ISLAND LIFE IS SUITING TOSHACK AFTER HIS MOVE TO MED

Pafos collected 16 of the 18 points on offer.

“February was very good. We had six league games. We won five and drew the other one,” he said.

“They all came around the time where we were pushing to get away from the relegation fight the club we’re in when I arrived, and pushing towards getting into the top six.

“We were a real outside bet to get into the top six and, in the end, we only missed out by one point so the players and staff deserve a huge amount of credit for taking on the principles we tried to instil when we first went there.

“You could see they wanted to do well, it was just that they needed a bit of structure and we spoke a lot about identity.

“When we came here, we didn’t have a pre-season, we didn’t pick the squad, so it’s one thing having a squad and being a head coach starting in pre-season to get your ideas across and getting to know everybody. It’s a completely different thing when you’re thrust straight into the limelight when they’re underperforming.

“But I’m really pleased I did come. Richard and Gary deserve a lot of credit for taking the plunge because it is a gamble.”

His relationship remains a good one.

And it’s one that could benefit all parties in the future, although, despite the Cypriot club’s best efforts, they were unable to reap the rewards shortly after Toshack’s arrival.

“We knew the kind of players we wanted when we arrived and we were fortunate to get Finland Under-21 international Onni Valakari. He went straight into the team,” he explained.

“There’s also a young lad called Va, an Angolan international, who has a lot of traits Dan James had. There were with

Swansea Liam Cullen discussions with people at Swansea about bringing one or two across.”

Liam Cullen is one who is thought to have been of interest to the Cypriot outfit, although the Wales Under-21 international was later handed a contract extension before making his senior bow for Swansea under Steve Cooper.

But for the time being, the focus is on those who Toshack has at his disposal. And adjusting to life in his new surroundings is still taking some getting used to.

“I’m trying my best with little bits of Greek. I’m saying good morning and hello to people in English, Russian, French, Greek, Finnish, Spanish and Portuguese every day,” he said.

“Inevitably it’s going to develop me as a person and as a coach.

“Ultimately, you have to win games, but in the short time I’ve been here we’ve managed to put processes in place, and the most pleasing thing is we’re now playing with an identity.

“Teams are now seeing us as more of a top four team and setting up accordingly so everyone at the club deserves credit for the turnaround.

“I’ve only been here a short time but I would encourage coaches thinking about going abroad to go for it. If you stay in that little bubble of British football, it can sometimes give you a false opinion of yourself and not give you the chance to grow as a coach and as a person.”

The future certainly looks brighter now for Pafos than it did just a few months ago.

And it seems Toshack’s own stock is rising all the time.

Although, in similar to the situation on these shores, football in Cyprus has been put on the back burner due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Toshack – who gained valuable coaching experience with the FAW, Macedonia and local club Neath prior to joining Swansea – has been on lockdown for more than a week, with all shops, schools and restaurants in his new home country closed for several days already.

Police are patrolling the streets in the event that shop owners open up their premises in a bid to cash in on the crisis, with punishments for doing so thought to be severe.

And it also means Toshack will be unable to see his wife or three children – who remain in South Wales – for the time being.

As for the football, it remains unclear when the Cypriot leagues will resume, much in the same way that the picture in the UK is still uncertain.

But the break will no doubt provide Toshack and Co. with the opportunity to reflect on what’s been a brilliant start to their new venture.

The gamble has certainly paid off so far.