Bradley calls for players to reconnect with fans

Swansea City boss Bob Bradley has called upon his players to reconnect with the club's fans as he prepares for his first appearance in the Liberty Stadium dugout on Saturday.

The former United States coach met with representatives of the club's supporters' trust in midweek and claimed to have been heartened by the support they showed him.

But he believes that his players also need to strengthen their bond with the fans, starting on Saturday when they play host to Watford.

"They [the supporters' trust] went out of their way to say 'You have a big job but we welcome you and we are here to support you'," he said.

"With all the things that go on in the lives of footballers, sometimes you have to be reminded of what a club was all about before you arrived on the scene.

"It is worth remembering that it didn't all start when you pulled the Swansea City Football Club jersey on for the first time. You have to understand the people who are going to live and die by every kick of the ball in every match. 

"You have to understand that the fans want to see something they are proud of and, of course at the same time, you have to get results. I think the players here are good guys — they are not unaware. But sometimes in football it is easy to think you came first."

Bradley's first game in charge ended in a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal, meaning Swansea are yet to win a league game since beating Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor on the opening day of the season. 

That dismal run has seen them slip to 19th in the table, but Bradley is confident Swansea can survive.

"If you look at the way the team has played in recent years and some of the finishes, yes, you could easily say this is a team that has shown itself to be a mid-table type team with possibilities of being in the top 10," he added.

"If we can get ourselves on a good run, regain confidence and start to move up then I doubt that [relegation] is going to be a question that I face every week."