Swansea City: Boss Carvalhal to discuss future with owners

Carlos Carvalhal says he will discuss his future as Swansea City manager with the club's owners.

It is understood the Swans will not renew the Portuguese boss' contract, which expires this summer.

The Welsh side were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday but Carvalhal seems to think he still has a chance of keeping his job.

"They [the owners] ask me if I am available to talk about staying," he said. "I said I need time to think."

"I spoke to the owners [Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien] and they asked me about the possibility to work next season, even if we do not know what will happen today [Sunday's relegation].

"I said I need time to think, talk with my family and friends, and after we will talk again and then take a decision.

"This is a fantastic club, the organisation and fans and the spirit we have in Swansea means they must be back soon as possible, whether it is with me or not we will see."

Owners take responsibility

Swansea's American owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, who did not attend Sunday's match, released a statement on Swansea's website hours after their relegation was confirmed.

Swansea's relegation was rubber-stamped after Sunday's 2-1 home defeat against Stoke, ending a seven-season stint in the Premier League for the Welsh side.

"Nobody at Swansea City is making excuses, least of all ourselves. You can always point to injuries, suspensions, refereeing decisions that might have gone the other way, the rub of the green or plain bad luck," they wrote.

"But the fact is, the club has been relegated because we simply weren't good enough over 38 games in probably the most brutal professional sports league in the world. The Premier League is unforgiving if you fall below its high standards.

"There have certainly been mistakes along the way and it is down to the owners to shoulder much of the responsibility.

"Our recruitment strategy hasn't been good enough, we all recognise that and the blame for it ultimately rests with ourselves. But we are taking steps to rectify that and we will be bringing additional resources to that department during the summer in a bid to change and strengthen the way we operate.

"Now, though, is not the time for rash statements or empty promises. We believe this is a time for everybody to pull together even through the heartbreak and bitter disappointment of relegation."

Previous results cost Swans

The Swans had been close to the drop on several occasions in recent years and, despite an initial revival under Carvalhal, they were unable to produce another escape.

Appointed in December with Swansea bottom of the table, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager hauled them out of the relegation zone with five wins in his first nine matches.

But the Welsh side finished the season dreadfully, winless in their last nine Premier League games and scoring just three goals in the process.

Carvalhal, however, believes the results under his predecessor Paul Clement were the cause for Swansea's relegation.

"I think the few points we did in the first 20 games - just 13 - made it difficult to recover and achieve a better position," Carvalhal added.

"People say we have not won in the last nine, but we create responsibility, we were winning games, we surprised our opponents and playing us was a challenge for other managers, which you could see in how they spoke about playing us, even the big teams.

"Once the surprise disappeared they played at the top, they were better than us. We tried to win points but it was difficult."

Re-building 'the Swansea Way'

Swansea will need to rebuild on and off the field next season, with the team no longer playing with the distinctive passing style once known as the 'Swansea Way' and fan unrest representing the wider discord at the club.

Supporters protested before Sunday's defeat against Stoke, calling for the removal of chairman Huw Jenkins and unhappy at the running of the club since Kaplan and Levien led an American consortium's takeover of the club in 2016.

Carvalhal hopes to be given the chance to lead the Swans back to the Premier League, having previously managed in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday.

"In the Championship we [Sheffield Wednesday] achieved play-offs in two season, one semi-finals and one final," he said.

"To achieve one play-off is very hard and to repeat, it is so difficult that usually teams do not repeat it.

"Reading were in the final last year and this season they were fighting to stay in the Championship.

"A promoted team must be very strong, not just the technical aspect of the players but the mental strength must be strong because it is different opponents in very few days and makes it very hard."