A point gained, but Swans will want more
- Published
The ultimate goal for Alan Sheehan is to become a manager in his own right, whether that is at Swansea City or elsewhere.
His short-term target is to ensure that whoever is in charge at Swansea come the summer is preparing for another season in the Championship.
Swansea edged a little closer to guaranteeing survival on Tuesday night, with a battling draw at Preston North End ensuring the Welsh side are 10 points clear of the relegation places with 11 league games remaining this season.
The performance at Preston was not particularly convincing, but the result was a plus.
Swansea have another point on the board - making it an impressive four from two games under caretaker boss Sheehan - and have maintained momentum heading into Saturday's home game against Middlesbrough.
Having bemoaned the "difficult" conditions at Preston, Sheehan will look forward to returning to the Swansea.com Stadium, scene of a thumping win over Blackburn Rovers in his first game in charge 11 days ago.
Swansea outplayed a high-flying Rovers side, with their energy and desire producing plenty of forward momentum and three goals.
It looked in the early stages at Preston as if Sheehan's Swansea might once again be the dominant attacking force, only for the home side to seize control of the contest before finishing up frustrated that they had not won.
Aside from the point gained, the big positive for Swansea was that they registered a second successive clean sheet for the first time since April 2024.
The commitment to the cause shown by Sheehan's players – which, in fairness, was rarely questioned even in the painful latter days of Luke Williams' reign – and some wayward Preston finishing combined to ensure Swansea held on for the shutout.
More of the same would be welcome in the weeks ahead as Swansea look to end what has turned into another arduous season by avoiding relegation with something to spare, just as they did last spring.
Sheehan, who is in caretaker charge for at least three more games, does not have an easy task. Like Williams before him, he is working with a squad which lacks depth and quality in certain areas.
But if Sheehan is to convince Swansea's hierarchy that he should be offered a long-term contract, his team may need to play with more fluency and control - at times at least - than they did at Deepdale.