Savage, Swansea and Sundays!

I’m not going to give a match report for the Swans’ victory over Cardiff on Sunday because:

1) It would be a really late report after two days,
2) 99.9% of you reading this will have watched the match either in the stadium or on the BBC, so you know exactly what happened.

While I mention the BBC, can I ask why they felt the need to let Robbie Savage commentate? He sounded like he’d won some sort of competition to ‘have a go at commentating’! Chipping in with Cardiff bias comments and, at times, unnecessary points of view didn’t make the experience any more enjoyable. I’d have preferred silence. As a football commentator myself (I commentate for Swans matches for a hospital radio station), I know it’s not always that easy to come up with something insightful. However, I also know that if I have nothing worth saying, it’s best to just shut up. On Sunday I can safely say I would have done a better job!

The match itself, as usual, didn’t fully live up to the hype, mainly because Swansea were the only team actually playing! For a top of the league club, Cardiff looked very mediocre and only half-up for the match. Michael Chopra, usually a decent player, looked amateur and dirty after the series of leg-breaking tackles he committed. Swansea on the other hand did everything as they have been doing over the past few months, which was playing good football. They kept possession and, despite Dave Jones’ opinions, used it to create chances and eventually score the goal that sealed the derby victory. Alan Tate, Nathan Dyer, Ashley Williams and Joe Allen all put in solid performances with the rest of the Swans all above par. Swansea talked up the importance of the derby before hand and put in a performance to match.

It’ll be a shame to see Emnes go back after his wonder goal. He has one more game for the Swans, and then he leaves. I’m not too sure of the terms of his loan, but I wouldn’t want him playing against us on Sunday when Middlesbrough travel to the Liberty! Hopefully (at the risk of sounding selfish) things won’t work out for him up North and he’ll rejoin us during one of the next few transfer windows!

My final note is regarding the bout of Sunday games. Firstly, there are no Saturday home games until January, which is crazy! Just because Wales are playing a series of test matches (come on, just call them ‘friendlies’...) on Saturdays in November, the usual football schedule is thrown into disarray. I know many people like rugby, and I know many Swans fans will want to watch the rugby as well as the footy, but why does the rugby have to take priority? Football is played week-in week-out and should have first say. People of Wales should be wanting to see the Swans charge towards the Premier League! If any WRU members are reading – move the rugby to Sunday! Saturday is for FOOTBALL!

So, onto the Bristol City and Middlesbrough games on Wednesday and Sunday (arrgh) respectively where six points will be up for grabs and probably in the bag for the high flying Swans!