Graham Potter's Swansea Revolution: Club's Latest Statement is a Massive Step in the Right Direction

Thursday was a strange day for those keeping up to date with the affairs of Swansea City - they were addressed by their own actual owners. Strange right? That's

Thursday was a strange day for those keeping up to date with the affairs of Swansea City - they were addressed by their own actual owners. Strange right? That's now TWO whole open letters from the much loved American consortium that supposedly runs the club in the space of three months. Maybe they're warming to South Wales?

Who are we kidding?

Indeed, the owners usually only produce words on pages every now and then to make fans think that they're being kept in the loop. In reality, whatever is usually announced by James Levian and Steve Kaplan tends to be an arrangement of fancy terms that don't actually reveal anything explicitly.

📣 A message from the Board...

👉 https://t.co/tms5GQyCz7 pic.twitter.com/WJXP6Tcg3B

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) June 28, 2018

More or less, the same thing was produced in Thursday's address, but there was actually some very big (and hugely promising) news that arrived within it; even if you did have to squint a bit and turn your head sideways to see.

Somewhere amongst all the fancy lingo, the board drop this into their announcement.

"At the end of last season, we talked about a strengthening and re-structuring of our recruitment process and strategy in an attempt to avoid the mistakes of the recent past. Graham [Potter] will be at the forefront of those changes but will not be left to stand alone in the process and will receive plenty of support."

For the last few years, Huw Jenkins has been the man behind Swansea's decision making on transfers. You can pin it back to when Garry Monk took the reins from Michael Laudrup back in 2014.

Michael Steele/GettyImages

Laudrup previously had all the power he wanted, and it was obvious from the influx of Spanish players that came to the Liberty when he first arrived that this was the case. However, he left and Garry Monk went from player to manager in the space of a day.

Of course, Monk had no clue what he was doing (well, he obviously did, but he was very much a rookie) and Jenkins stepped in to take care of the transfer side of things while Monk got up to speed.

From then onward, it seemed the chairman enjoyed this kind of power, and until right now, he's maintained the final say on the recruitment. Need an example? Roque Mesa.

It was clear that Paul Clement didn't want the Spaniard, but his expensive arrival was a last ditch attempt to reinvent 'The Swansea Way' - it didn't go to plan, obviously.

Athena Pictures/GettyImages

The manager of the team needs the final say on transfers. End of. He can't have players bought for him, and be told to find a way to fit them into his side. It's the manager's squad, the manager's tactics, and if there is to be even a hint of success, it has to be the manager's decisions.

It now seems like that's happening.

"Graham will be the single most important voice in the recruitment process. He is the leader and has the final say on the players we buy and sell within the financial framework set by the chairman and Board of Directors."

How do we react to that? Admittedly, many could be forgiven for simply assuming that it's merely a story being spun by the board to appease the Jack Army. However, it seems as though they may actually be speaking the truth.

The axe has been swinging at Swansea City. Understand all of scouting team set to leave Liberty. Potter and old Ostersund No.2 Kyle Macauley to take lead on transfers https://t.co/CiMtXJbWcp

— Chris Wathan (@ChrisWathan) June 28, 2018

According to the BBC's Chris Wathan, Swansea's scouting team has been completely disbanded. Madness. A complete revamp is ongoing at the Liberty, and chief scout David Leadbeater has been shown the exit door, along with Ian Henderson, Ian Roscrow, Brian Flynn and Gerhard Tremmel.

Ruthless, but Swansea needed it. A fresh approach, and Potter looks to be bringing in some of the staff he had at FK Ostersund to help his recruitment drive with the Swans.

Kyle Macaulay has been hired as Swansea's new head of recruitment in SA1. He has plenty of experience of working with the club's new manager, and makes the new system seem rather straight forward.

He told the club's website: “We worked very successfully together at Ostersund, and I am very aware of how Graham works and what he wants. Now we are here at Swansea and we face a new challenge.

“What we want to have is a clear and simple system where everyone knows exactly what is required of them.

“We want a really committed recruitment team who know exactly what Swansea needs.

“It’s about starting here at Fairwood Training Ground, establishing what we want and then looking at the players in the relevant markets to improve the team.

“That process has now started."

So, that's it? Right? Listen, it might not be the most exciting news in the world, nor the most drastic change the club has ever undergone, but it is a huge step forward from the toxic way the club was in two months ago when we were relying on a Portuguese manager's witty remarks to keep us in the top flight.

For the first time in a long time, things look breathtakingly simple. Straightforward. Organised. Name it however you like, but it's brilliant news.

Athena Pictures/GettyImages

Alan Curtis is also back in amongst the backroom staff, so Potter must know what he's doing. Here's to a successful future, Swans fans.