Is Chris Coleman heading home? After defeat to Southampton in the penultimate game of the season, Swansea were left on the brink of relegation. Their 2-1 home loss to already-relegated Stoke on the final day consigned them to the drop. Carlos Carvalhal started the season in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday and finished the season heading back there. Jaap Stam has been linked with the vacant position and also Chris Coleman. So is Chris Coleman heading home?
The Swansea Manager Search
Swansea lost their Premier League status at the end of the 2017/18 season after seven years. They have played good football and gained plaudits for their style under Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Garry Monk. Under Paul Clement, though, the Swans struggled and in December 2017, he was sacked. Carlos Carvalhal replaced him. Carvalhal had taken Wednesday into two successive play-offs but eventually left by mutual consent, quickly heading to Swansea.
Victories over Liverpool and Arsenal gave Carvalhal a Manager of the Month award for January but he could not keep them up. Sheffield Wednesday fans were not surprised.
Jaap Stam was not a success at Reading so Chris Coleman looks favourite to land the Swansea job and could be heading back to Wales.
Coleman Is Mustard
Chris Coleman is a passionate Welshman and that could be just what Swansea need right now; passion and commitment. Still only 47, Chris Coleman has had a surprisingly varied managerial career. He has managed Real Sociedad, Fulham, Coventry City, AEL Limassol as well as Sunderland and the Welsh national team.
The Sunderland job was a strange choice for Coleman. Having taken to Wales to the European Championship semi-finals in 2016, going to a club in a mess seemed odd. With Gareth Bale, Wales had one of the world’s best players but it was Coleman’s ability to get the best out of other players that stood out. His work with Wales raised his profile as a manager.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Fulham | 17 April 2003 | 10 April 2007 | 176 | 61 | 44 | 71 | 34.7 | [29][54] |
| Real Sociedad | 4 July 2007 | 16 January 2008 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 38.1 | [30][32][55] |
| Coventry City | 19 February 2008 | 4 May 2010 | 117 | 34 | 37 | 46 | 29.1 | [54] |
| AEL | 26 May 2011 | 10 January 2012 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 50.0 | [54] |
| Wales | 19 January 2012 | 17 November 2017 | 50 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 38.0 | [39][51][54] |
| Sunderland | 19 November 2017 | 29 April 2018 | 29 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 17.2 | [54] |
| Total | 405 | 133 | 113 | 159 | 32.8 | |||
Statistics from Wikipedia
Swans to Fly?
Swansea have a good fan base but the fans are unhappy with the lack of investment. With the right appointment, a quick return to the top flight is possible. Chris Coleman ticks a lot of boxes and could be the man to take himself home and Swansea back to the big time.
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