Swansea sack Michael Laudrup
The news comes just 24 hours after Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins dismissed reports that the future of Laudrup was up for discussion.
Swansea find themselves just two points clear of the Premier League
relegation zone after winning just one of their last 10 league matches
-- and only eight top-flight games since they beat Bradford City in the
final of the Capital One Cup last February.
Laudrup himself was last week forced to deny that he could leave Swansea amid talk of a dressing-room revolt at the club.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat
at West Ham added to the concerns over the Swans’ top-flight safety,
with their next game crucial to their hopes of turning things around as
they welcome neighbours Cardiff to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Added to that, constant speculation over Laudrup's long-term future,
with other Premier League clubs and top European teams said to be
monitoring his availability, is said to have unsettled the Swansea
board.
Garry Monk, who was only confirmed as a new member of the coaching team
earlier on Tuesday, will take over as head coach alongside current
first team coach Alan Curtis for the foreseeable future.
Monk will face a testing series of matches which could define Swansea's
season. After the weekend meeting with Cardiff, they have league games
against Stoke and Liverpool as well as an FA Cup fifth-round date at
Everton -- not to mention a two-legged Europa League last-32 meeting
with Serie A high-flyers Napoli.
"It is a decision we have taken reluctantly," said Jenkins in a statement on the club's official website. "But it’s a decision made in the best interests of Swansea City Football Club and our supporters.
"It is the first time in nearly 10 years that the club has parted with a
manager in this way, but we had to remove the constant uncertainty
surrounding the club and Michael’s long-term future with us.
"I had a meeting with Michael today in a final attempt to support him
and establish a way to improve the work of the backroom team to secure
the results we need over the final 14 Premier League games.
"However, after thinking long and hard about the best way forward, I
felt it was unlikely we would achieve a stable environment at the club
to allow us to get back to basics and produce the performance levels
that have served Swansea City so well over the last few years.
"Now we need to put that uncertainty behind us and move forward as a
united football club on all fronts, while placing on record our
gratitude to Michael for the work he has done over the last 18 months
and wish him well for the future.
"I hope all our supporters can fully understand how difficult this
period has been for us and I would urge everyone connected to the
football club to get behind Garry Monk, the staff and players."
source: http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1704732/swansea-sack-michael-laudrup?cc=4716
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