Swansea City interim manager Alan Sheehan concluded momentum can take a team to “crazy places” following their 1-0 home victory over relegation-battling Hull City.
It is clear that the mood around the club had improved considerably in recent weeks, particularly following the surprising news that Real Madrid legend Luka Modric had become a minority stakeholder in the club.
That - and the more practical fact the team are now on a four-game winning streak without conceding a goal in that period - has lifted spirits.
“I enjoy watching us play football,” Sheehan said.
“Everyone here wants to see good attacking football,”
“I’ve been a leader at football clubs, so I know what momentum can do. It can take you to crazy places.”
While the aim when Sheehan first came in was to keep the Swans in the Championship, he did admit to now having higher ambitions than that.
“My memo was to keep this team in the league,” Sheehan confirmed.
“Secretly, I thought I want to take this team into the top half and win every game.
“I don’t focus on players we don’t have or what they can’t do. I’m on the other side of the fence.
“I’m grateful for the players I have and focus on what we can do, and right now you’re seeing a great football team,”
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Rumours of Sheehan getting the full-time gig beyond the end of the season continue to rumble on during this purple patch, but the Swansea interim remains focused on the club rather than his own personal ambitions.
“It’s not really about me. I have a duty of care to the football club,” Sheehan commented.
“I’ve been here for 22 months and if it's my time to leave, then my conscience will be clear that I have given everything to this club.”
“I like winning. The feeling of a sell-out crowd, people are watching their team giving 100% in every action and isn't that what we all want from our teams?
"The game could have been done at half-time if we were more clinical but these are a difficult team to play against.
"We scored and tried to get the second and because we didn't, we had to defend for the last 15 minutes and our defensive structure as a team is incredibly pleasing."
Both sides failed to create any clear chances early on, with Swansea resorting to long range efforts from Ronald and Eom Ji-Sung which were comfortably over the bar.
There was a minor penalty claim for the hosts as Zan Vipotnik went down claiming a pull by Charlie Hughes, but it was very quickly dismissed.
READ MORE: Zan Vipotnik Is Fully Pumped And Ready For Welsh Derby, Says Swansea City Boss Luke Williams
But the hosts were awarded a controversial penalty early in the second half as the referee, Ben Toner, judged that the ball hit the arm of Hull defender John Egan. Replays, though, showed it actually hit him in the face.
“I don’t know how it’s a penalty because it clearly hit me in the face,” Egan said.
“I asked the referee to go over to the linesman and ask if he’s 100 per cent sure, but he didn’t want to do that,”
“If the referee can’t give it from ten yards away, I don't know how the linesman can give it.
"To lose a game in that manner is frustrating. It's a tough loss to take. We've three huge games left now, we've got to dust ourselves down and go again."
The decision gave Slovenian Swan Vipotnik the chance from the spot, which he duly took by sending the keeper the wrong way, taking his tally to seven for the season.
“I’m happy with seven, but I know it can be more,” Vipotnik said.
“The league is really tough, the defenders are huge.
“I hope I can show a lot more in the last three games than I had before.
“I hope I will get in good shape for next season.”
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This positive run is certainly making the option of Sheehan more appealing, but it remains to be seen whether he is riding a wave of good momentum, or if he is the man to lead this team to greater things.
The answer to that question will perhaps come with the Swans’ next defeat and how they react to that.
But supporters will be hoping that this new Croatian-inspired era in South Wales can produce a more favourable outcome than their rivals Cardiff City are experiencing under the rapidly-souring ownership of Vincent Tan.
