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Swansea City legend Leighton James believes marginalising Alan Curtis cost Garry Monk his job at the Liberty Stadium.

James reckons fellow Swansea great Curtis needs to take the credit for the team's upturn in fortunes in recent weeks.

And he says Curtis is the man the Swans Board should thank the most - even ahead of Francesco Guidolin - for the club's almost certain continued Premier League existence next season.

Swansea's back to back wins over Norwich and Arsenal, which Guidolin missed because he was in hospital, have revived the club's fortunes and pulled them clear of the bottom three.

Curtis masterminded those triumphs and was also in caretaker charge for earlier victories over West Brom and Watford. In fact, the Swans have only won eight matches this season... and Curtis was at the helm for four of them.

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James reckons Curtis' know-how of the players and tactical thoughts should have been utilised more by Monk, who instead used the likes of Pep Clotet and James Beattie as his lieutenants.

"One of the biggest mistakes Monk made was marginalising Curt by bringing in his own coaching team," James writes in his column for the South Wales Evening Post.

"With the likes of Clotet, Beattie and Kristian O'Leary on board, there was often not enough room for Curt on the bench... so he ended up sitting in the stand.

"He needs to be far more hands-on than that. Shunting Curt aside was a major error and played a big part in Monk's sacking.

"By his own admission, Curt does not want to be a manager, but you also need people in the background at a football club."

James pointed out: "Guidolin picked the teams against Arsenal and Norwich, but it was probably the changes Curt made that earned the results.

"At the Emirates, he altered the shape early on as Swansea were being over-run and then introduced Gylfi Sigurdsson, who had a huge influence, at half-time.

Also read:Why selling Jonjo Shelvey was the right decision

"Curt's substitutions also made the difference last weekend against Norwich. I understand completely why Mo Barrow was brought on at half-time and Leroy Fer shortly afterwards.

"Leon Britton has been a great servant to Swansea, but understandably he tends to fade as games go on.

"Fer supplied energy and physicality, not to mention a brilliant pass for Sigurdsson's goal, and bringing on Barrow gave Swansea better balance.

"It enabled Andre Ayew to play through the middle which is the only place I believe he can play.

"It took real knowledge of the players to anticipate the effect those changes would make. And I wonder whether Guidolin, who has not been in position much time, would have understood enough about his squad to spot the same opportunity."

James argues: "One more win at Bournemouth on Saturday would for my money rubber-stamp Swansea as a top-flight club.

"And Huw Jenkins should reserve most of his thanks for Curt."

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