With the greatest of respect to Garry Monk, he was not the number one choice among the majority of Swansea City fans to take charge of the club in the summer of 2014.
After all, during his interim spell in charge following the departure of Michael Laudrup, the only real result he achieved of significance was the South Wales derby victory over rivals Cardiff City.
Yet, to Monk's credit, any fears about relegation were ended on the opening day of the 2014-15 campaign when Swansea won away at Old Trafford. As the season progressed, the Swans won again against Manchester United and also completed the double over Arsenal as they put 14 more points on the board than the term before.
After such an impressive achievement, attention has now turned to whether or not Monk can take Swansea to the next level. Here, Sports Mole assesses his chances of doing just that.
In
Andre Ayew (Marseille), Franck Tabanou (St Etienne), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Heerenveen), Eder (Braga)
Out
Alan Tate (Released), Gerhard Tremmel (Released), David Cornell (Released), Jazz Richards (Fulham)
Last season - 8th
Manager - Garry Monk
One of the best signings that Swansea will make this summer will be the agreement that was recently reached with Monk over a three-year contract. The 36-year-old has certainly earned those new terms, having defied the doubters to guide the Welsh outfit to their highest ever finish in English football.
Ever since they were promoted to the Premier League, Swansea are widely regarded to have produced some of the best football of any of the 20 teams. While Monk has quite rightly done everything that he can to ensure that his side does not stray from that mindset, there is much more steel about the Swans under his tutelage. The team are now able to battle their way to a victory, just as they did away at Arsenal towards the end of last season. Monk was a fierce competitor as a player, so it's no surprise that he has looked to instil that trait into his side.
Key Player - Bafetimbi Gomis
From virtually the first moment that Gomis walked through the door at the Liberty Stadium, there has been plenty of speculation about his future. During the winter it was said that he was keen on a move to West Ham United, while a club in Qatar is said to have made a move for his services this summer.
But, as far as Swansea are concerned, it is important that the Frenchman gets his head down and starts to score goals. With Wilfried Bony having left to join Manchester City in January, he is the main striker at the club. He may have found the net just seven times last term, but two of those were winners in the matches against Arsenal. At the age of 29, Gomis should be at his peak and with that in mind, he will no doubt be looking for a double-figure return in Swansea colours.
Possible starting lineup
Fabianski; Tabanou, Williams, Fernandez, Rangel; Ki, Shelvey, Dyer, Routledge, Montero; Gomis
First game: Chelsea (A), Full fixture list
Sports Mole says
For Monk, this year will all be about trying to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome. Opposition sides will have studied what his team does so well and will also have picked up on their weaknesses. It means that for all the good work that was done last year, Monk and his players must keep on evolving.
The additions so far look to be positive ones, although none of the quartet have Premier League experience, so it remains to be seen if they will adapt to their new surroundings. In truth, while we have predicted them to finish in 11th, there is likely to be very little to split the teams from seventh downwards. If Monk can cause another surprise by improving on last term, his services could well be in demand elsewhere.
