It has invariably been the case that any assessment of Swansea City this season involves mentioning the names of Gary Richards and Cameron Toshack.
Manager Graham Potter and assistant Billy Reid have been among those to heap praise on the club’s under-23 and under-21 coaches, and rightly so.
After all, part of the reason the likes of Joe Rodon, Connor Roberts, Oli McBurnie, Jay Fulton, George Byers and Daniel James have caught the eye this season has been their time in the what is essentially the club’s finishing school for young professionals.
There has been plenty of success, most notably a Premier League Cup and Premier League 2 Division 2 double in 2017.
Last season, in the top flight of the Premier League 2 set-up, they were involved in the title race alongside Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester until the final week of the season.
They are currently preparing for Wednesday’s Checkatrade Trophy second-round clash with Bristol Rovers at the Liberty Stadium.
It is the third time in three attempts that the young Swans have made it through the group stages against EFL opposition, but this season’s feat is probably the most noteworthy given the number of players that have stepped up to first-team level.
As a result a number of players have graduated from under-18’s level and when the Swans beat AFC Wimbledon in September there were eight teenagers in the starting line-up.
They topped their Southern Section group - having played all three fixtures away from home - and now get the chance to strut their stuff under the Liberty Stadium lights.
“Every game is important but there is a different feel around these games,” said Richards.
“There is a little extra edge and it’s a great experience for the players.
“They are difficult games, you are playing seasoned professionals and it can provide an indicator of who can go on to that next level.
“For some of the players it’s different from what they have been used to but they are great opportunities.”
Toshack agrees, and feels the different atmosphere is a key aspect of why the competition is so beneficial, despite criticism of the decision to allow academy teams to enter.
“It’s that experience of playing in front of crowds in a stadium and, being away from home as we have, not everything you hear from the stands is in your favour,” he says.
“You might here people having a dig at you, or booing you, which is something you might not have heard before as a young player.
“So it’s about handling that and managing that and we hope there will be a good crowd to cheer the lads on.
“It’s been a challenging season, no doubt. It’s like any side. You lose seven, eight or nine players and I think any team at any level would find that difficult.
“The difference here is we are glad to see that happen because it means the development the players have had for us has equipped them with the skills to perform for the first team.”
Our brilliant Swansea City features
Here at WalesOnline we like to think we have Swansea City covered. Here is a selection of our feature pieces on the club:
* Swansea City owners analysed: we took a a look back at what they had to say to us in September, and what the current situation is
* The story behind the very important man who sits in the Swansea City dugout
* Swansea's top scorer Oli McBurnie reveals how less time on the PS4 and more time in bed is boosting his performances
* How Graham Potter and his players have gone about getting Swansea City back in track
* It's been one of the season's big talking points, but how do Kristoffer Nordfeldt and Erwin Mulder compare?
* Swansea fans used to dream of a team of Alan Tates. Have they found his natural successor?
* We've had a go at naming the ultimate Swans squad from the last 40 years. Do you agree with our choices?
* Behind the scenes at Swans TV, the ground-breaking way to watch the Swans
* The Angel Rangel interview: I wanted to come back to Swansea this summer... but I never heard back
* The story of Bersant Celina's upbringing, his move from war-torn Kosovo and why Swansea were the team for him. A fascinating read
* Declan John on his 'hard spell' at Cardiff City and the text message that left him absolutely gutted
* Joe Rodon has been one of the stars of the season. Here he explains his rapid rise and why he's not even the best footballer in his family.
* Meet the Swansea City coach whose champions just wiped the floor with Wayne Rooney's DC United
* On the eve of the season our Andrew Gwilym sat down with manager Graham Potter to discuss his footballing philosophy - and his singing
* Swans legend Lee Trundle has revealed the moment that left him in tears in a hotel bedroom
Differing backgrounds but a united cause
Toshack, 48, and Richards, 55, are different characters with differing backgrounds but they are very effective as a double act.
In a sport where more often than not there is one coach or manager - Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier’s spell at Liverpool a rare example of two people leading a club at the top level - they complement each other well.
Toshack has grown up with the tag of being the son of John, one of Swansea City’s greatest-ever managers, a two-time Real Madrid boss and a decorated player with Liverpool.
Having forged a playing career of his own, including spells with Swansea, Bristol City and Cardiff, Toshack - who was diagnosed with diabetes at age 21 - went on to move into corporate management with American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
He worked as a sales manager and a senior figure in their UK and European marketing teams, but his love of football ensured he continued to work towards his coaching goals around his full-time job.
He worked under his father with the Macedonian national team and has previously been involved in the Wales set-up.
He would use his holiday time from his day job to observe coaches at work and continue his own development, all the while working diligently to complete his coaching badges.
“I am indebted to the football club for helping me get to this stage of being recognised as a good development coach with the potential to move up and work with an elite team,” said Toshack, who has been linked with managerial vacancies at Barnsley and in Iran in the past 12 months.
“I had a job where I could manage my own time, so I could go and watch training between 10 and 12 in the morning when Swansea trained.
“But I would then have to work those hours back in the evening. It affects your family life and it is a big commitment.
“But my wife Maria, the chairman here and managers like Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers were great in giving me the time, support and opportunity to do that.
“Getting back into football was always something I wanted to do, football is in my blood, it’s been there throughout my life following dad as a player or a manager around the world, picking up bits along the way.
“Watching him at Real Madrid and Real Sociedad, or helping him in Morocco with Wydad Casablanca when they were in the Champions League semi-finals, all that was there in the background. It’s been instrumental.
“And then the chairman (Huw Jenkins) gave me the chance after a couple of ad hoc discussions we had watching training, without that I might still be working as a corporate manager in London.
“It was a big decision to leave that job, but in life I often think you regret the things you don’t do, rather than what you do.”
Richards actually played under John Toshack for Swansea City, and made over 60 league appearances for his hometown club before having spells with Lincoln, Cambridge United, Torquay and Newport County before injury curtailed his professional career.
Following his retirement Richards took up a job with Royal Mail, whilst keeping his hand in with schools coaching and scouting.
He scouted his future co-coach while doing some work for Arsenal, and was recognised by the Queen for his work in the establishment and coaching of Swansea City Bravehearts, a football team for children with special educational needs.
He was handed the chance to coach part-time in the Swansea academy set-up, and then had a decision to make when Tony Pennock offered him a full-time role.
“When I stopped playing it was about finding a career for myself, and I was fortunate to find that with Royal Mail,” says Richards.
“There was a career path there for me, and that was a big thing for me and my family after football.
“I kept involved. I did some scouting, in fact I remember watching Cam play while I was scouting for Arsenal.
“I did voluntary coaching with Swansea schools and at grassroots level which I really enjoyed.
“Then there was the chance to do some coaching for the club part-time which Alan Curtis offered me, and it was about how much time I could give it.
“I was working full-time and doing that around it. It was challenging and rewarding, I enjoyed it so much and seeing players like Joe Allen and Ben Davies come through.
“So, when Tony Pennock offered me the chance to go full time it was a decision I did not need too long to make. I have loved it.”
Building an understanding
Toshack and Richards already knew each other prior to being handed the reins of the Swans’ under-18 and under-21/23 sides and to witness them at work it’s impressive how there is such clarity in the message given to players when it is being delivered by two voices.
“We knew each other and had spoken before and Gary offered me the chance to come in a couple of nights a week with the youngsters before I was full-time and it has developed from there,” says Toshack.
“We started working together with the under-18s and then a few years ago the chairman felt we were doing a good job and asked us to step up to the under-21s and the under-23s.
“We knew the players and we had worked together for quite some time and it has worked out well, I think we are on an even keel and it’s so beneficial to bounce ideas off each other because we have different skills.
“He is on my shoulder where I might be looking to do something, and he might just say ‘hang on a minute’, and pose some questions that make you consider different aspects. It makes what we do more rounded.
“No-one is the same as anyone else. We have helped each other and learned from each other.
“Everyone sees things differently, but Gary and guys like Huw Roberts our physio, Nick Davies who does so much in the gym with the guys, Tom Jenkinson our analyst, Martin Davies the goalkeeping coach and previously Andrew Sparkes have all helped create this environment and the way we work to give these players the best opportunity.”
Dealing with "healthy conflict"
When Wales Online was granted access to a day behind the scenes with the under-23’s set-up, they dovetailed expertly in their on-field coaching and their video analysis session.
But the pair admit the very nature of the jobs mean they don’t always see eye-to-eye.
“I have always felt that healthy conflict can be productive,” says Richards.
“I have never known any environment where everybody sitting around and agreeing with each other and always saying ‘yes’ to each other has achieved what it set out to.
“You have to ask questions, you need those differing opinions and differing voices, as long as it is all done with respect and trust.
“I think as a staff we have that, and ultimately we always come to an agreement about the way forward.
“We challenge each other but we also trust each other. I know for a fact I have learned a lot from Cameron, and I would really hope he feels the same about working with me.”
“At the end of the day, it’s not a nicey-nicey job,” adds Toshack.
“You will never agree on everything, and the way we have things now is not how it has always been.
“There are still times we disagree. But I think we handle it well and recognise that.
“I’m not scared of being vocal about my view and option, and Gary is more than happy to tell me what he thinks.
“Sometimes we have a case where you let it go for 10 minutes, and then you come back and you go back through it and make a collective decision.
“But the big thing is I trust him completely, and I think he trusts me completely, so there is never a case of ‘I told you so’.
“The decision is ours, not one or the other. That’s how it has to work. You cannot stand in front of staff and players without being on the same page.”
The task at hand
It’s an approach that has paid rich dividends and they take a great deal of pride in seeing so many of their former charges making an impact at Championship level.
But the job never stops for these two men.
There’s no chance of pausing to bask in the successes of the players whose development they played a part in.
They have seen 14 players feature for the senior side this calendar year, but there is no pause in the task of bringing through new talent.
“That’s the nature of the job,” says Richards.
“We could not be more proud of the boys who have taken their chance this season, and it means we can say to the players we have now that there is a path there for them to the first team.
“They can see it.
“So there is no time for us to stop and take too much satisfaction in it, we have to keep producing players who can do what Joe Rodon, Daniel James and everyone else has done.
“That’s the challenging part of the job, but also the rewarding part of it.”
