Roberto Martinez has been likened to Sir Alex Ferguson as Paulo Sousa attempts to fill his very impressive boots at the Liberty Stadium.
The new
Wigan boss has left behind an impressive legacy in South Wales, but also a welter of expectation amongst
Swansea supporters.
Martinez was revered at the Liberty Stadium after guiding Swansea to the League One title and establishing them as arguably the best footballing side in the Championship last term whilst finishing eighth.
However, his departure to Wigan – along with that of stylish midfielder
Jordi Gomez – is akin to the Reds losing Ferguson and
Cristiano Ronaldo in one foul swoop.
Current
Colchester manager Paul Lambert was a teammate of Sousa’s when they lifted the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1996, and he has warned his old pal of the seismic job he has on his hands at Swansea to keep the bandwagon rolling forward.
Sousa spent five months and 26 games of last season in charge at
Queens Park Rangers but was dismissed by Flavio Briatore as expectations continue to rise in Shepherd’s Bush.
Whilst Swansea don’t appear to be as trigger happy with their managers as QPR, it is unlikely Sousa will be granted a huge amount of time if the Swans aren’t showing signs of progression.
But Lambert is convinced the one-time stylish Portuguese midfielder can carry on the good work of his predecessor and confirm Swansea as one of the front runners in the Championship. "It will be tough to take over from a man who has done great," said Lambert.
"It will be tough for Paulo," Lambert told BBC Radio Wales' Back Page programme.
"Just like whoever takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at
Manchester United will have a difficult task. But I'm pretty sure that Paulo will get a bit of success and if he gets them out of the Championship, people will forget everything that went before.
"I think it's a great appointment for Swansea. He did a fine job at Queens Park Rangers. It is well-documented that there are problems at that particular football club. Paulo said when he took the QPR job that he'd be his own man and he wouldn't like people telling him what to do.
"Paulo is very single-minded, has his own ideas of the game and will show it is not difficult for a top player to become a good manager."
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