Why Slaven Bilic Over Frank De Boer Could Be An Ideal Signing For Swansea City
Swansea City sacked Paul Clement last week after he failed to bring any major reinforcements in summer or make an impact this season. The American owners have claimed that they would like a new manager to guide the Welsh club by boxing day, which means caretaker boss Leon Britton will take charge this weekend against Crystal Palace.
The Swans are languishing at the bottom with just 12 points from their 19 games. They have won just one of their previous 11 games and are in desperate need of a couple of wins before it gets too late.
Some of the leading aspirants for the job are Aitor Karanka, Slaven Bilic and Frank De Boer, with the Dutchman being the most likely of them all. He could be interviewed in the next few days as he looks to revive his reputation as an able boss after he was sacked after just five games with Crystal Palace.
Manager’s History
In 2010, he was appointed as the caretaker manager of Ajax. That season, he instantly led them to the title which saw him sign a permanent deal. Since then, he went on to win 4 league titles in a row and resigned in 2016 after they surrendered the Eredivisie on the final match day to PSV.
Since then, it’s been bitter for him. He signed a deal with Inter Milan but was sacked after just 85 days. This season, after Big Sam helped the Eagles’ great escape, De Boer was appointed. Unfortunately, with just one win and 450 minutes of Premier League management, he faced the sack.
Managerial Tactics
He loves ground passing, keeping hold of the ball and exchanging 1-2s. Basically, he enjoys attractive football. He demands distribution from his centre-backs and midfielders and wants his wingers to spend as much time as possible with the ball at their feet.
The former Barcelona man usually plays a 4-3-3, for the flexibility of his wingers. Other qualities his teams possess are vertical passing and penetration from the number 10 spot, packed midfield and shift of defence to the side on which the ball is in play.
Is He A Good Option For Swansea City?
Not really. With Crystal Palace, many could argue that he was given no time at all. But, if his short stint is closely analysed, one can clearly see that in his process of building a team to play possession-based football, the Eagles turned into a team that didn’t score a goal at all. Zaha and co. are more of a counter-attacking side that carry the ball forward, more than moving it around.
They were very slow with the ball or with their passing. There was a sense of disharmony around and with a club that was scoring goals at will back when Alan Pardew was their boss (in 2016), the front men looked blunt under De Boer. Their defence too didn’t perform well and Palace depended heavily on individual performances, which is certainly off the table in this game.
Slaven Bilic led the Hammers to a record 7th placed finish two seasons ago, where they beat Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all away from home. He has got the experience in this league and has already faced a reality check, something that the Dutch hasn’t. So, wouldn’t it be better if Bilic takes this job, considering his experience and the way he constructs his team?
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