The Luke Williams era continues.

Swansea City’s new manager, with a little help from assistant Alan Sheehan of course, cruised to a comfortable victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Many will point out the caveats that will inevitably come with a win over a struggling League Two side, but overall it was a positive, albeit small, step in the right direction.

REPORT: Swansea City 2-0 Morecambe: Luke Williams era began with comfortable FA Cup victory

Indeed, when Charlie Patiño overcame Morecambe’s resistance shortly after half-time, few could argue that Swansea didn’t deserve it.

For Patiño himself, this may seem like the beginning of a new chapter. After all, it was the first match for the loaned “Arsenal” in almost a month. Having fallen from grace in recent weeks, he saw the arrival of a new boss as the perfect opportunity to really spread his wings.

On the other hand, if the rumors are to be believed, there is a real danger that it will simply up and fly. Rumors of a sensational transfer to Serie A giants Juventus appear to refuse to die down. In fact, before the ink had even dried on the Williams starting line-up, there was speculation that scouts from the Italian national team would be present at the FA Cup clash against the Gambas. Inter and Milan are also mentioned as possible destinations, but nothing concrete appears to be on the table yet.

Arsenal are said to be demanding £30m for Patiño’s services, although even reports in Italy admit the Gunners don’t actually want to sell. There are certainly no signs yet of him leaving the Swans this month.

But of course things can change very quickly and the persistence of speculation will continue to excite those who still believe Patiño has something special to offer in a Swans shirt.

Williams himself appears to be a fan, although his plans for the youngster may differ slightly from those of his predecessors.

“I told Charlie he needed to be in certain positions,” Williams said after the game. “He is an attacking midfielder. I should try to score. Try to create and score goals. He can’t just play in midfield and play good football.

“In the final third, the attacking midfielder is a killer. At half-time we remembered them very clearly and acted to win the game. So the longer you go without scoring, the more you will do what I wanted and score a goal.

“That puts us in a different position.”

This idea is interesting given that Patiño spent the majority of his career at Swansea, as well as his time at Blackpool, in the center of midfield, often alongside captain Matt Grimes in a central double formation. But judging by his recent comments, Williams believes the midfielder is better suited to a more advanced role. Certain sections of Jack’s army might agree.

Patino certainly has all the attributes needed to thrive in a more attacking position and has shown some enthusiasm for his potential new role under the former Notts County boss.

“Receiving the ball is also important because I feel like I can create something,” he said. — At halftime we changed something, the player wanted me to be higher in the pocket, where I can have more influence, and he didn’t want me to drop too deep.

“And then Matt Grimes, with his quality, and Joe (Allen) when he came through the lines and passed to Yannick or Pato and opened up half a space, I think that was good. We’ve built a bond on the field and hope we can continue that.”

Michael Duff has always urged caution when it comes to the level of expectations placed on the 20-year-old. Given his age, it was an understandable approach.

Williams himself might come to the same conclusion. Or perhaps he decides there isn’t enough evidence on the training pitch to justify trusting him to provide that injection of quality in the final third, week in and week out.

But apparently Williams is at least considering delegating more creative responsibilities to the kid. If Patiño makes the most of any opportunity that comes his way, some may feel it could lead to something special and probably fuel transfer rumors in the process.