Swansea City

Bob Bradley: 'Americanisms were a mistake'

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 17 February 2017

Former Swansea City manager Bob Bradley admits that his use of American slang "only made matters worse" during his short stint in charge of the club.

Former Swansea City manager Bob Bradley has admitted that his use of American slang terms "only made matters worse" during his ill-fated spell in charge of the Welsh side.

The 58-year-old became the first American manager to get a job in the Premier League when he took over at the Swans in October 2016, but was sacked after less than three months in the role having amassed just two wins from 11 games in charge.

Bradley's post-match interviews, in which he referred to penalties as "PKs" and an away match as being "on the road", drew much ire from fans who felt that he had failed to get an adequate grip of the English game.

Writing in a column for The Players' Tribune, Bradley said: "The script was familiar. We'd start well, but concede the first goal. Playing from behind meant taking risks and opening up. Confidence dropped and we were not able to build on our positive results.

"My postgame interview after a 3–0 loss to Middlesbrough only made matters worse. I said that we needed to show more resilience 'on the road' (the English prefer the word away), and referred to a penalty kick as a 'PK'. People on social media screamed that American sports terms had no place in the Premier League.

"By the time we returned home to the Liberty for our next match against West Ham, I knew the pressure was on. But I am battle tested and never doubted myself. As a coach you must understand that the one thing you cannot control is the result. You control the work. You control the message.

"Changes at half time didn't change the result. We lost 4–1. By the end the frustration and anger from the supporters was clear. As they say in the Premier League, I got the sack. I failed. Failed to put my stamp on the team at Swansea. To give it a real identity. A real personality. I never managed to find the right balance between attack and defense."

The Swans have gone on to pick up four wins from six games under Bradley's replacement Paul Clement and currently sit 15th in the table, four points clear of the relegation zone.