Why The Former Barca Coach Is The Man Who Could Give The Spark Swansea Desperately Need

Louis Van Gaal To Replace Paul Clement – Good Or Bad Move For Bottom-Placed Swansea City?

The ongoing Premier League season has seen clubs get quite ruthless in terms of sacking managers. The likes of Leicester City, Everton, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion all got rid of their managers after a slew of disappointing performances.

Some of these clubs were in brief danger of relegation and now the latest club to join the list is Swansea City. Although Palace were at the bottom of the league for the longest of time, new manager Roy Hodgson now has the club comfortably sitting at 14th spot.

However, Swansea ended up taking their place at the bottom and have been there for quite some time now. In order to survive the season and retain top-flight status, it was important for them to sack Paul Clement to bring in a new manager. Depending on who they appoint, Swansea could either make or break their season. If recent reports are to be believed, former Barcelona and Manchester United manager, Louis Van Gaal, is understood to be a favourite for the role.

The Dutchman took charge of the Red Devils at a time when the fans were frustrated with David Moyes after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Although Van Gaal failed to make much of an impact at the club, he did steady the ship for a while.

The important thing to note here is that while he did win trophies with the likes of Ajax and Barcelona in the 1990s, Van Gaal seems to have become more adept at calming waters at present. That is what Swansea need at the moment – they need an experienced hand to take hold of the steering wheel to ensure they get out of trouble this season at least.

At this point, it will be tough for even the best of managers to take over a team sitting at the bottom with about half a season left. That in itself might prove to be challenging for Van Gaal, who is yet to manage a club after his hasty exit from Old Trafford in 2016.

Regardless, he is known for helping teams come out of problematic times and there is no reason why he cannot do the same at Swansea. The January window is also coming at an opportune time for the manager to bring in whatever reinforcements he deems necessary.

It remains to be seen if he actually joins the club but if he did, it will be a good move for Swansea. Irrespective of whether they are looking at him as a long-term or short-term option, there is a wealth of experience Van Gaal can bring to the club and maybe that is the spark they need so desperately at a time like this.