Swansea City are in a relegation battle according to boss Bob Bradley

Bob Bradley is the first American to manage in the Premier League

Bob Bradley admits Swansea City are in a relegation battle - but says he has the fans' backing after meeting the Supporters' Trust.

Bradley, who succeeded Francesco Guidolin as Swans boss, lost his first game in charge at Arsenal.

And although Swansea are 19th in the Premier League, Bradley was encouraged when he met fans this week.

"They went out of their way to say 'You have a big job but we welcome you and we are here to support you'," he said.

"They shoot straight. They make it very clear at that moment - here are the expectations both on the field and off but they also totally dismiss some of the hype that I am not wanted or there are things held against me at the start.

"They squashed that immediately, so I appreciate that."

Bradley was appointed on 3 October - the same day his successor Guidolin was sacked.

Swansea have not won in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, and their seven-match winless slump has seen them fall to 19th in the table.

Asked if his side are in a relegation fight, former United States and Egypt manager Bradley answered firmly: "For sure."

Bob Bradley tasted defeat in his first Premier League match, 3-2 at Arsenal

But ahead of his team's home match against Watford on Saturday, Bradley is confident his side can haul themselves out of trouble.

"If you look at the way the team has played in recent years and some of the finishes, yes, you could easily say this is a team that has shown itself to be a mid-table type team with possibilities of being in the top 10," he added.

"If we can get ourselves on a good run, regain confidence and start to move up then I doubt that is going to be a question that I face every week.

"But in the meantime in order for that to happen that's our job. We have to be able to take points, we have to be able to get on a run and start to re-establish ourselves."

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