Swansea City’s American owners are flying in to watch the home match against Liverpool on Saturday in what is seen as a pivotal game for Francesco Guidolin, who is clinging on to his job as manager.
Swansea have picked up only point since winning at Burnley on the opening day and Guidolin’s position is becoming close to untenable after it emerged that Bob Bradley, a former USA coach, had met Huw Jenkins, the Welsh club’s chairman.
Although Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, who took control at Swansea in July, had always planned to come over for the Liverpool fixture, their visit has taken on greater significance in light of the team’s poor results and Guidolin’s situation. Jenkins, who continues to run the club on a day-to-day basis, has already considered a move for Ryan Giggs and it increasingly seems like a matter of when, not if, Guidolin is dismissed.
Swansea’s owners did not want to be seen as making a knee-jerk decision so soon after taking over at the club and were prepared to give Guidolin a bit more time. There were some positive signs during the 3-1 defeat at home against Manchester City on Saturday, when Swansea produced some of their best football for a long time, yet the harsh reality is that it was a fourth defeat in five matches.
A similar result against Liverpool may well see Guidolin relieved of his duties, less than five months after he was given a two-year contract, and enable Swansea to make an appointment during the international break.
The club are anxious to avoid a repeat of the situation in which they found themselves when Garry Monk was sacked in December last year. On that occasion there was a protracted search for a new manager and Alan Curtis, who remains at the club, was later given the job on a temporary basis before Guidolin was brought in.
In terms of the current short-list, Bradley, who is in charge of Le Havre in France, is firmly in the running along with Giggs, but Swansea are believed to have other names under consideration as well.
