We sure there are other clubs that do it but it’s something very special here at SW City that we’ve we’ve had lots of these forums uh in recent times where we’ve talked about programs and programs I remember we talked about programs one of them as well and then in the fourth one we
Talked our programs so no programs but Ben Donovan is you and Ben loves a talk about programs the more aggressive the better so if you want to talk to Ben you’ll be in the car back be skips waiting for you all right no I chat with him all right so um this
Photography and Video in attendance so as I always say if you he with something you shouldn’t be with Now’s the Time to move otherwise it’ll be on the Internet it’s going to be a very costly case for you all um I very special people over
There at all this is um telina and Adie telina Jones and Edie Blake they here as BSL British s language interpreters so give them a welcome ladies so I’m not going to ask you to welcome each panelist individually because then they’ll be judged on who gets the lovess Chia or if there any
Boo but I’ll tell you who they are this this lovely man is Richard Morris Richard is the head of commercial here at the at the stadium so if you want to bring up the size of your burger he’s the man to talk to and don’t laugh he’s
Come up before all right um so Richard Morris is here we’ve also got um Paul Watson who is our sporting director Paul give us a away because may people may not know who you are and so Anonymous and um we’ve also got our chairman Andy Coleman give Andy
He’s over there don’t CL him yet and of course our well I head courts manager I never know what they call you nowadays all right but manager sorry Char he’s in charge of programs yeah Luke Williams is in house cach with a sense of humor know what I’ve Le in the last one
Of these I can tell me I know sometimes in you it sounds all right and then it comes out and I think I was talking about one two years ago of course there are um Andy you got a few words to say get me up with this of no Pause Paul check your microphone um I’m so glad to be here with everybody tonight but first we can can we thank Kev John’s as well who needs looks good in pink doesn’t he God he looks good in pink anyways I’m thrilled to be here fabulous look fabulous thrilled to be here with
Everybody tonight as well as Luke Paul and Rich it was important to me that we bring Rich tonight because I know there were some questions on the commercial side um and The Fan Experience Etc he’s been working really closely with trust on that so he’s prepared to answer that
And if you can’t find Ben rich is prepared to answer any program questions so he can go down that path as well I did like a seven or eight minute intro the last time I was here because you had never met me before and I was told it
Was too long so let’s get right into it right now we’re here to answer any questions that you all have that’s why we’re here this is a really important Community not just up here but out there as well um and we want to make sure that
We bring all of you into the club as much as we can because it’s really important to us so thanks for the time tonight Brant thank you I think it’s accepted and everybody knows that everybody who’s here tonight is here because they love this football club they love Swansea City they love
Being part of the uh the CH as we all do and this is great to spend an evening with uh with friends wh one fun so we got a young lady C over there who’s looking very much the country girl this evening with our boots um she’s got
Microphones which you Ben’s got one as well Ben’s the guy to talk the program about programs too just what’s your question who’s gu that’s a fans Forum ask away well thanks for being with us I’d like to thank the panelists and wish you all the very best for the
Weekend and you see hand yeah oh there we go okay um Can let’s ask you two questions uh the Ukrainian how much money do we pay for him and number two why is he playing we supposed to have two Wingers um cross the ball supposed to cross the ball nice to have somebody
Tall in the center so can we have you know you remember said about a booger Better um well I mean first of all I can um talk about uh whether or not the boy plays I can’t talk about how much we paid for him um but I mean look first of all uh judging on on uh the quality of the The Lads in training uh makes a huge
Uh a huge difference to whether or not they get picked at the weekend and then uh he managed to get himself on the pitch but since then picked up an injury so um he’s he’s battling way to to impress on the on the training pitch to
Put himself in the you know in the shot window to to to to be considered to play um and now he’s he’s actually sideline because he’s he’s picked up an injy so yeah we I think there’s I think there’s more to to um finish in than than just
Being able to head the ball as well I think that many of the crosses are um coming along the ground as well and I often second phase we score from the second phase of the Cross you know for example and so I think uh finishing the
Quality of the The Finisher is has got to be more rounded than just the ability to head the ball otherwise I’m tempted to play Harry darling up front to but no I accept completely the question please that’s three questions okay uh on S we didn’t have one shot on target sorry we
Didn’t careful got my arm yeah we paid our money to go there and there wasn’t one shot on Target in the whole game was played so whoever you pick in statistic wise or whatever it’s not working yeah I mean I can’t argue with that we didn’t we didn’t hit the target
Um the first shot on Target in the entire game was their was their goal and uh quite frankly that’s not that’s not good enough um I think uh I think we should have hit the target because I think we had uh two openings where the player
Needs to hit the ball through and uh we I expect them to hit the target from that distance but at the same time I I completely accept uh the criticism we have to we have to play football and be able to hit the target in a 90minut game
Of football have to hit the target at least once and that’s that’s unacceptable and uh we’re not there’s no way we’re going to try and hide from that I’m c not going to hide from the fact that I need to improve the the the quality of the play so that so that that
Doesn’t happen Okay give us J number there couple couple of uh my question is on recruitment um I think we have to doew the summer wi was quite disastrous if I’m honestly I think Carl rushworth is a good signing but I think we have to give our goalkeeping
Coach bit of credit for that one really so we’ve wasted a lot of money the ukrainians we mentioned 2 and a half million he’s barely kick the ball touch left backs out alone I don’t if he’s played a single minute Jerry H hasn’t worked out either how can we have any
Faith in Paul Watson is my honest question um that’s right [Applause] Know aot of M the previous not Michael dff the one before Russell Martin was really shafted in that janary transfer window we’ve changed tack wasted an absolute Fortune we’re a lot worse for it I have sympathy for the new manager because I think he is the right choice absolutely
But scra to stay up as my point of VI I just don’t know how we can have any faith um going forward that this is the right thing in terms of transfers I mean yeah you could see that r started well but it’s just like one signment isn’t it
We got to be realistic about this now we brought a lot of players in that are not good enough I worry about us financially in the future in the summer we probably need to sell one or two I don’t see anyone wanting our players that’s the
Simple truth of it we’ve got B players of res Val like we have with Joe pero and FN Downs I am concerned here and I worry about what will happen in the summer if we have a similar summer like this if even if we get away with it this
Year I think we could be down the bottom next year and move you were you Josh ke as well which I I think is probably has unfortunately been injured but at the same time an extra one after however many years it’s not good enough first of all I should say hi nice
To see you again we have aivil conversation um when we had a supporters meeting downstairs a few months back I’m happy to jump in on this I would argue Josh started playing really really Well I there’s a lot of skill in retaining some folks um so you have them when you need them Kyle nton has been absolutely fantastic the club over a stretch but we didn’t sign it just I’m happy there’s a lot in thetion so what I think very helpful and we will
Learn and I think it’s really important that we all understand while we’re here today is is that um first of all you ask whether or not you should have faith in Paul Watson let me tell you now as your chairman I have unquestionable and unshakable faith in Paul Watson when
Paul Watson arrived here last summer um unbeknownst to all of you and we should be doing a better job so the shame is on me as your chairman so not better explaining this to All of You Not only was the system broken but there was no system for recruitment here it had been
Done halfhazard over the course of the last few seasons I would say few years I arrived in August but I started working on the transfer window um prior to obviously my arrival well on um after taking over as chairman you know just about a year ago now but when Paul got
Here on July 1st the window was open we had no left footed players on the squad we needed a ton of players and there was no recruitment anything in place to allow Paul to have the resources that he needed in order to plan appropriately for that um you’re never going to be
100% out of a window I think that we all should be mindful of that no sporting director is ever going to be 100% um you want to have some hits we had a High um um leaning towards loans because we didn’t have faith in the removement um
Team that was in place at the time and I knew it was going to take some time and it’s still going to take some some time to get it built correctly so that we could be much more efficient on that so we overweighted a bit on loads in the
Summer because those were short-term Investments for me um Jamal low U we have a history with the club and some others Charlie others have shown um bright spots for us when we need them um I think January was a much better example um of where we still have
Learned and are going to continue to learn how we get better so Paul will talk a little bit about this I’m sure but there’s now a full recruitment team I think um when you were with them last Thursday right I know it was 10 11 and they’ve already started working and
They’re taking place those meetings every Thursday in person large groups and they’re going through but what’s important on recruitment on anything to do with this football club is the reason I’m here is there’s a lot of stuff that has to change that’s got to get better I’m fully committed to making sure that
Everybody who’s on my has the resources that they need to be the best inside their Lanes to represent this football club to get this club back where it needs to be everyone is fully committed to that case um again Paul now has started to get the tools that he
Needs in order to building a team and Paul needs incredible credit for that Luke I know you’ve seen it in person as well there’s a ton of stuff going on behind the scenes that that he doesn’t see that we’re happy to talk about here tonight but I do just want everybody to
Know I know Paul’s gotten a lot of grief here um and he has over the course of the last few months let me tell you at my starting to get Advanced age when I get up to take my first or second PE of the night and I have a thought because
I’m buzzing and I’m really pissed off about what happened uh with the result over the course of the weekend and I texted an idea to somebody at 3:30 in the morning Paul answers at 3:30 in the morning right so he’s not going to be out work I’ve got to get p all the
Resources so he can Shine for you the way I se shine behind the scenes and I would ask all of us as a community we are all better together and we can do things that we can’t do on our own if we do it together Paul Watson’s here Paul
Watson’s not going any place I have full faith in Paul and Paul’s going to help take us where we all want us to be you a few hands up this s first of all and we come back over with there uh I just want to say for as long
As you keep back in Paul Watson you you’ll never wi over the fans but my question is how did Paul Watson qualify for this job having only worked in operations Aton never on the football side his only experience running the football side was a heartly PO which was
Is a disaster he’s wasted so much money sing players who’ve never fed the M of a swans player a disaster man the players of San no swansee way so why has been [Applause] yet ask Nathan Jones hold on hold on there is a Swansea way listen everybody we are all fully
Committed into it and my hope we clearly had some work to do here tonight as well is that when you leave here tonight you have a better understanding of why Paul why don’t you talk a little bit about your backup and maybe what you might have done folks haven’t
Seen yeah first thing I did work on the football side at e tell so you did I do work on the football side I did it every day so um choose not to believe that he choose not to believe it but I did was part team that um worked across
The club along with others I think um so in that infrastructure there was a there’s a team where if no one one person left which throughout my my time there there was there was one or two that had left or it been off with long-term sickness no one really knew
Because we had quite a tight structure and and a good team and we’re trying to build something here that if one person leaves it doesn’t I don’t walk or the next person doesn’t walk into what I walked into so as a football club you can’t be relying on one single person to
Make every single decision we’re trying to get a team that will will work together work well together um and and ultimately bring better players in that will get better results you question P when you stop sing Best so everybody get here we need to get a mic to to you so just just give us a wave and then we we’ll do that Ben gentlem and then we work to the top of the other problems a lot of contracts are come to the end in the
Summer are you and luk clear who you want to rain yeah I think um we we are getting a better getting a better idea of you know who’s like I think the example that we used earlier of Josh time is starting to look like somebody that could be a real
Key player for us and you know somebody that we would like to um you know to to kind of be the example of of how we want to build a squad young athletic you know Brave robust player that plays week in week out you know when produces a really high
Level of quality high level of energy I think the more we see if the players between now and the end of the season the more we can see you know who’s going to who’s going to fit the bill I think uh for me personally bringing uh Josh
Keon was the first time I’ve actually seen him in a competitive game so that was you know that was great but I need to I’m really looking forward to seeing more and I think some of the players probably going to start to maybe perform in a different way and we start to have
A different image of that player and so yes there there’s a lot to do because we have a lot of things a lot of loose ends to tie out but we have a lot of football between now and and and the end of the season to really get a good gauge of who
Can and who can’t if I can for one sec here because we’re supposed to have some cross talk and Rich hasn’t had a chance to talk about program say that to the end but Luke Paul’s going to be a topic of conversation tonight right let’s let everybody inside the building right what
Have you seen with Paul AB what do you see that you can share with everybody yeah I mean um for a start like take take for example the the stuff that I was I was sent the the the depth of um detail that I would sent on many
Players uh and I spent a number of a number of hours watching the footage reading the the reports on the players and um we were quite close on one particular player and the the the information that was brought together was fantastic um am I now to talk about your
Trip because um I made a phone call and said look there’s a there’s a player here that we we really need to try and get this one this deal done and and uh Paul phoned me 20 minutes after I got off the phone and said Andy’s at the
Airport he’s flying out to them to to to drive to the guy’s house to convince him to sign and uh so I was okay that’s you know that that’s what that’s what we we want to hear like people are going you want him you like all the detail all
Let’s go and get it done okay look the guy decided to to to to go elsewhere um and I contined to look at the the players available on the list that didn’t read all the information on the players watch the videos that we put together and I
And I discovered I saw Ronald I said come you know can we talk more about this guy and got some more information sent to me and then I had a conversation with with Andy said like the recruitment team of BR this player there something I really like about him I like the
Toughness I like the speed like how direct he is I think the squad is lacking that we need that we need that burst of energy we need somebody direct and again after a conversation I was told we’re going to get the boy it’s going to be done by by
This evening and it was done and the next day was uh he was in the training ground so this is like for me is a great sign for the summer you know this is what I’m expecting and I know this is what it’s going to look like right St is going to
Be this is what you need in your team these are the players that are available that we believe that we can get done you tell us to pull the trigger and we’re pull the trigger and we go aggressively and get these players so I want to try
To make us finish as strong as we possibly can so that we have an identity and we can see okay we’re good up until this point we’re good up until this point these are the areas that we need to try to really really be aggressive and recruit purpose purposefully with a
Un understanding of what their game is going to look like let’s bring these guys in and that’s that’s what I’ve seen so far and I’m really optimistic for the summer I love I think this club is incredible and I think if you don’t sign for this club you’ve made a mistake and
I think the boy is going to regret not signing here that’s my Happ fantastic Ben there’s a few hands up there I leave it to you to give the m to evening J Andy where do I start we going to take a short bre is a lovable guy yeah and statement
Earlier on you love the Incy fantastic but by God I’m worried it feels like my club is being run by a comedy Captain America and a Ken W Ro two gu you said about the fact that there is no recruitment set up here that’s your ownership group that have been here for
What eight Years see theet strings with strings above you J he was your immediate predecessor he was the the the Great White Hope coming in where is he now what’s his responsibilities within our club and why is he up in Saudi America will have C in Saudi [Applause] Arabians I don’t want to step because
This is a democracy and people can ask whatever question uh they want to ask the only I’m asking you is when you use descriptions and I’m not saying anybody just remember people got feelings and they human beings and they doing their best I I’m cing you I’m just saying it
Genely can I just can I just also point out though there’s been a a a defense of of for Watson but if nothing else it shows absolute terrible judgment the fact that you were be enough to have yourself filmed several times in a swans game with with Nathan Jones I thought you were looking at me who said that I I’m not I I’m not up with anybody so if if I can okay and I don’t you guys don’t know me all that well yet I don’t like sitting down I’m much for
Hum and all this and you ask a bunch of really important questions okay I can’t remember all of them the only thing I’m remembering is that you called me the Great White Hope and you obviously haven’t seen my basketball career um but outside of that look the difference is I
Don’t I don’t want to sit back here I want to be here with you I’ll answer all of your questions okay so while K well I appreciate that I’m here for a reason okay you don’t just have to ask you don’t have to just ask me that question
He you can grab me at a game you can see me in the supporter section on the road you can grab me in front of the uh Stadium but my hope when you all leave here today is this is meant to feel different I’ll answer any question that
You have you’re going to have to repeat some of them but let’s start first as to um the puppet question because that’s come up quite a bit uh it’s the first time in my life I’ve been called the Yes man so I’m clearly not doing a good
Enough job of explaining who I am um the decision that Luke is outlin and Paul was outlined before are being made here okay um I talk to Jason a couple times a month I’m running the football club so if you have a question on how things are
Being run or you think should be things should be run differently again just grab me and I’ll answer them for you okay that’s why I’m here okay Luke when you signed Ronald um did you call Jason Levan I don’t think so Paul have you
Called any on a on a history rep I don’t think so right um I’m I’m here now and my job is to better connect me with you I’m your owner who’s here now okay I’m the one who’s making decisions my job is to make sure again I’ll jok it around as
Side I can’t get rid of my American accent I’m always going to be an American that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust me I I’m fully aware that I haven’t earned your trust yet and you’re not the only person who who’s feeling that way in here the reason being I
Haven’t done enough yet to earn your trust it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working so you can say I’m a puppet you can say I’m this the only none of that bothers me the only thing that bothers me that I don’t ever want to hear you
Say is that I don’t care because I do care [Applause] I and sweep this football club if you watch me at a game I care I’m being told I care too much and then I can’t do that here if I’m dancing in a way director’s box I’m told I can’t do
That because I refuse to wear a tie and I think it’s too stuffy and I’m a supporter and a fan of this football club everybody here who works with me at this table or not is going to work their tails off until we get this right okay I
Can’t change mistakes that have been made over the course of the last eight years I wish I could I can’t change my own mistakes the more you get to know me I’ve made tons of mistakes in my life like we all have I want to look forward
And I want us to come together as a club so that we can do things together that’s what makes Swansea special okay a lot of comments have been made about the Swansea way okay and I see your face you’re shaking your head I I get it my
Understanding of the Swansea way is yes it’s football based but I actually think it’s more than that I see a beautiful city with beautiful people in Wales that was forgotten that got an identity that built itself up that stuck together that did amazing things because they came together behind what was a unified
Belief behind the Swansea way it’s associated with the style of football yes but to me it’s much bigger than it what I want to do is get back to that core route of all of us working together to show the world how great Swansea is that’s the Swansea way okay yes we’re
Working on a style of football did we get it right with the first manager hire no talk to me on that okay we didn’t get it right it’s not the only mistake I’m going to make here again I’m sure there will be others that I make but it’s not
Going to be from a lack of try and it’s not going to be because I don’t care and it’s not going to be because I’m a puppet the only place I’m a non-voting board member is in my house and that’s cuz my wife has all the votes of that
Board okay but that’s different okay the decisions are being made here now one of the things that came up um in the Chairman’s letter that came out today that I hope it’s a good first step I don’t know if it is maybe it’s the worst
Idea in the world but it came from a place of care and wanting to connect with all of you is that I’m going to be opening up my office okay for a couple hours a month you make appointment you come sit in my office and talk to me
Okay I don’t think any other club has direct access for their supporters to sit in the Chairman’s office said talk about programs or Paul Watson or hot dogs right that’s what I’m here for okay because I want to give you the absolute best football club that you can be proud
Of okay and I told you the last time it’s either going to happen or I’m going to die trying all right I can’t say I love all of you because I haven’t met all of you yet but I’d love swansey I didn’t put in my letter by the way that
I live in Swansea I think plenty of you know that already but the fact of the matter is we have great team here now that’s not going to just magically erase all of the mistakes of the past it’s not going to happen just like I can’t change the entire landscape of the financial
World as it relates to football in the UK right hopefully a regulator steps into deals with some of that but the fact of the matter is we’re going to continue working every single day right until when you see me you can say this is an extraordinary football club I
Talked to Paul I talked to loop I talk all let’s not be good let’s not be great let’s be extraordinary I have a high degree of passion and love for this football club I’m not bullshitting you I care and we’re going to get there but it’s going
To take time I can’t turn this around in two months I can’t have a perfect summer transfer window when I wasn’t on the ground yet we building will continue to work our tails off so that you guys get everything that you deserve because whether you’re working in mumbles pork
Tabet Britain faery I don’t care you’re working your butts off to pay for a ticket to come watch and you have every right to say I’m pissed I grew up in Bristol and I didn’t see a shot on goal guess what I was with my four kids and
My wife and I was pissed that we didn’t have a shot on goal right we’re all human beings okay um but so I can sit here and preach from the soap boox all night long I don’t want to do that my only hope is we want to give you
Everything that we can tonight but please not we’re here we’re facing you because we care we love this football club we’re going to do everything you can so that the next form or the for after that you’re hugging us when we come in as opposed to you know getting
Off stru like this but I will stay here as long as I need to tonight answer any question that anybody has I’m yeah well you going to cat’s going to come this gentleman and then question for Rich please yeah scenario Ronald was scored nine goals for the end of the season he
Scored two already how much you going to get for him that’s s of way I feel any good player of this club of art has been [Applause] sold I’m pretty sure that um you’re right about that that he’s going to score goals and I think he’s 21 years old and he’s going to catch he’s going to catch the but they’re not going to let me start the season without him no and I think this brings up a larger a
Larger question that may be helpful to answer now and you’ll all one to unpack as you go through which is the model here and across the United Kingdom is broken okay you have the hals and the have kns Swansea is a smaller Market team right um we don’t
Have as much revenue as others and it’s an unsustainable business model with you have folks named Andy who just have to put money in every year right it doesn’t it doesn’t work so what I’ve asked the team to do which is what I talked about in the Chairman’s letter today with
Rich’s help and he’s done some incredible stuff and Paul’s help and and every and Luke’s and everybody else’s is we need to work over time to build a sustainable model for a couple reasons number one it’s no use building a house every year and knocking it down and
Building it back up again it doesn’t work okay when I got here well I’ve been here for years now secretly in the shadows you all just didn’t know it yet or you didn’t recognize an American accent doing my pre-work it really troubled me that I would walk up to
Support us and hey what do you think about Swan oh my God we’re one player away we’re one player away and then maybe we can get into the playoffs and maybe a bounce will go our way right that’s not a sustainable model either we want to build a football team year in
Year out that’s competing that’s less Reliant it’s always going to be somewhat reliant on player trading it’s just it’s the way the system is and I can’t change that nobody can change that until we work on better distribution mods um but the fact of the matter is we need to
Become less Reliant so that Luke isn’t upset when we go and we get a Ronald and now I got to get back on another plane to Tim Buck two wherever it is to help bring somebody in that Paul’s recruited and the D team and everybody have found because they were’re just starting from
Scratch right we want to get players like Ronald and fr Tony whoever it is that comes in so that you can connect with them so that we can unify again the community of Swansea so that you can help lift those players up as well they
Can lift you out of your seats and we don’t go through this never ending cycle of having to sell players again there’s always going to be some component of that to this but I think there’s a better model out there and that’s what I’m working on now um and it’s going to
Take some time to get there but I’m equally as frustrated as you all are because I just I think this system is broken the way it’s currently constructed Richard has something to say wait be good cheers I think Andy makes it really important point and I think there’s a
Phrase which I came from a much smaller Club in the division below that I use with my my team on a regular basis which is try and mitigate against the risks of being a football club um and really what I mean by that is the the model is
Fundamentally broken at the moment and this is a crazy division in which we’re playing um my background you know prior to football is in a different sport in cricket run completely differently very safe very secure lack of Americans lack of Risk Takers and this is very very
Different so what we have to do we have to be prepared to innovate try new things but all with the intention of making us more sustainable cuz really that’s the excitement of a job for me is being able to walk into Paul’s office or bump into Luke in the corridor and say
We come up with this new idea that’s going to really help you get get where you want to get okay K’s got a hand up at the B somebody there oh gentleman there okay well I we go as far as gentlemen start that like um we’ve been aring on about the swans
Way for 10 minutes or so I think 99% of the people within this room know the Swansea way and it’s not the football and whatever it’s is a passion in the club and a lot of the passion lot of passion has not been shown by the team whether it’s the
Fitness or the squad that L was inherited are just not good enough I want to name players and whatever else but I watched this football in Swansea City and Swansea Town for many many years if you get a player that goes on that pitch and commits for 100 for 100
Minutes these days where it be 90 minutes you get football out with them for 90 minutes where he’s running around a Gess check in but at least he’s playing for the club and it seems at the moment we are looking at the wrong type of players to come to this club and
Represent the club okay nuk well I think um it’s brilliantly brilliantly put across and that that’s the truth is it’s about it’s the it’s the the expression on the pitch you need to come to the stadium and see players that are visibly giving absolutely everything they can for the
Call because that’s you might as well St home and watch football on TV if you’re if you’re not interested in seeing the you know the blood and thunder I I do feel like the current group have shown have shown recently that they have that inside we have to we have to build it
That we have to strip away some of the anxiety and replace it with with passion and I think there some wounded there’s some wound wounded souls in in the squad if I’m if I’m quite honest because I think they’ve probably not had the season that they wanted to have but I I
Totally agree and this is something is really important to me is that we see the running power the desire I mean look I would rather that we spend every minute in the opposition’s box but when I see Ben kabango and and Nathan Woods frying themselves in front of shots and
Heading balls out of box and that for me is is part of the swansey way as well I don’t think it’s just about passing the ball and looking pretty it’s about it’s about passion it’s about people running hard it’s about the expression on the pitch of of wanting to win and this this
Is why this was not acceptable for us to not not not hit the target as you said the week that’s not that’s not a passionate team that’s not me criticizing the players because I know them well and they are they they they’re a brilliant group they are
They’re a brilliant group and they need continued support and we have to keep building but that Swansea way a Swansea performance has got to be more than just stroking the ball around on on the grass that’s that’s not enough Okay C do you have something to
If we can just for one second because I think this is an important time to highlight something that all did okay um well we talk about Ronald one of the things that excited you the most about Ronald and Ronald’s a young player with
A long way to go is we’ got L the Young play was Paul noticed that he had that grip that heart that something that we thought Paul thought the club needed it meant more to him he had something to prove he wasn’t handed to him on a
Silver right we’ve seen that like in that 60 yard track back run that we talk about all the time where he comes back forth again that’s the first step so you’re spot on right we want to get up and cheer and feel like folks are you know our players are fighting like we
Want them to fight it’s a key Focus unfortunately there’s not a real metric that you could do to judge that all so you’ve got to look for some real diamonds in the rough but we’re we are continually focused on that c don’t let him stop
My question is for Luke can you make us win on Saturday because all my friends in school are cardi fans I suggest you change schools as well would want to go to a school like that it’s a j [Applause] I’d love to say I could make us win but
I’m going to do everything that I can to to try and make that a reality my my two my two boys also they go to school in in Newport so they got skin in the game as well cuz there’s a lot of C fans in in their school so nothing would please me
More and I promise you we going to work hard this week I don’t know why people keep talking about a supreme song Nathan Jones I don’t know when that’s got it like come have this young man by was the first one you tonight he’s got no home to go to
Nowhere um my question is for and Paul really um OB the start of the season um Russell Martin left to go to Southampton um we brought in a manager that effectively in I I imagine most fans would agree with didn’t understand the Swansea way and it
Seemed that it was just a job for him we’ve obviously got the right man in charge now Um but my question is really why didn’t we go for Luke or a Swansea City type manager in the summer as opposed to the man that we did eventually get good question so great question and um look I out this before which was a mistake that
I made that I thought that um the hire we were making was going to enhance what were some of the shortcomings of what I saw in the squad that needed Improvement um I’m a big believer in the expression that everybody here gets sick and tired of res saying which is bad news never
Doesn’t get any better over time right that’s why we made a change when we did um it took longer to get that change in place because of the holiday season and others over the month of December and I I know folks wish that we had named a
Manager the next day but I wanted to take the time to spend face to face time with Luke regardless of his history here and then he plays the Swansea every single thing that made us grown to him so that I could sit and look him in the
Eye to make sure that he cared as much as I do and I knew that everybody else who was BR I thought they did I got that from him I think when I walked in the front door right we had spent a few hours together but we have our right man
Now and we’re going to build around him and he’s going to do extraordinary things here again there’s my word again um and we all need to get behind him like we do this entire organization and one step at a time it’s going to get there and Luke’s the perfect man to lead
Us there so not only will we get there but we’re going to enjoy the ride a hell of a lot while we [Applause] did I don’t mean to be rude I do genuinely think you are a nice book but I don’t think I’ve ever met a
Man say so much I saying so little you’ve been asked a few very direct questions I feel like you’ve danced around them spoke about how much you love the club you don’t and I don’t mean that in a rude way you cannot love the club when you’ve been here for such a
Short period of time and even if you mean it in your heart you don’t love the club like we do we have skin in the club we have PL in the club we genuinely do you don’t that’s a matter of fact and I think but Paul I think my question to
You is going back to the previous one Nathan Jones it’s ridiculous I so I was no hiding I worked with Nathan for 5 years um I got put when I went to an away game they realized we work together they put our seats together um on on reflection I appreciate it w
Happen again on reflection apologize I said afterwards when you work with someone in the small that happens but it won’t happen again so apologize to anyone that offended certainly didn’t i’ certainly didn’t mean it to come across and offend the the fans group that I work for um so that won’t happen
Again can I answer one question since you said I didn’t answer questions I do want to push back a little there which is to say that I don’t love the club let’s be clear I didn’t say I love the club more than you do or that I have the
History that you have here I don’t I’ve only been here since August but you can fall in love with something the moment you see it I did my life period so you can laugh at that you can say whatever you want I’m not claiming that I’m as biggest supporter or the history here
That you do never once will I say that I will never disrespect The Blood Sweat and Tears that of you put in like Uncle Francis who turned 102 years old who I spent time with this weekend or whether you’re the young boy in the back who’s
Getting grief with part of fans at the school I’m not claiming that but that doesn’t mean that you can’t love the club and I can’t love the club at the same time if we do that we’re excluding new supporters and folks to come into this club which I think is a bad idea
Let’s share what it is with spans with everybody and welcome everybody here who loves what it is that this club represents can I just ask you I’m sure it’s on a lot of people’s minds you know that you have a lot of young players did do they get how
Important Saturday is to us as a football club you know cuz I really want to beat Cardiff to be honest with you I tell I really want to humiliate them to be honest with yeah I mean um they know they know um me personally I I came here as you
Know I came here with Russell and I was I was like I was pinching myself to be here CU it was just incredible the moment I arrived at you know the training ground and so on but that that first moment of arriving here PS into insignificance compared to winning the
Derby I’ve never been involved in anything like it honestly I was I was in the touch line of Wembley last season it was it was the closest comparison getting promoted with with not you know after an epic season that was a wonderful one and it immediately
Made me have the same feelings that I had when when JY Patterson smashed that shot off the crossbar and ran behind the goal doing the you know what I want to say I what was he doing I’m sorry he was doing a doggy P or something I don’t know what it’s a very
Good exercise you know yeah yeah I agree um he don’t take a photograph I’m doing that but honestly I mean that like it was it was just a surreal feeling um just a wave of energy and and the players know I had a I had a conversation you know what’s that back
And forth with the captain who he he is like he’s incredible honestly I know when when you have a status like that and the club is not you know is not doing as well as everyone wants the club to do the captain can really can shoulder a lot of that but he he’s
Incredible he’s such an incredible guy and uh we text we text back and forth about about this game and what it means there won’t be anybody in the club that doesn’t I mean the puts every single day a countdown but he puts a countdown every single day how many days left so it’s
Just incredible to be involved in it and I’m feeling yeah I’m feel I’m feeling the emotions Already you got some number there hi um I probably got one for each of me probably um so I don’t want to jump in too much but quick one first of all do we where are we in terms of season tickets obviously you’ve seen we’ve seen an increase in price but I’m
Assuming we’ve probably seen a reduce in uptake so that was probably my first point is you see these stands full and then you get to this the souw they’re the future of the football club ultimately that’s where I started that’s where your kids are and is empty like
There’s seats everywhere so how are we driving people to come through the door I think you speak really well uh aandy um and we had previous um chairman who have I think had our best interests and had themselves not have the full ability to give everything so what do you do to
Try and get people through our front door CU I think Sur you grab a full Stadium I’m sure Luke would agree you would want the full Stadium bouncing every game rather than just for Le United or S car city for example I’ll take that one really important question so thank you very
Much um season tickets understand we’ve gone through another price increase going into 2425 um really it’s a it’s a balancing act at the moment and a tricky Balancing Act between two things one is making sure that we remain as affordable and accessible for as many people in Swansea
To access the club as they can priority number one and priority number two and it does come in this order is generating enough money for the club to stay to remain sustainable and move the club forward for us to be able to support Paul and Luke in what they’re doing on the pitch
Now in answer to the second part of your question about what are we doing to engage younger Generations I’m glad this question has come up because we are active in that area so our Grassroots ticketing initiative has we’ got over 3,000 kids come into the stadium off the
Back of that this year we have the cost to the club uh so far as at today and there’s one more to be announced delivered three fan zones at the South End of the stadium all designed with the intention of creating a welcoming and good atmosphere for our younger supporters um
So there’s load there’s loads of good stuff going on in that area but in respect of pricing of season tickets that’s a really tricky balance at the moment because we as the club we’re not immune to the cost of living challenges ourselves um we understand the pressure
That puts on you we absolutely do um but all those decisions are taken you know very considered lots of work goes into making those decisions including benchmarking against other clubs in the division where we do compare very favorably so this season in the efl championship only one Club has a lower
Average adult season ticket price than us which is Huddersfield town and on average an adult in the championship has over 120 more for their season ticket and do support swans I understand it’s a big Financial commitment um but those decisions are not ones we take lightly we just take one more question
Before we have a little break there’ll be plenty of time after the break to do that but uh we’ll just give everybody a chance to get a drink or go to the loop any of you got someone there yeah hi so at the start of um this
Whole event you talk about trust how can we trust the board when you and appointed a manager and Michael D did not way you swans went out the window how can we trust it’s going to stay if Williams goes how you how can we trust you’re going to get the right the next
Time so is the question if L were to get hit and go for some reason please don’t go anywhere how how can you how can you stay confident that the going to make a decision SW way we’re not moving away from the SW way no but why did you bring
In a manager that did not play this SW way so I think I’ve answered that earlier which is we trying to what we what we thought right or wrong okay right um swany Way’s not going anywhere okay this club has a a great style of football um
That we are only going to enhance moving forward and while folks can shake their heads or whatever like we’re not moving away from that right we we’re not going to move away from that here I’m not going anywhere way I’ve learned from mistakes that I’ve
Made in the past and we’re going to work to expand it and enhance it and shine a light on it moving forward so that’s my commitment to you how do you correct the mistakes are made so there’s players at this football club who can’t play that
Way IE P who out on for example but on significant rumored wages and then you’ve got potentially karit who let’s be honest you really don’t fancy them okay so how do we get them back out the door when they cost big money or big wages a good question as well Paul why
Don’t we have you answer on what is the strategy this summer what has been the strategy and how we’re going to work through you know we we recruited in a way for the previous manager and then there’s always going to be players that are going to fit more into into a new
Manager coming in we said to the group when L came in there’s going to be winners and losers in the squad K noton didn’t play probably for the majority of the season and then um since Luke’s come in has played and everyone’s thinking why hasn’t he played
The first part of the season so the players who don’t fit well we have to work really hard to recoup as much money as we can so we can so so we can have as minimal impact um in in into the financial part of the transfer budget so
You we were working really hard for them players who don’t fit in we we felt um a couple players going out on loan would help balance the squad um and certainly with some players coming back from injury um ultimately they went down the pecking order but you we’ll be working
Hard to to to shape that Squad um and get exactly how L want it going into the first game of next season okay we’ll take that little break now if that’s okay I hope your answers you feel your answers have been your questions have been answered honorably
Give him a big round of applause and we’ll see you in 10 minut so thank you for this evening and I’ve been a a season ticket holder for 15 years at the swans so I’ve got the passion for the swans absolutely but obviously I look at the website
Frequently and that the content is fantastic but two weeks ago there was um an interview with Joe Allen and it was about a 40- minute long interview so I was quite intrigued to um watch that interview but unfortunately there was no subtitles for That interview so I didn’t
Get access to it and obviously you know with the view of equality and inclusion that was something that I was uh left out from are we on car thank you so much for bringing that up for bringing that to my attention that’s um a piece of video
Content that the team have worked really hard on um and is what we call Commercial content so essentially um paid for to branded with a with a sponsor so in this case revivor coffee our from of sh partner um an absolute oversight on our part but that doesn’t
Include subtitles um there are three more episodes to come in that series um and just to add some more work to the media team’s load there’ll be subtitles on the next three is that right K you’ve just signed up for that but apologies an absolute oversight on our part and it won’t happen
Again well done fantastic that’s a good you abely hi everyone um so yeah my question is really about Ronald um obviously when brexit happened we couldn’t sign anyone from around the world all sudden Brazilian guys just turned out out Norway what’s happened for that to happen because I think Rishi came up
With that 38 Grand uh requirement to come into the UK can we essentially stop the world now or is there something else behind that that’s a good question um so it did ultimately stop um players coming in from you into the English game um the fa the Premier League the efl working group
Together to try and combat that um and ultimately now you can have for one of a better word four wild cards so Ronald comes under that where he wouldn’t normally hit the points criteria to come into the UK but he comes in is one of our wild cards obviously if he plays for
The year then he will become a GB eligible so um at the minute he he’s W but in 12 months time when still with us Luke um he and scored loads of goals he um he will drop off there so we can then replace that with another wild card so
Ultimately every every team can have up to four um in their squad makeup we used no uh no we’ve used two used two so we’ve got two in the summer one will drop off um so we’ll have three use this summer okay Ben gentlemen or gentlemen in front try
Ines I I see the light I do 10 minutes I don’t see you well I keep in the face whenever happens s um my question is are we are we in any danger of reaching no we’re we’re not we’re we’re actually in a good position and I am mindful
About this I talk to the team about this all the time I can’t tell you where next year’s regulations are going to go there’s a lot of talk about moving to a squad cost model as well and away from the pns and FP as we’ve seen it before
Um we are working diligently to make sure that we just don’t run into a problem there but as of now okay yeah uh quick questions we talked about recruitment um what about development uh we’ve had this the young uh American buers from dced uh uh scored a lot of goals so he went
Back to the state I signed in so was that beneficial to DC rather than out playing that’s one question where where are we with the development promising young players so are we look bring through some more these games the team so yeah just split out the first
One Christian he did come over scor a lot of goals um we spoke about keeping him here permanently um but he W be guaranteed first team football and we didn’t feel he was going to be ready immediately for that um so he’s gone back and played first team football at
DC um and then secondly on the development year we we’ve got some real young promising players coming through um we’re trying to align that with the first team there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes and Luke’s put a lot of effort in um to get down with the
Academy recular and we’ll be International breaks and stuff like that when when he when he can get down there so from first team under 21s under 18s under 16s we all we all want to play the same way we all want to hear the same words on the sideline we all want to
Train the same way so there there’s a lot of work to go into align that there is some wonderful young talent coming through we need to make it more competitive in certain areas the squads are too big um in certain areas is not so we want to make it really competitive
And we want to give a clear pathway the one thing that the players do say from 13 14 and all the way up is what is my pathway um and we’re working really hard to demonstrate that they will have a clear pathway the ones that we want to
Bring through and I know s Park has made his debut um in played a couple of championship games um as well as Philipe came on in the FA Cup so the all they want to talk about is Pathways so we we’re working really hard to provide that because ultimately they’re the
Future of the football club and everybody wants a homegrown player on the pitch [Applause] yeah hi everyone my my questions about again recruitment I guess um looking at the starting 11 on Sunday with seven of 11 players that are either the contract on all hours um it looks and appears on
Face to be a lot of work needed for a starting 11 that own Squad and start next season is Luke being set up to fail yeah I wouldn’t say set up to fail so look where we are now going into the summer I feel is a lot uh we in a lot
Better place than we were last summer um walking in there was no there’s no scouts there no processes there was nothing there wasn’t a single person in the building so the recruitment over the last few years prior me coming in was was almost on a win and um and UL that
That couldn’t last so we’re in a place now where we brought live Scouts in I know there’s a lot of noise around the data but it’s just part of the process we don’t solely just recruit on data we use it to help narrow down guide us
Where we should be um and find the players that League wants but we’ve got live Scouts we’ got video Scouts so we can we can cover as many games as we can um so yeah there is work to do in the summer um but we feel in a far better
Place to go and do that we’ve already started um and and quite on the way Andy and luk are are up to up to speed on where we are with it and we’re positive going into it so um I I definitely say he’s not set up to fail I mean you can
Speak for himself um but we’ve kept him up today where we are where we think we need to be going forward with the players in and out of contract got some the back uh first of all I just want to say thank you so much for you guys tonight
For putting this on and speaking with such honesty and clity I really appreciated and you answered quite a few difficult questions uh mine was similar to what the gentleman just asked said about Recruitment and I think you know concern some of me and my friends like there uh six players on loone who
Feature quite regularly in the first team you know be really good players for us this season and then there’s a couple of players like Joe Pau Kyle who be big players and they’re out of contract as well so that’s like nine players so it feels like a big void and also we can’t
Forget in my opinion the best goalkeeper in the championship uh do you think we can keep him next year I am I got in a little bit of trouble I U I done what you’ve done and tried to sell him to the to the football World by mistake and try to back back
Pedal by saying of course he’s obviously going to be with us next season I think you know if you if you think it enough it’ll come true I suppose but I agree I think he’s a he’s a wonderful player um it does it does feel like there’s a
There’s a there’s a lot to do um and I think we we are a better place to to to do that then what it seems to me in the summer was more of a um panicky you know is uh trying to get everything sorted as quickly as as as
Possible I really hope that you know we’ve moved beyond that I think we we have to look really seriously about retaining some of the the real gems you know there a few Fine Wines in there that we need to we need to consider you know their their future and and and then
We need to try to be very very accurate about who comes in you know every single person that that you invite to the dinner table you have to be the right person and um that that’s that’s really exciting so it it it potentially is a brilliant opportunity to to bring in a
More swansey looking group of people to to make the the reality on the on the grph the one that we want B you over there since we’re on that topic of recruitment on the Academy I was lucky enough to be chosen to attend the structured dialogue with you I brought
Up a number of items well at the Academy and I was told that that structured dialogue that Martin Hodge was going to be our new head of Recruitment and that hasn’t actually been officially announced by strangely by the by the club I don’t know why and at the same time I I asked
Gavin Levy the academy manager is there going to be a separate head of recruitment for the academy and he said yes yes there will be I understand from talking to people that maybe that appointment has also been made but it hasn’t been announced can you confirm
That we’ve now got a head of recruitment from the academy and how many Scouts does that head of recruitment have for Academy players yeah we have so we brought in Paul Compton from from ason Villa um so Paul’s local to the area um alongside that we had a part-time Scout who we’ve
Made full-time um to to go alongside it and then we’ve got Scouts in in in the the lower age groups from pre-academy up to under 12s so we always want to improve it we always want to get more and I ask Andy for more Scouts pretty
Much every day um to cover the areas I think this area can be untapped there’s only really us here so we there’s no excuse not to find the best talent they not shouldn’t be prized away from any other club so um we’re building that infrastructure but we’re really pleased
To have the foundations in in P Compton that have joined us the off yeah they are um probably an oversight on our point we can I think they just want to come in under the radar and do their work um there’s a lot of work to do they’ve both um gone into
Departments and in and essentially certainly from the first team point of VI built from scratch um Martin was the first and then he’s brought in um Regional Scouts to help us to to help support him so yeah he he was the first in and he’s I don’t think he speak
Ground because there was a department going into a window they joined us just before Christmas and they were going into into a window so um yeah he’s worked ever so hard to to to get five six seven other scouting with him so we can cover as many games as we can so
Probably an oversight an our point but I’m sure the media team wonderful media team will wrap it up and end of the season we can make sure everyone knows who is who could you got someone there uh I got to say Andy I think you’re a wonderful PR and you should be
Commended for as the gentleman said earlier on saying a lot without saying very much at all um what I will also say is uh Paul Watson must be very grateful to you because you’ve V so much smoke at his back side tonight I expecting a
New my my question my question is this I i’ I’ve long skeptic of American ownership I was a member of the SP Alliance when they first took over the club um and I’ve seen nothing over the last few years to kind of waver that skepticism uh what hope and hopefully
Candidness can you give me that uh we are now learning the lessons from uh our previous mistakes and as you previously alluded to the mistakes that are quite recent uh in you know in our recent history so we can actually go into not only this weekend with a bit of hope uh
And optimism F so look I think and and thank you for that question I think that what we need to do a better job of than this is the first attempt of doing is walking everybody through the how right so it’s less of the fluff so when we
Talk about you know be it uh new recruitment tools uh new Staffing structures you know driving Revenue into the club so that we can bring better players and you name it those are all of the systems that we’ve talked a little bit about tonight that we’re that we’re
Putting in place that I don’t think have been shared at least i’t seem were attempted to have been put in place before but again my mindset was rather than coming in like every typical American owner you see you know stories and stuff written about rather than
Coming in and burn it down the house and saying it’s my way or the highway got it I wanted to spend six months here which is why I put that uh Chairman’s note out today to see what we had but there are there are systems that we’ve walk
Through be it improvements in Fairwood on recruitment improvements on data improvements in uh engagements with the supporter trust so that we can have feedback like they’ve been doing on how we can improve the hospitality experience all of that takes time and while I appreciate that everybody wants
The answers today that we talk about that that process is started and has started and we’re just going to continue to learn as we go through does that answer for you I want to make sure that you don’t get the fluff answer that you get the answer that was much better
That’s your best answer so far nice and Yeah there’s been lot of recruitment today but we also know spend normal money than it’s bringing in um is there is there sufficient funds available or much enough this this summer to actually bring players in and given that situation we a lot more than bring it in
Should we as found be worried about the financial situation at the her um there are phones available this summer Paul and I talk about it got a budget already in place for this summer and obviously moving pieces in and out that you won’t know until you get into a window um and
The question is should you be worried about the financial position of Club um no I don’t think you should be we’ve got new investment M included as well um we’ve had other new partners come in we’re trying to put this club in a better position not only through owners
Continuing to contribute but also getting ourselves in a position so that we can only control our destiny you don’t need owners putting you know money in to carry the club right that’s why we have to do things like build new systems on the revenue side and the commercial
Side so that we can make this more sustainable but it’s going to take time as I mentioned today for us to get there okay Ben just there’s a few people there let you pick one hello um we talk about football tonight I just wondering where we stand in the future with the
Osr looking to leave Stadium how financially that it will impact the sort of football and the stadium overall going forward so future of the ospre um you are or you were as up to speed in terms of tiing wise at the same time as we
Were um with the uh with the news going to the Press from a financial point of view does that put us on more Shaky Ground absolutely not um still we’re still very secure um there contribution here whilst a valued partner and have been since 2005 um is not not one that
We’re reliant on financially to keep us sustainable and moving Forwards a cluster there I’m gentlemen there as well just a question for Luke um Michael D before you um played down the S Derby quite a lot didn’t fulfill the fans with any confidence before the game I just want to know what your plan is to uh
Give the fans a bit more confidence and in Satday uh we’re going to score more goals than them can sign That promise fums the and F through of I Promise no I mean look you know um we’re going to we’re going to do everything that we can to to win the game we’re not going to go into the game to you know to to try and take a point or you know to be timid
We’re going to go on the front foot if we can do what we’ve done to um Sunderland or to Blackman and take the ball off them and score within two parts he brilliant if we have to play from the goalkeeper for every single player to
Score we do that as well so we’re going to be there we’re going to be trying to win the game and then we can all of us celebrate together afterwards so my questions for Andy so there’s been no lot to talk about everyone pulling in the same direction
And want in the same thing but the truth is since 2016 since Steve and Jason became the majority holders at this club pretty much every major decision has been an unmitigated disaster and not once a here to our fans and taking accountability for it so when will that
Happen and I know Ang you’re taking a lot of fla for decisions that they made in the past will you ask them to come forward and speak to the [Applause] fans so thank you for the rec action tonight as much prepar for work again answer any questions you guys have look
Um Jason and are not making decisions that they made hisor before okay I am that’s why I’m here um and with new investors and U new board seats filled that’s where decisions are being made they they have a um role in the club um Jason does specifically I can’t tell you when
Jason’s going to be over here next and I can’t tell you if he’s going to be able to sit in front of you what I can tell you is if you have any questions of ownership here take us to another level any shareholders want to buy
Am what’s that any of the new uh shareholders want to buy the Americans out I I can’t I can’t answer that so in terms of recruitment we’ve got one fan favorite striker in Liam obviously his contracts out at the end of the season where are we in terms of negotiating with
Him yeah we’ve got an option on name so um we’re in discussions to Extended but we got at least another year with and hopefully many more beyond that is that the same with Jo all as well he’s been exceptional the last few weeks for us yeah Joe’s contractual situation is
Different but um again we’re we’re going to speak to speak to Joe as well um and I agree he has played well the last few games uh he’s he’s come back from injury and and um hit the ground R been in real good form just a couple more questions in gentl there yeah
So there’s a lot of made there’s a lot made of um improvements day-to-day running and there’s a lot made of um this data driven approach but what does that really look like in um a day-to-day term how do you gather that data how is it applied how those metrics analyzed
For Recruitment and how does that now lead to M langsta coming through the [Applause] dog need a how how much has you PID it to say that zero no look the data is just a small part I know it’s been spoken about a lot um the data is a small part in the
Recruitment process that ultimately we didn’t have but we have now um it helps us cast The Net wider a lot further hence we’ve got people like Ronald come in um because if you don’t have any sort of information you can only go on what
Your ey sees and you can only go as far sit PR years watching the games in the UK I I’ll see you know one game and traveling so it’s it is a hugely an important part but it is just a part of what we do we have video Scouts and live
Scouts to get out of as many as we can so day to day we we’ve and and I don’t want to under talk this because we’ve got some real geniuses that we’ve managed to get an employee and bring from other clubs and other businesses to to help us build what we ultimately want
Um but how we analyze is is they analyze what it takes to be a top right back or a top right winger in in the league um and then we can analyze what we’ve got in the building we also analyze how how Luke wants to play all the leag how how
It should look or how in his utopian brain how how he wants it to look and we try and piece that together with the data with the video Scouts with the live Scouts and then present players back um and for Ronald wasn’t one of one he was
One of three within that wage bracket within that within that transfer bracket said this is what we think he can do if he comes in the building now granted we won’t always get it right but the more information we have the better chance we’ve got to getting it right and I felt
That going into January was a lot different certainly internally um a lot calmer we we knew where we wanted to be we just had to and and it was probably the most difficult window to do to set that up for but UL I thought we you know
We’ve come out with a real asset and a young 21 year old Brazilian and we’ backed the work that people that we’ve employed people to come in and do so they’re really happy that they’ve been backed um and it’s a continual process it’s never going to end we’re never
Going to have the perfect with completed football because every you know the game the game changes tactics change players become available that you don’t think are going to become available players fall out um so with certain clubs and and it happened in January so um we’ve
Always got to be agile and move but I know going into this summer window we a real real strong position with the many phases we’ve got in the process to to get to get the wind Done Right some how much does he pay to say that because he says it every
Day used to do this do you want to answer that M I don’t know score a b the goals for your old team yeah he’s he’s a he’s a good goal scorer I mean he’s been the top goal scorer in in Britain for 18 months or
Something so yeah of course I mean this is a fast track to to the data is to have an 18 month interview with a player but you know for for for every coach they will know a certain number of players like extremely well because they work with them and that’s always going
To be a resource in football I think everyone you know knows that manager will work with a player and and that player will jump with them to another jump with them to another club unfortunately Ryan Manning was one of those and Flynn DS is there with Russ as well because you have
That you have that interview with that player for a long period of time in how good they are but for the for the you know for the broad spectrum out there I don’t know too many Brazilian players you know so we have this t as well but
Yeah he’s uh he’s a good guy I know that guy really well and he’s a Go where we going now you got a question gentleman there Hi um it’s a request one of the question um well I run inclusion football club in maram uh the biggest children’s inclusion football in Wales and on Friday we’re doing award more to raise awareness for inclusion football
The aim is to get every Club in Wales every town in Wales to inclusion football in the next 10 years hopefully so we’re going to do a walk um to raise awareness on Friday we starting off C City Stadium I me at at 9:00 we’re going
To go into C City Stadium we’re going to rob the three puns and they stole of us and we’re going to walk it all the way from C to the SW C footb so when we drink the three points it’s what you do with it then don’t give
It back there CU they don’t know to treat it they for all time um but what the request is it’s to raise awareness for inclusion football so if you see us walking along the 848 f Way give us a beat on the arm there about 10 of us doing it and he’ll
Give us a lift then before we come in [Applause] The mountain STS of course that’s that’s the inclusion football team and um Chris fals on Wednesday he was a a great follower and supporter of of you as well as the swans I know lots of people here tonight to be talking they’ll be they’ll be at the service on Wednesday afternoon yes
S sorry on that note as well uh Chris was our Master this night he loved the inclusion football and it gets a bit emotional but he meant a lot to all a slot as sport as as in inclusion and the walk on Friday is I we
Haven’t made it public yet but we talked to his mom and everything so the walk will be inclusion awareness in memory of Chris Brown of f as [Applause] well I only have one for really sorry feel being on a night um how do you see
Your team next year so do you see back three like you had played that County or do you see back for what do you see the team molding into cuz I hear you a lot that you results right now to getou so how do you see it in you know you know
Honestly I think that um it’s my responsibility to try and set the team up in the in the way that suits the the most amount of players so you know I um when I turned up at MK guns um with Russell I didn’t I’d never I’d never met Russell but we were introduced
To each other on a Sunday after his first game I believe in charge and um by the following Thursday I was appointed first team coach or assistant manager and um we had a we had a conversation about how he wanted to the team to play
And he wanted to to play a back four and a diamond in Midfield and two Strikers but he also wanted to have all the ball and he wanted the team to resemble a team that I’d worked with um a few years previous at swinden town and
Um so we got to work but it became very very apparent that we couldn’t we couldn’t retain the ball at the pitch so I asked him are you still adamant that you want to play a diamond in Midfield because if you want to control the game of the Border it’s really
Difficult to get out the pitch when you don’t have any width so the only way we can do it in that formation is to put the strikers on the touch lines you know split Strikers really wide nobody down the middle like a false nine they call
Them now and so we we done this and we were in a terrible position we were 22nd in League one getting relegated and we started to play like this and we started to win and um we won enough games to get out the relegation uh positions pretty
Quickly and then lockdown came so we were lucky that we we we managed to get results quickly but then the following uh preseason Russ said to me I want to play a back three um because I think we can be more fluid in a back three so I got to work
Plan back three with two Strikers one Midfield player and deep Midfield player two attacking Midfield players and uh was okay um but we still some something missing so put another Midfield player and lost the striker and play like a box and one Striker like this and then when I went
To uh when I came here was was really my job to set the team up in the same way that we had been working at MK Don’s the okay let’s get something going and see if this works for the for the group and I think we started to to play pretty
Well and um we started to to get a few good results and I think I don’t know how your memory of that period the probably the first six months of that season was like really really impressive for two games and then maybe get caught out um you know in the third game
Especially on a three game week um but it seems to be the best fit for the group of players and I think particularly when we we signed Flynn Downs we’ve done something different in Midfield we played like downs gries and then two attacking Midfield players like P and Chan the the
Point I’m making in a very long-winded way by the way is that I need thank you is to try to um work out what is best for the group of players you know and that’s that’s really has to be my my most important job is to to try and set
Them up in a way that they are most likely to be able to effectively defend effectively attack to try to win the game and so at the moment I think this is um the best way for this group at this moment in time to to play is it my
Perfect situation I think I would like at least one more player in an attacking position if I’m honest um but I think that we might we might suffer at the other end of other end of the pitch at this moment in time so this is a a really long answer to a
Really good question thank you and uh I will always try to make sure that I set the team up with the best talents for the group of players just to recap can I on can I put you on this property we going to in this room I think it was this room similar
Circumstances I asked forar what’s your plan B did you know what he said we plan a bet we we don’t need Plan B we we perfect plan a and then my estimation and follow answer went down you asking me what plan B is make it up if you haven’t got one right say
Anything you believe it check in a few technical terms go on as long as you did last thing me [Applause] for I don’t know what to say now to be honest just and I accept it then but that’s no I I think that um at the moment
Um trying to find the best balance for the team is is my job and then I think really we we we need to be a far superior team in the future so this is probably plan B at the moment Answer I think we’ve you this can’t no one can beat that question that was ladies and gentlemen I hope you’ve enjoyed the night I hope youve found it beneficial I hope you found uh these guys to be honest and and forthright with their answers you certainly have
Asked questions which are on the hearts and minds of everybody and um it it it really has been fantastic and you could all be sure that whatever however kind of angry that some people are at times come Saturday this this whole crowd will be 100% behind saly City no one will
Walk into that Stadium not thinking that we we won’t do the business and we won’t win the game because that’s why we go to watch our club we got to watch them win and U we’re 100% behind you so uh so be confident pass that message on to the
Team that that we we we we till we done we 100% Jack so tonight we introduce you briefly to Richard Morris who wants to talk about Burgers if you meet him earlier later and Round of Applause for Richard pauluk and chairman Andy Coran thanks to the commercial and the
Media team organize the event safe Jour home see you on Saturday come on the swans
1 Comment
“No system for recruitment in the summer” but still went ahead spent £8m. Do these mugs think we were born yesterday?