Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris and current MK Dons boss Russell Martin are the two leading figures for the Swansea City manager job, according to The Athletic’s Stuart James.
Morris has been out of work since he and Frank Lampard were sacked by Chelsea in January, while Martin guided the Dons to a 13th-place finish in League One last season.
James reports that there has already been contact between Morris and Swansea, who parted company with Steve Cooper last week. Martin is another candidate being considered.
Jody Morris in Talks Over Swansea City Manager Job
Morris’ Coaching Career
Morris is yet to go alone in a first-team set-up as a coach, having been the assistant to Frank Lampard at both Derby County and Chelsea.
Prior to that, he was a successful coach in the youth academy at the Blues. He initially started with the U21 squad before moving to be the assistant coach of the U18s, then becoming head coach for the 2016/17 season.
His possession-based attacking style saw the young Blues lift the FA Youth Cup in 2018 and during his two seasons in charge of the side, they won 59 games and only lost five.
Morris’ side also was the treble in 2016/17 and the quadruple in 2017/18.
Martin Also Under Consideration
Russell Martin has been in charge at League One side MK Dons since November 2019 and has been credited with their massive up-turn in form since then.
He dragged the team to safety in a season where it looked like they were on course for relegation back to League Two.
After a slow start to 2020/21, while still picking up some notable wins, the Dons really hit their stride just after Christmas and went on an excellent run that saw them reach the brink of the play-offs.
Although it would have been a hard ask, they were still mathematically in with a shout of reaching the top six with only two games left to play, but a draw and then a loss on the final day ultimately saw them drop into the bottom half and into 13th.
Many have felt it was a bit of a false position, though, considering the results MK Dons had in the second half of the season, and there’s no doubt that Martin’s attractive style of play, modelled after Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and Manchester City sides, is what will have caught Swansea’s attention.
However, as Martin is still under contract, MK Dons would be due compensation if he were to leave. And considering their season starts in less than a week with a Carabao Cup trip to Bournemouth, it’s significantly less likely than the move for Morris.
No Move for John Eustace
It had been reported previously that Swansea were in talks with Queens Park Rangers assistant boss John Eustace. He was originally the club’s number one choice for the role and the first to be reported after Cooper’s departure.
James also reported last week that the 41-year-old was interviewed for the job but informed them over the weekend that he would be staying at QPR.
Eustace has never managed in the EFL but has gained a good reputation as a coach. He has been at QPR since 2018 with both Steve McClaren and Mark Warburton, and he was in charge of National League North side Kidderminster Harriers for two seasons prior to joining Rangers.
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