Angel Rangel: Ex-defender confident Swansea City's fortunes will improve
- Published
Michael Duff has also managed Chektenham Town and Barnsley
Angel Rangel believes former club Swansea City can turnaround their season in the Championship and under pressure boss Michael Duff will succeed.
Swansea are in the Championship's bottom three having failed to win in seven league games under Duff.
They have only picked up three points from - their longest winless league start in 32 years.
"The club is now in a transition," Rangel said.
"New manager, a lot of new players in - I have plenty of confidence that in a few weeks time we'll see a Swansea that's competing, hopefully in that top half."
Swansea came close to grinding out a first league win of the season at Queens Park Rangers, another of Rangel's former clubs, only to be denied by a stoppage-time Lyndon Dykes equaliser.
Tuesday's draw at Loftus Road followed a miserable 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City the previous Saturday in the south Wales derby.
"I'm comparing the last two games Swansea played," Rangel told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"In the south Wales derby the performance levels weren't good enough over the 80 minutes/
"You can blame the manager as much as you want but for me, I've played nine derbies, and I know it's the players that have got to win the game.
"It's not about tactics in those games, it's about winning the battles against the player you are playing against.
Angel Rangel (left) was in the Swansea team which won 3-0 at Valencia in the Europa League 10 years ago
"But I saw a reaction against QPR. In the first half Swansea looked really comfortable, really playing with purpose, going for it and got the goal.
"Unfortunately then in the second half they probably dropped too deep and gave QPR too much space and invited them to attack more.
"But in the end it was not a bad point - Swansea would have taken that.
"Now they've got a big game against Sheffield Wednesday. Ultimately you want to win your home games."
Saturday's visitors to the Swansea.com Stadium, Sheffield Wednesday, are also without a league win this season and are one place below the Swans in 23rd place.
Manager Duff, who left Barnsley to succeed Russell Martin as Swansea boss in the summer, is under pressure and has received heavy criticism.
But Rangel believes it is "early days" to judge the former Burnley and Northern Ireland defender and the style of play he has implemented.
Rangel said Duff was the right man to lead Swansea and added: "It's difficult for anyone when you bring in so many new players that they don't know really the style yet.
"But I'm very confident he can do it - he's got a good squad in my opinion, it's got lots of good players but ultimately it's a results game.
"He needs to get that first win to get the fans on his side."
Listen to the full interview with Angel Rangel, including his memories of the win over Valencia in 2013, on Saturday's Radio Wales Sport.