Swansea's new board replace Francesco Guidolin with Bob Bradley, overlooking Ryan Giggs

The Americanisation of Swansea City continued on Monday with the arrival of Bob Bradley as the club’s new manager, replacing Francesco Guidolin.

Bradley left his job at Le Havre in France to become the first American coach in Premier League history. His appointment, ahead of Wales legend Ryan Giggs, is the first major decision of Swansea’s American majority shareholders, Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan, who bought a 60 per cent stake in the club in June. They also have plans, when the transfer window reopens, to sign American players from Major League Soccer for the club. Levien is an owner of DC United, with whom Swansea are set to strengthen ties.

Swansea have taken just four points from their seven Premier League games so far this season, and have only recorded one win, at Burnley on opening day. After three consecutive home defeats in all competitions, Levien and Kaplan decided to remove Guidolin, rather than giving him more time.

While Guidolin saved Swansea from relegation last season, taking 28 points from the 17 games he was in charge for, the board quickly decided this season he was not the man to keep them in the Premier League. Guidolin only signed a short-term deal in May, once he had kept Swansea up, and knew recently that he would be dismissed soon.

Levien and Kaplan had Bradley lined up as a potential successor, after his wide-ranging career at club and international level. He coached the USA in 2010 World Cup, as well as the Egyptian national team, and his last two jobs have been in Norway and France. He is a surprise appointment but chairman Huw Jenkins, who still has a 13 per cent stake in the club, pushed for Bradley ahead of any other candidate, pointing to his experience all over world football. Bradley was preferred to Manchester United and Wales hero Ryan Giggs, who has never held a permanent managerial role. Giggs worked underneath David Moyes and Louis van Gaal at Manchester United, and briefly took the first team between the two tenures, in 2014, but was not considered by Swansea to have the experience to turn the club around.

The Swansea City supporters trust, which still owns 21 per cent of the club, said last night how furious they were at not being consulted by the board over the decision to replace the manager. The trust, who complained about a lack of communication from Levien and Kaplan during the takeover, said that they were “frustrated and angry” with how the sacking of Guidolin had been managed.

“The Supporter's Trust is disappointed to say that this managerial change has happened without consultation with our supporter director, who has been unable to report back to the Trust board on the matter,” said a statement.

“We have of course been aware of the speculation thanks to the constant press reports but at no stage have we been involved in the decision to remove Francesco from his position, nor in the appointment of his successor. Having been an integral part of the club board for 15 years we are saddened that decisions as major as this can be taken without our involvement.”

Bradley has left his job with Ligue 2 side Le Havre to take over at the Liberty Stadium, and will take charge of his first game against Arsenal at the Emirates on 15 October.