Bony the bemusing benchwarmer

Okay he's not a bench-warmer in the traditional sense, but now seems a good time to ask the question: why does Wilfried Bony - Swansea City's record signing - start most of the games on the bench?

The Bench.

Naturally we as fans don't know everything Michael Laudrup knows. But, while he's proved naysayers wrong in the past with some decisions, starting with Bony on the bench doesn't seem to be his finest move.

As we know from watching Bony in action, he's strong, he can hold up the ball and turns well, and he can score vital goals against the top teams! He's the striker we've all been calling for for the past few seasons. So why doesn't he consistently start?

One theory for Bony starting matches on the bench is that he is very useful as an impact sub. And there is no denying that he is just the firepower Swansea need when chasing a game.

What we've seen recently, especially at home, is the team go down a couple of goals, then Bony comes on and we get one back, then get a great rally going, then... it's too late. It should be Swansea who come out, grab a great goal (or even a poor, lucky goal) and sit back a little and see what the other team bring.

Now, it could be a fitness issue - Bony may tire himself out easily and Laudrup doesn't want to risk fatigue. He's a big guy and doesn't look like he has Nathan Dyer levels of energy, so this may be plausible. If this is the case, a better strategy would be to start both Bony and Michu together, then as Bony's energy flags, swap him with a benched midfielder (say, Leon Britton) and put Michu up front.

I mention Michu there, which brings me onto another point - as a few on Twitter have also highlighted - the less Michu and Bony play together, the less of a partnership they develop. And as the Swans start to progress in the Europa League, that partnership will be crucial.

As I say, this is all speculation. And it's not like it's every game he starts on the bench. However I just think that Laudrup could be a little more ambitious, especially in home games. Bony is too good and too expensive to leave on the bench for half a game and if the Swans want to reach a higher position in the Premier League this year, Bony must start more games on the field.

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What are your thoughts on this? Why is Bony starting so few games? Leave your comments below or tweet me.