Swansea fans have 'heard too many excuses' - Tate

Alan Tate spent 13 years as a Swansea player before returning to the club as a coach

Club legend Alan Tate says Swansea City fans have "heard too many excuses" in recent seasons and that it is time for the players to deliver after the sacking of Alan Sheehan.

Swansea are seeking a fifth permanent boss in just over four years following Sheehan's departure earlier this week.

Tate, who was part of Steve Cooper's staff when Swansea reached the Championship play-off final in 2021, says the club need some stability after too many "poor decisions".

He has also questioned whether Swansea's playing squad is good enough to compete for a return to the Premier League and says the "only thing consistent" about his former club is the dedication of the supporters.

"Honestly, the commitment and the desire of the fans is incredible and if you can get a team that matches that, you're on to a good thing," said Tate.

"I think they've heard too many excuses over the last four years.

"Everyone now comes out and says 'oh, sorry for this, sorry we got beat, sorry you travelled in numbers and watched that'.

"The one thing I know about the people of Swansea is you don't need to speak. Shut up saying sorry and show us you're sorry by playing well in the next game."

Alan Tate celebrates Swansea's promotion to the Premier League in 2011 alongside two other club legends, Garry Monk and Leon Britton

Tate, 43, remains a fans' favourite at Swansea having played almost 350 games for the club after joining as a youngster – initially on loan from Manchester United – in 2002.

He won three promotions with the Swans and wore the captain's armband in their first Premier League game, at Manchester City, in 2011.

"Speaking as someone who's played for the club and happened to be in good squads who achieved stuff, I remember getting beat," he added.

"I remember losing 4-0 at Reading and 5-1 at Blackpool and other disappointing performances, 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough.

"I can't remember coming out and saying 'oh sorry' because we knew we had a group of players who would show they were sorry in the next game."

'Being praised for losing can't be good'

Tate, who hails from the north east of England but has made his home in Swansea, began his coaching career in the club's academy before joining the first-team staff under Cooper in 2019.

He departed after Cooper's exit in 2021, and has since worked alongside the Welshman at Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and current club Brondy.

He says there have been signs of "a little bit of naivety" at Swansea in recent times.

"I've seen them come out and say opposition teams have said it's the toughest game that they've had," Tate said.

"I think you had that against Burnley when they won down here, Sheffield United when they won 4-0 up there. I was part of a Forest team that won 4-1 and 5-1 [in 2021-22 against Swansea].

Kim Hellberg is favourite to take over at Swansea having made his name coaching in his native Sweden

"And then you're getting praised by managers who have just beaten you. That can't be good. What you want is managers to praise you after you've beaten them.

"I think people have been a little bit carried away about being praised for losing, which probably sums up where the club have been really."

Tate met Sheehan at Swansea's training ground in August and was impressed by the Irishman.

"I liked him as a guy, I liked how inquisitive he was about the club and the history and what it took to succeed at the club," Tate said.

"For whatever reason it hasn't worked out. I think it's always unfortunate when a manager loses his job."

Are Swansea's players good enough?

Tate has expressed his desire to manage Swansea at some point in his career but says, for the moment, he and Cooper have "a lot of unfinished business together".

Hammarby's Kim Hellberg is the favourite to succeed Sheehan, while Tate says he is "not actively looking" to become a boss in his own right after signing a three-year deal at Brondby in September.

"I just think these jobs are all about timing and it's probably not the right time," Tate said.

"Life in Denmark's good at the minute, working at an amazing club."

Regardless of who takes over from Sheehan, Tate argues, Swansea must consider whether they have sufficient quality within their playing staff.

"I think league table-wise over the last four years, [it] has always been average," he added.

"You're looking over that time and you're going, are four managers wrong? I don't think the club's ever threatened the play-offs since we got to the play-off final.

"You look internally then at the players, going look, are you just not good enough? Are you not consistent enough? Are the demands not enough? Is it just okay to play and see how you get on?

Swansea are 18th in the Championship with almost a third of the season gone

"I think there's been a lack of knowing how to win games, which is strange really considering you look and they're not a young team. I think everyone's 23, 25, 28, so you're not playing with kids.

"So I think now whoever's going to be the new manager, is he going to get it right? Has he got the right people? I don't know."

Tate watched Sheehan's team draw with Watford in August, when he met Brett Cravatt, who heads up Swansea's ownership group alongside Jason Cohen, and Adam Worth, the club's global head of analytics and recruitment.

"The one thing I will say about both of them is they're very dedicated, knowledgeable and I think they're in it for the long haul with the club," he said.

"Their heart and their desire is in the right place and now it's about making decisions that are best for the club moving forward."

'Stability' is required

Alan Sheehan was Swansea's fourth permanent boss since Steve Cooper left the club following Championship play-off final defeat in 2021

As well as changes in the dugout, Swansea's squad has been repeatedly overhauled in recent windows.

There has been a lack of consistency away from the pitch, too.

There was a takeover of the club 12 months ago which led to the departure of chairman Andy Coleman, while Richard Montague's brief stint as director of football came to an end in September.

The likes of Leon Britton, Mark Allen, Paul Watson and Trevor Birch have also held key positions for relatively short spells in recent years.

"The turnover at the club has been far too much," Tate said.

"I just think it needs stability somewhere. You can go back to, which is public knowledge, the stuff with Andy Coleman in the fans' forum which was a disaster really.

"You look at people going 'listen to me, I'm your chairman'. No, no, you've got to earn these people's respect and their trust.

"It's easy for me to sit here, in a really good job at Brondby, enjoying what I'm doing, an ex-player who's played X number of games.

"But I think I can speak for a lot of people when they just want to say, 'just shut up and show us how good and committed you are'. I think if that's your slogan, you're probably not too far away."