This time final 12 months, Swansea had constructed important momentum below former boss Alan Sheehan, who had impressed an upturn in kind to chase away relegation considerations after the Luke Williams period ended on the again of a worrying hunch.
Within the earlier marketing campaign, Williams was the person who masterminded the turnaround in fortunes after Michael Duff’s forgettable stint in cost.
Matos’ problem is to alter the file at Swansea, who will start 2026-27 with an eye fixed on the play-offs, as was the case initially of the season which ended with Saturday’s win over Charlton Athletic.
There may be more likely to be just a little extra expectation subsequent time round on condition that the groups ending seventh and eighth will safe play-off locations in a 12 months’s time.
But it’s value remembering that other than their two play-off campaigns below Steve Cooper – when parachute funds nonetheless supplied a serving to hand – the most effective end Swansea have managed since dropping out of the highest flight is tenth, first Graham Potter in 2019 after which Russell Martin three years in the past.
Matos’ staff completed eleventh, simply as Sheehan’s facet did final 12 months, though Swansea had three extra factors this time round.
In the end, they had been 9 factors in need of Hull Metropolis, who claimed the final of this season’s play-off locations, and 5 adrift of Derby County, who resulted in eighth.
