Swansea defender Alan Tate has revealed details about dressing room bust ups and being stripped of captaincy by former manager Michael Laudrup. This comments have infuriated Michael Laudrup’s agent Bayram Tutumlu, who has reacted angrily by suggesting that the player should keep his mouth shut. Tate was the captain of Swansea prior to the arrival of Laudrup. The former Barcelona midfielder made Ashley Williams as his captain. Tate has now revealed that the captaincy was stripped away from his hands without prior intimation. He also stated that his relationship with Laudrup was never good.
Despite guiding Swansea to their first major title in his first season at the club, Laudrup was sacked as the manager back in February 2014. This was after several stories about dressing room bust ups and a poor run of results on the pitch. Laudrup is widely expected to take over the Middle East club as the next destination reckons for the former Getafe manager. Tate has been a Swansea player for more than a decade. He came through the ranks at Manchester United before playing for the likes of Leeds United and Yeovil town in the last few seasons.
In total, he has made more than 250 appearances for Swansea – a club that he first came to on a loan deal. “It was before the Everton game (in September 2012). I didn’t know that I wasn’t going to be captain. He took the captaincy off me but didn’t tell me, and things went from there really. I’ve been a Swansea player for 12 years, but sometimes a new manager comes in and you don’t get on with him,” said Tate. “He was not often in the team so he complains. I do not like this. I had a gentleman’s agreement with (Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins) for us not to talk,” said Laudrup’s agent.