Swansea City: Big summer ahead after traumatic season

The issues began last summer, when there was mass change on and off the pitch.

Russell Martin had repeatedly expressed a desire to sign a new Swansea contract but eventually left for Southampton, while Andy Coleman became chairman and Paul Watson arrived from Luton as sporting director.

The new regime’s first big call was to appoint Duff, a move which looked questionable from the start given his playing style.

Less than six months later, and with fans struggling to work out their team’s tactical approach, Duff was sacked.

Alan Sheehan did a positive job as interim boss before Williams was appointed around a month later, after Swansea had failed in an attempt to land Tottenham Hotspur’s Chris Davies.

As well as changes to the club’s hierarchy, there were numerous player transfers in the last close season – and too many are yet to pay off.

Swansea agreed a deal worth around £3m for Jerry Yates, who chipped in with 10 goals without ever looking entirely at home as he attempted to replace Joel Piroe.

Yates’ time may yet come, but then Swansea may sell should there be interest from elsewhere in the upcoming transfer window.

Another significant fee was paid for Mykola Kuharevich, a targetman who failed to convince any of Swansea’s three bosses this season that he was worth a regular place.

Kristian Pedersen and Nathan Tjoe-A-On arrived last summer and left on loan in January, while loan signings Bashir Humphreys, Harrison Ashby, Charlie Patino and Charles Sagoe Jr did not have the impact Swansea had hoped for.