Michael Laudrup and Swansea 'match made in heaven' claims Jan Molby

Former Swansea manager Jan Molby believes his old club and compatriot Michael Laudrup are a "match made in heaven".

The Dane has emerged as the front runner to become Brendan Rodgers' replacement at the Liberty Stadium and an announcement could be made later today.

Molby believes the 47-year-old's playing career - with spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid - has heavily influenced his management style, and his footballing philosophy dovetails nicely with that started by Roberto Martinez and continued by Rodgers before he joined Liverpool.

"He was strongly influenced by Johan Cruyff when he was at Barcelona in the late 1980s, early 90s," Molby told BBC Sport Wales.

"That's how he wants to play his football, that's how Swansea played last year under Brendan Rodgers, so if it happens I think it's a marriage made in heaven.

"They've put a squad together capable of playing exactly like they want to play.

"They're brave and it's worked well for them, they've proved they can do it in the Premier League.

"That's very important for Michael, he won't have to start from scratch with a group of players that maybe aren't comfortable having the ball, being in possession.

"This group of Swansea players are. He will maybe add one or two players he might know from Europe but of course there won't be great changes, because they don't need to.

"I think Michael is a bit like Brendan Rodgers, likes a settled squad, likes to work with the players, feel that he can improve the players.

"So I don't think he's one of those managers who is going to be knocking on the chairman's door every other day saying they need more players."

Laudrup won five Spanish league titles in the early 1990s and was one of the players of his generation, but has yet to replicate that success as a manager with spells at Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Mallorca.

Molby believes his fellow Dane has yet to achieve his full potential but thinks an opportunity at the Liberty Stadium could be the opening he has been looking for.

"If you look at his CV, he did very well with Brondby with a young group of players, got them playing the right way," the former Liverpool midfielder added.

"Then you look at his next three jobs: Getafe, I thought he did well but fell out with the owner, had a great run in the Europa League, almost knocked out the mighty Bayern Munich.

"Moscow, I think he just landed in a country where it was impossible with language difficulties, they just didn't allow him to do what he wants to.

"And from the moment he set foot in Mallorca they were just beset with financial problems that he never quite got over.

"This is the opportunity now, he has to make a mark as a manager."

PA