New Swansea manager: Bank on English boss like Roy Hodgson to dig you out of trouble
History shows pick a regular home-grown fire-fighter rather than a foreign newcomer to stand a chance of staying in the Premier League
THERE may be only five Englishman currently managing in the Premier League but their breed is part of a hard and fast rule.
And that rule is...when in relegation trouble call on an English geezer and not a foreigner to put things right.
Which is why Swansea might like to look at former England boss Roy Hodgson, for instance, to put things right having axed American Bob Bradley after just 87 days.
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When Hodgson arrived at Fulham in 2007/08, the Cottagers had won just two of their 20 league games but he immediately set about reviving fortunes by drafting in several new players during the January transfer window and re-branding Fulham’s style of play during his intensive daily training sessions.
They finally reached safety on the final day of the season.
Currently going strong in the Premier League are English bosses Tony Pulis (West Brom), Eddie Howe (Bournemouth), Sean Dyche (Burnley), Sam Allardyce (Crystal Palace) and Mike Phelan (Hull).
Well, maybe not Phelan whose goal shy Tigers prop up the division but the former Manchester United coach has half a season yet to make an impression.
But elsewhere Palace have already pulled the plug on Alan Pardew and replaced him with Allardyce, an Englishman who has never been relegated.
Indecisive Swansea, second to bottom on goal difference, missed out on Allardyce as their inexperienced American owners dithered over when exactly to give the underwhelming Bradley the boot.
The troubled Welsh team could do well survey the list of English managers currently available.
They include Hodgson, Pardew, Gary Rowett and Tim Sherwood. Former manager Garry Monk, currently going well at Leeds, Steven Gerrard or Gary Neville might also appeal.
Pulling a side out of the relegation mire can be done...as was proven by Dutchman Dick Advocaat at Sunderland a couple of seasons ago.
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Pulling a side out of the relegation mire can be done...as was proven by Dutchman Dick Advocaat at Sunderland a couple of seasons ago.
But generally foreigners don't cut the mustard at troubled teams.
Just look at how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fared at Cardiff, Pepe Mel at West Bromwich and Felix Magath at Fulham
These have proved to be their first and so far last Premier League posts.
Against that the English brigade have performed far better.
In recent years Pulis replaced Alan Irvine at West Brom and took them from 17th to 13th and Sherwood moved Aston Villa out of the bottom three to safety in 2014/15.
Pulis also took Palace from 19th to 11th in 2013/14, while Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson saved QPR and West Brom in 2011 and 2010, respectively. As already stated, Hodgson had previously just kept Fulham up.
Each of these club saviours well tell you that trying to reach 17th place and therefore safety is akin to pulling teeth.
But it can be done...and Swansea, especially, might like to hire someone - even on a short term basis - who has managed it before.