Reid relishes 'fresh start'
Billy Reid admits Swansea City face a challenge in the Championship but insists Graham Potter’s new-look squad can flourish this season.
The Swans have said farewell to a host of players following relegation from the Premier League in May.
The club are still working to bringing in replacements, with the Swans expected to dip into the loan market over the next three weeks.
And despite the loss of a number of senior players, Reid is confident the Swans can compete in the second tier in 2018-19.
The Swans assistant manager stood in for boss Graham Potter, who is unwell, at today’s pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend clash with Preston North End.
And when asked about a transfer window which has seen numerous players depart, Reid said: “We look at it as a fresh start.
“We want players here who want to play for Swansea City. It’s important to have a group who want to pull together for the club and for the fans.
“We kind of expected that some players could leave us before the window closed – we knew it could go that way.
“We just have to adapt with the squad we have got in preparation for our game on Saturday.
“We knew the situation here before we came to the club. In our opinion the club needed a fresh outlook and I think it will certainly get that.”
Reid joined Potter at the Liberty following his summer move from Ostersund.
And the former Hamilton manager is convinced Potter can thrive in Wales having achieved remarkable success in Sweden.
“We are really looking forward to working in the Championship,” he added.
“It’s a difficult league but we believe in what we do and that’s why we came here.
“The club needed a fresh start and we see this as a challenge to embrace.
“Swansea is a fantastic football club and we still have good players here. If we are prudent in the transfer market, there is no reason why we can’t have a squad performing well in the Championship week-in, week-out.
“The four players we have brought in have contributed already, and we hope to bring in some more players who can help us give Swansea an identity the fans will enjoy and appreciate.”
Reid says the Swans have “a dossier of players” they could bring to the Liberty, whether on permanent deals prior to today’s transfer deadline or on loan.
The club will be able to make loan signings up until August 31.
“We will make sure we have a squad that’s competitive in the Championship every week,” he said.
“It’s a 46-game season and we have to recognise that in certain areas of the pitch, we are a bit short in terms of numbers.
“We have to be prudent in the loan market. Once everything is finalised after today’s transfer deadline, we can assess things and bring in players who can come and help us.”
