By Paul Jones
Swansea City plan to shake up their player recruitment strategy with two new positions following the departure of Andy Scott.
The former Brentford head of recruitment and Watford sporting director has left his role as head of recruitment at the Swans.
The club insists Scott’s decision to move on after two-and-a-half years was mutual and they intend to replace him with two new roles “with a specific focus on player identification and player acquisition”.
“Andy joined in the summer of 2019 following the departure of Graham Potter in what was a transition period for the club,” said Swansea City chief executive Julian Winter.
“He has done a tremendous amount of good work during his time here and the decision has been reached amicably, while Andy has also expressed an interest in pursuing new opportunities.
“Good recruitment is fundamentally important for the football club, and with the January transfer window approaching we are in a position where we can press forward with our plans for both the short and long term.”
Scott, whose recent recruitment successes include strikers Joel Piroe and Jamal Lowe, said: “I believe that I leave the club with the squad in very good shape, with an excellent balance that has been built methodically and strategically over the last two years.
“To be part of the last two playoff seasons has been a pleasure and I’d like to thank my team of scouts and analysts for the outstanding work they’ve put in as well as all the support staff, particularly Ben Greenwood, Rebecca Gigg, Ashley Gill and Huw Lake.
“The squad has some exciting talent and the relatively small fees paid for players like Joel Piroe and Ryan Manning, for example, continue to prove that a good scouting process and plan is invaluable.
“I’ve loved my time at Swansea City; the club, city and people are fantastic but with the impending change in recruitment strategy I feel this is the right time to move on and look forward to the next stage of my career.”
Meanwhile, the Swan will face Southampton in the third round of the FA Cup.
They will host the Premier League Saints at the Swansea.com Stadium on the weekend of January 7-10.
The sides recently faced off in a pre-season friendly, but they have not met in a competitive fixture since May 2018 when a Southampton win in SA1 all-but sealed Swansea’s relegation from the Premier League.
🏆 Swansea City will host @SouthamptonFC in the third round of the @EmiratesFACup.
👉 https://t.co/xm4X7Dve6j pic.twitter.com/tFUNCddSCa
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 6, 2021
The clubs have never met in the FA Cup before. The Swans reached the fifth round last term, while Southampton was beaten at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Leicester.
Cardiff City has also been handed a home draw. They will host Championship rivals Preston North End.
Draw in full:
Boreham Wood or St Albans v AFC Wimbledon
Yeovil Town v Bournemouth
Stoke City v Leyton Orient
Swansea City v Southampton
Chelsea v Chesterfield
Liverpool v Shrewsbury Town
Cardiff v Preston North End
Coventry City v Derby County
Burnley v Huddersfield
West Bromwich Albion v Brighton and Hove Albion
Kidderminster Harriers v Reading
Leicester City v Watford
Mansfield Town v Middlesbrough
Hartlepool United v Blackpool
Hull City v Everton
Bristol City v Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur v Morecambe
Millwall v Crystal Palace
Port Vale v Brentford
Swindon Town v Manchester City
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers
Luton Town v Harrogate Town
Birmingham City v Plymouth Argyle
Manchester United v Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sheffield United
Newcastle United v Cambridge United
Barnsley v Ipswich Town or Barrow
Peterborough United v Bristol Rovers
West Ham United v Leeds United
Queens Park Rangers v Rotherham
Charlton Athletic v Norwich City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal