the revolving door - out
By Sandman Slim
Sandman Slim continues his assessment of the Swans summer transfer dealings, this time reviewing the club’s outgoings. Unseen flotsam like Kieron Cunningham and Barrie McKay have not been included, and neither have the numerous loan deals for our developing youngsters. This is mostly because Slim’s own contractual demands were just too damn high!
flying out
Name: Andrew Ayew
Position: Forward
Deal: Contract expired
In a Nutshell: Incredibly expensive talisman
The Skinny: Bringing the Ghanaian captain back to the club for a truckload of money was a massive mistake, one that would hamstring the finances when we subsequently got relegated from the Premier League just a few months later.
Nobody expected Ayew to stick around in the Chamionship, least of all me, and it came as no surprise when he signed for Fenerbache on loan.
But having missed the Potter era Ayew was back at the club for the Cooper years, initially because Trevor Birch couldn’t find anyone to take him despite his best efforts.
However the highly talented player, too good for the Championship, buckled down and did more than anyone to try to restore Swansea City to the Premier League.
His 35 goals in this second spell speak testament to that, but his presence in defence at set pieces and his all round attitude and talismanic influence shouldn’t be forgotten either.
Given Graham Potter’s Achilles Heel has always been defending at set pieces it’s an intriguing thought what the now Brighton manager could have achieved at Swansea if he’d had Ayew in his squad.
I’m sure Russell Martin would have loved to have Ayew around to help transition this squad to a more possession based game and he’d certainly have made a difference in the goalscoring department.
His goals and his set piece work will be missed, but more than anything I’ll miss him hitting the deck at least twice a game and vigorously rubbing his Malteser-like head…
…there’s some cult hero shit right there!
Name: Marc Guehi
Position: Centre Half
Deal: Loan deal expired
In a Nutshell: Borrowed Colossus
The Skinny: Just how good was Marc Guehi last year? Well like many, I’d say he was the best defender in the Championship.
Watching the muscular yet cultured central defender develop from the slightly overawed performer when he began his 18 month loan spell to the tower of strength and composure he’d become by the end of it was a pleasure.
It’s a shame we were developing him for Chelsea’s ultimate benefit and not our own.
There was no chance of Guehi coming back to South Wales when a Premier League place was no longer a prospect, but I really thought he’d have been loaned out to another top flight side or given a chance to stake a claim in Chelsea’s first team squad.
Chelsea had other ideas however and cashed in to the tune of about £25m as Guehi went to join Steve Cooper at Crystal Palace. No wait, that’s not right is it? Guehi went to join Patrick Viera at Crystal Palace, yes that’s it.
I’m not really one to take much notice of a player when he’s left the Swans but on this occasion I’ll keep a beady, bleary eye (got to ease up on that Tequila!) on Guehi and I hope that he’ll be a big success at Palace. The kid deserves to make it!
Name: Connor Roberts
Position: Right Wing Back
Deal: Burnley for £2.5m
In a Nutshell: Homegrown hero
The Skinny: Can I get through typing this section without bursting into tears? Of course I can, because I’m a heartless bastard that only ever gets upset when the last doughnut’s gone.
That said, even I found it a wrench when the news came through that Burnley had signed homegrown hero Connor Robs.
Who wouldn’t?
The 25 year old Academy product has never come across as anything other than an enthusiastic kid desperate to play for his hometown team and make it successful.
But the writing was on the wall for a departure as soon as we lost the Play Off Final; with no Premier League football to offer a player in the last year of his contract and the opportunity to impress at a major tournament, there was always going to be interest.
And with the finances as they are, not just at our club but across the football landscape due to Covid, it was always going to be a low ball fee on offer and readily accepted.
Add in the arrival of Ethan Laird and the obituary was being penned on Roberts’ Swansea career long before Burnley came in to do the deal.
Who will forget the sheer joy on Roberts’ face as he scored against Turkey in the Euros? His slide towards the camera by the corner flag was one of the iconic moments of the tournament.
Just as emotional will be the sight of Roberts running endlessly up and down the pitch but in a Burnley shirt rather than a Swans one – but emotional for all the wrong reasons.
Hope to see you back one day, mush.
Name: Conor Hourihane
Position: Floating around…somewhere
Deal: Loan deal expired
In a Nutshell: Massive disappointment
The Skinny: Hourihane’s arrival in January on loan from Aston Villa was supposed to be the signing of the winter window.
The cultured Irish international was going to make the difference, guide us over the promotion line with his guile, his goals and his experience – and his free kicks! And it all started so positively with a couple of goals in his first few appearances.
But.
Ultimately he turned out to be the biggest disappointment since Terri Hatcher’s nude appearance in Heaven’s Gate.
Like Kevin Bacon in Hollow Man Hourihane disappeared; oh he was on the pitch, always on the pitch as Cooper picked him regardless, but he remained invisible.
We’re even told that he played an hour of that crushing Play Off Final defeat by Brentford but I cannot confirm this, cos I sure as Hell didn’t see him.
That defeat brought an end to the player’s loan spell and he went back to Villa with the criticism of many ringing in his ears – didn’t do enough, what does he contribute, unbalances the whole side, etc etc.
His best achievement here remains taking part in and being the subject of the greatest ever player announcement on social media >> “Conor! No, not you!”
Hourihane has subsequently signed for Sheffield United so we’ll see if he’s improved this season…or will we? <cue Hollowman theme music>
Name: Jamal Lowe
Position: Striker
Deal: To Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee
In a Nutshell: Hot striker one minute, PE teacher the next
The Skinny: However you want to slice it the signing of Jamal Lowe from Wigan for just under a mill was an unqualified success.
14 goals in an unfamiliar central striker role in a side that made the play offs and then sold at a considerable profit is decent business.
Just how much profit was made when Bournemouth swooped at the end of the transfer window is open to question thanks to that pesky “undisclosed fee” nonsense, but smart money is that we’ve doubled our money when add ons kick in.
It truly will be good business if his replacement at the Swans, Michael Obafemi, delivers the goods – something Lowe only did in fits and starts.
Very much a ‘streaky’ player, Lowe would have small, concentrated bursts of brilliance and he’d get his goals in these short periods.
At all other times he looked like the PE teacher he was before breaking into the professional game.
He looked decidedly awkward in Russell Martin’s set up and so it’s probably for the best for everyone that he’s moved on – especially for Jamal himself as he’s moved on to one of the heavy favourites for promotion.
Name: Freddie Woodman
Position: Goalkeeper
Deal: Loan deal expired
In a Nutshell: Golden Gloves Goalie
The Skinny: A second successful loan spell from Newcastle came to a crushing end as the whistle blew on the Play Off Final – and Freddie would be heading back to Tyneside from Wembley to face an uncertain future.
He was all set for a third loan spell in the Championship, this time with Bournemouth, but the plug was pulled on the deal when all the other goalkeepers at Newcastle went down injured on the eve of the season.
Freddie had spun all three Cherries and hit the jackpot with a starting place in the Premier League. Or maybe not so lucky after all as he shipped 10 goals in just four Premier League games.
I sort of think that reflects where Woodman is as a player – Golden Gloves material in the right Championship side but cannon fodder in the big league.
It was probably the right decision to bring Woodman back last season – the Play Off Final place that he contributed so much to will vouch for that. But should we have been developing our own Steve Benda rather than Newcastle’s Freddie? You can make a case either way.
What isn’t up for debate is the way Woodman conducted himself when he was in South Wales – behaved himself impeccably, totally bought in to Swansea as a place to live and work and gave his all for the club.
Freddie it was a pleasure to have you in our ranks and you’ll always be welcome at the DotCom. And I suspect you’ll have plenty of time on your gloved hands now on match day with Martin Dubravka fit again.
Name: George Byers
Position: Central midfield
Deal: To Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee
In a Nutshell: Mediocre type in the middle of the park
The Skinny: Having returned from an uninspiring loan spell at Portsmouth last season, and with the Swans seeking to appoint a new manager it was expected that Byers would enjoy a fresh start in South Wales – but it quickly became clear that wasn’t to be the case.
Going through the EXIT as Russell Martin was coming into the building, George dropped down a division again to sign for Sheffield Wednesday in one of those pesky “undisclosed fee” deals.
It was certainly a cost cutting move, shunting a first teamer off the wage bill and claiming at least something for a transfer fee.
But it was probably more than just that – whilst the player had his champions claiming he’d prosper under Martin, pointing to his ever presence under Potter as evidence, his underwhelming form after injury at both Swansea and Portsmouth raised question marks.
With a few players in his position already in front of him and the prospect of more to come in as Martin shaped the squad to his liking, Byers elected to move on in search of a better chance of first team football.
Having packed up his tricks – neat and tidy passing and a penchant for goals outside the box – he’s set up home at Hillsborough and is fighting for a starting place with moderate success.
The Swans got 65 first team games out of him along with 8 goals upon finishing his U23 education after Watford released him.
But to be honest it was all too nice, average stuff and I can do no more than a raise a halfhearted “Bye Bye Byers” on this one.
