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Richard Montague: Swansea City director of football set t...

Richard Montague left a similar role at League Two club Notts County to take up what is a key position at Swansea in February.

Not another Director of Football biting the dust.

Player recruitment is a very specialist job where you just cannot rely on pure data to decide whether a player is suitable at a particular club.

It needs the recruiter to have plenty of experience at the level their club is playing, he needs to know plenty of players at that level too.

I don't think that Roberto & Richard have had that experience at their respective club's level.

I was surprised he stayed when Luke Williams was sacked. Swansea City might not have wanted to admit things weren’t going as they hoped, but I don’t really see him coming back to us. I would welcome him back, but I think Williams needs more experience before being considered as head coach again. It’s important to grow and learn before stepping into that role a second time.

Both of them will have learned something from moving up too quickly. You need to understand what it takes to succeed at that level, especially in the Championship. That kind of experience only comes with time and reflection.

The thing is @CliftonMagpie if you're offered a More Considerable Amount Of Money, for doing the same job elsewhere, it's Human Nature you're going to move on. Regardless of how well your regarded at your old job, everything ticked the Boxes with LW when he moved, it was a move up the Footballing Pyramid, it was a chance for him to Test his Coaching Skills at that Higher Level, ( even if it didn't work out) but more importantly, it was closer to his home so he didn't have to move thus he didn't have to put his family through any upheaval like finding his children a New School and his family's welfare was always going to be his most Important Obligation.

As for Montague, I don't think he'll Return to the Lane simply because his departure was never explained by the Club and all that was left is the speculation of the Fans. True he made some good signings, but he also made some poor decisions.

I'm very surprised that Luke hasn't been offered a job in at least League 1 or 2. He is a good Head Coach that can produce very entertaining teams. He demonstrated that at Notts.

16 minutes ago, Robbie said:

I'm very surprised that Luke hasn't been offered a job in at least League 1 or 2. He is a good Head Coach that can produce very entertaining teams. He demonstrated that at Notts.

I think he's waiting for the right vacancy. He doesn't want two straight failures on his CV.

As for Montague, he did a very good job for us overall - there was a reason why he was on Swansea's radar. Was the timing of Gagliardi's sacking coincidental?

@Robbie,Hes waiting the call in January to come back to his throne

Swansea would have presumably been paying Championship wages for Luke, so dropping to EFL1 or EFL2 may cost Luke money?

10 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

Swansea would have presumably been paying Championship wages for Luke, so dropping to EFL1 or EFL2 may cost Luke money?

It's not always about the money. It's about getting & doing a job that will bring him more EFL experience which in turn will allow him to grow as a Head Coach.

15 hours ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

As for Montague, I don't think he'll Return to the Lane simply because his departure was never explained by the Club

Seemingly he was "poached" by Swansea...so I don't understand "..his departure was never explained by the Club"

3 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

Seemingly he was "poached" by Swansea...so I don't understand "..his departure was never explained by the Club"

Yes it was my understanding that he was “head hunted” by Swansea, there was no mystery at the time.

Seemingly or Understood to have been Poached by Swansea Hardly Sounds Official Gentlemen.

OK. So let's assume we need a new DoF. Do you go for Montague?

My two penneth? No. He left for a reason which we will certainly never know, but as a principle, don't look back. Look forward.

23 hours ago, Mapperley Pie said:

OK. So let's assume we need a new DoF. Do you go for Montague?

My two penneth? No. He left for a reason which we will certainly never know, but as a principle, don't look back. Look forward.

Yes I’d have him back, I thought he made some good signings. As for “don’t look back” we had Jimmy Sirrel back after he’d gone to Sheffield Utd.

True. But he was s bit special wasn't he?

On 14/09/2025 at 21:03, Piethagoram said:

Swansea would have presumably been paying Championship wages for Luke, so dropping to EFL1 or EFL2 may cost Luke money?

But any sort of Football Coaching wage is going to be better, than the money he gets working at an Airport, and the Hours would be better too. Plus Luke would have gained some experience from his time with the Swans, learned from his mistakes and returning to the Lane where he knows he'd be welcomed with Open Arms by a Majority of the Fan Base with the chance for him to build a Legacy is something Money Can't Buy.

12 minutes ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

he gets working at an Airport,

I believe Luke was volunteering

We've seen examples of Head Coaches and Football Managers getting jobs in the lower divisions to resurrect their career by getting more experience at a lower level, & getting a regular wage.

We've seen that with Stuart Maynard & there are plenty of other examples. It's better to be in work in a profession you love than being out of work for the sake of waiting for a lucrative appointment that may never come.

@Piethagoram , was he? Top Marks to him for Volunteering I thought he had actually got himself a paid position. So Regardless of what Footballing Job he's offered he'll probably take it, because his compensation or pay off from Swansea, isn't Going To Last Forever. You Never Know, He Just Might Be Waiting For The Call From The Brothers.