Swansea City still awaiting key new appointments ahead of crucial Portsmouth and Oxford United contests
Pompey make the trip to Swansea City next Tuesday in what will be a crucial three-game week for the Blues.
New Swansea City Vitor Matos has explained why three key appointments have yet to be made following his arrival at the Swansea.com Stadium last week.
The 37-year-old, who made the move from CS Maritimo for £1m, is still to be joined in South Wales by three key members of his backroom staff, who spent the opening four months of the season with him at the Portuguese second-division outfit.
Assistant Diogo Medeiros, analyst Toze Mendes and coach Goncalo Ricca are yet to arrive, with a timescale still unknown over their potential appointments.
The trio are still awaiting permits to work in the UK for the first time, while Matos had previously spent time as a coach at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
And the new Swansea boss remains in the dark over whether an appointment can be made ahead of Saturday’s game against Oxford United as well as next Tuesday’s visit of Pompey.
Swansea still waiting for key appointments ahead of Pompey
He told the official club website: ‘Still no update. It is something which is out of control of the club, it is something that goes beyond the club.
‘The legal team is still taking care of it, hopefully it will be soon to sort it out but it’s not in our control.
‘There is nothing (the club can do). It’s a legal process that came with Brexit so that’s the problem. I was here a long time before so I’m completely fine, the staff (are) not so they need to go through all the process. And this process takes time, that’s how it is.’
‘We don’t know and we did everything they asked us for, that’s how it is. Now it needs to be the panel to make a decision and we wait for that. Like I said, there’s a legal team in charge of it and we are waiting now.’
Swansea boss on crucial double header
And with tough tests coming in the form of 19th-placed Oxford United and the Blues, Matos is well aware of the challenges which face his side in two crucial relegation contests.
He added: ‘It’s important we play each one of them alone so that will help. As we can see in the Championship, every team can take points from every team so three points are always important wherever we play.
‘These games have a more clear vision because they’re close to us in the table. It’s three points against teams that are close to us in the table and we play at home so we have a responsibility regarding that and that’s what we need to go for in the games.
‘I said it before, the situation we are in, no one expected or wanted, but that’s the situation we are.
‘How we deal with that in the way where we’ve all got each other together, the fans, the players, the club and that’s until today the best way I see to get through this situation.
That’s the situation. There’s no time to cry, we just need to find a way to find togetherness as a club.
‘Everyone on the back of each other, the players find this confidence and consistency to deliver together because they know and they’re trying to. Fans understand that we are one of them on the pitch and we need them as well.’