Swansea City caused quite a stir on Tuesday evening when they announced they had parted company with manager Michael Laudrup. The Welsh club are 12th in the Premier League, which might sound like blissful mid-table anonymity, but in such a tight bottom half they remain only two points clear of the relegation zone. While it may be overstepping the mark to suggest that Swansea are now certainties for the drop without their manager, particularly after a season where they finished nineth in the league and lifted the Capital One Cup, there are reasons why the season's end may prove a little more sweaty than previously imagined. Recent results, culminating in a 2-0 defeat to West Ham, have been poor, and have slightly dulled the shock factor in Huw Jenkins' decision, but it was still a surprising decision in a football sense. Whatever the real reasons behind Laudrup's departure, the stability called for in Jenkins' statement may yet be a long way off, with Garry Monk now in charge for an indefinite amount of time. Safety, and further progress in the Europa League, are still achievable, but here are five reasons why Swansea's Premier League status is at huge risk.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
