Curtis: I didn´t expect to stay on as Swansea manager

Alan Curtis admitted he did not expect to step in as Swansea City caretaker manager “for more than a couple of games” after being handed the reigns for the rest of the season.

Marcelo Bielsa and former boss Brendan Rodgers were both linked with the vacancy but fourth-bottom Swansea confirmed on Thursday that Curtis will lead the Premier League battlers until the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

Curtis, 61, was appointed caretaker following Garry Monk’s sacking in December and has collected five points from as many matches to help Swansea pull two points clear of the relegation zone.

Speaking to Swansea’s official website after the announcement, Curtis – a club stalwart of more than 40 years as a player and coach – said: “It’s an honour to be asked to manage this football club until the end of the season.

“If the club believes I am the right man to take things forward then I will give everything I have to the role. 

“If I’m honest I didn’t envisage taking caretaker charge for more than a couple of games, as I’ve done on two previous occasions over the years. But as the weeks have gone on I feel I have grown into the job and I’m a lot happier now taking it until the end of the season. 

“The biggest plus factor for me has been the response and attitude of the players. I think everyone who watches Swansea regularly has seen a vast improvement in performances over the last five games, even though we probably could and should have picked up a better points total. 

“From what I’ve seen, not just on the pitch but also on the training ground, I firmly believe we can get the results required between now and the end of the campaign to push us up the table. 

“We are making progress and moving in the right direction. We still have a lot of work to do, but I have every confidence in the players’ ability and the support of our fans – which will be huge – to get us over the line.”