After the sacking of Luke Williams, Swansea City are now on the hunt for a new manager to see them through the rest of this season and beyond, but who are the potential candidates for the job?
Despite high hopes at the end of 2024 after a good run of form, a torrid run of results in the new year has meant that Swansea have parted ways with manager Luke Williams.
Williams came into the job in January 2024, but after one win in his last ten games, he was relieved of his duties as manager.
The hunt now begins for Swansea to find his successor, but who are the potential replacements for the Swans to pursue as they look to climb back up the Championship table?
Des Buckingham
One name that has been heavily linked with the Swansea vacancy is former Oxford United manager Des Buckingham.
Buckingham led the O’s to the Championship for the first time in 25 years in his first season of management in the EFL.
However, after a poor run of form during the opening months of the 2024/25 campaign, he was sacked by Oxford, much to the disappointment of most fans.
The 40-year-old manager’s style would suit Swansea well, with his utilising a very exciting and attacking style of play throughout his time in Oxford. With Swansea in desperate need of a change in fortunes, it could be the perfect style to get them there.
Despite recently being sacked at this level, his emphatic promotion has definitely earned him a second chance to succeed, and Swansea could be the place to do it.
Eric Ramsay
A man with experience of being a coach within the Swansea City system, Ramsay making a return to SA1 could be on the cards, with the odds showing him to be one of the favourites for the job.
The 33-year-old was their U18 coach back in 2017 but made his name as a coach during his time firstly at Chelsea, where he became the youngest ever UK-based manager to achieve the UEFA Pro License.
He then moved on to Manchester United and Wales, where he made such an impression that he was a candidate for many Championship jobs including Swansea last season.
However, he joined Minnesota United where he became the youngest permanent manager in MLS history, guiding them to the Western Conference Semi-Finals in his first season.
With his style and approach to coaching already perking Swansea’s interest last season, it would be no surprise if the Swans went in for Ramsay again.
They have had success many times with exciting young managers, and Ramsay could be the next in line to achieve this success.
Ryan Mason
Another candidate who has been linked to the Swansea job in the past, Ryan Mason is yet another exciting young coach who could be next in line to take his first permanent managerial role.
Mason joined the coaching staff in 2018 after his tragic head injury forced him into retirement from playing.
He oversaw an impressive interim stint as Tottenham manager after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho in 2021, where he became the youngest-ever Premier League manager at just 29 years old.
He was then promoted to first-team coach by Antonio Conte, where he would then have yet another interim spell before becoming current manager Ange Postecoglu’s assistant in 2023, where players such as Brennan Johnson have credited his importance to their success in a Spurs shirt.
The Englishman would certainly be able to get the best out of Swansea’s players as he has proven throughout his time in North London. However, his vast inexperience as a manager could prove to be an obstacle in any move for Mason to Swansea.
Alan Sheehan
Likely an unpopular choice within the Swansea fanbase, but current interim Sheehan could be an option to take the Swans forward.
Sheehan took over as interim after Michael Duff’s sacking in December 2023, where he took charge of seven games before the appointment of Williams. He managed three wins, two draws, and two losses in an impressive first stint as a manager.
He is now the current interim manager for the Swans, with his first game in charge resulting in a very impressive 3-0 win over a playoff-chasing Blackburn side, with his side creating a whopping seven big chances in the game.
If Sheehan is appointed, it would likely be until the end of the season while the club take their time to find the right man. However, a few more impressive results as interim could see him take the reigns permanently.
Russell Martin
It could be the most unlikely of the options listed above, but Swansea fans would likely not be against a return to SA1 for Russell Martin.
Martin was manager of the Swans for two seasons, where they finished 15th and 10th in 2023, where they were just three points outside of the playoff places.
This form in South Wales caught the interest of Southampton, who poached Martin from the Swans at the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
Martin would go on to lead the Saints to a top-six finish, where they would get promoted through the Championship playoffs back to the Premier League after an emphatic win in the final over Leeds United at Wembley.
However, just a few months into his Premier League debut season as a manager, he was sacked with the club sitting bottom of the league.
Swansea know exactly what they would get with Martin. A highly possession-focused coach with a great attacking mindset.
However, with the Swans struggling for success in the last few years, they may look to a manager with a different mindset, as well as Martin potentially not wanting a return to South Wales.