Swansea City have sacked head coach Alan Sheehan in the wake of Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town.
Sheehan, 39, was named Swansea boss on a permanent three-year deal in April following a successful period as caretaker from February.
Swansea were in danger of being dragged into a Championship relegation battle when Sheehan succeeded Luke Williams on a temporary basis but the Welsh club took 24 points from his 13 games in charge last term to finish 11th.
This term, however, they are 18th, with six defeats and four wins from 15 matches, and were booed off at home at half-time and full-time of the defeat to Ipswich.
Swansea confirmed the news later on Tuesday with a statement that explained “in the wake of a disappointing run, it is felt results and performances do not meet the standards expected at this stage of the season, and we have had to take this difficult decision”.
The club said the process to appoint Sheehan’s replacement was “already underway”.
Swansea owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen said: “Alan has been instrumental in helping improve the club through two periods of time. Alan has a tireless work ethic, an honest approach and a positive attitude. He has put his full effort into the job on behalf of the club.”
Swansea return to action on November 22 against Bristol City.
‘Optimism eroded fast’ – why Swansea sacked Sheehan
Sheehan was initially a success when he took over as caretaker manager from Williams, putting together an impressive run of results that not only steered Swansea away from the threat of becoming embroiled in a relegation scrap, but also convinced the board that he deserved the job on a permanent basis.
Many supporters felt that was the right call and that Sheehan had earned his opportunity. Others, however, harboured doubts about appointing a caretaker who had enjoyed short-term success towards the end of a season. There were also concerns that Sheehan’s philosophy, or style of play – he has a reputation for being an out-of-possession coach – wouldn’t align with ‘the Swansea Way’.
That phrase means different things to different people, and some would even argue that it’s outdated now. Either way, Sheehan’s brand of football this season – the fifth-highest possession in the Championship but the lowest attacking metrics across the division – was a disaster. Results were poor and performances even worse.
Swansea won only four of their 15 league matches since August and three of those were against the bottom three clubs. The other victory came against Blackburn Rovers, who are one place below them in the table, in 19th.
The sight of the team toiling felt all the more difficult to accept given the level of investment in the playing squad in the summer. Swansea spent around £15million on 12 signings, fuelling hopes of a positive season.
Optimism eroded fast, though. The football under Sheehan was slow and prosaic, and there was little evidence to suggest that he had the ability to turn things around, in particular addressing the lack of creativity and goal threat.
The fanbase started to turn, and on Saturday against Ipswich there were calls from a section of the supporters for Sheehan to be dismissed. On Tuesday morning, Swansea’s owners decided that needed to happen to salvage their season.