The off-field changes that have given Swans hope on the pitch

MUCH has changed behind the scenes at Swansea City in recent months. Wholesale changes were made to the backroom team following the exit of Graham Potter and his staff in May.

Even prior to the manager’s switch to Brighton, there had been significant movement in the corridors of power at SA1, with chairman Trevor Birch arriving to replace Huw Jenkins who left the club in February.

And it’s safe to say the new chairman has played a key role in piecing together what is now an impressivelooking management structure at the club.

After assessing a significant number of candidates, Birch opted to appoint Steve Cooper – the man who guided England’s Under-17s to World Cup glory two years ago – as head coach of the club.

Cooper’s reputation as a coach and his ability to work with young players were key factors in the club’s decision to give him the role, as Birch revealed earlier this summer.

The chairman didn’t decide alone though.

Speaking to the Western Mail and other members of the local media at the Liberty Stadium in May, Birch revealed club legends Leon Britton

and Alan Curtis had be given prominent roles.

Britton now holds the title of football advisor to the board and has been working in tandem with Curtis in assisting Birch with the key decisions at the club in recent months.

Upon his arrival at SA1, Cooper made it clear he was eager to add to the work done at the club on the pitch last season while making his own tweaks to proceedings.

And off the field, he’s played a significant part in putting together a behind-the-scenes team other Championship sides will be envious of.

The first major coup saw Cooper bring in former Liverpool man Mike Marsh as his assistant, the man he worked with during his time as a youth coach with the Reds and at England.

Andy Scott – the man who received plenty of praise for his work with the likes of Brentford and Watford – came in late on in the summer window as the new head of recruitment.

And little by little, the backroom jigsaw was pieced together, with Martyn Margetson, Steve Rands and David Tivey among those to link up with Cooper.

Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Derby and even Manchester City are some of the clubs that feature on head of performance analysis Rands’ impressive CV, while new first-team fitness coach Tivey has learned his trade with the likes of Everton and more recently the English FA.

As for Margetson, he’s well known in these parts having worked for both Cardiff City and the FAW in addition to the English FA.

“With Marshy, we’ve worked together for a long time at Liverpool and England and now here at Swansea,” said Cooper.

“We have a really good working relationship where we can challenge and support each other every day. It’s built on trust.

“Marg joining us, I’m really confident in doing this job, but I know it’s my first job in senior management, although I’m very much taking it head on, I knew it would be wise to have some first-team experience either side of me with Marg and Marshy.

“But it’s about the way you work. We believe in the same way of coaching and the type of players we want to work with.

“You mention Andy Scott as well who I think is a great addition. But I