Swans v Forest : Potentially there are millions at stake & Sheehan knows it
Monday, 15th Sep 2025 08:00 by Keith Haynes
The Swans take on Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening in the League Cup third round at the Swansea.com (8pm) There will be changes and there is no doubt we will see players for the first time in a white shirt.
We have been told that head coach, Alan Sheehan views this game as an opportunity to blood a few players for the first time in this fixture. Samuels-Smith will feature as will Manuel Benson and Adam Idah who made a competent debut on the weekend. Although Sheehan isn’t yet decided on his keeper position it is likely Andrew Fisher will start this game. Kaelan Casey is also ahead of the pack as a starter. That’s our three loanees from Chelsea, West Ham and Burnley all in the frame. There is also a likelihood of Malick Yalcouye getting the nod along with Melker Widell.These four plus Melker are deserving of inclusion in a competition that is now very much about finances as anything else.
A lot more is at stake as far as Championship clubs are concerned. If they are drawn away against one of the top premier league sides they get to keep 40% of the gate receipt from that match. For example if a Championship club is playing away at Liverpool or Man City the gate receipt from that one match can be over £2 million. The EFL keeps 10% for administration charges while rest of the money is divided equally among two clubs. Which could be around £800,000, and that is huge sum for any side from the English Football League (EFL)
It also pales into insignificance when you review the winners of each round and the prize money.
A win for the Swans puts them in the fourth round with chances of an exciting Premier League draw very much on the cards. An away tie at Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs, Villa or Arsenal is a real possibility if they in turn win their third round games. We can only look back on the last week at the Swans to see that the majority ownership will be targeting this as a chance to bring in a few million pounds to offset their brave business strategy this summer. Their ruthless decision making when it comes to finances, loyalty and a desire to push this club forwards should not be cast aside, especially by head coach, Alan Sheehan. This is a game to put the wrongs - right from the weekend and display a positive mindset to win games and in turn be as ruthless as the Swans ownership group are, but on the pitch.
That won’t be lost on Sheehan.
The money is the deciding factor, plus the media jumping in on the Swansea story this season will also generate more income from the alliances made with Snoop Dogg and Modrić. Any success regardless of what it is will generate more income and in turn more faith in this team and the manager. Albeit there are just 8,400 tickets sold for this fixture the stadium looks pretty empty 48 hours before the game. That’s additional income of course but the Swansea public are becoming more and more reluctant to spend their cash on fixtures like these. Saturday will not have helped.
Swansea is a poor economic area, the decision making on paying bills, family issues, kids in school for a new term will all impact on the attendance this Wednesday. However if you are 18-23 it’s only fifteen pounds in, otherwise you will pay £20 as an adult. Kids will be a fiver if they are under 14, OAP’s pay £15 as do under 18’s. Really the Swans are keeping the lights on with current ticket sales. There has to be a watershed and the Swansea supporting public have to react positively. There’s an opportunity to see our club cause an upset plus gain a promising fourth round draw.
Surely today and tomorrow will see a bigger take up, and anyone who remembers that play off game against the same side will surely attend as this is a cup night under the lights. Just as it was before. The winner takes it all, there’s no time for losers. It’s okay taking 46,000 to Wembley as we did when the Swans last won this trophy, but really our club owners really want to see the positivity they have brought to Swansea returned for a fixture that could well start another mad journey for the Jack Army.
More build up to this game to come on the Indy.
Photographs : Swansea independent & Liverpool Echo
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