Whether it was Michu, Michael Laudrup, League Cup wins, European nights or simply the stylish brand of football, they packed a lot into seven seasons. Eight years have now passed since a relegation that brought with it a tightening of belts and a lowering of expectations. Ambition replaced by apathy.
But something is flickering in south Wales. Swansea lead the Championship as it returns from the international break, And there is a growing sense that a club once renowned for 'The Swansea Way' are heading in the right direction once again. "You can see the ambition and the ideas are there," says Steve Carroll, editor of the fanzine Swansea Oh Swansea.
"People are talking about us in a positive way again." From Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric, to borrowing Brighton's transfer model and a manager moulded by Jurgen Klopp, this is how they've done it. Quiz: What has happened so far in the Championship? The Swans flying high - Reviewing Swansea's start to the season What have we learned from the Championship so far?
Swansea's relegation hangover has taken a while to clear. Having been taken over by American businessmen before dropping out of the Premier League, there was little sign of spending their way back to the top. When exciting talent was unearthed - whether homegrown or bought in - they were invariably sold on to balance the books.
While the likes of Joe Rodon, Oli McBurnie, Dan James and more moved on and up, Swansea would take a step back for every step forward. "As soon as we could get excited and find ourselves in a reasonable position, then we'd sell a player and it wouldn't be invested back into the squad," adds Carroll. "Fans would get fed up and the disconnect would come back, and we'd start again." It took its toll on a string of managers, from Graham Potter, to Steve Cooper and Russell Martin.
There was understandable cynicism, then, when new American ownership arrived in late 2024, promising to review how the club was run. And while they haven't said much since - showing up in local pubs on matchdays but shying away from interviews - they haven't needed to. "To be fair, they've delivered," says Carroll of US tech and marketing entrepreneurs Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen.
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