Swansea City

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Owain Tudur Jones says Swansea City should not just hand Alan Sheehan the role of permanent manager, even after his impressive spell as caretaker.

The Swans have claimed 23 points in 11 games since the Irishman stepped in following the departure of Luke Williams in mid-February.

Saturday's victory at Queens Park Rangers saw them win a fifth straight league game for the first time in 18 years, but former Swansea and Wales midfielder Jones still believes the club's American owners and director of football Richard Montague should be casting their net wider than just Sheehan.

"I'd like to see other people interviewed as well and if he stands out above the crowd then brilliant," Jones told Radio Wales Breakfast.

"But instead of just giving it to him, even though he's done a remarkable job, I would like to see the club having a long-term plan in terms of really pinpointing who the best man will be."

Swedish duo Kim Hellberg and Henrik Rydstrom are reportedly among the names Swansea have considered, and they are thought to have spoken to a number of potential candidates since Williams departed following a run of seven defeats in nine matches which had raised fears of a potential relegation fight.

After their upturn under Sheehan, the Swans now find themselves just six points below the play-off places with two games to go.

"It's almost something that we feel comes around every year," added Jones.

"Swans have a little flirt with relegation and people get worried, then towards the end of the season they pick up and you think 'are they going to make the play-offs?' and it ends up being a little bit too much of a task. It gives people positive vibes going into the summer."

The former midfielder, who played for the club between 2005-2009, hopes Swansea can at least this time build on the momentum.

"You seem to go round in circles. The trick now is going into the summer, it will be another Championship season next year, and it's about the right appointment," Jones added.

"Whether Alan Sheehan is going to be the next manager - he's really staked his claim, couldn't have done any more - but the club have had time and will have time to reflect and really pinpoint and come up with a plan in terms of who they're going to interview for the job.

"Whether it's Alan Sheehan or somebody else, hopefully good times are ahead for the club."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Alan Sheehan has helped Swansea City claim 23 points in 11 games since taking over as caretaker boss in mid-February.

It is form which would be deemed acceptable at any club in the Championship given that Sheehan's points return – when reproduced over a full season, of course – would almost certainly be good enough to deliver automatic promotion.

The fact that this sparkling run has come after Swansea's desperate spell at the start of 2025 makes it all the more impressive.

Having featured various signs of promise, Luke Williams' Swansea reign ended in mid-February with relegation concerns.

The Swans were 17th in the table and a relatively healthy eight points clear of the bottom three when Williams departed.

But Williams' ailing side were on a run of seven defeats in nine matches and worries over a potential relegation scrap were growing by the game, the battling victory at Bristol City on 9 February aside.

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Fast forward a couple of months and, with two fixtures remaining in the Championship season, Swansea are 11th, only six points outside the play-off places and a whopping 14 clear of the relegation zone.

Sheehan's Swansea have been a tough nut to crack, keeping seven clean sheets, but have had enough attacking success to win seven of the Irishman's games while losing only two.

As a result, Sheehan has the fans singing his name and various players backing him for the job in media interviews.

For the moment, however, there has been no word from the club's hierarchy – whether that be their American owners or director of football Richard Montague – over whether Sheehan has done enough to be offered a long-term contract.

As it stands, therefore, Sheehan's stint in charge will be over in a couple of weeks' time.

It is no secret that the club have been talking to other managerial candidates, with numerous names at home and abroad thought to have been considered since Williams said his goodbyes.

But given the team's spectacular form, it would be a major call should Swansea's decision-makers – all of whom, it should be remembered, are fairly new to their roles – decide to look elsewhere.

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Hannes Delcroix is a fitness concern for Swansea City as they go in search of a fourth successive Championship win when they host Hull City on Friday (15:00 BST).

Defender Delcroix missed last weekend's 1-0 victory at Sunderland with a thigh issue picked up in training.

Delcroix, who is on loan from Burnley, trained on Thursday but is "touch and go" for the Hull game, according to caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan.

Another loanee, Myles Peart-Harris, has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury, but aside from that Swansea have a near clean bill of health going into the final four games of 2024-25.

Long-term absentees Kristian Pedersen, who is out of contract this summer, and promising defender Filip Lissah are both back in full training.

While Swansea's impressive form has seen them pull clear of relegation danger, Hull are only three points clear of the drop zone having won just one of their past five matches.

"Hull is a very difficult challenge, where they are and how they are doing," Sheehan said.

"They are coming to our patch but we expect a very difficult game again. We have decent momentum at the moment but understand that in the Championship, that can be taken away from you if you take things for granted."

Hull City's late leveller against Coventry City in their previous game might just prove vital to the Tigers' hopes of steering clear of the relegation battle.

That 1-1 draw keeps them three points above the bottom three but, with their vastly superior goal difference to the three teams in trouble, it's effectively four.

The Swans are on a roll, with three wins on the spin and still have a super-slim chance of sneaking into the top six.

• Swansea City have lost just one of their past nine home league games against Hull City (W3 D5), including none of their last five (W2 D3).

• After beating Swansea 2-1 in December, Hull could do the league double over them for the first time since 2016-17 in the Premier League.

• Since beating Rotherham 4-3 in 2019, Swansea are winless in their past four league games on Good Friday (D3 L1).

• Hull are unbeaten in each of their past two away league games on Good Friday (W1 D1), beating Crewe Alexandra 2-1 in 2021 and drawing 4-4 with Sunderland in 2023.

• Swansea have won each of their past three league games without conceding, the Swans last won four successive league games without conceding in March 2008.

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Josh Key says Swansea City will be inspired by a trip to the Stadium of Light this weekend even if the pressure for points has eased after back-to-back home victories.

Swansea looked to have wiped out any relegation concerns with five games left this season having reached 51 points thanks to Wednesday's win over Plymouth Argyle.

The resounding 3-0 triumph against Plymouth followed an ugly 1-0 success against a physical Derby County side last weekend.

Swansea now turn their attention to one of the division's top clubs, with Sunderland – who have lost just one home league game all season - likely to be backed by a crowd of more than 40,000 when they host Alan Sheehan's team on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The fourth-placed Black Cats, who are nine points adrift of the automatic promotion places, look set for the play-offs unless something remarkable happens in what remains of the regular campaign.

"Sunderland are a very good team but I think the atmosphere there will drive us," said Swansea right-back Key.

"I think the last two results have taken a lot of pressure off us - we have a free hit almost at the weekend.

"We know they are going to be a very similar team to us in terms of how they transition and attack quickly.

"But we have to take our confidence into Sunderland and show our best again."

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Ian Walsh hopes Swansea City can play with "less anxiety" during the course of their Championship run-in.

The Swans secured a convincing 3-0 triumph over Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday night thanks to goals from Lewis O'Brien, Harry Darling and Josh Key.

Victory moved Alan Sheehan's side nine points clear of the second tier's relegation zone with only five matches of the season remaining.

And former Wales and Swansea striker Walsh wants the Swans to attack the final stages of the campaign with freedom having all-but preserved their Championship status.

"Another three points at home, fantastic for the manager, fantastic for the players," he told BBC Radio Wales after Swansea's victory over the Pilgrims.

"Hopefully for the rest of the season, they can play with less anxiety on their shoulders and put an extra nine points over the next five games."

Key scored the pick of the goals against Plymouth, netting his first Swansea goal in almost exactly a year as Sheehan's side ran riot in the opening half in south Wales.

And Walsh lauded the right-back's display.

"His driving [runs] forward, but that, as well as the goal, he scored a worldie tonight," Walsh said of Key.

"It's a fantastic goal from him. He was excellent.

"He's had his doom and gloom, if you like, for parts of the season, but tonight he was superb. I would definitely give him man-of-the-match."

Sunderland are now assured of a play-off spot and a win over Swansea would guarantee them at least a fourth-placed finish

Swansea go into the game on the back of a three-match unbeaten run.

• After their 3-2 win in December, Sunderland are looking to record their first league double over Swansea City since 1963-64.

• Swansea have won each of their past three away league games at Sunderland, this after only winning two of their first 14 beforehand (D5 L7).

• Sunderland have earned 43 points in 20 Championship home games this season, their most from their opening 20 home matches of a season in one of England's top two tiers since 2004-05 (46).

• Swansea have only won one of their past nine away league outings (D2 L6), a 1-0 victory at Bristol City in February.

• Sunderland have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three league games, last keeping four in a row in the Championship in February 2007.