Swansea have let Monk down – Curtis

Swansea City caretaker boss Alan Curtis says the squad are desperate for a result against Manchester City as they feel they “let down” former manager Garry Monk.

Just one win in 11 Premier League games saw the club sack Monk and three of his backroom staff – assistant Pep Clotet and first-team coaches James Beattie and Kristian O’Leary – earlier this week.

Curtis, who has spent 40 years at the club on and off as both a player and coach, will take charge of the game at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and he insists the travelling supporters will see the players “fighting and scrapping for everything” as they look to arrest their poor run.

“It’s been a difficult few days for everyone,” he said to the club’s official website.  “We are all used to managers leaving because sadly that has always been part of the game. But Garry’s departure seemed a lot more personal to everyone because he has been at the club so long, together with Kristian O’Leary. 

“We all feel – staff and players – that we have let him down and we want to go a small way to rectifying that on Saturday. Yes, we are on a bad run, but we won’t be going to the Etihad just to make up the numbers and get the fixture out of the way while we wait for a new manager to come in. 

“We need every point we can and we will strive to be competitive and get something out of a difficult game. The whole squad is together and they want our fans to see them fighting and scrapping for everything. It’s the least they deserve.”

Swansea are just a point outside the bottom three heading into the game, following their 3-0 home defeat to Leicester City last time out.