Colchester manager Paul Lambert believes that Paulo Sousa will be a success at Swansea

Lambert was a Champions League winning team mate of Sousa with Borussia Dortmund in 1996 and altough he thinks that Sousa will have a tough job to follow Roberto Martinez who was such a success in his two years at the club.

Speaking to BBC Wales, Lambert said "It will be tough to take over from a man who has done great, just like whoever takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United will have a difficult ask.

"But I'm pretty sure that Paulo will get a bit of success and if he gets them out of the Championship, people will forget everything that went before.

"I think it's a great appointment for Swansea, he did a fine job at Queens Park Rangers. It is well-documented that there are problems at that particular football club.

"Paulo said when he took the QPR job that he'd be his own man and he wouldn't like people telling him what to do."

Gareth Ainsworth - a member of Sousa's coaching staff at QPR also tipped the new man to make a success of his job

"I don't think you can judge someone on just four or five months in any circumstances, fans and players wanted him to stay as they enjoyed the change of style and the learning experience.

"He's a fantastic man, well-respected, honest and an intelligent guy that comes across super-intelligent tactically.

"In training he changed players, changed some players' positions and he brought some things out of players that I didn't see and I've been at QPR for seven years!

"He's a real thinker, he can be a shouter and aggressive in the dressing room but is a very intelligent talker who speaks a lot of languages which is useful thesedays - but I'm not sure how he'll cope with the Welsh accents!

"Swansea were blessed with Roberto Martinez who got them playing some great stuff and Paulo will add to that style as he was a fan of Swansea's way of playing the game.

"In a way he has a team that suits his footballing philosophies - and I can tell the Swansea fans that they're in for a treat. He'll be a top manager of the future."

Lambert also added "It's all very well being a world-class footballer and playing at some unbelievable football clubs but how do you get experience as a manger? By being given an opportunity.

"And when Swansea gave Roberto Martinez the chance he did an absolutely brilliant job with not much experience and Paulo will be great.

"Paulo is very single-minded, has his own ideas of the game and will show it is not difficult for a top player to become a good manager."

Photo: Action Images

Southampton Polls