Swansea City

Bob Bradley's tenure as manager of Swansea City lasted less than three months, as the Premier League club confirmed on Tuesday the American is no longer in charge.

They made the news official via Twitter:

Swansea City can confirm that the club has parted company with manager Bob Bradley. Full story to follow. pic.twitter.com/jMJ8wkUvgh

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 27, 2016

Bradley's last game in charge was a 4-1 home defeat at the hands of West Ham United on Monday, a third straight loss that left the team in second-to-last place in the standings. It was a decision Bradley spoke out against on Wednesday in an interview with TalkSport (h/t Jack Davies of Goal.com):

I'm a little bit p****d off this morning. I don’t think it’s the correct decision.

I believe in my work and I certainly knew that I was going into a difficult situation and I also understand that when you go in the clock's already ticking, so it's not like you're expecting all sorts of time.

The discussions we had always included the work that needed to be done in January - we had talked about players.

I'm frustrated because I feel like every place I've been, I've been able to put my stamp on the team in terms of the mentality and the tactics.

The former United States men's national team boss took over at the Welsh club in October for Italian coach Francesco Guidolin. The appointment "disappointed" the Swansea City Supporters Trust, as the club did not ask them for their input.

In Bradley's first game on Oct. 15, Swansea turned in a positive performance against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, although they eventually lost 3-2. Bradley picked up his first point as manager in the next match, a 0-0 draw with Watford.

After losses to Stoke City and Manchester United and a draw with Everton, it looked like the Swans could be turning the corner. They had a dramatic 5-4 win at home to Crystal Palace and another 3-0 win over Sunderland (though they had a 5-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur between those victories).

Following the triumph over the Black Cats, however, they lost three matches in succession, conceding a whopping 10 goals.

OptaJoe summed up the team's issues following the hugely disappointing loss to West Ham on Boxing Day:

26 - Since Bob Bradley took charge of his first Swansea game, the Swans have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side. Leaky.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2016

Indeed, after the supporters chanted "We want Bradley out," during the aforementioned contest, there appeared to be no way back for the coach.

Ultimately, Bradley failed on fundamentals at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea needed to be organised and motivated to push themselves away from potential relegation. However, things have steadily got worse for the south Wales club since the American's appointment.

Whoever steps in has a huge job on their hands. Swansea are leaking goals, lacking leadership and have been playing in front of a disillusioned fanbase.

Sky Sports News HQ reported Gary Rowett and Chris Coleman are the club's top two choices to replace Bradley.

However, Harry Redknapp has put himself forward as someone interested in the job during an appearance on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (h/t Joe Moore of TalkSport):

Swansea are a good club and it would be a tough challenge, but a good challenge.

It's a great club – where they've come from and what they've done, and the atmosphere there is absolutely fantastic.

It's a tough job for someone but it's not an impossible one – I still think they've got a chance of staying up.

It's going to be tight, but they've still got a chance.

Matt Law of The Telegraph reported that if Redknapp were appointed, he would aim to sign Chelsea captain John Terry. Law noted, however, that Redknapp is "not among the early favourites" for the job but "could force his way into consideration."

Meanwhile, Dean Jones of Bleacher Report reported Frank de Boer had turned down an overture from Swansea after Bradley's departure.

The Welsh side have been a breath of fresh air since their promotion to the Premier League in 2011. For the first time since that ascension, their top-flight stay is in severe danger.

New Swansea City manager Bob Bradley has a huge task ahead of him.

In the video above, we look at how Swansea's entertainment value has fallen off a cliff, and why Bradley needs to get them back to their roots.

When Bob Bradley is presented to the media for the first time as Swansea City’s new manager, a silent sense of satisfaction may spread across the American’s face as he takes his seat. For that seat is one he has craved for quite some time. The Premier League is where he has long wanted to be, and he is finally there.

The 58-year-old’s career has built gradually over time to this point, with Bradley announced as Franceso Guidolin’s replacement on Monday. Overlooked for more than one Premier League vacancy over the past few years, the American has a platform on which to truly prove himself.

There is an extra dimension to Bradley’s appointment at the Liberty Stadium, though. He has become the first American manager in the history of the Premier League, carrying on his shoulders the footballing reputation of an entire nation. That might seem a somewhat hyperbolic claim, but there is a wider significance to Swansea’s hiring of Bradley.

Of course, the pragmatic among us wouldn’t write off an entire country on the basis of just one coach, but football excels in the craft of generalisation. Look at how so many are opposed to the possibility of a foreign England manager after the failure of Fabio Capello, implying that every foreign coach would fail in charge of the national team because one did. The same theory could be applied to Bradley and the American game should things go badly for him in south Wales.

Bradley isn’t alone as the vanguard of the USA’s current coaching contingent, though, with Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner reported, per Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, to be at the top of Aston Villa’s wish list to replace Roberto Di Matteo. It has been said before that American coaches don’t travel well, but that stereotype is now being challenged.

But why have American coaches failed to make an impression in English football until now? Consider that the USA is the 22nd country to boast a Premier League manager, and it would appear the country has punched well below its weight when it comes to contributing touchline figures over the years. Why is that? Is it a failing on their behalf or the result of a discrimination against those from across the Atlantic? There are still those who can’t help themselves. 

Much of it is surely down to a certain footballing prejudice. Former USA international turned television pundit Alexi Lalas was quick to point this out soon after the announcement of Bradley’s appointment at Swansea. 

Bob Bradley is American. It’s baggage. U.S. players know it well. Performance can confirm/change perception and open/close doors. It’s life.

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) October 3, 2016

This is the pressure piled on Bradley at Swansea. Star-spangled success in the Premier League could see more and more clubs look across the Atlantic, while failure could close off a route that has only just been opened.

It’s unreasonable for that to be the case, for one man to carry the prospects of an entire nation, but that is the unfair reality for the Swans’ new manager. He arrives from French Ligue 2 side Le Havre with more than just his own reputation to concern himself with. 

It’s not as if a generation of top-class American coaches have been denied their chance in England, with Bruce Arena perhaps the only manager who could have feasibly commanded a Premier League job at one point or another, but Bradley could now blaze a trail for compatriots to follow. The likes of Jason Kreis, Caleb Porter and Jesse Marsch might one day come to benefit from that.

As for Bradley himself, he is the ideal candidate for the situation Swansea find themselves in. They have taken just four points from their opening seven fixtures of the 2016/17 season, teetering above the relegation zone purely by goal difference. Bradley has the qualities to turn round their slide towards the bottom.

As manager of the Egypt national team, Bradley forged a reputation as a crisis manager, taking the country to within one game of the 2014 World Cup finals despite civil unrest in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab spring. After such a challenging experience, Swansea’s troubles pale in comparison. This will be nothing to him. 

After all, Bradley is a man certain in his own convictions. Never short of self-confidence, he even went as far to compare himself to Pep Guardiola not so long ago.

“When I have a chance to observe different managers, the ones that do good work, I mention Pochettino, Klopp, Tuchel,” the American said in an interview with radio station Sirius XM in May (via Adam Shergold of MailOnline). “We haven’t even talked about the Guardiolas and the Ancelottis. But I’ll tell you what—maybe I’m stupid—but I think I’m a manager in and around that level.”

He might lack Premier League experience, skirting round the mainstream for the majority of his coaching career, but Bradley will have no difficulty in imposing himself as soon as he walks into the Liberty Stadium dressing room. That’s just the kind of person he is. The American is a straight-talker, as well as one of the most compelling thinkers in the game right now; that will come across quickly.

And yet Swansea fans seem largely unconvinced with their club’s latest managerial appointment. Many see Bradley as under-equipped for such a position and unproven as an elite coach. Indeed, many of their questions are justified, but they must see the American for his qualities rather than his track record, which is more impressive than any are giving him credit for. That is the frontier Bradley must overcome.

The American game continues to grow, with the barrier that once stood in the way of their best players making the move to the Premier League broken down some time ago. But the same hasn’t happened yet for American managers. Bradley can smash through at Swansea City.

They say the first one through always gets a little bloody. Bradley might get a little bloodier than most.

Swansea City parted company with manager Francesco Guidolin on Monday, simultaneously announcing Le Havre boss Bob Bradley as his replacement.

News of the Italian coach’s departure and Bradley's appointment came via Swansea's Twitter feed:

We can confirm the club has parted company with Francesco Guidolin, who will be replaced by Bob Bradley. pic.twitter.com/ezFbt1bxAQ

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) October 3, 2016

A club statement read:

Swansea City can confirm that the club has parted company with manager Francesco Guidolin. 

He will be replaced by former USA national team manager Bob Bradley with the club having agreed his release from French club Le Havre after their fixture with Sochaux tonight. 

Three members of Guidolin’s backroom team—Diego Bortoluzzi, Gabrielle Ambrosetti, Claudio Bordon—have also been released. 

Guidolin's final match in charge was Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool, the Swans' fourth loss on the bounce.

He departed the Liberty Stadium with Swansea lying 17th in the Premier League table, tied on four points with West Ham United in 18th after seven matches of the new campaign.

Bradley will be tasked with turning Swansea's form around and guiding them away from the drop zone.

His first match in charge will be against Arsenal in the Premier League on Oct. 15, following the international break.

Per NBC Sports' Joe Prince-Wright, the 58-year-old has broken new ground for American managers in Europe:

Bob Bradley becomes first-ever American to coach in the @PremierLeague & in the top 4 leagues in Europe. Huge moment for US soccer.

— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) October 3, 2016

As well as overseeing the USMNT between 2006 and 2011, Bradley also previously managed the Egyptian national team and Norwegian Tippeligaen side Stabaek.

Former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft believes he is a good fit for Swansea:

If Swansea go for a new manager the American Bob Bradley is their man. A clear leader, experienced and very knowledgeable of the game

— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) October 1, 2016

Meanwhile, football writer James Montague insisted Bradley has earned his chance to manage in the Premier League:

I've seen Bradley work wonders in Egypt during the revolution, w/Stabaek in Norway & just miss promotion w/Le Havre. He's earned his shot.

— James Montague (@JamesPiotr) October 3, 2016

Per Match of the Day's Gary Lineker, it is a risky appointment from Swansea given Bradley's lack of experience in Europe's top leagues:

Swansea have replaced Francesco Guidolin with American coach, Bob Bradley. As gambles go this is right up there!

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 3, 2016

Guidolin took the top job at the Liberty Stadium in January 2016, replacing Garry Monk with Swansea struggling in the Premier League. The 60-year-old was able to win his first game in charge, a 2-1 triumph over Everton, before steering the team clear of a relegation battle.

Although Guidolin signed a new two-year contract at the end of the 2015-16 season, the summer was a testing one for Swansea.

Not only did they lose their top goalscorer Andre Ayew to West Ham United, but the departure of longstanding club captain Ashley Williams left a huge void in terms of leadership and defensive aptitude.

Despite winning at Burnley on the opening day of the new Premier League campaign, Swansea have subsequently struggled under Guidolin’s watch.

Stuart James of the Guardian doesn’t feel as though he should have been given the job to begin with:

Sounds like Swansea were awful today. Ridiculous decision to give Guidolin the job. How long before Alan Curtis is asked to step in (again)?

— Stuart James (@stujames75) September 18, 2016

As noted by John Cross of the Daily Mirror, before his departure, the manager had public run-ins with players Neil Taylor and Ki Sung-Yueng, with the duo noticeably miffed after being substituted in games.

For Guidolin, English football never looked to be the right kind of fit. His experience and intelligence were enough to keep Swansea afloat in 2015-16, although the club’s hierarchy has decided another change is vital if the club is to preserve its top-flight status for another year.

Swansea City are reportedly eyeing Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs as a potential replacement for current manager Francesco Guidolin.

According to Chris Wathan of WalesOnline, Italian Guidolin is in no immediate danger of losing his job, and the Swans are prepared to give him more time, but Giggs is on the shortlist of potential candidates to replace him should results not turn around.

Giggs, 42, spent the last three seasons on the coaching staff at United—under David Moyes and then Louis van Gaal—but is now "seeking his first break in solo management" after opting to leave Old Trafford following Jose Mourinho's summer appointment.

Per the Telegraph's John Percy, Guidolin is "a dead man walking" at Swansea, and Huw Jenkins, the Welsh outfit's chairman, was only blocked from meeting Giggs on Wednesday because the club's American owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, do not want to make a managerial change so early in the season. 

Percy added that "Guidolin appears increasingly likely to be sacked before the next international break in October," and only a major upturn in results can save him.

Swansea currently lie 15th in the Premier League table having picked up just four points from their first five matches of the 2016-17 season.

Their only win so far this term came on opening day against Burnley, since when they have lost to Hull City, Leicester City and Southampton, and drawn with Chelsea.

It would be a big call from Swansea to bring in Giggs as Guidolin's replacement as the Welshman has very little managerial experience.

He was caretaker manager at United for four matches after David Moyes' sacking in 2014—overseeing two wins, a draw and a defeat—and was Van Gaal's No. 2 in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

However, given that Giggs would likely be brought in to drag Swansea away from the relegation zone, the Welsh outfit will need to be very confident in his abilities before handing him the job.

As noted by the Daily Mail's Riath Al-Samarrai, Giggs fits the mould of previous Swansea managers:

Giggs fits template of what Swansea, pre-Guidolin, liked in managers - young, point to prove.

— Riath Al-Samarrai (@riathalsam) September 22, 2016

The club's bosses before Guidolin were Garry Monk, Michael Laudrup, Brendan Rodgers, Paulo Sousa and Roberto Martinez, all up-and-coming young managers at the time.

While Giggs is unproven in the dugout, his 24 years as a United player have given him valuable experience of the Premier League, and Swansea will hope that translates into managerial success in the English top flight.

Francesco Guidolin's future at Swansea is under threat.

In the video above, Bleacher Report Insider Dean Jones reveals the club are trying to line up former player Chris Coleman if they decide to make a change.

Swansea City have snapped up Sevilla striker Fernando Llorente, the club confirmed on Friday. 

The Swans announced the acquisition of the Spaniard on their official website.

Llorente arrives after a difficult season at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with Kevin Gameiro ahead of him in the pecking order.

The 31-year-old started just 20 games in all competitions, scoring seven goals and assisting five.

Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe is nevertheless anticipating his arrival at the Liberty Stadium:

Delighted Fernando Llorente will finally come to the Premier League. Not what he was at Athletic, but still a neat, strong target striker.

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) August 4, 2016

The Spaniard has been fairly prolific throughout his career, netting 27 goals in two seasons at Juventus and scoring more than 100 for Athletic Bilbao.

Llorente possesses the physicality that should allow him to adapt well to the Premier League, and his aerial prowess will give the Swans an added dimension in attack.

His hold-up play is a particular strength, and he'll look to bring the likes of Jefferson Montero into the game.

Swansea have struggled for goals since selling Wilfried Bony to Manchester City—they scored just 42 in the Premier League last year, better than only six other teams.

With the addition of Llorente, the Swans should be more potent in the final third.

Former United States men's national team star Landon Donovan is reportedly joining Swansea City's new American ownership group, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. 

The new ownership group is headed by Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, who own 60 percent of the club, according to SI.com, and "the rest of the shares will be retained by the Swansea City Supporters’ Trust and a number of part owners."

Per Chris Wathan of Wales Online, "sources both in America and in South Wales" have confirmed that Donovan is one of the minority partners.

Levien is the managing general partner of D.C. United, while Kaplan is the executive vice-chairman of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Donovan, 34, played for the German clubs Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, English side Everton and MLS clubs San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy in his career. He's the leading scorer in MLS history, with 138 goals during his time in the league. 

He was also a fixture of the USMNT team, earning 156 caps and scoring a record 57 goals. Clint Dempsey is the only other player to reach 50 goals for the USMNT, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And Donovan participated in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, scoring five goals. 

This latest report comes just after Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reported that Donovan would be joining the FS1 crew during the network's coverage of the Copa America tournament. He's spent part of his time in retirement as an analyst, joining ESPN's coverage during the 2014 World Cup.

As for Swansea City, the club finished 12th in the Premier League during the 2015-16 season, with 47 points. Wathan elaborated on what the new ownership will need to do to find success in another Wales Online article, writing:

Ambition should not mean over-spending or dangerous debt levels. Success should still mean the club coming first and not financial returns. The promises have been that this will be the case.

It is positive that Swansea may be able to look to grow with new experience and expertise, but it will mean nothing if it comes at the expense of the fundamentals behind the club's rise to their current position. Let us all hope the actions of a new Swansea City prove as good as its words.

While it remains unclear just how active Donovan will be in the running of the club or how large his potential stake will be, having the perspective of a former player—especially one who spent time in the Premier League—will be valuable for Swansea's new ownership group.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Junior Hoilett moved from Blackburn to QPR as a young winger with lots of potential.

However, he's lost his way a little at the London club. In the video above, Bleacher Report Insider Dean Jones reveals that Swansea are set to give Hoilett a route back to the Premier League.

Gylfi Sigurdsson has been one of Swansea's shining lights this season.

In the video above, Bleacher Report Insider Dean Jones reveals that two German clubs and one Italian side are tracking the midfielder as the Swans consider tying their man down to a new deal.