first place. "We have to put all the various issues behind us and concentrate on winning a football match. "This season is not over yet. There is still a huge belief among the players that we can achieve something this season." Curtis - who was assistant to two previous Vetch Field managers, John Hollins and Nick Cusack - begins his third spell in the dug-out seeking an improvement on the dire 2-1 defeat at Macclesfield that left the Swans eight points shy of the play-offs. Roger Freestone could be back between the Swansea posts after rookie Brian Murphy had another forgettable 90 minutes at Moss Rose. And Curtis will hope 20-goal top-scorer Trundle is fit enough to return after being sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring problem. Scunthorpe, themselves smarting from a 2-0 midweek home defeat against Kidderminster, have a lethal weapon of their own in the shape of 21-goal striker Steve MacLean. "The best way for the players to show what they thought of Brian is to go out and beat Scunthorpe," said Curtis.

Friday, March 19, 2004 FLYNN, A VICTIM OF OWN SUCCESS?

Evening Post Brian Flynn, the mastermind of Swansea City's Great Escape, has had a tunnel leading out of Vetch Field dug for him. Less than 14 months since telling him he had a job for life, Swansea's owners have decreed that he is no longer the man to take the club forward. Given the progress made since the man from Port Talbot arrived at his local club in September 2002, it is a decision that is likely to split their supporters. The former Wrexham manager arrived, after all, with Swansea on the bottom of the Football League for the first time in their history. He packed his desk yesterday afternoon in the altogether more comfortable position of 10th in the Third Division. Not about to go up, maybe, but certainly not in danger of taking the club into oblivion either. Flynn, the man with the five-year plan, has paid the price for failing to turn Swansea from no hopers into Third Division beaters in less than a third of that time. And that is despite the fact that he spent close to half his Vetch reign in a firefighter's suit, attempting to douse the flames of failure which had threatened to engulf the club before his arrival. Flynn took over the day after a desperate 1-0 defeat at Boston, when predecessor Nick Cusack had thrown all his signings into the side in a last-ditch bid to prove their worth. Almost universally, they failed, and the new king soon recognised the need for a complete overhaul of playing staff if the club were to survive. David Smith, Paul Reid and Dave Moss were among a clutch of players who were paid off so Flynn could bring his own men. They were not all successes - Brian Cash, the new regime's first acquisition, was nothing short of a disaster - but gradually, a team that could guide Swansea to safety was built. It was by no means a smooth ride. There were some very dark days, desperate matches which had hardened fans throwing in the survival towel. Flynn's first Christmas, when his new side contrived to lose to six teams in succession, was particularly black. The final defeat in that run, at York on January 18 last year, left Swansea six points adrift at the bottom of the league with one foot in the Conference. In a cramped corridor near the Bootham Crescent dressing rooms, Flynn came under fire from the Dictaphones and radio mics. What was he going to do about the league position? Ever defiant - although even he must have been secretly worried by then - the little man revealed that Roberto Martinez was on his way. As it transpired, this was Flynn's rabbit-out-of-the-hat moment. The Spanish midfield maestro guided Flynn's team away from relegation. Without him, Swansea would be battling it out with Margate and Morecambe this season. Even with Martinez on board there were plenty more lows, however, and this newspaper understands that defeat at Southend on March 18 last year would have shortened Flynn's Swansea reign by exactly 12 months. As it was James Thomas and Kevin Nugent struck to save Flynn's skin, and to send Swansea onto a run which would see them lose only two more games in the season. One of those, the home defeat by Exeter over Easter, could have been terminal, but a 2-1 success at Rochdale the following Saturday set Flynn's team up for the final-day decider against Hull. Thomas, somewhat ironically given his fall from grace this term, was of course the hero, and Flynn landed a new two-year deal. There was speculation then that he and assistant Kevin Reeves might not be kept on, but director Huw Jenkins's comments on New Year's Day 2003 had provided a clue for the doubters. ''There's no quick fix,'' said the now Swansea chairman. ''We've had numerous managers - (Jan) Molby, (Micky) Adams, (Alan) Cork and (Kevin) Cullis - and numerous owners and we're a laughing stock. ''It's no coincidence that we're bottom of the league now, and the time has come for that to change. ''We want to build this club bit by bit and gain success over a period of time and we see Brian staying here until he retires. He didn't come here as a short-term fix.'' All in Swansea's garden rosy last summer - in full bloom, indeed, by the time Flynn had guided the club to the top of the Third Division in some style by late September. With Lee Trundle - where does his future lie now? - to the fore, no-one was complaining then about Flynn's lop-sided formation. Did Jenkins fear bigger clubs sniffing around his director of football? ''His name is bound to crop up, that's inevitable in football, but we don't want him to go anywhere," the chairman said on the day Swansea faced Hull in front of more than 20,000. ''We have only just started what we hope will be a long and fruitful relationship.'' So what has changed? Flynn lived in Burnley then just as he does now. The differences are his team's performances - the flowing football of early season is almost distant memory - and crucially, results. After a miserable showing at Macclesfield on Tuesday made it three points from 12, Swansea's owners did their sums and found that only 21 have come from the last 20 matches - undisputedly, relegation form. ''Imagine where we'd be now if we hadn't had that run at the start of the season,'' Vetch directors have been heard muttering in recent weeks. It is claimed they have given Flynn something like £1.5million in player funds to bring them success, the last of 26 signings coming only last week when Paul Connor arrived from Rochdale. Swansea's best FA Cup run in almost a quarter of a century helped recoup some of that cash, but obviously not enough. The league, so the cliche goes, is the bread and butter, and Flynn has paid for the best-thing-since-sliced-bread performances his players produced in the early stages of this campaign. A victim of his own success, Swansea's fans will never know now how much more Flynn might have achieved.

Friday, March 19, 2004 WHO'S NEXT IN THE FIRING LINE?

Evening Post Swansea City began the search for a 10th manager in 10 years today with a host of names already being linked with the vacant Vetch Field hotseat. Former Swansea manager Frank Burrows, now No. 2 at West Brom, and ex-Vetch favourite John Cornforth, who was sacked last season by Exeter, have been touted as a possible management team, while ex-Stoke boss Steve Cotterill and former Tranmere chief John Aldridge are also being mentioned. Burrows, famed for his talent-spotting ability, was a popular figure at the club before his four-year reign ended in 1995, while Cornforth was Swansea's heroic skipper when they lifted the 1994 Autoglass Trophy. Cotterill, the mastermind of Cheltenham's rise from non-league obscurity to the Second Division, is a highly-rated coach who had a brief stint in the Premiership as Howard Wilkinson's No. 2 last season. He is currently helping out with coaching at Leicester City. Aldridge, a hugely respected player with Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland, has been out of work since leaving Tranmere three years ago. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins is believed to have a shortlist of up to eight possible candidates to replace Brian Flynn following his departure late yesterday. ''There are a number of possibilities in front of us,'' he said. ''It could be a young, inexperienced manager, it could be an older, more experienced manager. ''The board of directors will now sit down and establish what criteria we are looking for.'' Youth boss Alan Curtis, in temporary charge ahead of tomorrow's home game with Scunthorpe, has appealed for the new boss to be given time in the job following the shock departure of Flynn and No. 2 Kevin Reeves. He said: ''I think for any club to move forward, you need continuity. That has to be the right thing. ''Over the past few years this club has been through too much turmoil and the one thing it needs is some stability.'' Jenkins, meanwhile, has rejected question marks over last week's £35,000 signature of striker Paul Connor - the latest in a long line of signings - in the wake of Flynn's shock exit. ''That is not issue," he said. ''Buying him was a decision taken because he is a good player, and we would expect him like all the others to carry on doing their jobs as professionals. ''They should recognise that we will not allow this club to move backwards.'' Curtis added: ''Everybody is shocked. I've known Brian a long time as a player and a friend having been with him at Leeds and also with Wales. ''I'm obviously disappointed for him. ''I shall be speaking to the players today and, whatever their feelings, I will tell them the best thing they can do is be professional. ''If they want to show what they thought of Brian and Kevin, they need to go out and win against Scunthorpe tomorrow.''

Friday, March 19, 2004 PLAYERS FOR CHOP

Evening Post Brian Laws is ready to wield the axe on his Scunthorpe team tomorrow after they were embarrassed by Kidderminster in midweek. The 2-0 home reverse saw the Iron slip to 15th in the Third Division table, just nine points clear of the drop zone. The latest setback, which takes Scunthorpe's poor run to four wins in 19 matches, was difficult to take for a club who have been regular play-off hopefuls in recent seasons. "There'll be changes after that," Laws declared. "There isn't another phrase I can use other than that I am bitterly disappointed with the players. If performances carry on like that we could get ourselves sucked into danger. "We've got 10 games to go and we need to sort things out."

Friday, March 19, 2004 MAGIC DAPS GOING FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT

Evening Post Lee Trundle faces the Third Division's other ace marksman tomorrow confident that he will win the race for the golden boot. Swansea City's 20-goal top-scorer is hopeful that he will be fit enough to return against Scunthorpe after spending five weeks on the sidelines with hamstring trouble. And he is upbeat, too, about his chances of overhauling the Iron's 21-goal king Steve MacLean between now and the end of the season. ''He's winning at the moment,'' Trundle said, ''but he's played about 10 more games than me hasn't he?'' In fact it is 12. MacLean's goals have come in 42 appearances - including five from the bench - while Trundle has made only 29 starts and arrived once from the bench. ''I want to be the top scorer in the division,'' added Trundle . ''I'm sure he does as well, and fair play to him, he's come on loan from Rangers and done really well. ''But if I can play the final 10 games of the season starting tomorrow, I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to catch up.'' MacLean is equally positive having made a stunning impact at Scunthorpe. ''I suppose you could say I'm maybe a little bit surprised to have scored 21 goals at this stage of the season,'' says the 21-year-old, an unused substitute in last year's Scottish Cup final, ''but I was always confident that I would get goals. ''Lee Trundle will be one of my main rivals and I'm sure he'll score a few more this season, but obviously I want to finish as the division's top scorer.'' The young Scot scored from the penalty spot against Swansea back in September, but Trundle emerged victorious in their duel that day, notching both goals in a 2-2 draw at Glanford Park. And having been kicking his heels in the treatment room since scoring the opener against Leyton Orient on February 13, Trundle should be the hungrier of the two tomorrow. ''I'm desperate to get back involved, especially because the lads have got a few draws recently and then the bad result at Macclesfield on Tuesday night,'' he added. ''It's hard to sit and watch when the team is not having a great time because you can't do anything about it. ''Hopefully I'll be okay to play tomorrow and the priority will be to get a goal to help - although we won't really care who scores as long as we get the right result on the day.'' Optimistically perhaps, Trundle reckons a home win would keep Swansea's dreams of a play-off place alive. ''They're a long way off at the moment,'' he concedes, ''but there are 10 games to go and we're not about to give up. ''We'll only say we can't make it when it's mathematically impossible, and until then we've got to give it a go.''

Friday, March 19, 2004 Swans: Why Flynn had to go

Western Mail SWANSEA CITY chief Huw Jenkins last night broke his silence on why the club have ditched boss Brian Flynn. Shockwaves reverberated around Welsh football when it emerged Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves had parted company with the Third Division club after just 18 months in charge. Former Wales international Alan Curtis - currently youth development director at the Vetch - has been placed in charge of first-team affairs until a new manager is appointed. Early names being touted are former Liverpool striker John Aldridge, ex-Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill and former Swansea managers Jan Molby and Frank Burrows. Club chairman Jenkins revealed the decision to let Flynn go - taken at an emergency board meeting yesterday - was down to the fact he was unwilling to be based in Swansea full-time. Flynn's family home is in Burnley and the club feel he was there too often rather than at the Vetch. His exit comes after a disappointing run of results which has seen the Swans slip out of promotion contention. But Jenkins told The Western Mail, "Our dip in form is not the principal reason we have parted company with Brian and Kevin. "The issue is that, in order to take this club forward, we felt we need our coaching team to be 100 per cent based in Swansea - that is non-negotiable. "But, as hard as we have worked to resolve the issue over the course of the season, Brian and Kevin have found it difficult to commit to that. "It was therefore decided that it would be in the best interests of everyone if the club looked for another manager." Jenkins went on, "We appreciate that for Brian, his family comes before anything else and let me stress that we've never doubted his or Kevin's commitment to the club. "But my first priority is to Swansea City FC and no one person can stand in the way of this football club moving forward. "It's vital that we have all the right structures in place for next season - arguably the most important season in the club's history. "And, though I have fantastic respect for Brian, it was, as I said, becoming increasingly difficult for him to work within those parameters." Flynn leaves the Vetch just 18 months after taking over the reins from player-coach Nick Cusack when Swansea were slumped at the bottom of the Third Division. The former Wrexham manager made sweeping changes to the playing staff but the Swans remained in, or around, the drop zone until the final day of the season when they secured their League status with a dramatic 4-2 win against Hull. Just four months later there was talk of Swansea challenging for the championship after they swept to the top of the table having won four of their first five matches in the present campaign. But a disastrous run of results in 2004 - just two wins in 12 league matches - has seen Swansea slide to 10th, Tuesday's dismal 2-1 defeat at Macclesfield virtually ending their slender hopes of making the play-offs. With just 10 games of the season remaining, Flynn's departure leaves the club looking for their 11th manager in 10 years. But Jenkins denied the decision to let the former Wales international go would lead to more instability at a club that has had its fair share of turmoil in recent years. "Stability is not just about having a manager in place, it is about a whole range of other issues," he said. "We have managed to stabilise the financial side of things. This month the club is coming out of the CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement) which has held us back for the past two years. "Plus, we have secured a number of players on contracts lasting a season or two beyond the present one. "So everything is in place for a new manager to come in and take things forward. Our job is to make sure we get the right person. "Ideally, we'd like to make an appointment before the end of the season but if we have to wait until June to find the right man, then so be it. "As for the immediate future, Alan Curtis takes charge for the match against Scunthorpe this weekend and we have every confidence in him keeping things going until we make a decision on Brian's replacement." Jenkins insisted the club had not yet lined up a replacement for Flynn as speculation over who might succeed him grew last night. Welsh bookmakers Jack Brown, somewhat surprisingly, installed former Swans favourite Leighton James as the 5/2 favourite to land the job. James was followed by former Vetch No 2 Peter Nicholas at 3/1, Aldridge at 4/1, Cotterill at 9/2, Ian Rush at 5/1 and Molby at 8/1. Neither Flynn nor Reeves were available for comment last night. But Keith Haynes, from the Midlands, Avon and Gloucester Swansea supporters club, said their departure had not come as a big shock. "There's no doubt Brian has turned the club round in the short time he's been here," said Haynes. "But I think a lot of supporters were of the opinion that he had run his course at Swansea. "People felt we should have fulfilled the great start we made to the season and certain team selections in recent months haven't helped. "Clearly, there were issues away from the pitch that played a part in his departure."

Friday, March 19, 2004 Swans squander stability

BBC Online By Ian Walsh Former Wales and Swansea City wing I was very surprised to hear that Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves had left Swansea, although shocked isn't the right word because these things happen in football. Right now we don't know exactly what has happened, although it will all come out in the wash, but I feel that this is the worst thing that could happen to the club. If Flynn has been sacked, it is a very bad decision by the Swansea board Flynn leaves Swansea They are desperate for stability, but they've lost a manager who is very experienced, knows a lot of people in the game and can bring in the sort of players that others could not attract. What's more, he was building a young team who can play football with the sort of skills that the fans at the Vetch love. It takes time for a team like that to gel and it's beyond belief that Brian's gone now. Last year Swansea were within 45 minutes of being out of the football league, but this team turned it round. You would think that the club would learn its lesson and keep the manager in place for two or three seasons - and remember that less than 12 months ago Brian signed a new two-year contract. If he has been sacked, it is a very bad decision by the Swansea board. It will take them a long time to find a manager as good and experienced as Brian. I think that Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins' statement that the decision was made because Brian and Kevin wouldn't move to south Wales is a tame excuse. The board's record of picking and sticking with managers is not good Northern base costs Flynn There have always been differences between the board and the management team over this issue, but at the end of the day it's all down to results. Swansea had a fantastic start to the season, especially when you look at where they came from last year. I believe that the FA Cup run has hurt the team, although it was fantastic for the fans. If you would have asked any Swansea fan last year what they would settle for this time round, they would have taken a top-10 spot. Stability before growth. The club won't go down this year and there are plenty of people in football who would love to come in and manage the team. But the board's record of picking and sticking with managers is not good, and we can only hope that they come to the right decision sooner rather than later.

Thursday, March 18, 2004 Northern base costs Flynn

BBC Online Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins says the club parted company with manager Brian Flynn and assistant Kevin Reeves because the pair live in north Wales. "The last few months have proved difficult with their families based up north, that has made it hard to plan for the future," he told BBC Sport. "We're setting down parameters that people need to be based full time in this area and put Swansea City first. "Saying that, we have seen only 100% commitment from Brian and Kevin." A statement on the club's official website says that the managerial pair, who signed new two-year contracts last summer, left the Vetch by mutual consent. Jenkins insisted that they had not been sacked because of a slump in form. "We're looking at bigger issues than recent performances," Jenkins said. There has been no pre-planning as I didn't know Brian was going to leave until Thursday Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins "Our initial aim this season was to avoid a crisis like last year when we nearly dropped out of the league. "We had great success at the start of the season when we were challenging for the top of the table, but we were flattering to deceive and the gradual decline since October has been difficult to address. "We have to be reasonably satisfied, but things can't slide backwards and we have to move forward next year." Speculation over Flynn's successor at the Vetch has already begun, with former Stoke and Sunderland boss Steve Cotterill an early favourite, but Jenkins dismissed such talk as idle gossip. "(Caretaker boss) Alan Curtis is perfectly capable of taking control in the short term, but we don't have anyone in mind as a permanent replacement," said Jenkins. "There has been no pre-planning as I didn't know Brian was going to leave until Thursday. "No doubt there are rumours, but I can confidently say that I haven't met anyone or had discussions about Brian's successor. "We're in no rush to appoint and have time to get it right before next season."

Thursday, March 18, 2004 Flynn leaves Swansea

BBC Online Flynn and Reeves signed new two-year contracts last summer Swansea City manager Brian Flynn and assistant Kevin Reeves have left their positions at the Vetch. Flynn took control in September 2002 with the Swans bottom of the Third Division and saved them from the drop on the last day of last season. A recent poor run of form has seen the Swans drop out of the play-off race. A club statement says Flynn and Reeves have left by mutual consent and that Alan Curtis and Richard Evans will take over in a caretaker's role. When he came to the Vetch, Flynn became Swansea's third manager in 18 months but he looked set for a long reign after signing a new two-year deal last summer. A statement on the club website reads: "The club wish to announce that both Brian Flynn and Kevin Reeves have left by mutual consent. "The club would like to thank them both for their hard work in stabilising the club and securing league status at the end of last season."

Thursday, March 18, 2004 BYRNE SORRY AS FLYNN POINTS THE FINGER

Swansea City full-back Shaun Byrne has apologised for gesticulating at Macclesfield fans on Tuesday night. The incident, which happened seconds after his sending-off at Moss Rose, was caught on TV and spotted by director of football Brian Flynn, who vowed to punish the on-loan West Ham man. Flynn confirmed he has spoken to the defender about his actions, adding: ''Shaun apologised for doing what he did, but I will be speaking to him again. It is an internal matter and shall be dealt with in that way.'' Flynn will appeal but has resigned himself to losing Brian Murphy to suspension after no further CCTV evidence on his dismissal was forthcoming. Flynn will give Lee Trundle until the last minute to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's clash with Scunthorpe. ''We are keeping our fingers crossed about Lee,'' said Flynn, ''but we will not rush him back.''

Thursday, March 18, 2004 Flynn leaves Swansea

Ananova Swansea have announced the departure of manager Brian Flynn by mutual consent. The former Wrexham boss leaves the Vetch Field after a year-and-a-half in charge and with the Swans on the fringe of the play-offs. City went down 2-1 to relegation-threatened Macclesfield in Nationwide Division Three on Tuesday - their sole defeat in their last six games. Assistant manager Kevin Reeves has also left the club, with coach Alan Curtis taking the reins for this weekend's home clash with Scunthorpe.

Thursday, March 18, 2004 Swansea pumps cash into £40m stadium

Western Mail SWANSEA'S new professional soccer and rugby stadium at Morfa will cost almost £40m to build with £3.9m of the money coming from public funds. Council land worth £28m has also been sold to establish the showcase stadium. Members of Swansea City and County Council will get a full breakdown of the costs of the ambitious scheme at today's monthly meeting of the authority. It follows questions asked by Liberal Democrats Chris Holley and Peter Black. The figures show that the council has ploughed £3,949,000 of its funds directly into the project. Around £5.5m has come from Sportlot and Football Foundation grants; the council hopes £800,000 will be raised from commercial sponsorship, and more than £28m was gained for the stadium project when the council sold its land at the site to developers Miller. The developers plan to bring in a commercial retail element to surround the building, which has the working title of the White Rock Stadium. The new stadium will be used to house the Ospreys regional rugby team, Swansea City FC and Swansea RFC, plus occasional pop concerts and other events. The bulk of the costs of the new stadium come in construction (£25m) while fees for solicitors, architects and surveyors will be in the region of £2.8m. The cost of transferring sports facilities from the former athletics centre at the site to Ashleigh Road could be as much as £7.8m. Fitting-out the stadium will eat up £500,000 while a pedestrian bridge to the site will cost £1m. The council is currently working with a specialist consultant plus Swansea's rugby and soccer teams to raise commercial sponsorship. It is possible the stadium's name could bear that of a major sponsor. There had been calls for it to be named after footballer John Charles. Robert Francis Davies, Swansea's cabinet member for recreation said Swansea was probably the only council in the UK other than Hull to invest so heavily in sport. He said the stadium was a major investment for Swansea because people looking to relocate looked for theatres and major sports stadiums. When the stadium is finished in time for the 2005/06 season, a new company will be established to run the stadium. It will be made up of representatives of the sports teams using the new facility plus figures from the council. The new stadium is taking shape quickly with the iron skeleton of the building now clearly visible.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 SWANS SUFFERING MURPHY'S LAW

Brian Murphy will be fearing the chop after his clanger sent Swansea City on their way to an embarrassing defeat at Macclesfield Town last night. But in truth, were he blessed with a bigger squad, director of football Brian Flynn might consider axing a whole host of players when Scunthorpe come to Vetch Field this weekend after his team's latest miserable effort. Swansea's play-off bid, if it can still be called that, is not so much faltering as falling apart. In fact, they lost little ground on the top seven last night as other Third Division results went in their favour. What a pity, then, that Flynn's men failed to capitalise, and in the process gave few indications that they may do if those above continue to slip up in the next six weeks. The Swansea boss has been predicting all season that his team would be motoring through their final 10 games. Maybe they will. But it will take an almost miraculous shift in gears, for they are currently spluttering down the division's slow lane. A lucky draw with Rochdale, another somewhat fortunate share of the spoils at Southend and now a defeat by Macclesfield, a team who before Swansea came to town had been stuck in reverse. Not the form which is going to secure a place in Division Two next August. Macclesfield, after all, had won only once in 14 matches until yesterday. Trounced 3-0 at Vetch Field in the good old days of early season, they were also dumped out of the FA Cup in January thanks to Lee Trundle's double. But a hat-trick of Welsh wins against a side who remain deep in the relegation mire even after this win never looked likely from the start. Despite a string of early crosses flashing across his box, Murphy had barely had a touch when he came to make a routine clearance with his foot eight minutes in. Under no pressure, the Irish Under-20 keeper skewed his clearance as far as the centre circle, where Lenny Johnrose could not control it because of the pace on the ball. Hardly believing his luck, Jon Parkin sent one of his two colleagues in attack, Martin Carruthers, racing in on goal. His cross-shot found the final member of the attacking trio, Matthew Tipton, who had the simple task of prodding into the gaping net from six yards. ''It was a poor clearance, a miss-kick,'' conceded Flynn. ''You just have to hold your hands up when you make mistakes like that.'' Stirred into life might be overdoing it, but Swansea did at least manage to contribute something to the contest after that disastrous beginning. Paul Connor, who once again had few opportunities to notch a first goal for his new club, and Roberto Martinez both had sighters from outside the box, while Kevin Nugent made a nuisance of himself and Andy Robinson brought a decent save from Steve Wilson. But it was the hosts who went by far the closest to the second goal of the night before the break when Tipton chipped on to the crossbar and Carruthers followed up with a powerful header that was cleared off the line by the leaping Alan Tate. ''The defender (Tate) should have been sent off,'' claimed Macc boss John Askey. ''It was clearly his hand that stopped the ball from going over the line, but the referee said he didn't give it because he was protecting himself. ''I've never heard that excuse when the ball is just about to go into the net.'' Fortunate to be just one down or not - it was difficult to tell what part of Tate's anatomy the ball hit - Swansea emerged after the break with slightly more purpose, though they remained unable to create any clear-cut sightings of goal. Their chances of doing so decreased dramatically when Shaun Byrne saw red 22 minutes from time for a clash with powerhouse Parkin. Byrne wanted to take a quick throw-in, Parkin wanted to stop him. Swansea's young loanee raised his foot in anger. ''The ref got two major decisions wrong in one instance,'' Flynn declared. ''First he sent Shaun off when there was very little contact, then he restarted play with a Macclesfield throw when it was clearly our ball. From that throw they scored the second goal.'' Midfielder Paul Harsley was the beneficiary, beating Murphy at his near post after Tipton's surge had beaten the disorganised Swansea defence. ''I thought the red card that was shown was a bit harsh,'' Askey admitted. ''But the thing that got me was that they should already have been down to 10 men in the first half, and they should have had another one off later in the second half when the keeper handled outside his box.'' Thankfully for Murphy, Lancashire referee Graham Salisbury decided the ball hit his chest rather than his raised arm when he came out to close down Tipton, for a second early bath inside four days might have been too much for the 20-year-old to take. By that stage the contest was all but over anyway, despite a brilliant goal by Brad Maylett 16 minutes from the end. Swansea produced their best football after Byrne's departure, with substitute Maylett's strike one of the team's best efforts of the season. The former Burnley winger, on for Stuart Roberts, chested Martinez's diagonal pass into his path, took a touch to steady himself and then lashed past Wilson from 25 yards. ''It's pretty much the same feeling as when I scored against Rochdale last week,'' he said. ''It's nice to come on and get a goal, but the result puts a serious dampener on things.'' Maylett's fifth of the season might have helped the 10 men to an unlikely point - his attempt for a sixth was gathered by the home keeper, who also had to stretch to deny Leon Britton in the closing stages. ''We had chances at the end to draw the game,'' claimed a surprisingly upbeat Flynn, ''and I felt we should have got a point at least.'' It was hard to agree, especially as Macclesfield could have added to their tally in a frantic climax. There was no contesting his next pronouncement, that his side needs to learn to beat those struggling in the league if they are to compete for promotion. Sadly for Swansea, it seems a realistic chance to put that plan into action will not now come until next season.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 BYRNE'S BOTHER

Brian Flynn vowed to punish Shaun Byrne for clashing with home fans in Swansea City's defeat at Macclesfield last night, then revealed plans to sign him on a permanent basis. The on-loan West Ham utility man gesticulated towards the main stand at Moss Rose after being sent off for a clash with striker Jon Parkin in a depressing defeat which virtually guarantees Swansea's place in the Third Division next season. But while he was quick to condemn Byrne's reaction to the jeers of the crowd, Flynn insisted the youngster's Vetch Field career is by no means in jeopardy as he plans an appeal against the dismissal. ''I saw him gesticulating and I will deal with that,'' said Swansea's director of football. ''Shaun is a young player who was sent off probably for the first time in his career, but he has to be man enough to accept the decision and walk up the tunnel. ''He was sent off for a petulant kick when their big centre-forward (Parkin) tried to stop him taking a quick throw. ''But he made very little contact. In a sense you could say it was like the David Beckham red card against Argentina in the World Cup and I will certainly be appealing. ''Their player just walked away, which says something.'' With Byrne's second month on loan at Swansea due to expire in April, Flynn added: ''I like Shaun. I think he's a good player and a winner and we are looking to do something permanent with him.'' Another of Swansea's young Irishmen, goalkeeper Brian Murphy, was also in the spotlight last night after his bungled clearance sent relegation-haunted Macclesfield on their way to only a second win in 15 matches. Murphy's error followed his black day at Southend, and there must now be a strong case for reinstating Roger Freestone when Scunthorpe come to Vetch Field on Saturday. ''It was a mistake, you have to hold your hands up and say that, but it's the nature of the beast as a goalkeeper that you're either the hero or the villain,'' added Flynn. ''Will Brian play against Scunthorpe? You'll find out on Saturday.'' Izzy Iriekpen is doubtful for the weekend after a combination of ankle and hip injuries forced him off last night, but top-scorer Lee Trundle could return to action after hamstring trouble. With the play-offs slipping further from his team's grasp, Flynn said: ''We want to win every one of our last 10 games and to finish as high as we possibly can. That's our target now.''

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 Swans slip up at Macclesfield

IF Brian Murphy suffered a sleepless night after his dismissal at Southend last weekend, it is unlikely he'll manage to get much more kip in the aftermath of another disastrous 90 minutes. Defender Shaun Byrne won't have slept too easily either after being sent off for violent conduct as Swansea's slender promotion hopes were all but obliterated at Moss Rose. Byrne's 67th-minute red card, given for petulantly lashing out at striker Jon Parkin, seemed harsh, but goalkeeper Murphy was probably left kicking himself when, three days after being dismissed at Roots Hall for handball, he gifted the home side the opening goal with a poor free-kick. The Swansea keeper's error led to Matthew Tipton putting the struggling Silkmen in front on eight minutes as Brian Flynn's side produced another laboured first-half performance. Macclesfield took advantage of Swansea being reduced to 10 men when Paul Harsley made it 2-0 on 68 minutes. Game over, it seemed, but substitute Brad Maylett sparked a late Swansea rally when he pulled a goal back with a magnificent 25-yard strike on 72 minutes. Murphy redeemed himself to an extent with a smart late save to deny Tipton but Swansea were unable to salvage a point that would have kept their unbeaten run going. With just 10 games to go, surely only the most eternal of optimists would now bet on the Swans sneaking into the play-offs. Certainly, the build-up to this match had something of a do-or-die feel to it. Remaining eight points adrift of the top seven after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Southend had meant Swansea were in last-chance saloon as far as their slim promotion hopes were concerned. Last night the Swans boss made just one change to his side - Andy Robinson returning in midfield for Jon Coates - against a team beaten twice at the Vetch this season, 3-0 in the league and 2-1 in the fourth round of the cup. But Swansea scarcely looked as if they were going to complete the treble. Macclesfield might be second from bottom of the league but they were made to look more like championship challengers and, after a spell of early pressure in which Paul Harsley went close with a venomous 25-yard volley, the Silkmen took a deserved eighth-minute lead. Murphy's poor free-kick fell to a grateful Parkin on the edge of the area who fed Martin Carruthers down the inside right channel and the former Stoke striker's cross was tapped in from close range by Tipton. Talk about being all at sea. There was no rhythm to Swansea's game and no real penetration. Macclesfield dealt successfully with most of what the visitors threw at them. On 22 minutes Robinson almost conjured a goal with a terrific 25-yard effort, but this was Swansea's only first-half effort that was on target. Macclesfield might have gone into the break 2-0 up following a 41st-minute goal-mouth scramble in which Tipton smacked a shot against the bar and Carruthers had a header cleared by Alan Tate amid claims the Swans defender had handled the ball. Swansea made a better start to the second half, Kevin Nugent coming close with one shot on the turn, but within one frantic minute things turned sour. They were reduced to 10 men after 67 minutes when Byrne was red-carded for appearing to kick out at Parkin. It happened as Parkin appeared to impede Byrne as he tried to take a throw-in, but the Swans defender could find himself in more hot water with officialdom after responding to taunts from the home fans by raising his finger at them. A minute later Swansea went 2-0 down when Harsley lashed a shot high over Murphy's head from an acute angle. In the 74th minute the Swans were given a lifeline when Maylett picked up a pass from Roberto Martinez and fired in a magnificent 25-yard shot. Invigorated by the goal, Swansea powered forward and came close to snatching an unlikely equaliser. Leon Britton saw a decent 20-yard effort tipped out for a corner before a Robinson volley was cleared off the line by Michael Welch. Two minutes from time Murphy stood firm to smother Tipton's chip and moments later there were legitimate claims the Swans keeper handled outside his area once more when he blocked another Tipton effort. A frantic finale, but another night Swansea will want to forget.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004 FLYNN'S CHALLENGE: PLAY FOR YOUR FUTURE

Brian Flynn has told his out-of-contract players that the fight for new deals starts at Macclesfield tonight. With 11 Third Division games left this season and eight points separating Swansea and the top seven, Flynn is playing down his side's chances of reaching the play-offs. But the Vetch Field director of football insists there is plenty to motivate his squad - not least the prospect of a place in the dole queue come May. "A number of the players are playing for new contracts now," Flynn said. "I mean that in a genuine way, not as a threat, but people's livelihoods are at stake." Of the 21 senior professionals currently on Swansea's books, nine see their deals expire at the end of this campaign - Roger Freestone, Michael Howard, Kris O'Leary, Kevin Nugent, Lenny Johnrose, Jon Coates, Karl Connolly, Stuart Roberts and Stuart Jones. Of the rest, there are understood to be two or three who are not yet certain to be retained because of appearance clauses in their contracts, while Shaun Byrne is on loan from West Ham. Flynn reckons the opportunity to extend their unbeaten run to six games against second bottom should be motivation enough for all his players tonight. "By hook or by crook, we want to win the game," he added. "Hopefully we'll do so by performing well, but the result is the most important thing. We would then have 12 points from six matches, which is a good run. "I hope we can then go and win our next game and the one after that and maybe then we'll be able to talk about the play-offs again, but we're not doing that at the moment. "For now the focus is on beating Macclesfield. "We haven't played well against the teams lower down the league all season and that's something we've got to address." Flynn will pick from the same squad which travelled to Southend on Saturday as Lee Trundle and Kris O'Leary continue to struggle with muscle injuries. Macclesfield, who are five points short of safety after one win in 14 matches, will look to 13-goal top-scorer Matthew Tipton for inspiration. The ex-Welsh Under-21 striker sees his Moss Rose contract expire at the end of the season and could be a summer transfer target for Flynn, who is known to be an admirer. "They are having a difficult time at the moment, but you only have to look at Carlisle beating Huddersfield and Oxford in the last week to see what the sides at the bottom can do," added Flynn. "And I have reminded my players that we played Bury in January when they had lost eight in a row and were well beaten 2-0." Swansea have taken 21-year-old West Ham left-winger Darryl McMahon on trial with a view to a loan spell. The Dublin-born Irish youth international has yet to appear in senior football, but Flynn said: "He's something we haven't got, a true left winger who has great delivery." Swansea have yet to decide on whether to appeal against fellow Irishman Brian Murphy's red card at Southend.

Tuesday, March 16, 2004 MARTINEZ HUNTING FOR FORM AND THE PLAY-OFFS

Roberto Martinez returns to a happy hunting ground tonight hoping to rediscover his best form. The Vetch Field skipper enjoyed one of his finest moments in a Swansea City shirt at Macclesfield Town last February, notching one of only two goals for the club as Brian Flynn's men signalled their intention to stay in Division Three. The trip to Moss Rose, only Martinez's third game for the club after arriving from First Division Walsall, saw Swansea win away from home for the first time in 12 months. And with the Spanish maestro dominant in midfield, the signs of the Great Escape which lay ahead became visible through the storm clouds which had gathered in the New Year. Such was his influence in Swansea's successful survival fight that many reckon the club would now be competing in the Conference had Martinez not arrived. And so it was that fans started to believe promotion was a possibility this season when the 30-year-old signed a new two-year contract last summer. If, as now looks likely, that goal is not achieved come May, Flynn will look back to the serious knee injury his captain suffered last August. For the one-time Real Zaragoza player was absent for almost five months thanks to a challenge from Boston's Tom Bennett, and has so far failed to recapture the form of last term on a consistent basis since returning to action in late January. ''I have been struggling a little bit,'' Martinez concedes. ''I have been very happy with some parts of my game, but I've been making mistakes in my passing which I don't normally make. ''The knee injury was a bad one and I have had to learn to deal with that, but I want to get that out of my head now. ''Making mistakes is part of the game and there will always be a few during a season. What counts is how you get over them, and I'm looking forward to the games ahead now.'' Anything close to last season's efforts in Cheshire would be a welcome start. ''I've got happy memories of that game,'' Martinez admits. ''We produced a great performance to get the first away win under our belts and there were a lot of positives that we used from then on in our fight for safety. ''Something similar tonight would certainly help us achieve this year's goal.'' Which, Martinez maintains, is to reach the play-offs. And despite the eight-point gap which separates Flynn's team and seventh-placed Yeovil, he remains upbeat. The former Wigan man accepts that Swansea's five-game unbeaten run has not exactly been packed with vintage performances, but feels expectation has at times been too great. ''We have to try to win every game, of course, but we should not treat draws as a catastrophe,'' he adds. ''We need to stop being perfectionists. ''In football, especially in the Third Division where sometimes you just have to try to match the opposition physically, you have to accept that you cannot always play well. ''At Southend we had chances to win the game and did not do so because of a soft goal and a strange sending off. The fact is that we could have won it, and we must try to be more positive when we don't. We have got 11 games left and 33 points are still available to us. ''I have spoken to other players and managers in similar situations and they are looking forward to trying to make the play-offs. ''Why shouldn't we do the same?''

Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Keeper puts misery behind him

ROOKIE Swansea City goalkeeper Brian Murphy has vowed his Southend red-card nightmare won't damage his confidence when he lines up against Macclesfield tonight. The Republic of Ireland youth international has expressed his misery at being sent off for the first time in his career in Swansea's 1-1 weekend draw at Roots Hall. Murphy was red-carded 76 minutes into the Division Three clash for deliberate handball, even though both feet were inside the 18-yard box when he caught a ball punted up field. The former Manchester City trainee maintained yesterday he thought he had been unfairly dismissed - but promised it would not affect his performance as the Swans bid to revive their slender play-off prospects at Moss Rose. "What happened at Southend won't damage my confidence," he said. "If anything, it'll make me stronger and more determined to go out and have a good game. "Had I done something stupid, like made a mad rush out of the area and handled the ball, then I could understand the decision and people would be within their rights to criticise me. "But it wasn't a case of me rushing out and trying to catch a 50-50 ball. What I did was stand still with both feet inside the box and I thought my hands were also within the line. "The linesman obviously thought differently, but you are talking about a matter of inches and I think that unless he was 100 per cent certain, he should have kept his flag down. "When the referee pulled out the red card I was shocked and annoyed. Sending me off seemed ridiculous because I didn't think I'd done anything wrong." Murphy's red card was the latest setback in what has been a difficult introductory season at the Vetch. The 20-year-old lost his place in the team after committing two kamikaze blunders at Oxford in August and had to wait seven long months before being handed another league outing. But the red card - and the fact he missed a punch that allowed Southend to equalise at the weekend - threaten to overshadow some of the impressive performances he has produced on his return to the side. "It's really frustrating when things like this happen because I've waited a long time to get back into the team and I think I've performed well," he said. "And the thing is if I'm suspended for one game it lets Roger (Freestone) back into the side. "As for my general performance, I'd admit I need to work on certain aspects of my game. "I know I need to improve on crosses - at Southend I made a split-second decision to come and punch the ball but unfortunately I didn't time it quite right. "I don't want to make excuses, but I am only 20 and I'm still learning. "There aren't many keepers of my age who are getting regular league football. And most keepers don't reach their peak until they are 25-plus." Boss Brian Flynn was yesterday trying to obtain accurate video footage of the incident that led to Murphy's dismissal to decide whether Swansea have grounds to appeal. Tonight, though, Murphy will take his place between the Swansea posts as Flynn's men seek a win that might just keep alive their bleak promotion prospects. One change to the side that stuttered to a draw in Essex could see Andy Robinson restored to midfield at the expense of Jon Coates. Swansea face a Macclesfield side one place off the bottom and five points adrift of safety having gone more than two months without a win. "As a team, we know we've been performing below standard for some time," said Murphy. "We know we're far better than teams like Southend and Rochdale but we didn't show it. "Macclesfield are another side fighting for their lives, but we've got to get a win this time."

Monday, March 15, 2004 FLYNN'S GOT IT TAPED

Evening Post Brian Flynn has turned to CCTV footage in a bid to save goalkeeper Brian Murphy from a ban. The Swansea City boss was today trying to obtain a tape from a security camera at Southend United's Roots Hall ground after the young Irishman was sent off for handling the ball outside his penalty area. Murphy, who is likely to face a one-match ban, claimed he had in fact caught Carl Pettefer's through ball inside the box, but television pictures have proved inconclusive. "One thing that is for certain is that there are only a couple of inches in it," said director of football Flynn. "I have watched the match video and you just can't tell because the angle is not ideal. "It is clear, though, that Brian's feet are inside the box, and I think a different camera angle could give us the evidence we need to appeal. "I noticed a CCTV camera right in line with the edge of the 18-yard box and that could help us. It could have been pointing at the other stand rather than the pitch, I'm not sure, but I am trying to find out if they will release a tape so we can have a look." Murphy's 76th-minute dismissal did not cost Swansea too dear - Roger Freestone arrived from the bench to help preserve a point earned by Kevin Nugent's first league goal since October. But it capped a disappointing afternoon for the ex-Manchester City trainee, who was caught in no man's land as Lawrie Dudfield levelled for Southend. Flynn later hailed Freestone's "experience" as he took control at the death but refused to criticise his young rival. "Brian did nothing wrong," Flynn insisted. "Yes he came and tried to punch before they scored and didn't get there, but you could say that the ball should have been cleared by our defenders before it got that far. "He is devastated about the sending-off - the ball just held up in the wind when he felt it was going to run through to him - and I feel for Brian because he will probably get a ban and Roger will be back in. "But I see him as a long-term option for us because I think we've got a very good keeper on our hands. "His confidence suffered a bit early on in the season, but he's come back and taken his opportunity in the last few games. "He's young and he's still learning the game, but he's keen to improve which is the main thing." So Murphy seems set to keep his place at struggling Macclesfield tomorrow night as Swansea bid to keep their fading hopes of a top-seven place alive. "At this moment in time," conceded Flynn, "the play-offs look to be beyond us."

Monday, March 15, 2004 ELEVEN GAMES TO GET THINGS RIGHT

Evening Post Promised so much, but delivered so little. Increasingly, that looks like being the epitaph for Swansea City 2003-4, who now have just 11 more games to rescue a season which has seen excellence give way to mediocrity. Brian Murphy was the central character in the latest sorry chapter of a story which is sliding towards anticlimax. Exposed for Southend's goal and then sent off for handling outside the penalty area, the young Irishman had a day to forget at Roots Hall. Sadly for the former Manchester City trainee, it is one he will no doubt remember. For the 300 travelling fans who made the long journey east, by contrast, Swansea's third straight 1-1 draw will soon be a blurry memory. Just another lacklustre showing as Swansea surrendered the play-off place which for so much of the season had looked certain to be theirs. ''We are trying,'' said Flynn, the club's ever-so-slightly beleaguered director of football. ''We are trying to give the players a lift. We've brought in Stuart Roberts and now Paul Connor to try to lift everyone by freshening things up, but our influential players are not playing with much confidence at the moment and it's showing. ''It's obvious to see that Roberto (Martinez) is not as influential as he can be right now. Even experienced players can have a dip in form. ''But I will keep believing in my players and keep encouraging them to express themselves. That's how you get the best out of them. ''When we are good we are very good, but when we are ordinary we are ordinary.'' In the first half, especially, on Saturday, ordinary was close to being too generous a description for Swansea. Whatever the psychology behind banning talk of the play-offs after last Tuesday's miserable draw with Rochdale, it had not worked. Rather than looking like a team determined to re-affirm their claim to a place in the top seven, Flynn's men appeared uninterested once more. It was almost as if Flynn's play-off ban had left them accepting their fate, knowing Carlisle, Macclesfield and the rest will only be missing from the Vetch Field fixture list next season if they are relegated to the Conference. ''I still believe we can make it to the play-offs,'' Kevin Nugent insisted. ''We have not played well too often lately, but I think we are capable of putting a run together and if we do that we will have a chance.'' Swansea are, of course, on something of a run already, having gone unbeaten in their last five matches. Normally such a stretch would be worth shouting about, but three points taken from the last nine on offer is simply not enough to close the gap on those above. ''We can take some pleasure from going five games undefeated,'' added Flynn, ''but really if we want to try to achieve something this season we need to be winning the majority of games rather than drawing them. ''We need wins now. Draws are only handy.'' And so, with eight points and three places separating Swansea and seventh-placed Yeovil, does Flynn lead his team to Macclesfield tomorrow believing they have little more to play for than pride. ''I'm still not going to throw the towel in,'' he went on, ''but I'm not going to talk about the play-offs unless you ask me the questions. ''We're just looking at the near future now and trying to improve. As for the play-offs, if it happens, it happens. ''If we can improve then I think we can win at Macclesfield, but we'll have to improve in all departments.'' After Rochdale, Flynn joked that back-to-back half-time intervals were needed for Swansea to address their first-half problems. After a repeat performance at Southend, he may soon be on the phone to Fifa pleading for a rule change. ''We were awful in the first half,'' he admitted. ''We couldn't pass the ball, we were all over the place and I'm not too sure how we turned round level.'' That they did was thanks to Southend's shortcomings in the final third. For all their possession, the LDV Vans Trophy finalists could not find a way to test out Murphy. In fact, it was opposite number Darryl Flahavan who made the only real save of the first period, advancing quickly to snuff out Paul Connor after Martinez's through ball. If they were lucky to be level, Swansea were even more fortunate to nudge in front just after the hour when their debutant striker applied a telling flick to Shaun Byrne's lofted ball. Connor's knockdown allowed Nugent to stretch out a leg and poke past Flahavan. Hopes of a highly unlikely away victory were soon dashed, though, when Drewe Broughton rose highest to flick on Mark Bentley's long throw. Lawrie Dudfield got the all-important next touch as Murphy punched thin air. Within 10 minutes the 20-year-old keeper was getting to grips with the early bath taps after Premiership referee Graham Barber decided he had reached outside the box to gather Carl Pettefer's long ball ahead of the advancing Dudfield. With Roger Freestone on in place of the sacrificed Nugent, Flynn's men actually went closer than Southend to finding a winner. Andy Robinson, left on the bench because of signs of tiredness in recent weeks, almost grabbed the headlines having replaced Jon Coates. Had either of his late efforts gone in, though, Southend would have been entitled to feel mighty upset. ''I think it's one of those games where we have to settle for a draw given the way that we played,'' new signing Connor admitted. ''I know I don't know how the lads have been playing, but I could tell from the start that we weren't quite right. ''Hopefully, things will soon get better.'' Hear, hear.

Monday, March 15, 2004 Better to come, says Swans debut striker

Western Mail PAUL CONNOR made a comfortable start to his Swansea career - but then claimed he could have done a lot better. The 25-year-old striker went straight into the side at Roots Hall after completing a £35,000 move from Rochdale towards the end of last week. He could not manage to bring an end to a goal-scoring drought that has lasted since he hit the net for the Lancashire club in a Division Three clash against Huddersfield last September. But Connor won praise from manager Brian Flynn after linking up well with Swansea goalscorer Kevin Nugent. The former Middlesbrough and Stoke striker laid on Nugent's 62nd-minute effort and won countless headers and flicks throughout the match. But Connor, who will line up alongside Nugent again when Flynn's men go to Macclesfield tomorrow, admitted afterwards he was a little disappointed with his first Swans outing. "I wasn't particularly pleased with my display," he said. "I didn't get any clear-cut chances and I felt I never really got going. "I'm capable of playing a lot better. People haven't seen the best of me yet and, with a good week's training, I'll hopefully show an improvement." Connor, who arrived at the Vetch on a two-year deal, added, "It was a hard game for me to make my debut in. "I won lots of headers and flick-ons but that's my job. I would've preferred to have had more chances. "To be honest, though, I don't think anyone could come off the pitch saying they had been brilliant. It was just one of those games. "Obviously I don't really know how the lads have performed in other matches, but they were down in the dressing room after this one. "We know we didn't perform. The play-offs didn't really get a mention afterwards and I guess it's going to be tough now." Flynn said he was happy with Connor's Swansea debut - and insisted he would rediscover his goalscoring touch soon. "I was pleased with Paul's performance," said the Swans boss. "He might need a bit of time to settle in, but he's been influential straight away by setting up the goal. "He'll score goals for us, I'm certain of that."

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Cuttings w/e 30/01/04	Cuttings w/e 10/01/04	Cuttings w/e 04/01/04	Cuttings w/e 28/12/03
Cuttings w/e 19/12/03	Cuttings w/e 30/11/03	Cuttings w/e 8/11/03	Cuttings w/e 12/10/03
Cuttings w/e 20/09/03	Cuttings w/e 13/09/03	Cuttings w/e 23/08/03	Cuttings w/e 03/08/03
Cuttings w/e 26/07/03	Cuttings w/e 05/07/03	Cuttings w/e 07/06/03	Cuttings w/e 18/05/03
Cuttings w/e 27/04/03	Cuttings w/e 12/04/03	Cuttings w/e 29/03/03	Cuttings w/e 22/03/03
Cuttings w/e 09/03/03	Cuttings w/e 01/03/03	Cuttings w/e 10/02/03	Cuttings w/e 18/01/03
			Year 2002 articles
Year 2001 articles	Year 2000 articles	Year 1999 articles	Year 1998 articles
Year 1997 articles

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