Friday 7 October 2016 17:50, UK
New Swansea manager Bob Bradley has vowed to push chairman Huw Jenkins to improve the club, stating, "I am not someone to sit quietly and let everybody else make decisions".
Bradley is the first American to manage a Premier League team, after leaving French club Le Havre to replace the sacked Francisco Guidolin earlier this week.
The former USA manager insists he has not arrived simply to keep the Welsh club in the top flight and is ready to face those sceptical about an American managing in an English division.
With Swansea fourth from bottom with one win in their first seven games, Bradley told Sky Sports, "I'm confident I can keep the team up - but it's always more than just keeping the team in the Premier League.
"I think the squad is strong enough, but I think there needs to be regular dialogue about how to improve the squad. We've had early dialogue with Huw Jenkins and I appreciate his honesty and perspective. I really feel that the two of us will work well together.
"But he also knows I'm going to challenge him. I have ideas. I'm not someone to sit quietly and let everybody else make decisions. I believe in pushing the envelope a little bit and trying to challenge people for where we are, and get better.
"I think we'll need to look at all possibilities. But I also think there's talent and we need to restore some confidence and do some little things better.
"I do have to expect the same [treatment an Englishman would get in the NBA or NFL], but it's not the first time in my career that I've had to face skeptics. Its part of the deal. In any field there's a CV, what you've done in the past. Sometimes that helps you get the foot in the door.
"But then you have to earn respect. You've got to go in every day and engage players, man-to-man, look them in the eye, challenge guys to get better. That part of the job doesn't change. I've worked with all kinds of players - some big players - from different kinds of backgrounds and different countries.
"What does change is that, when you play in the top league in the world, you get punished faster, and small mistakes turn into big problems. I get all of that."
Guidolin, Bradley's predecessor, lost his job after a 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool on Saturday - their third successive loss.
Bradley believes small changes will make a big difference.
"I think it was a tough run of fixtures and a little bit of bad luck, and when things start to go against you, you lose confidence," he said. "Then you lose aggressiveness and commitment a little bit.
"One thing I've said to the players already is that, yes, we want to be a passing team, but when we lose the ball we need to be more difficult to play against. We need to close down a little harder, and work together to make sure the other team can't just do whatever it wants.
"Those are the things that top teams do well."
