Swansea City fans have reacted with predictable fury to the club’s decision to remove Alan Curtis from first team coaching duties.
The supporters – already hostile since the American takeover – have now been given new cause for grievance with the expected side-lining of their favourite son.
On the club’s own website, their staff profile for current first team coach Curtis begins, “Alan Curtis is synonymous with Swansea City. In fact, he’s simply known around the club as ‘The Legend’.
Even visiting journalists at the Liberty Stadium are made aware of his iconic, local hero status. Various combinations of his name and status are used as passwords to access the wifi.
Owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have shown so far they will not allow sentiment – theirs, or anyone else’s – to get in the way of ruthlessness, but even Walt Disney stopped short of killing Bambi.
New manager Paul Clement arrived on Tuesday and quickly brought in his own staff in coaches Nigel Gibbs and Karl Halabi. That process is set to continue with the appointment of Martin Davies as goalkeeping coach from Cambridge United.
But the decision to marginalise Curtis seems a peculiar way to try and win over fans, given the 62-year-old has symbolised stability and loyalty at a club deep in relegation trouble and on their third manager of a chaotic season.
http://
Poor decision by Clement if it is him who has chosen to not give Alan Curtis a role in his coaching team.
— James Hughes-Jenkins (@JamesHJ217) January 5, 2017
http://
So Alan Curtis gets the swans back on track and that’s the thanks he gets! Seriously, who is running this club? Micky Mouse! @SwansOfficial
— Cara Readle (@CaraReadle) January 4, 2017
Curtis took charge of the Swans on Tuesday night at Crystal Palace in his now customary role as caretaker, following the sacking of Bob Bradley. His ability to organise and inspire were rewarded with a priceless 2-1 away victory.
The result means that the former Wales international has now picked up 17 points in the 12 games in which he has taken charge at various points over the past year.
He was there when the Swans got rid of Michael Laudrup, ushered back after the removal of Garry Monk, thrown the reins during the illness suffered by Francesco Guidolin and after his eventual sacking, and picked up the pieces – and those three points – following Bradley’s dismissal.
But it is not simply influence on the field that Clement will lose if he decides to press ahead with excluding Curtis.
http://
Baffled that Alan Curtis won’t be a part of the Swansea backroom staff anymore,the man has been a rock for the club! #swans #scfc #signhimup
— AaronPaul Media🎙📻 (@mediaAaron) January 4, 2017
Curtis has done most jobs and roles around the club since first playing as a 17-year-old and is a touchstone for those who could otherwise lose connection with the true soul of the club.
Swansea say nothing has yet been confirmed, that the club are keen not to lose Curtis’s experience and are hoping he can still make a key contribution at the club.
But it would appear a self-defeating move for Clement not to use a coach who clearly still has so much influence and the respect of the first team squad.
Should the worst happen, and Clement’s spell in charge runs little further than Bradley’s, Guidolin’s or Monk’s, then Swansea would have no-one to pick up the pieces once more if Curtis had been removed from the coalface.
Even if that does not occur, it is still hard to fathom why Clement and chairman Huw Jenkins should consider they have a better chance of Premier league survival without the input of Curtis – even as one of a number of coaches – than with him.