Swansea City - Our expert dissects the first five months!

In the final blog post of 2013, ForzaSwansea's former Swans player ALEC JOHNSON gives us his expert opinion at the half-way stage - who's impressed and who hasn't? Which were the best and worst games? And what should we be looking forward to in 2014? Read on to find out!

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By Alec Johnson

This is our golden era! Let’s have a look at the first half of our third successive season in the most exciting and competitive league on earth.

Expectations
It’s amazing what a few successful seasons do to people’s minds. I find myself preaching to the newbies that this is as good as it gets while reminding the oldies of the dark trips to Torquay and Hereford every year. Earlier in the season Laudrup was merely managing expectations by stating that an investment of two hundred million would be required to get us to the next level. He’s not wrong and despite the significant profits in the club there isn’t a spare safe to break open, nor would I want there to be.

Best players
Despite our mediocre results, individual performance levels have been consistently high through a number of key players. Ashley Williams has been his usual self and remains our rock at the back. Leon hasn’t had enough play time but hasn’t given the ball away or lost a tackle for around a decade now. Nathan Dyer has scored some crucial goals and his presence ensures that we are on the front foot - we miss him every second that he isn’t on the pitch for his mercurial abilities in the final third.

This time last season, our Michu was considered to be the player of the year and the find of the decade, however this season he has really struggled to make an impression. People question whether he was a one-time hit but I have no doubts about our talisman and I can't wait until February for his reappearance.

The definition of 'best player' could be interpreted in many ways: most exciting, most goals, the greatest man of the match performances... irreplaceable? This leaves us with Ben Davies, who tops it for me. He is truly irreplaceable and, while he doesn’t receive many man of the match awards, he is a consistent nine out of ten. His game has developed to provide attacking options, goals and his runs create so much space for other players. Add to this his ability to win headers from set pieces at both ends and he is certainly my most valuable player this half of the season!

Best newcomers
We have a few contenders after splashing a record amount last summer. It’s fair to say that most have settled and all have contributed. Looking at them individually, Jonjo looks to be a shrewd addition given his age and initial outlay of £5m. His influence grows in each game and as he matures he will be a top player for us. Just behind him Canas delivers the best value signing after arriving on a Bosman (free transfer!) - he acts as a third centre half and does the dirty bits very well. At the back Amat is growing in stature and for me is close to dislodging the inconsistent and erratic Chico, who has gone slightly backwards. Amat’s positional play and reading of the game is exceptional for such an inexperienced player at this level and £2m looks a steal.

Up front, Bony divides most opinion in a way others like Scotland or Fallon did before him. I could write a whole article on the big Ivorian and may do so later in the season. It's taken time for him to settle and much criticism comes from the fact that he isn’t the hardest working player on earth, but he is making progress. People need to appreciate what he does offer and not what he doesn’t. He was bought to hold the ball up and bring people into the game and this he does very well. I can’t remember another striker doing this at the club as well in recent times.

Now, here’s where I put my tin hat on. This guy can play, and score, but we have to be more adventurous to get the most from him. First thing is to play him every game from the start. Secondly, let’s throw it in there, let him fight for it, get bodies around him for the second ball and he will score or at worst create havoc. At Villa Park on Saturday I counted four balls knocked into him in the box - that’s with 77% possession. He makes the runs, dragging people with him, but becomes disillusioned with the lack of ambition and opportunity. The other reason that he has to play is the shape of the team - he sits far up field without wandering into deep positions maintaining our shape and leaving our midfielders to dominate the possession across the middle third.

Worst newcomers
The final new additions add almost no value in my opinion. Pozuelo has been a major disappointment and lacks pace and strength, He has amazing feet and a football brain but he just doesn’t affect games or hurt teams. Alvaro simply shouldn’t be at the club - if we wanted an athlete to run around we could have gone to the Harriers and recruited better.

Best game
To date, we have underperformed against the big boys and haven’t got close to threatening any of them over 90 minutes. We have the ability, but seem to lack the mentality and belief. Laudrup’s public comments stating that certain teams are not in our league have receded, however you do feel that the mentality hasn’t changed. Therefore, in previous seasons, though a victory against Arsenal, Man City or Liverpool would have won the ‘best game’ category we have to look at victories of equal importance but less eye catching headlines this time out. I’m going for the 3-0 victory over Newcastle who arrived at the Liberty on a long winning streak, yet we dominated every minute of that game and seemed to play with far more tempo and belief. More of this in 2014 would be nice.

 
Worst game
Losing to our neighbours! Having witnessed so many derbies where we triumphed through greater passion and determination, the reverse was the case this time. Was it having too many foreigners? I don’t think so - we beat them with our fair share of them three years ago. Are they better than us? Nowhere near. They simply worked harder. Having been the club looking up at us for the past few seasons, it’s been painful for them and they had their moment of glory at the cost of three precious points, pride and the suffering of the 2,000 Jacks in their ‘soon to be red’ stadium. Let’s move on.

What next?
We are hours from January and the usual mayhem that surrounds it. As per all previous transfer windows I expect us to end the window stronger than we start it. The rumours of Moses, Sterling, Ince and Aspas all seem very far-fetched for different reasons. I expect Laudrup to deliver a few pearls from another planet and therefore off everybody’s radar. Without Michu we need another spark in the Borini or Siggi mould, both January additions, somebody to buzz around the final third and deliver end product to our beautiful game. Beyond January, I expect the second half of the season to deliver the 25 or so points required to maintain 10th position. My hope is that Michu and Dyer return quickly to their best as they offer the most penetration and unpredictability. My belief is that they will return as strong and that we will take some big scalps and knock our neighbours back into their dirty hole before their shambolic relegation party.

It all starts against the richest club on the planet and I can’t wait.

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Follow Alec on Twitter. And if you fancy sharing your opinions, leave a comment below or on our new Facebook page.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

RESULTS: Swansea City Team of the Season (so far)

A week or so back I encouraged you to vote for who you believe should feature in the Swansea City Team of the Season so far, on the basis that it was not a decision that should be made by just me!

Many of you voted. Some results were very predictable, some less so. Only one person voted for Tiendalli (I have a suspicion that it was Tiendalli himself).

So, without further babbling, here is who has impressed you the most this season for Swansea City!

The Team

Goalkeeper

Michel Vorm
Although he has suffered injury problems in recent weeks, you voted for Michel Vorm as first choice ahead of Gerhard Tremmel. Despite his mixed form and a few nerve-wracking punches, it's safe to say Vorm is still Swansea's best keeper.

Defence

Ben Davies
First on the list with one of the highest votes is Ben Davies (or Daveeees as one commentator persisted with...). Davies has had his share of blips, but is undoubtedly the best left back Swansea City have. He's also great going forward, scoring two league goals this season.

Angel Rangel
Another emphatic result was Angel Rangel, who you selected as the best right back. Even though Michael Laudrup has overlooked Rangel for Tiendalli at times (an incredible decision) Rangel is probably Swansea's most consistent defender and should always make the team.

Ashley Williams
While the results were less clear-cut for centreback, it should come as no surprise to find captain Ashley Williams makes the list. He's been to blame for a few opposition goals recently and has lost vital possession much more than in previous seasons, but Williams always puts himself on the line and can usually rival most Premier League defenders.

Chico Flores
Finally, you selected Chico Flores to partner Williams in the centre. This is one I don't fully agree with and would have opted for Jordi Amat instead (who was quite close behind in the votes). Chico hasn't impressed me as much this season (especially his acting skills) but - like Williams - he can keep great strikers quiet on a good day. He provides a talking point if nothing else!

Midfield

Jonjo Shelvey
The results clearly show that you choose Jonjo Shelvey as Swansea's best midfield player and I'd have to agree. While he does have his moments of madness, Shelvey is creative going forward and can pick an effective long pass. He also shoots and often scores, which is what Swansea are crying out for when passing becomes tedious. Shelvey will be key in Swansea's European and domestic progress in 2014.

Leon Britton
Next up you picked Leon Britton - the rottweiler in midfield. Okay, less intense than a rottweiler but just as effective. He has seen more time on the bench than he would like this season, but fans are usually crying out for his inclusion. He passes, wins possession and is one of the coolest heads on the field.

Michu
Michu is your final choice of the central midfielders. I prefer him in this attacking midfielder role instead of lone striker. Unfortunately we haven't seen as much of the Michu/Bony partnership as we'd have liked thanks to injuries, but on paper it should be a match made in heaven. Michu's work-rate and goals are his tickets to this team and there is no way he could be left out.

Nathan Dyer
On the wing Nathan Dyer is clearly your first choice. The little man is currently out with a bad ankle injury, but he has been terrorising opposition fullbacks as he has done for the past few years. He's also scored four goals, making him joint top league goalscorer (with Bony) so far this season.

Alejandro Pozuelo
Pozuelo has had moments of brilliance for the Swans even if he is a little unpolished. He's featured in more games than any other player, though he has impressed the most in the Europa League. He has the drive to win the ball and is quick with his feet, and even though much of his talent is better harnessed in an attacking midfield position, he's probably the second most effective winger after Dyer.

Striker

Wilfried Bony
Well... it's not going to be Vasquez is it?! Swansea are a little bare up front when it comes to choice, but Bony is definitely the first choice striker. He's strong and can hold the ball up well even though he hasn't been shooting as much as he perhaps should be. Still, he's top goalscorer in all competitions (with seven goals) and is a key man for the team.

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Agree or disagree with these choices? Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below, via Twitter (@ForzaSwansea) or on our new Facebook page.

New page - Swans Books!

We all love watching, listening and - if the popularity of blogs are anything to go by - reading about Swansea City!

So I have created a page dedicated to the best Swans books out there, from the complete history of the club to Ashley Williams Premier League Diary.

Look at the top of this page for the link!

Check the page out here and let me know if you have any suggestions for other books I should include. Cheers!

Happy Swansmas!

I just want to take a few seconds out of your day to say Merry Christmas (or whatever alternative your culture prefers) from all of us at ForzaSwansea.com.

Thanks for another year of reading this blog and supporting the Swans. Here's to Swansea City grabbing the title of Europa League Champions 2014 and (at least) mid-table in the Premier League in May!

All I want for Christmas... (not really - that kit is sooo last season!)

Lee Trundle vs. Swans fans - A Festive Battle

I was mentioned in a tweet (on Twitter of course) along with Lee Trundle. The tweet noted Trundle's comments in the Evening Post about Swans fans' negativity.

I read the first tweet, then popped to make myself a coffee. When I returned I had around 60 unread interactions. Something had kicked off...

It seemed to be a disagreement between Trundle and Swans fans over the club's recent form. But, instead of trying to voice my opinion with an ever growing number of Twitter users in 140 characters, I've taken to ForzaSwansea.com to briefly share my thoughts!

Trundle - he scores when he wants!

At the end of the day both parties have given good arguments.

Firstly, it's hard to deny that Swansea have been oddly poor in form and results over the past few months. The full reason is unknown, but the European games and squad rotation have clearly been playing their part. The team are not gelling - Bony is not scoring, Michu is not scoring (Tiendalli is scoring... which is odd), and generally players are looking tired.

As many have pointed out, the Premier League table is pretty unstable at the moment and a poor run of results could throw Swansea into the relegation zone in less time than you may think. The way the winter is shaping up, with games against Man City and Chelsea coming up, Swans fans have every right to be worried - lose both those games (which isn't that unlikely) and things may start to look bleak.
 
However...

It's not all bad (and this is where Trundle's argument comes in). He says in his Evening Post column that he is "tired of all the complaining about Swansea City's performances". I agree with his idea that Swansea overachieved last season and this is why they aren't looking as shiny this year. I also like the notion that although Swansea aren't playing well, the club is still in good standing in two tough competitions.

That standing is (if you didn't know already) - mid-table in the Premier League and in the Europa League knockout stages with a glamour tie against Napoli looming. That's not bad. Yes injuries and sub-par displays on the field are making Swans fans frustrated, but things could be a lot, lot worse (we could have Vincent Tan as owner and be on the verge of changing from white to pink with yellow polka dots).

I guess the ultimate thing to take away from this blog post is that - as Trundle says - we must stick together and support the club through whatever. Good performances are only a game away. But as fans - who pay stupid amounts each year to follow the team - we have the right to voice our frustrations over the poor displays.

In conclusion we are all right! Now it's time for my coffee.

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If you want to read more about Lee Trundle, read his book More Than Just Tricks.

Vincent Tan doesn't have a book... yet.

Flying High / Clipped Wings - Week #2

It's time for the second installment of our new weekly feature...

Flying High

After a poor performance last week against Norwich, Ashley Williams looked more on form. He committed himself to tackles and put his body on the line more than once. He also handled the threat of Lukaku well. And we must thank him for not gifting the ball to the opposition, which usually results in an away goal.

Elsewhere the singing Swansea City fans were on top form as they belted out some thoroughly entertaining songs - mainly Cardiff bashing - which we all enjoyed. "Vincent Tan is a Jack, he hates Cardiff!"

Clipped Wings

This may seem a little harsh as he scored Swansea's only goal of the game, but Dwight Tiendalli was pretty non-existent for much of the game. He didn't close down or run back quick enough and looked fragile in the air. I'd prefer to see Taylor work on his right-back skills and have a go at filling in for Rangel now and again...

And Wayne Routledge didn't look too hot yesterday. While he had a few decent runs and slid through a nice ball for Bony, his overall game is well short of where he's been in the past and he looked quite uncomfortable at times.

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Agree or disagree with these choices? Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below, via Twitter (@ForzaSwansea) or on our new Facebook page.

The Official Jonjo Shelvey Drinking Game

'Tis the season to drink (in addition to all the other things you may do at Christmas), so what better way to take the edge off an awkward family gathering than to play a drinking game. And what better subject for a drinking game than the enjoyable, talented and totally unpredictable Swansea City midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey?

Our resident American Swans fan JACOB CRISTOBAL has jotted down the rules to the drinking game (with a few extras chucked in by me) for your enjoyment. So, when Auntie Maude suggests a fun game to play this Christmas, turn on the TV, open your tipple of choice and hope Jonjo Shelvey is starting the match!

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By Jacob Cristobal

What's one thing we've learned so far this season? As well as needing a healthy Michu and Bony, and doing whatever it takes to keep Michael Laudrup our manager, it's that whenever Jonjo Shelvey is on the pitch you know you are in for an experience.

I AM SHELVEY!

I'll say this: an eight-hour time difference usually means that if I want to watch Swansea City matches live, it is in the morning. And it's a good thing they come in the morning when I'm sleep-deprived and drinking is very far from my mind, because when Jonjo's on the pitch, you'll damn well want to drink!

I've now realised that you will have more than enough scenarios within 90 minutes to create a drinking game based on his antics. So here are the official rules to The Jonjo Shelvey Drinking Game!

Remember, follow these rules at your own peril. I, nor ForzaSwansea.com, bear any responsibility for what happens. Besides, you Jacks are already a drunken lot by the time the ball is kicked - right? So, take another drink if:

• Jonjo influences play so that it results in the ball in the back of a net (that's one drink if it's the opponent's net, two if it's Swansea City's).


• Jonjo gets away with a foul that would normally warrant a booking (one drink if the commentators say it was worthy of a yellow, two if it was worthy of a red, and three if it was an arrestable offence).


• Jonjo scores a legitimate goal. (Typically this comes after the previous two conditions happen first: (i.e. in the Newcastle game).


• Jonjo gives the ball away in the Swans half in the 96th minute and it results in an equalising goal for the opposition.

Down your drink if:

• Jonjo makes a hand gesture that is considered a declaration of war in another part of the world.


• Jonjo scores an overhead kick from the Swans box in the 97th minute - reclaiming the lead and winning the game.


• Jonjo nuts the referee.

Any others we should include? Let us know via the usual channels - Facebook, Twitter or leaving a comment below.

COMING NEXT WEEK - The Dwight Tiendalli Hangover Cure (...not really).

Vote for your Swansea City 'Team of the Season so far' (yes... Tiendalli is on the list)

In seasons gone by it's been pretty easy to predict who is going to start a match for Swansea. However, it's been less obvious this season, mainly because of the heavy squad rotation thanks to the Europa League and the fact that there is an abundance of talent in the Swans squad at the moment (even if they don't always gel as well as they should)!

This talent means we've seen real battles for places across the field. Vorm or Tremmel? Chico or Amat? Davies or Taylor? Hernandez or Routledge? Michu or Bony (or both?)... and don't get me started on the midfield!

So, to help me out with selecting the team of the season, I want you to vote for the players who you think make the best starting eleven. This means those who you think have performed the best in the past few months and those who you'd like to see start the most games in 2014.

The rules of the vote are simple - just pick ELEVEN players (no more or this won't be accurate!) from the list below comprising:

1 x Keeper
2 x Fullbacks
2 x Centrebacks
3 x Central midfielders
2 x Wingers
1 x Striker

I've decided to be tactical and withhold the results until next week (just after Christmas) where I will announce the team of the season so far based on your votes, with some reasons why.

If I've left any players out then I'm an incompetent boob and you should write your choice under 'other', but I think the main men are all there!

(Note: I am not sure why Canas has a big N in it... but I can't seem to change it!)

If you want to tell us your reasons why someone should definitely be included in the team (or definitely not) then message us on Facebook or Twitter, or leave a comment below.

Happy voting!

ForzaSwansea - The Swansea City Team of the Season (so far...)

Michel Vorm

Gerhard Tremmel

Angel Rangel

Dwight Tiendalli

Ben Davies

Neil Taylor

Ashley Williams

Jordi Amat

Chico Flores

Alejandro Pozuelo

Leon Britton

Jose CaÑas

Jonathan de Guzman

Jonjo Shelvey

Nathan Dyer

Wayne Routledge

Pablo Hernandez

Roland Lamah

Michu

Wilfried Bony

Álvaro Vázquez

Other

Please Specify:

Poll Maker

ForzaSwansea on Facebook

Just a very, very (very) quick post to tell you that ForzaSwansea is now on Facebook. Not sure why it's taken so long to make the page, but we finally have one!

If you are on Facebook and want to keep up-to-date with new blog posts, discussions and interesting/amusing Swans things we come across, just give our new page a like by clicking here then pressing the 'like' button.

Cheers!

Reliving the Swansea City European tour... so far!

Although Swansea didn't take the expected route to qualification from the group, the main thing is we made it! Swansea City are through to the later stages of a European competition for the first time in our history!

The knockout stages await and the Swans have earned a mouthwatering tie against Italian giants Napoli. But how did we get to this stage? ForzaSwansea's newest contributor GAVIN TUCKER is giving us the chance to relive the high (and not-so-high) points of Swansea's Europa League campaign so far.

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Drawing Napoli in the last 32 is a fixture that really marks the culmination of Swansea City’s progress over the last decade. The home leg will see Rafa Benitez’s side visit the Liberty on 20th February with the intimidating journey away to Stadio San Paolo on the 27th February.

Napoli is one of the toughest draws we could have had, with some top class players in Jose Callejon, Marek Hamsik and Valon Behrami; it will take a solid performance over two legs and maybe a little luck to see us through. Let's not forget it was not so long ago we beat Chelsea, then champions of Europe, over a two-legged knockout round and we all know how that ended. Just try to push the thought of Dwight Tiendalli facing Gonzalo Higuain to the back of your mind for now at least.

Here's a quick(ish) summary of our adventure so far in Europe and how we got to where we are:

Qualification

After comfortable wins against Malmo and Petrolul Ploiesti, 4-0 and 6-3 on aggregate respectively, Swansea progressed to the group stage draw. Thanks to a couple of upsets elsewhere the Swans moved up the seeded rankings meaning, in theory at least, a slightly easier group than first expected.
Swansea were drawn straight out of Pot 2 and into Group A with Valencia of Spain (ranked the number one seeded team in the tournament at that stage), followed soon after by St Gallen of Switzerland and Kuban Krasnodar of Russia. The general consensus was that Valencia would be a tough one, but we could, maybe should, qualify from our group. First up a trip to the Mestalla...

Valencia 0-3 Swansea

As starts go, it really couldn't have come much better this. Over 2000 Swans supporters, including myself, made the journey for what was to become and will be remembered as one of THE results in our recent history. Valencia had been struggling with league form going into the game, and there was a feeling that with the right performance we could get a positive result from this fixture.

Valencia's Adil Rami was sent off for a ninth-minute professional foul when he hauled down Wilfried Bony - an incident that Swansea took full advantage of. Bony struck first when his right-footed opener went in via a deflection five minutes later. Half time came and the Swans were 1-0 up in the Mestalla.

As the second half resumed, attention was drawn to the home fans (or lack thereof) behind the goal - the Valencia ultras had refused to return to the stands for the second half in protest to the current and recent results from their team. They did eventually return however, just in time to see Michu fire in from eight yards to make it 2-0. Cue away-section mayhem. Jonathan de Guzman curled in a 30-yard free-kick for the third and, to the applause of Valencia fans at full time, Swansea left the field sitting at the top of Group A!

Swansea 1-0 St Gallen

Our first group game at home saw visiting St Gallen bring with them a very respectably sized and noisy away support of around 1500 - oh, and a couple of flares. You can't even smuggle in a bottle of pop into the East stand but St Gallen brought with them a different flavour of European support that we never experience as supporters domestically.

The game will most probably be remembered for the completely inept refereeing of one Duarte Gomes. Having recently been banned from taking control of international matches, he gave bizarre decision after bizarre decision to the point that you stopped being surprised by them towards the end.
Not stopping play in the first half for Michu to receive treatment for a head injury that gushed blood and required stitches at the break was not even the half of it.

St Gallen closed us down well and were very physical in their approach; they were probably unlucky overall not to get something from the game.

Tiendalli was ruled to have handled the ball in the box after 14 minutes, but a weak penalty from Goran Karanovic resulted in a comfortable save by Tremmel. With a few chances early seeing Michu and Jordi Amat both hitting the post, it was not until the second half that Swansea got the breakthrough. In the 52nd minute Wayne Routledge grabbed what proved to be the winner.
Top of Group A, with two games, two wins. We're through already.... right?

Swansea 1-1 Kuban Krasnodar

 

Our third group game and second home tie brought visitors Kuban Krasnodar to the Liberty and around 50 away fans made the long journey from Russia.

Swansea seemed to lack their usual fluency but finally found a bit of rhythm in the second half with Michu bravely sliding home after latching on to a lovely chip from Alejandro Pozuelo on the 68th minute.

Deep into injury time and 1-0 up we only had to keep possession and see the game out. However, Jonjo Shelvey attempting to take on a Kuban player in injury time saw possession lost. Tremmel brought Balde down in the area and Cisse stepped up to score his sides first goal in the group.
A 93rd minute equaliser - tough to take.

Kuban Krasnodar 1-1 Swansea 

A massive shout has to go to the 50 Swans followers who spent hours deciphering the visa requirements and made the long and expensive journey to support our team in this fixture.

Picture courtesy of Tom (Twitter: @Glos_Jack)

Wilfried Bony's early, low strike looked set to give Swansea victory. Another Kuban escape seemed unlikely when Xandao was shown a second yellow card for clattering Alvaro Vazquez, but Ivelin Popov fed Balde to score and saw Kuban equalise in injury time, AGAIN.

To miss out on a win and a valuable three points to a last gasp goal once is bad enough, but for it to happen twice, within two weeks, against the same team was frustrating to say the least.

Swansea 0-1 Valencia

A strange night at the Liberty saw Valencia take the victory and secure top place in Group A. Valencia dominated possession and the match had very sedate pace all evening. You could easily be forgiven for thinking you were watching a pre-season friendly.

Fewer than 100 of the Valencia faithful made the trip from Spain to Swansea, and saw their side take the lead as Tremmel's tame punch fell to Juan Barnat outside the box. His shot was deflected into the path of Daniel Parejo.

Swans were left frustrated as Wilfried Bony limped off with an injury only for his replacement Alvaro Vasquez to have a perfectly legitimate equaliser ruled out for offside. 

Meanwhile St Gallen were officially out of the competition after losing 4-0 to Kuban Krasnodar. The Russians, however, were mathematically in with a chance of qualification should they beat Valencia at the Mestalla in the final game and Swansea lose to St Gallen while overcoming a goal difference of three.

St Gallen 1-0 Swansea

(The Fog Derby)

Flight disruption due to fog left the team delayed at Cardiff. When it finally cleared, a further delay due to a technical fault on the place resulted in the team waking up a sleepy Chico from his airport terminal slumber and scheduling a flight from Southend. The team finally arrived in Switzerland, although the training session scheduled for Wednesday evening was cancelled. Not ideal preparation.

The journeys of some supporters were also badly affected and, after numerous flight delays and cancellations, some were forced to abandon their travel plans. A massively frustrating and stressful experience for all involved.

It appeared the fog had followed the team and supporters out to St Gallen. Swans supporters tucked in the corner of the AFG Arena, unable to see the far end of the pitch as play commenced. St Gallen fans were in fine voice again seemingly fuelled by giant pretzels.

One massive pretzel too many...

The game itself was probably one to forget. The very attack-orientated line up from Laudrup and lack of a holding midfielder saw us ultimately struggle in the centre of the park. Tremmel gave a good performance and were it not for a few superb saves we could have easily seen a bigger loss.

Whether it was complacency after getting six points from the initial two games, the sheer number of team changes game to game, a touch of arrogance or a general lack of effort, we undoubtedly limped over the line into the knockout stages. Still, if you had offered us second in this group before a ball was kicked then I'm sure most would have happily taken it.

The next step...

Onwards into the knockout rounds once again and a big-time draw against Napoli. No chance for mistakes at this stage and should we progress from this behemoth of a fixture, Swansea will face the winner of Eintacht Frankfurt vs Porto.

The break from Europe between now and February will give the team a chance to narrow their focus back to the Premier League and hopefully improve their form. It's a popular opinion that the Europa League in general disrupts a team’s league performances, with the players being exhausted from the travel, extra games, etc. It's hard to say really with the Swans as we are still in a reasonable league position and have a decent points total.

One thing I believe has impacted us though is the (necessary) heavy rotation of the squad game to game. Two seasons ago it was pretty much the same eleven week in, week out. You knew the line up before it came out. That consistency helped understanding between players. Having to rotate so heavily being in Europe is completely foreign to Swansea (pun intended) but so far I think it's been managed fairly well.

In summary it's a fantastic achievement for Swansea to have qualified for the Europa League and we can be proud of how far we have progressed. It's been an exciting journey and who knows when we may be in European competition again. Whatever happens from here on in we can all be even prouder than usual to be a Jack.

Thanks for reading, feel free to follow me on Twitter: @gavint_

Flying High / Clipped Wings - Week #1

We don't have many regular features as such on ForzaSwansea, so I've decided to remedy this problem by - you guessed it - introducing a feature or two!

The first one, which will be written every Monday, is called "Flying High / Clipped Wings", which is essentially a hero/zero of the week. A hot or not. You get the idea.

So, without further babbling...

Flying High

After another "game of two halves" yesterday against Norwich, not many Swans players were worthy of rapturous applause. However, thanks to his effort, flair and - of course - his determined goal, Nathan Dyer impressed me (up until his unfortunate injury). Thankfully it seems his ankle isn't fractured, as we first thought. While still painful for the little man, it means he should be back much sooner.

Elsewhere Jordi Amat had a good game. He's getting more and more assured with each match he plays and soon it'll be him instead of Chico who is one of the first names on the team sheet. He seems a lot more calm than Mr Flores. Not as good an actor, but you can't win them all...

Clipped Wings

Even the best have bad games, but Ashley Williams has had a few blips recently, whether it's giving the ball away or... giving the ball away. As he's usually one of the last men, when he loses the ball it often results in a goal for the opposition or, at the very least, a good chance for them to take a shot, as we saw yesterday when he was out-muscled by Gary Hooper just outside the box. We must commend him on the superb pass to Dyer which set-up the Swans goal, but otherwise Williams isn't on top form at the moment.

And our usual super-keeper Michel Vorm looked a little flustered yesterday. While he made a cracking save to deny Hooper a winner later in the game, he gave Norwich a good chance to take the lead when his unnecessary punch went askew. Let's put it down to his knee injury.

Swansea City 3-0 Newcastle: What we've all been missing!

I've not written a match report for a while, but will give a few thoughts on last night's superb game at the Liberty Stadium, where Swansea comfortably beat Newcastle 3-0.

In a nutshell, we saw something that had been lacking from a Swansea City match for a few weeks - sheer enjoyment!

Swansea went into the game off the back of a deflating 3-0 loss to Man City and a previous loss against Valencia. Things were looking a little bland for the team and some of the Premier League/European gloss looked to have finally worn off. Newcastle on the other hand were in brilliant away form, and on a four-game winning streak. So it was inevitable that Swansea would turn everything around and win in impressive style!

The first half was filled with heavy possession and slick passing from Swansea, with chances at both ends - a hint of the game to come. However things looked bleak when Alvaro Vazquez - Swansea's third and final striker - limped off with a groin injury in the 28th minute. Talk about bad luck. It was difficult enough to score with strikers, so what would happen now? Thankfully we had nothing to worry about as we watched three slide past Krul!

Jonjo Shelvey had arguably his best game ever in a Swans shirt. Despite some immaturity and fortune, he showed strength, determination and goalscoring capability with his superb goal from outside the box, Swansea's third. What's more, he made the second goal (though it went down as a Debuchy own goal) with a well-timed run, and passed the ball around well all game. (Meanwhile keep an eye out for a Shelvey-dedicated blog post from Alec coming up later this week)

We also saw great performances from Pozuelo and Dyer especially (with his good first half goal), with a top-class save from Vorm in the first half. In fact every Swansea player put in a performance worthy of applause - yes, even Tiendalli and de Guzman.

Another thing I noticed was that the Liberty Stadium had some atmosphere! We've always lauded the Liberty as probably the best home support in the Premier League, but recently things have been uncharacteristically quiet. I'm not sure if it's been the chilly weather or, more likely, the lacklustre performances, but things haven't been as noisy for a few weeks. Thankfully the team gave us something to shout about and things were back to normal.

I should mention Howard Webb - I never praise referees but he let the game flow well. He also overlooked the Shelvey incident, and didn't penalise Newcastle's penalty appeals (Williams' push and Davies' handball) which we thank him for (we needed some luck for a change!)

So, although the Europa League has taken its toll on the squad, contributing to the injuries and recent sluggish form, Swansea really showed once again that they can deliver in the face of adversity. The win gives all Swans fans a little boost going into a hectic winter!

The 93rd minute

I rarely write a match report these days because... well, there are so many out there and most people see the match live or recorded it seems a little pointless.

However I am going to share a few of my thoughts about Swansea's frustrating match against Stoke, which ended 3-3 thanks to another injury time penalty!

Conceding in injury time to the detriment of points is an unfortunate habit that the current Swansea side seem to have fallen into. Swansea fans usually have a lot of patience, but nobody would blame even the most docile fan for getting irate, considering it's happened three times in as many weeks (twice with Kuban Krasnodar and once with Stoke).

Twice it has been a penalty - the one against the Russians was justified, however the one given to Stoke by Robert "The Twat" Madley was little more than a guess on his part and replays show very little to suggest otherwise. He cost Swansea the game. Referees make mistakes, but that really was a tough mistake to swallow.

However - even though he is fully to blame for his stupid decision - we have to look at why Swansea aren't able to close a game out. There must be an underlying reason why concentration lapses and the opposition score and there must be a solution! I'm not saying they need to take the ball to the corner flag at the end of every game, but whatever happened to the easy passing that would ensure the team would keep possession until the final whistle? I guess this is a discussion for another blog post though.

Anyway, if we put the annoying ending aside it was definitely a cliched "game of two halves", with the first a complete shambles, similar to many other Swans games we've seen recently, and the second half a perfect representation of what Swansea should play like week-in week-out. 

So - were some Swans fans within their right to boo the team off at half-time after that dismal 45 minutes? It's completely understandable that they were frustrated and I believe all fans have a right to voice their opinion. However a muted clap or just silence is probably a more dignified way to let the world know you were not keen on the performance. Boos - while a good way to make yourself heard - are more for clubs who are in a really bad place, like those who want to get rid of a manager or those who are in the relegation places (think of Sunderland recently). Boos aren't really Swansea City.

Finally I will touch upon Chico Flores and his play acting. When the team are doing well nobody seems to mind it (or at least nobody speaks up about it), but yesterday when the team were looking like a Championship side, Chico hamming it up was quite embarrassing. Like boos, play acting and deliberate diving is not really what Swansea are about. Yes, it can be amusing occasionally and was an oddly refreshing change when we first saw it, but ultimately there is no need for it in football and it's becoming a little cringe-worthy. I feel he will stop this - if only from the amount of abuse he got on Twitter yesterday.

The international breaks always seem to come at a bad time for Swansea, but let's hope the team can regroup and rethink what is going wrong - and what is going right - before the away match at Fulham on Saturday 23rd November.

Raising awareness: "I'm Swansea and I Know It" - Charity Single

Very often I am emailed asking to help promote something. More often than not it's from a big company who have more than enough money to spend on advertising but would prefer to try to get their message on my blog for free. These messages I usually ignore, or ask them for money - an email which they usually ignore.

However I'm usually happy to help good causes, so this blog post has been written to help raise awareness of the new charity single "I'm Swansea and I Know It (feat. Kevin Johns MBE and Smithy)" which has been made to raise money for Llanelli four-year-old Eva Rose, who has cerebral palsy and is going through procedures to help her walk.

 

Many of the people living in Swansea will have heard about this single through the usual media channels, but a large chunk of my readers come from America, Australia and Asia and probably don't read the South Wales Evening Post that often, so this may be the first time they have heard of it.

You can download the single - based on the LMFAO hit, "Sexy and I Know It" - for 79p via iTunes or Amazon, knowing that all the proceeds will be going to help little Eva and her dream to walk. Go on, what's 79p these days?

Cheers!

The return of the South Wales Derby!!

It's almost here - Swansea City vs Cardiff City: the South Wales derby!

Things have certainly changed since the last time the teams met (where Cardiff won 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium, thanks to a goal from Craig Bellamy).

For starters Swansea are in the Premier League! Where last time the Swans had Gower, Moore and Beattie we now have Michu, Vorm and Bony. Swansea have Michael Laudrup, Swansea are league cup winners and Swansea are in Europe! And Cardiff are in the Premier League.

I was planning to write a comprehensive match preview, but realised there are probably about 40,000 others out there at the moment so, instead, myself and the other ForzaSwansea bloggers are sharing with you a few thoughts ahead of the match in an easy to digest Q&A format!

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What's the best thing about the South Wales Derby? Have you missed it?

Jules Price: I've missed the build up! It's great seeing the local papers like the Evening Post and Western Mail competing for the best headlines and interviews for this game. It's almost reaching fever pitch. I don't feel the national media has quite picked up on it yet though. Part of the build up has been looking-back at old games and memorabilia and that is something I really enjoy.

Alec Johnson: The pure intensity of the occasion - it is unrivalled and no other fixture comes close. It’s all about the adrenaline which runs in overdrive for 24 hours either side of the match. It’s never changed and never will.

Jacob Cristobal: Well obviously I'm the newbie to the South Wales derby in the group so I approach it with the freshest of eyes. It just happened to be by the fates of the football gods that before Cardiff and Swansea face off, Seattle and Portland do battle in the MLS Cup playoffs over here. I expect the South Wales derby to be just as intense. I've read the story of Cardiff supporters being chased off into the water and that is just awesome!

Matthew Jacob: The incredible atmosphere created by two sets of fans that want nothing more than to get one over on the enemy. But this isn't just about the fans - this is about two cities, two clubs, and the whole world will be watching. I had to wait a long time for my first derby and I also know I'm included in the thousands of Jacks who will have had a knot in their stomach from last Sunday knowing this game is coming. Excitement, passion, nerves, aggression, all building to the crescendo at 4pm on Sunday when the game kicks off!

Chris Carra: I've definitely missed this fixture - so much rides on it. As Jules said, I don't think the national media know how important a match it is, but they will when it's over! Whether you are watching in the stadium, in the pub or at home, this is the match no-one wants to miss.



In a dream, how will Sunday afternoon pan out for you?

JP: A dream would be Swansea losing 1-0 or 2-0 at half time... Stay with me on this! Then in the second half, Swansea turn on the style (which is the case recently) and we pull level with 10 minutes to go. Finally in the dying minutes of the game the Swans score a winner. The Cardiff fans would feel like they have been robbed! Outstanding!

AJ: A win of course, but the manner is equally as important. We have an opportunity to turn on the style and embarrass them. I am dreaming of a three or four nil humiliation with us bossing from start to finish, with the Redbirds humping it up to our boys at the back. They hate Ashley, Leon, Michu and Routledge most so one goal each for them. The dream will be complete with a deafening boooo around Legoland before Malky gets the boot on Monday morning.

JC: Dream scenario personally for me is Seattle stomps Portland, and across the pond, Swansea smashes Cardiff. Simple as that.

MJ: We humiliate them on their own patch, in front of their fans, with a worldwide television audience. That doesn't necessarily mean we beat them four or five nil, but let's have them chasing shadows all afternoon, silence their stadium because they can't cope with us (and win the game obviously) - that would be enough for me. The Sam Hamman comments about the 'little cousins' down the road will always stick with me, and passing them into submission while putting two or three on them would be a satisfying afternoon. Oh and a goal for Chico, that would be enjoyable. 

CC: I'd say it's 0-0 until the last few minutes, then Michu uncorks a 30 yard strike into the back of the net. Swans fans go mental. Then moments from the end, Alan Tate abseils from the roof of the stadium, subs himself on then scores an overhead kick from his own penalty area. Perfect.

In a nightmare, how will Sunday afternoon pan out for you?

JP: Nightmare for me would be Cardiff City comprehensively beating us to produce a 3-0 or 4-1 type result. This would have major repercussions for me as I work in Cardiff and Monday morning would be dreadful. I could probably just about swallow a 1-0 defeat.

AJ: Don't go there!

JC: Nightmare is obviously the opposite of my dream scenario. If my voice and liver are gonna be shot this weekend, it better be because the two clubs I support handled their business!

MJ: We turn up and don't give 100% for 90 minutes. We need everyone pulling their weight and no lack of effort. I can accept defeat if we've given it everything, but to not do so, and lose, I wouldn't be able to accept that. 

CC: As the others say, we could probably take a cruel 1-0 defeat, but being hammered by Cardiff would be terrible. It's a match full of emotion and a red card for someone like Ashley Williams would be horrific.

 
Who is going to be the key player for Swansea?

JP: Recent performance stats indicate that de Guzman and Chico have been the key players for the Swans so we would need them to maintain that high level of performance. Hernandez made a great impact during his return last week against West Ham so a big game from him could make a difference. Ultimately I feel our striker needs to step up and be counted. If Bony could score one or maybe two goals on Sunday it would go some way to justifying that record price tag.

AJ: People keep talking about the midfield, but like the West Ham game it’s all about the attack and defence for me. They will bypass the middle all game and it’s no coincidence that West ham and Cardiff have the two least completed passes in the league this season. Our back four have to be dominant and Vorm needs to boss the air, unlike last weekend. Our final ball needs to be better to take the chances that we will undoubtedly create.

JC: Battleship Bony. He'll be the difference with a brace as Swansea win 4-1! 

MJ: They'll be aggressive, pressing, won't let us settle if they can help it and they'll give maximum effort you can be sure of it. Leon Britton will be key to nullify Mutch and keep the ball rolling for us. Having Williams back is massive for us too.

CC: Everyone has to bring their A game with them on Sunday, but I feel the passion and work-rate of the Spaniards, in particular Michu, will be key to winning it. Leon Britton and Ashley Williams will also know what rides on this game, so their experience will also be relied upon greatly.



Finally, what's the score going to be?

JP: 2-1 to the Swans, one of which will be a penalty!

AJ: I’m in for 2-0 and if we play our game I cannot see us losing.

JC: 4-1 Swansea!

MJ: It's gonna be tight. 1-1. 

CC: It's a difficult away game, but Swansea definitely have the quality to win it. I'm going for 2-1 to the Swans!

Swansea City vs Sunderland: A lovely little preview

We're only in October, but we've already arrived at a crucial game for Swansea City. A win in the match against Sunderland on Saturday is very important!

Why? Firstly, despite an array of top players, Sunderland are rock-bottom of the league with just a single point. I have compassion, but Swansea need to take advantage of Sunderland's confidence and kick them when they're down, so to speak. They also have a new manager in Gus Poyet, so it's a great time to take all three points before he settles in.

And finally it's at the Liberty Stadium! The Swans' home form hasn't been that impressive this season, but understandable with Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool the opposition. This is the first of the "should-wins" at home, and the Swans must do exactly that.

Swansea should have a full squad, with Ben Davies, Pablo Hernandez and Garry Monk all back from injury. However it seems Ashley Williams will be out a little longer so expect Amat to replace him again. I'd like to see a middle three of Shelvey, Canas and Michu, with Hernandez and Routledge outside them - very attacking. And up front is obviously Bony. With a team like that, goals shouldn't be a problem.

Sunderland have surprised me this year as there are some quality players in their squad, including two with big Swansea connections - Fabio Borini and the on-loan Ki Sung Yeung. However, it's clear to see Paolo Di Canio didn't help things and is probably the reason they have done so poorly. With Gus Poyet I think they'll be much more solid. But now is a great time for Swansea to make sure they start his reign off with a lose!

I've asked David Boyle from top Sunderland website The Roker Report to give me his thoughts and a prediction ahead of Saturday's match, which he kindly agreed to:

Sunderland fans will anticipate yet another new dawn this weekend, something we have become accustomed to given the rate we've been going through managers recently!

Kevin Ball acted quickly to reinvigorate a squad left downtrodden and demoralised by Paolo Di Canio’s regime and Gus Poyet will be hopeful he can carry on the improved performances which Ball was able to produce during his spell as caretaker manager.

Poyet may well be keen to instil his preferred football philosophy of possession football and methodically looking after the football - something that Swansea fans are well accustomed to, but quite whether it is possible to implement yet another new tactical approach in such a short space of time remains to be seen. However, if we’re being honest, putting points on the board is much more important than easy-on-the-eye football at this stage for a side rooted to the foot of the table.

I wouldn’t expect Poyet to tinker too much or change from the 4-3-3 formation which Kevin Ball employed in the last two games. Obviously he will have to find somebody else to pull the strings in the middle of the park rather than your very own Ki who is unavailable due to the restrictions of the loan deal. I must say I’ve been impressed with the Korean; very tidy on the ball and a good eye for a pass, he has certainly added something to our middling midfield at the very least.

Steven Fletcher is also reportedly ahead of schedule in his bid to returning to action following a shoulder injury sustained against West Brom but if he is to feature it is likely to come from the bench.

It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of three points for the travelling side this weekend but I have a feeling that the spoils will be shared - score draw.

David believes a score draw is likely, which should be the very least Swansea should expect. However I feel the Swans will be too strong at home (hopefully) and too eager following their 2-0 loss to Southampton, so I'm going for a 2-1 win to Swansea.

See you at the Liberty!

ForzaSwansea Exclusive: Toshack is back with the Swans!

The Toshacks have always been a big name with Swansea City. In 1978 John Toshack joined the club as a player manager and took his team from the old Fourth Division right up to the First Division in four seasons. He remains the most successful manager in the history of the club.

But it's not John who has returned to Swansea City (yet...). His son Cameron, who was part of the Swans squad in the late 80s, has followed his father's managerial lead and, since August this year, is back with the club as coach of the under 21 squad!

And it's a great pleasure to have former football agent and now ForzaSwansea writer ALEC JOHNSON catch up with Cameron - discussing his relationship with his father, his thoughts on the club as it is now and the future of Swansea City's youth.

Take it away Alec!

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Alec Johnson: Welcome back to Swansea City Cameron! The club has changed a bit since you were last here in the late 80s hasn't it?

Cameron Toshack: Yes it certainly has and I'm delighted to be back working at the club I've supported since arriving in Swansea as a boy. The changes from the outside are obvious, but it's also great to see the club has remained the same in many ways - important ways. It's retained its values and affiliation with the city and the people, which is due in no small part to the leadership from board level.

Cameron Toshack (© swanseacity.net)

AJ: Gone are the days of getting up at 6am and tearing up the M4 in a transit van to play an afternoon game - now it’s all leather coaches the night before I hear?

CT: Thankfully those days have gone! I can still recall travelling with the youth team to Belgium on the club's mini bus to play in a tournament as well as the long trips to Plymouth and Exeter - all great memories and certainly character building.

However today the club leaves no stone unturned and provides fantastic support to the younger age groups and local players coming through. The latest example of this is the state-of-the-art academy in Landore which is a great place to go to work everyday.

It's always a challenge with younger players to get the balance right between giving them enough to want more and not giving too much and risk affecting their motivation to be the best they can be. My early impression is that the club have the mix right and are keen to progress wherever possible.


AJ: Roll back to your youth - what was it like growing up in the Toshack household?

CT: I've been asked this one a few times... Growing up I was fortunate to be part of a close family unit along with my brother Craig and sister Sally. Looking back I can understand why I was always asked the question, but at the time it never seemed out of the ordinary because your dad is your dad. It's not as if I had anything to compare it to.

Success was the norm from Liverpool to Swansea to Real Madrid (twice) via Real Sociedad, Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas, winning five major trophies. It was a roller-coaster ride and a fantastic experience at an early age to experience different cultures and visit many countries. That said, it was clear we made our base in a great place to live in Swansea and made friendships that remain to this day.

My mum deserves a mention here as she picked up the considerable role of taking us to clubs and schoolboy games all over the place from an early age, while dad worked abroad.


AJ: You retain a very special relationship with your dad don't you?

CT: I guess it inevitably is a special relationship. A lot of boys look up to their father as a key influence on them and mold how they view the world. It's fair to say both my father and his father have passed on the values and ethics which I hold close to this day. As a man he has always set high standards of himself and those around him, something which I experienced at close quarters working with him as part of the technical teams of both national teams in Wales and Macedonia.

It was great for me to work alongside him as both my father and also as one of the most successful coaches to come from these shores. I have learned and continue to learn a lot. I would describe our relationship as special, as you mentioned. I'm very grateful to him for his guidance over the years and I often find it interesting to hear others speak about him.

While knowing him very well myself, I can say that he is a fair person that is very well respected across Europe, in particular in Spain and Turkey where he has worked.


AJ: How is the future looking for our under 21 squad? Who should we look out for?

CT: The future is looking bright! The development squad has taken shape this year and, as you may be aware, as a club we were recently awarded a Category 2 academy status which is a fantastic achievement. Many at the club deserve a lot of credit for driving this successful outcome, in particular Tony Pennock and his team. But things never stand still and the next goal is to move forward which will involve bringing in different thinking to challenge and raise the bar.

Having completed my UEFA badges some time ago as well as coaching at national level I'm hoping to be a key part of the progression. It has been a difficult start for the under 21s as it's the first year the group could be called a squad. Many are new to the club and the expectation of all working in a new structure is high but will need a little time to bed in.

Since arriving in early August I have really enjoyed working with the group and from a player perspective we have a number of good prospects, as do the under 18s who I have also been involved with to a lesser degree, but I'm not going to give you the names yet - weren't you an agent?!

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A big thanks to Cameron for agreeing to give Swans fans a glimpse into his family life and his thoughts on being back with the club again after so many years!