ANOTHER season over, and it’s one we all want to put behind us very quickly and get on with planning for a new campaign.
The club has made great strides off the field and we have to ensure next season that we have none of the weaknesses on the pitch which have been all too apparent during 1997-98.
Next week I’m heading into the country with my chairman, vice-chairman and chief executive to hammer out a plan of strategy, when I will also discover just how much I have to spend this summer.
There will be new players – there have to be – but as I have said already, we will use the Bosman ruling to pick up some of them for nothing.
Unfortunately, most clubs with one eye on the purse strings will be doing exactly the same so there is bound to be stiff competition for players, with everything favouring each player’s ability to get the best possible deal.
After the season we’ve had we simply cannot ignore the fact that we have not been good enough so there has to be an investment in new blood.
Of course, it does not end there. I am determined that when we come out of the blocks again in August we will be a lot fitter, sharper and stronger in every department of the team.
In the past few weeks we started to slip back into sloppy habits, end-of-season blues, I suppose, for a team which had been struggling for so long.
To an extent it was understandable but that does not mean I was pleased to see it. Far from it. I wanted to give the fans something to cheer about against Doncaster but I was so disappointed with our performance it took me a good six days to get it out of my system.
To be honest I don’t think I had fully come to terms with how poorly we performed at Mansfield in the last match.
I felt for our fans, at Cambridge and Mansfield and against Doncaster. We did not reward them for their continued support.
All season they have been great, but especially just lately when there was really nothing to play for. But there is no getting away from it — we let the fans down time and again this past winter.
It’s been a horrible season for our supporters but I must thank everyone for sticking by us. I just wish we had given them more to shout about.
One of my aims when I first took over six months ago was to bring a bit of pride back into the side. When players pulled on that Swansea shirt I really wanted it to mean something.
Some people may disagree but I think that, apart from the odd game, we have achieved that.
I’m not kidding myself, though. It’s results which matter in football, whether you are a fan, a player or a manager, so before I sign off to fine tune our plans for the new season I’ve got a message for all our faithful followers.
Don’t get too downhearted this summer. Hopefully, this time next year we will be flying high at the top of the League.