The Supporters’ Trust is disappointed to note today’s departure of Graham Potter and his coaching staff from our club.

The last 12 months has seen the club undergo an unprecedented level of upheaval. After relegation from the Premier League last summer, we saw the departure of most of our senior players, with their places in the squad being taken by talented youngsters from our Academy setup. Whilst relegation from the Premier League brings inevitable financial consequences, it is clear that the scale of our issues has been exacerbated by historic mismanagement of our football club which, even now, we are still suffering from.

It is to the significant credit of Graham and his team that last season was relatively successful as we came close to gaining a play-off place and enjoyed an excellent run in the FA Cup. We also saw the club working towards regaining the footballing identity it had lost in previous seasons, with our fans one again enjoying entertaining, progressive football along with the development of some incredibly talented youngsters.

The Trust had hoped that this summer would finally see some much-needed stability at our club, however it is not surprising that our management team were viewed as attractive propositions for others. It is disappointing that Graham has chosen to move on at this time, however it is not surprising that an ambitious manager would choose to take on the challenge of a more stable and financially stronger Premier League club, in other words the sort of club we were ourselves not so long ago. We thank Graham and his team for all their efforts and wish them every success for the future.

Looking to our club’s future, the Trust views it as absolutely critical that the club builds on the good work of the last year and brings in a manager with a similar mindset that will develop our talented youngsters and footballing style.

We know there is significant concern among the fans that Graham’s departure could lead to other major departures from our club. We call on the owners and decision makers at our club to be open and transparent with the fans at this critical time, as well as make every effort to ensure the right person is chosen as manager and that they are given all the tools necessary to ensure we build on the progress made and have the best chance of success next season.

Swansea City Supporters Trust