Swansea City

Swansea City begin a new era this afternoon, with Luke Williams leading the Welsh club in the Championship for the first time.

Williams was in the dugout for last weekend’s FA Cup win over Morecambe, but a trip to Birmingham City – who also have a new boss in Tony Mowbray – represents the first big test for Swansea’s new head coach.

Williams acknowledges that ideally, he would have had a pre-season campaign in which to work with the squad he inherited.

Instead he has had a week – and he says that will have to do.

“I want us to win, that’s the first thing,” Williams said of the Birmingham game.

“Then I would like to be able to work out what we did that helped us to win and what we could have done better.

“We need the games to begin to learn. I would prefer to have games that don’t count but that’s not the situation, so we have to try to do both things at the same time.

“We have to put the wings on the plane after it took off.

“I have an incredible opportunity to try to help, but the main thing is going to be the players. Any coach who thinks he can do more than his group of players is crazy.”

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Swansea City will make the daunting trip to Leicester City on Tuesday, January 30 (19:45 GMT).

The original date for the game was 27 January, but it has moved as a result of both clubs' progress in the FA Cup.

Swansea will go to Bournemouth in round four, while Leicester will host either Hull City or Birmingham City.

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Harry Darling expects Swansea City to play a possession-based game under Luke Williams – and says that is good news for their squad.

Williams will lead Swansea in the Championship for the first time at Birmingham City on Saturday.

Darling worked with Williams at MK Dons, when Swansea's new boss was a coach under Russell Martin.

And the defender thinks Williams’ style will be similar to Martin’s possession-heavy approach.

“As a group that’s probably where our strengths lie,” Darling said. “I think people can see that and that’s why we are all looking forward to it.”

Swansea were criticised for moving away from their trademark passing style during Michael Duff’s brief reign.

Williams, who led to Notts County to promotion from the National League last season, was named Duff’s successor last week having also been part of Martin’s Swansea staff.

“He’s made a great impression straight away,” Darling said.

“Obviously a lot of us know him already so I think that helps. I think it will still take time but it’s a lot easier to make the transition because we know him.”

Luke Williams says Swansea City will “make a plan” with Liam Walsh when he returns to the club after his latest injury setback.

Midfielder Walsh, 26, suffered a calf problem during the New Year’s Day win over West Brom.

It was the latest in a line of fitness issues for the former Everton youngster, whose obvious talent has been held back by injury since he joined Swansea on a three-year deal in 2021.

“Liam is away from the club at the moment because we just need things to settle down a little bit before we can make a better plan,” said Swansea boss Williams, who was appointed seven days ago.

“I have not seen him yet. He is a player I know really well. I look forward to having him back in the club so we can start to make a plan.”

Walsh is not Swansea’s only injury concern, with Azeem Abdulai facing another spell out having aggravated a hamstring problem as he returned after a long lay-off against Morecambe last weekend.

“We had a small issue with Azeem after the game. He is going to be a few more weeks,” Williams said.

“Unfortunately this can be quite normal – you have a long time out, come back and then the body says I am not ready for this. Now we have to be a bit more careful.”

Swansea are also monitoring on-loan Newcastle defender Harrison Ashby, who is back in training having not played since November, before Saturday’s trip to Birmingham City.

“Harrison may be a small issue but we don’t think it is anything serious,” said Williams, who is also without Josh Key.

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Cameron Toshack is among the bookmakers' favourites to succeed new Swansea City head coach Luke Williams at League Two high fliers Notts County.

Toshack has been out of football since departing then Premier League outfit Leeds United, where he was an assistant to Jesse Marsch, last season.

But Toshack, 53, is keen to return to the club game having helped develop a clutch of young players at Swansea as under-23s coach.

Toshack, son of legendary former Swansea, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid boss John Toshack, played a big role in the progress of Wales internationals Joe Rodon, Dan James and Connor Roberts, as well as others who emerged from the Swans academy.

He also had a spell as boss at Cypriot club Paphos and has been considered for managerial vacancies at Newport County and Cardiff.

Toshack is an exponent of the passing, possession game, which was an integral part of the so-called Swansea Way.

That style was successfully adopted at Notts County by Williams, who guided the Magpies to promotion from the National League via the play-offs last season.

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Josh Thomas has returned to Swansea City following a loan spell with Port Vale.

The striker joined the League One outfit in the summer and scored three goals in 15 appearances for the club.

Wales Under-21 international Thomas' contract with the Swans expires in the summer, although the club hold the option to extend the deal by an additional 12 months.

Port Vale's Director of Football, Dave Flitcroft, said: "Firstly, on behalf of the club, I would like to thank Josh for his efforts whilst with the club. Josh is a very talented player with incredible determination on the pitch and he was a brilliant character off it.

"Unfortunately for both us and Josh, his time with the club was a stop-start due to the multiple international breaks and injuries, culminating with the injury he suffered whilst playing for Wales U21s back in November.

"Myself and the entire club wish Josh nothing but the best of luck in his future career and we would like to thank Swansea City for entrusting us with the growth and development of one of their highly-rated talents for the first half of the season."

Phil Parkinson's Wrexham and Luke Williams' Notts County produced an epic rivalry in the National League last season.

Both sides were ultimately promoted into the Football League and are now challenging at the top end of League Two, although Williams left Notts County this month to return to Swansea City.

And Wrexham boss Parkinson believes Williams' knowledge of Swansea's style of play will prove hugely beneficial.

“Luke was there before, he knows the club and I know he lives in the area too so that was a massive pull for him," said Parkinson.

"It’s a good progression for Luke, he knows how they want to play down there.”

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Martin Paterson did not last long at Swansea City, having joined the club alongside Michael Duff as his assistant manager last June.

He departed when Duff was sacked in December, but has made a swift return to football.

Former Northern Ireland striker Paterson, 36, has been named manager of League One club Burton Albion.

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Defender Brandon Cooper has returned to Swansea City after a loan spell at Leyton Orient.

Former Wales Under-21 centre-back Cooper, 23, played 17 times for Orient after joining the League One club on loan until January last September.

He was sent off twice during his time with the London club, with his last appearance coming as a late substitute in the New Year's Day win at Cambridge.

Cooper rejoins Luke Williams' Swansea squad, although it remains to be seen whether he heads out on loan again this month.

His Swans contract expires this summer, although there is an option for the deal to be extended by a further 12 months.

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Harrison Ashby has been pictured in Swansea City training this week, and a return to action for the on-loan Newcastle United player would be a welcome boost for new boss Luke Williams.

After all, Swansea are set to be without another right-sided defender, Josh Key, for a number of weeks with a hamstring problem.

Ashby has not played since coming off complaining of his own hamstring issue during the draw with Hull City back on 25 November, and returned to Newcastle for a spell.

Midfielder Azeem Abdulai, 21, started on the right side of Swansea's defence in the FA Cup win over Morecambe last Saturday having returned from his own injury lay-off, while centre-back Harry Darling has also been deployed there.

Sam Porter has left his role on Swansea City's board of directors.

Porter had been a director at the Championship club since 2020.

But the club's Supporters' Trust issued a statement revealing the American's exit.

Porter had served as Swansea's director of business and legal affairs.

The trust said Porter had opted to "step away from his role to pursue new opportunities".

Swansea confirmed Porter's exit, but declined to make any comment.

With Porter gone, the Swans have 11 directors, including chairman Andy Coleman and Jason Levien.

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By Chris Wathan, BBC Sport Wales

The Luke Williams era at Swansea City begins in earnest this weekend.

Officially, last weekend's 2-0 FA Cup win over Morecambe was Williams' first game as the club's new head coach.

But with recent caretaker boss Alan Sheehan picking the side and Williams having overseen one training session, Saturday is where it really starts for the man chosen to replace Michael Duff.

Close to 2,000 fans will be heading to St Andrew's for the game against Birmingham City to see if Williams can pick up a win in his first league outing.

And, according to the history books, they should perhaps expect a 2-1 victory.

Williams will be Swansea's 13th permanent boss since Roberto Martinez took charge of his maiden game as manager in February 2007.

That was a 2-1 win at Rotherham - with Lee Trundle and Pawel Abbott the goalscorers. Indeed, it was one of six victories by the same scoreline enjoyed by those past 13 Swansea managers in their first game in charge.

And five of those all came away from home.

Franceso Guidolin won 2-1 at Everton (with Martinez in the away dug-out) in January 2016, while Paul Clement was overseeing an Alan Curtis-selected Swansea side win 2-1 at Crystal Palace a year later.

Clement's replacement, Carlos Carvalhal, had a memorable 2-1 comeback win at Watford in December 2017 that sparked hopes of a Premier League survival.

But when that didn't transpire, Graham Potter kicked off things in the Championship in August 2018 with a late 2-1 win at Sheffield United.

Steve Cooper wrapped up the run with a 2-1 home win over Hull at the start of the following season before Russell Martin lost - you got it - 2-1 at Blackburn in August 2021.

Michael Duff couldn't manage a win, either, on his opening day as Jerry Yates scored in a 1-1 home draw with Birmingham - the only man in the 13 to have had to share the points in his first game in charge.

And if it doesn't go to plan for Williams this weekend, he won't be alone. Paulo Sousa lost 2-1 at Leicester in August 2010 while Brendan Rodgers, the last man to lead Swansea to a promotion, was beaten 2-0 at Hull a year later.

There was also a defeat for Bob Bradley whose side were fairly soundly beaten 3-2 at Arsenal in October 2016, but the biggest winners were Michael Laudrup and the man who replaced him, Garry Monk.

Monk's reign started with a 3-0 derby thrashing of Cardiff in February 2014 while Laudrup's time in charge in August 2013 started as it would go on with a stunning 5-0 win at QPR, including two goals from a hitherto unknown Michu.

There may be no Spanish star for Williams to call on this time around, but it does seem the universe does like a 2-1 win for Swansea managers looking to make their mark.

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As Wales mourns the loss of rugby icon JPR Williams, football is also coming to terms with the death of the great Franz Beckenbauer.

A World Cup winner as both a player and manager, 'Der Kaiser' was one of the most important figures in both the German and the global game.

His list of achievements is too long to mention fully, but Wales can lay claim to be the home of at least one of the milestones in his glittering career.

Beckenbauer's only playing appearance against Wales came in October 1976, in a match held in Cardiff to celebrate the Football Association of Wales' centenary. It was the captain's 101st appearance for the then world champions West Germany - and also the scene of his final goal for his country.

Yet it was his aura and elegance, not to mention his ability, that Wales and Swansea City legend Alan Curtis remembers most from that game, describing him as the best he's ever encountered.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Drive programme, Curtis, who also played for Cardiff City, recalled: "They beat us 2-0 and I was playing up front by myself, as a lone striker.

"I played against three centre-halves in that game. Franz Beckenbauer was the sweeper - and he honestly strolled through the game. If you tried to close him down, he would play the ball first time; if you laid off him, he would take a touch, run with the ball, and come through with it.

“Honestly, I think he could’ve taken his kit off at the end of the game and just put his clothes back on, he wouldn’t have needed to shower. He was super cool, super composed and just a fabulous player.

“I do these question-and-answer sessions quite a lot and I regularly get the question, who’s the best player you ever played against? It’s Franz Beckenbauer, it always looked that it was just a kick about with the boys on a Saturday. He was genuinely a world class and fabulous player.

"If you gave him a little bit of time, he would just glide past players. When I played him he was coming to the end of his international career so what a player he must’ve been in his prime. Everything he did was so effortless, he didn’t give the ball away and everything he did had class stamped all over it.”

Beckenbauer only played a further two matches for West Germany, returning to manage Die Mannschaf, including two matches against Wales (a 0-0 draw in Cardiff and a 2-1 win in Cologne) as they qualified for their triumphant 1990 World Cup in Italy.

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The transfer window is already more than a week old old but no firm links for Swansea City fans to get too excited about.

New head coach Luke Williams admitted to having lengthy transfer discussions with club chairman Andy Coleman the night before he was formally appointed, saying he was content with the budget and the plans for January.

With 14 signings made in Michael Duff's five month time in charge, former Swansea midfielder Andy Robinson has suggested the onus may be on highly-rated coach Williams to get more out of the existing squad rather than another big influx of players.

However, speaking to BBC Radio Wales Sport ahead of Williams' first game in charge - a 2-0 FA Cup win over Morecambe - he did say that a couple of additions would be necessary to boost a squad currently occupying 16th place in the Championship table.

Williams said after the game his players should expect to feel "uncomfortable" as he aims to change the side's style of play.

And with the hope that will improve some of the current crop, Robinson said: "You’d like that’s what he’s been brought in to do; he certainly did a similar job at Notts County to great lengths and you hope he can do the same here.

"There’s a big step for him and a great opportunity for him. The influx of players that came in under Michael Duff had to happen to a certain degree with Russell Martin leaving in the summer, so Williams might have to work with them and might even be judged on what he can do in getting the best out of these players in the remaining months of the season.

"I’d like to think the club will give him a few quid to bring one or two in because it needs it; you can talk about tactics but sometimes it's about the players you have and most of them under Michael Duff haven’t been good enough.

"Whether (Williams) can get a tune out of them remains to be seen but he’ll certainly need one or two through the door."

The transfer window closes on Thursday 1 February at 11pm GMT.

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It may not have been a classic, but it was a winning start for Luke Williams as new Swansea City boss - something the past two Swans managers have not been able to say.

Williams had been barely 24 hours into his new job before kicking off his reign with the 2-0 FA Cup third round win over Morecambe, something former Swans midfielder Andy Robinson called a positive start despite being less than impressed with the first-half display in particular.

But Robinson said Williams would have learned plenty from the opening night nonentheless, and gave the former Notts County manager his backing as someone who appears to fit the bill for what Swansea need from the new man at the helm.

Speaking in the build-up to the clash at the Swansea.Com Stadium, regular match summariser Robinson told BBC Radio Wales Sport: "It all points in the right direction of a good appointment.

"He’s got the pedigree - you don’t score that amount of goals in any league and not have something about you as a manager - he’s won promotions.

"It is a step up to the Championship for him as it was with Michael Duff, and with any manager it can be little bit of a punt but Swansea have been good over the year in giving managers their first shot at football clubs, but this lad has some credentials about him and a purpose in the way he plays and that’s what we’ve been looking to see here."

Robinson said he had been pleased with the first impressions from Williams on his unveiling, with his ability to communicate and connect with supporters evident from his time at Meadow Lane and seen as a big plus.

"He has spoken really well and speaking to a few people around the club he is a likeable person - but being a likeable person doesn’t win you football games and he’ll be judged about what he does in terms of the teams he selects, the players he brings in and ultimately the results on the football pitch.

"But he certainly has a spark about him. (Caretaker) Alan Sheehan has done a fantastic job to plug the gap and give them time to get the right man.

"Like any manager coming in it can be a lottery, you don’t know completely what you’re going to get, but what Swansea have done with Alan Sheehan is given them the chance to make the right appointment and we hope that it is."

It's Birmingham next for Williams in his opening Championship fixture.

And for those wondering, Michael Duff's opening game was a 1-1 draw with the Blues while Russell Martin's first game in charge was a 2-1 defeat at Blackburn in August 2021.

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It won't just be Luke Williams taking charge of his first Championship game at a new club this weekend.

After getting his feet back under the table at the Swans with last Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup win over League Two Morecambe, next for Williams it's a trip to Birmingham - who have today announced Tony Mowbray as their new manager.

The 60-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half year deal to replace Wayne Rooney, who was sacked last week after just two wins in 15 games in charge.

"My focus is on building their confidence, delivering results, and giving Blues fans a team they can be excited by and proud of," Mowbray said of the appointment.

"I know from personal experience how passionate Bluenoses are, home and away, and I'm looking forward to having their full support for the team starting on Saturday at home to Swansea."

It's the ninth managerial role for Mowbray after 22 years in the dug-out having been sacked by Sunderland on December 4. He was briefly linked with the Swans job with Michael Duff having been dismissed on the same day.

By the way, in a quirk of the fixture list, both Duff and Williams begin their league reign as Swansea boss against Birmingham.