Former Swansea boss Bob Bradley has urged the club to discover their lost identity as Graham Potter prepares to take charge at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea’s seven-year stay in the Premier League came to an end earlier this month after three seasons of turmoil at the club.
Ostersund boss Potter is set to become Swansea’s sixth manager in four years amid a backdrop of fans’ unrest with the board.
The 43-year-old Englishman confirmed last weekend that he had spoken to Swansea over becoming Carlos Carvalhal’s successor, with more talks planned in the next few days.
“I feel it is an opportunity to re-establish the football way,” said Bradley, whose Swansea reign lasted only 85 days before he was sacked in December 2016.
“I was there for 11 games and I tried like hell to get that team to play football every match.
“Obviously I didn’t take enough points. I understand that and you move on.
“But you don’t want to be in the position every year where it’s just about survival.
“When you talk about the ‘Swansea way’ and the football, it’s got to show itself week in and week out.”
Potter, who played for Stoke and West Brom, took over at Ostersund in December 2010 and has guided them from the fourth to the top tier in Sweden.
Ostersund won the Swedish Cup in 2017 to qualify for this season’s Europa League, reaching the last 32 before losing 4-2 on aggregate to Arsenal.
“Whoever Swansea chooses, there has to be an understanding of what kind of team the supporters have to stand behind,” Bradley told Press Association Sport.
“It’s important that when the supporters go to the Liberty they see a team that plays on the front foot and tries to win games.
“I was very pleased last year when Paul Clement came in and they found a way to stay up.
“I also know it’s a big disappointment what happened this year, but hopefully they can fight like any club that goes down and find a way back into the Premier League.”
Bradley — the only American to manage in the Premier League — is currently rebuilding his career at new Major League Soccer franchise LAFC.
LAFC are second in the Western Conference, but Bradley still wonders what might have happened had he been given more time at Swansea.
“I thought we were going to rebuild,” he said. “I had my ideas, but this is the life in football.
“I still hear from some supporters, although I know there’s a lot that don’t speak as highly of me.
“But that’s their problem. The ones I do hear from are good people, and that’s why I still watch them and support the club.”
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