Trio will identify next manager

TREVOR Birch will decide who to appoint as Swansea City’s new manager in conjunction with club legends Alan Curtis and Leon Britton.

The Swans have been assessing their options following Graham Potter’s move to Brighton, with Birch revealing earlier this week that the club’s recruitment strategy had undergone a shake-up as a result of the 44-year-old’s move to the South Coast.

Britton has been made football advisor to the board of directors while recently appointed honorary president Curtis is also set to be heavily involved in the decision-making process behind the scenes at the Liberty Stadium.

In addition to club icons Britton and Curtis, Birch is also on the hunt for a new head of recruitment following the departure of Kyle Macaulay, who followed Potter in making the move to the Amex Stadium.

But the Swans’ main focus at present is undoubtedly finding Potter’s successor, and the chairman has confirmed there will be dialogue with those on the board regarding their managerial candidates.

“We have got the committee – me, Leon and Alan Curtis. That will be the decision-making body,” he said.

“We will obviously speak to the ownership group but they have devolved responsibility to me and the leadership group to make that appointment. We’d like to think it’s hugely important.

“But we are trying to create an infrastructure and a foundation which will be able to cope so that if you get the managerial appointment wrong, it’s not the end of the world. There are models out there – Watford for example. They got promoted in a season where they changed the manager four times.

“How can you say in this day you have a project or you are here for the long term? It just doesn’t happen anymore.

“Surely, you should create the situation behind the scenes that accepts the manager won’t be here long-term and allows the club to cope with that.”

And Birch says Potter’s replacement will have to continue to play that particular style of football.