Swansea City Set to Part Ways with Head Coach Alan Sheehan

Swansea City is poised to dismiss head coach Alan Sheehan from his position.

The Irishman had two previous tenures as the club’s interim manager before securing the role on a permanent basis towards the end of the 2024-25 season, following the exit of Luke Williams.

Under his leadership, the team has managed only four league victories out of the first 15 matches of the current Championship campaign, marking their lowest performance since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

Following a 4-1 defeat to Ipswich Town at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday, the team currently sits 18th in the league standings. Their total of 17 points from the opening 15 games represents their worst start since dropping out of the top flight.

Sheehan initially joined the club as an assistant to Michael Duff in the summer of 2023, subsequently stepping in as interim manager in December after Duff’s departure. During his first spell, he helped Swansea secure 11 out of 21 points before Luke Williams was appointed as the full-time manager in January 2024.

However, just over a year later, Sheehan found himself in temporary charge again after Williams was dismissed. In this second stint, he led the team to a commendable 11th place finish, having previously been at risk of relegation.

After being awarded a three-year contract, Sheehan was supported in the summer transfer window by the new ownership group, led by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, with significant investments in players such as Adam Idah, Marko Stamenic, Zeidane Inoussa, and Ethan Galbraith.

Despite early season optimism, the team has struggled to translate that into results, particularly in terms of offensive output, which has faced considerable criticism under Sheehan’s management. Swansea’s expected goals (xG) of 12.48 is the lowest in the division, and their tally of 15 big chances created is significantly below that of other clubs in the second tier.

During Saturday’s match, discontent among fans was evident, with some booing at both half-time and full-time, and chants of “we want Sheehan out” directed at the 39-year-old coach.

As he prepares to depart from south Wales, Sheehan has overseen just one win in the last eight matches across all competitions. With the final international break of the year upon them, supporters are hopeful that a managerial change will provide the necessary impetus to reverse the team’s fortunes and reignite their aspirations of achieving a top-six finish.

Swansea will return to league action against Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday, November 22, at 12:30 GMT.