Swansea City manager Steve Cooper is reportedly set to step down from his current role at the Championship outfit after two failed playoffs.
The Telegraph write that he is set to leave his position as head coach of Swansea City, after two years in charge, hours after he spoke on the speculation.
Cooper is said to be close to agreeing a mutual termination of his contract with the Championship outfit, and an official announcement could be made later this week.
Steve Cooper to leave his position as Swansea City head coach. Official announcement confirming a mutual termination of his contract expected later this week #swans https://t.co/vTSoLhrFKx
— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) July 21, 2021
The 41 year-old is quitting Swansea after guiding them to the playoffs in two successive campaigns, before losing them both and is said to have concerns over the future direction of the club.
John Percy writes that Cooper has performed brilliantly since being appointed in June 2019, having managed England’s youngster.
He is said to have kept the squad competitive, though have seen a number of key players including Joe Rodon, Oliver McBurnie and Dan James leave, while Andre Ayew is now out of contract.
Marc Guehi and Rhian Brewster have impressed on loan at the Liberty Stadium side but have since returned to their parent clubs.
Guehi, defender, have been bought by Crystal Palace this week while Brewster earned a £23.5 million move to Sheffield United after an excellent season.
With transfer funds expected to be low again over the current transfer window, and with the potential sale of other coveted players, including midfielder Matt Grimes, Cooper feels now it the time is right to go elsewhere.
Palace were said to be interested in bringing in Cooper this summer before the appointment of Patrick Vieira, though a move was complicated by the £3m compensation figure written into his contract.
The ex-England Under-17s manager, guiding his side to the World Cup in 2017, Cooper has gone on to earn a reputation for improving young players with an identifiable style of play.
After a pre-season victory over Plymouth on Tuesday night, Cooper declined to discuss his future.
“I think if there is any real news that’s when we would speak,” he told BBC Sport Wales.
“There’s no official updates on anything. You know I don’t like talking about myself so let’s focus on the boys.
“I am here, I am working hard. Day by day, that’s how it is. I have always been that way. I have not paid attention to anything else.
“If there’s anything really official to talk about me, we’ll talk about it then but there’s not so we’ll leave it at that.”
Swansea kick off their Championship campaign on August the 7th with a trip to Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park.
HIS POST-MATCH INTERVIEW
“That was a really good night’s work where there were loads of positives for us to take out of it,” he said.
“That was a real extension of the work we have been putting in on the training field.
“There were a few mistakes in there, but that’s okay because they will happen at this time of year and you want to get them out of your system.
“It’s all part of the process, and we also got to get back out there in front of the fans tonight with 250 coming down to watch us and making a superb effort on a Tuesday night with a long journey.
“It’s another step along the road in pre-season and sets us up for the next bit.
“The new lads have integrated really well, we have to remember there is a lot going on for them beyond the fact of them being footballers looking to perform well.
“But they are settling in well and it was fantastic to hand an opportunity to the young lads who have been working with us.
“Overall, we got all the returns we wanted from the game.”
Fans reacted as reports state that the Swansea City manager is to step down from his current role…
Genuinely I give credits to Planet Swans with the source which they got spot on but it’s very weird why Steve Cooper would want to leave now when we have 2 weeks until the season starts. What’s your thoughts on the situation Swans fans? pic.twitter.com/NoVFJVKKPD
— Swansea Beat ⚽️ (@swanseabeat) July 21, 2021
@MattyPNFFC: NOOO…..who’s going to be the eye candy now?
@Reecedcfc: Don’t blame him, imagine being the smallest club in wales
@MedCLJS: Heard that hes taking up modelling
@BristolOli: Excellent manager
@tancal: Yea. Had a feeling this was coming after some shady interviews the last few days. Not good at all. But was def expected.
@andysharratt: Won’t be out of work for long.
@wbaIiam: Looooool, Swans in the mud
@alansimps1984: ‘concerns over future direction of the club’ = you were financially backed with big wages and fees to go for promotion, it hasn’t happened, so now you have to manage with less.
@mattnffc_: Swansea in the mud next season
@Cellan99: Thank fuck for that
@CamJenkins10: Was never pretty, especially after a season of watching Potter. But 2 play off campaigns with the budget we had was incredible. Will miss him, if not for his football but his passion..
@Adam_Palace: Never loved Patrick Vieira so much in all my life
@GrimandiTweetss: Shame it had to end, but if both parties feel things have run their course, so be it. His credentials shld mean he’s back in employment soon enough.
@DannyRead1993: Extraordinary two weeks till the start of the @EFL season a big managerial casualty in the @SkyBetChamp hope they the Swans can appoint a manager similar to him
@CharlieLRowan: That’s the right decision, 100%. Cooper was holding Swansea back for a lot of last season with wasteful and overly pragmatic tactics. Ostensibly, based on the table, Swansea were promotion contenders, but they never really would have achieved it under Cooper. #SCFC
@antzhumbleent: Huge loss for Swansea. I personally think Steve Cooper is a Premier League quality coach.
@DayleBarron: Wow, would never have expected that!
@s_akerman29: This is how we know things are getting back to normal. A swans summer managerial hunt.
@scfcevann: cheers steve for the shit football i had to watch for 2 years x
@Lucymay18: Explains a lot! Really hope we have someone else already lined up
@Gucci_Grimes: all respect lost. what a prick.
@scfcdavies: What a joke man. 2….TWO weeks before the season. If he had plans to leave why wasn’t it done soon. An absolute mess.
@CF83LP: This shambles should have been sorted out weeks ago. Fuck off @SwansOfficial
@ohjoewalker: Late contender for England U21s job?
@BCFC_Sean_: Odd timing
@danlambert__: Cooper has done a good job in guiding Swansea to back to back play off campaigns whilst losing key players in three consecutive summers – (Mcburnie, James, Rodon, Ayew + key loans). Had great pedigree in bringing in top loans (Gibbs-white, Guehi, Woodman, Gallagher, Brewster).
@RyanLCFC55: Talented manager. Can see his next move being in the Premier League.
@JoeKapalo: Can’t see Swans improving after this. Desperately need stability with no parachute money and Ayew gone.
@fpl_swan: The signs were there last night. Didn’t want to be there. Good luck to him wherever he goes!
@JackArmy_: There it is then. Looks like we held off doing this in the hope of getting some compensation, now we’ve left ourselves in a bit of a rush to find a new manager.
@SwanseaFC_Jacks: Very mixed feelings. Not surprising though, one thing for sure is it should have been sorted a long time ago
@ill_shank_urDad: If he had any respect for us which he should considering we gave him a chance when no one else would he should of left months ago absoloutley appallingwhen you give him everything and he treats us like that
@scfctheo: We needed him to leave to be able to progress as a club – we were never going to be promoted with Cooper – but it’s far from ideal that he’s fucking off 2 and a half weeks before the news season. New manager has to be in quickly, can see it being someone like Alex Neil.
@aaron_bennis10: Odds on him being Palace manager by December
@Angus81: Wait what?!
@jamieskoffa99: Should have been sorted weeks ago. I’ll miss him on a human level and the results, but certainly not the style of play or his substitutions, or lack there of #Swans
@Steven_lolol: Absolute fucking dick head. Good riddance.
@harrisonbevan_: what a prick, all respect i had for him now gone, thanks for fuck all you twat
@SwanJohan1: Well, well – that’s us a bit fucked then. No manager, 2 weeks left til the season starts and needing a fair few new faces before then too! Dear me 🤦♂️
@coreyh07: Done a good job but style of play was awful, best for both parties. Should have happened weeks ago tho @SwansOfficial ffs
@FtblNeville: Christ, bad timing!
@Tom9823: done defending the bloke. thanks for the playoffs but get fucked
@littlebuster6: I think a few people are due an apology!
@C_Lioneye: Obviously been told that signing Hourihane on a permanent deal isn’t on the cards.
@swans95: Advantage Swansea
@JoeKnoyle: What a twat
@LeeRGreenwood89: Wow! Did not see this coming.
@Dylan_SCFC: thats us fucked
@_ccfcdan: 2 weeks before the season no money, shit squad and no manager 🤣🤣 relegation candidates
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