In the 16th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryFromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the Swans this summer after relegation from the Premier League. Reports on Bristol City and Reading will follow later today, with all of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.

“There I was thinking it was great to be back in the Championship. We could get a rather great win percentage over the course of the season and have a few happier weekends. ‘Going to be a long season’ was not a comment I expected to hear so soon. It all sounds like a familiar melody though.”

Swansea’s fairytale rise through the leagues may have culminated in a seven-season stay in the top flight, but last season’s relegation has left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths. Most put this downturn to the club’s loss of direction following a decision to bring American investment into the club in 2016.

“As for the chairman and the owners, they can **** off as soon as they like.” To say that the mood is angry is an understatement. This has been fuelled by a lacklustre pre-season in which their side has won just once in five games. “A toxic stench is revolving around us due to the people in charge.”

“It’s going to be a long season if we play like this every week”, “We look unprepared for the start of the season. We look worryingly shoddy and it's difficult to see where an upturn will come from. The signs are not good but this always was a massive rebuild job in terms of personnel and style of play.”

“We haven’t managed to get rid of players that we need to in order to bring our financial situation under control for the season ahead. Thus, we won’t be able to bring in players that we want to bring in to have a more balanced and coherent squad, which means Potter can’t do what he wants to do.”

Graham Potter

“Graham would do an excellent job given the backing and tools to compete. No one is in any doubt where the blame lies for the complete and utter shambles that our club has become”, “He has bitten off more than he can chew. No one can fix this chaos”, “Good luck Graham, you’re going to need it.”

“How Potter took the job I'll never know.” The 43-year-old, who was among those interviewed for the Town vacancy, arrived in June having taken Östersund from Sweden’s fourth tier to domestic cup success and into European football. Many fans feel that this job would be a test for the most battle-hardened manager and fear he may be out of his depth.

“He is the right man at completely the wrong time. He would be perfect in a year or two when we had cleared the deadwood and all the dust had settled. Right now, he has come in at the start of the powder keg moment”, “Nobody on the planet can shape a side out of what is available to him.”

“It's a mess so close to the kick-off but you can't blame Potter”, “If we were serious about spending money, we would have employed a coach with the relevant experience and ambition. This isn't a slight on Potter. it's just that employing a bloke with no experience of this level is a massive gamble.”

Rebuilding After Relegation

“We have a young energetic manager in at the helm who is looking to get us back to our old playing style, but once again this board appears to have given him no financial backing at all leaving him to make excuses for the state of the market and how hard it is for us to attract the right type of player.”

“We will only buy players after we sell assets off, it has been the model since the American owners came here and will not change.” Joel Asoro, the 19-year-old winger acquired from Sunderland, is the only new face to arrive at the Liberty Stadium this summer. He has impressed fans in pre-season.

Joel Asoro (L) with Josh Maja

“Asoro was very good and seems to be just what we need in a winger. He’s very quick and not afraid to take on defenders. He’s surprisingly very good in the air as well for a little fella”, “Having Asoro on the right side and Bersant Celina pulling the strings could be killer against most teams.”

The Swans are close to completing the signings of both former Town loanee Celina and 23-year-old Nottingham Forest winger Barrie McKay. “Celina will make our wingers deadlier. He scored eight Championship goals, he looks skilful and can take on players.”

Celina

Headline departures have included keeper Lukasz Fabianski (to West Ham), defender Kyle Bartley (to West Brom), midfielder Ki Sung Yeung (to Newcastle), striker Andre Ayew (on loan to Fenerbahce) while the BBC also reported yesterday that Fulham are set to sign defender Alfie Mawson.

Central midfielder Leon Britton has retired while club stalwart and right-back Angel Rangel is without a club at the time of writing. Others departing are midfielders Roque Mesa (to Sevilla having been on loan there since January) Adam King (to Peterborough) and keeper Lewis Thomas (to Forest Green).

Defender Federico Fernandez has been linked with Newcastle and Russian side Krasnodar while the club has said that they would listen to offers for striker Wilfried Bony. Another frontman possibly on the move away from the Liberty Stadium is Jordan Ayew with Leicester one possible destination.

Pre-Season Results

Swansea opened their pre-season with a 2-1 win at Yeovil, but their tour of Austria and Germany saw them draw two 60-minute games played on the same day against Genoa and FC Magdeburg before losing 2-1 to Spanish side Eibar. They followed this on Friday with a 3-0 defeat to SC Freiburg.

Friday’s defeat rang alarm bells. “The apologists will be along saying it was only a friendly but that was utter garbage. They cut through our midfield at will. Had they not missed sitters it could have been 5-0. Other than giving the ball away in dangerous areas, I don’t know what our tactics are.”

“These are only friendlies but what have we learned for the four matches? Our midfield is poor and will be overrun by most Championship teams and we have no attacking threat. Will we respond with signings or soundbites that the squad is developing and that we can’t compete financially?”

Unless there are any late additions, the starting XI (above) against Freiburg is expected to line-up at Bramall Lane on Saturday. Few fans expect a victory. “It’s essential we get off our backsides and bring some players in. The side we're watching here could well finish bottom of the Championship.”

“The defence has been a shambles and nobody is taking charge still”, “We need two physically strong midfielders if we are going to play this way”, “All in all, we have no spark up front which means we'll struggle to score, no solid defensive line which will mean we'll concede, and a lightweight midfield.”

A Toxic Atmosphere

“I fear for the start of our season currently with the injuries and uncertainty around some of our key players. I hope we do not have another lacklustre campaign to look forward to”, “This is comfortably the worst side I have watched in a Swans’ strip for years”, “We are simply not learning any lessons.”

“Expect a mediocre season but one where we hopefully lay the foundations down for the future.
We haven’t brought in the players we need, haven’t shipped out the ones we’ve needed to, haven’t been able to work on a shape with players that will be here and haven’t worked on partnerships.”

“I trust Potter to mould a very competitive side out of what we have now with some additions. If this doesn't happen I can guarantee the Liberty will become a no-go area for certain folk and rightfully so. The anger and resentment overdue from last year will flood out and feelings will be made clear.”

Many fear a repeat of Sunderland’s fate last season. “I'm sure the support will be there at the start. What happens after that will be interesting. If there aren’t signings, if things don't look like picking up on the pitch, I can see things getting very toxic very quickly down there. Rightly or wrongly.”

Websites

The busiest Swansea forum is on our sister site, the excellent and insightful Planet Swans.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

jdtractor96 added 10:22 - Jul 31 What a shambles. I am sure Potter will turn it around but, still to this day, I don't know why they ever sacked Laudrup!
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rugbytomc added 11:22 - Jul 31 I'm gutted they're buying Celina! I'd have liked him for £3m!!
1

carlo88 added 15:35 - Jul 31 God only knows why we're third favourites for relegation reading some of these.
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