Cup o' coffee and the Swans (Sunday Catch-up - 15th March 2015)

I was away last week so we had to miss our regular Swansea City catch-up, but here's a bumper Mother's Day edition (it's not really that bumper...) to make up for it!

Swansea City vs Liverpool 

The Swans have had a nice 12 day break since their thrilling 3-2 loss against Spurs, so they should should be well rested and up for getting something out of Liverpool at the Liberty tomorrow night (8pm).

It's a really hard one to call, not helped by the fact that Swansea are so inconsistent. As we've seen this season, sometimes they'll grind out a brave win and shock everyone, and sometimes... well, sometimes they just don't look bothered. Thankfully in the last few games the effort levels from everyone seems to have increased so we can hopefully look forward to a good performance and maybe even a point.

Let's hope Swansea can make him this wound up on Monday...

Of course recent history doesn't bode well for the Swans, who have lost four of their last five meetings with Brendan Rodgers' side, losing 4-1 at Anfield in December. But, like Swansea, Liverpool are an unpredictable team when it comes to consistency, so it really could go either way.

Bafetimbi Gomis, following his collapse against Spurs, was back in training during the week and should be fit to start. With a pretty much full strength squad it'll be interesting to see if Monk goes for the relatively successful diamond formation he's tried out in the past few matches. Either way expect Jonjo Shelvey to start and score a goal for both sides.

I'm going for a 1-1 draw, a result most Swans fans would happily take it think.


Rangel forever

...well, for the next two years at least. The longstanding right back has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Liberty until 2017. An important part of the team in the rise to the Premier League, Rangel has felt his importance slip slightly in the last year and his recent form has been shaky at best.

An extended Rangel

Still, he's a stalwart, and an important dressing room figure, so it's good news he's sticking around. Hopefully he'll be around to end his career with the Swans, going on to become a coach or even a club ambassador (although it may be tough to wrestle the job from the hands of Lee Trundle, who's embraced the roll to the highest order!).

As an added bonus, Jordi Amat has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him with Swansea until 2018. He's not the starting choice for Garry Monk at the moment, but Amat has shown time and again that he's more than capable of playing in the Premier League and he'll provide good competition and cover for Fede Fernandez.


Barrow gone (but not for good) 

Young winger Modou Barrow has temporarily left Swansea to sign for Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season.

The speedy Gambian has been brilliant when making appearances for Swansea and it's actually a shame because - although he's a little raw - he has proved he has the skill and speed to keep up with the rest of the side.

Of course I understand the decision - Swansea are safe and he'll get much more game time with Forest, but in a way he could have had a few more starts with the Swans between now and the end of the season? What have we got to lose?

Anyway he'll be back in the summer and hopefully he'll stick around for the 2015/16 season.

Beware: The Curse of Swansea City

Danny Graham is the central figure in the current 'I want to leave Swansea City' rumours. Though nothing is confirmed, he's clearly not happy starting behind Michu every week and it looks like he wants out.

In Laudrup's defence, Graham hasn't particularly wowed recently.
In Graham's defence, he is a footballer who wants to play football (we assume).

Can we blame him? If he really wants to play, maybe Swansea isn't the best bet for him at the moment. Then again he may just want to go for the money, like so many others have done in recent years. But be warned Graham - bad things tend to happen to those who leave Swansea, especially for the money.

To commemorate this event, and the closing of the transfer window, I'm dedicating a blog post to look at some victims of the satisfying curse:

Scott Sinclair
This is the best one for me. Greed and nothing more led him away from Swansea City. Sinclair clearly had visions off knocking the likes of David Silva to the bench and cementing himself as one of Man City's starting wingers. However he was the only one in the whole country who could not see he would be a reserve player and nothing more. For a man who spent much of his career hopping clubs, he clearly made a massive mistake - but he'll receive no sympathy from us.

Joe Allen
Local-boy-makes-good Joe Allen was one of the key figures in Swansea's midfield last season. However, he was very quick to follow Brendan Rodgers out of South Wales to Liverpool. Unfortunately for Allen he hasn't really shone under Rodgers the second time around and has seen more of the bench than he probably wanted to. And, with Rodgers on the hunt for new midfielders, will he have much of a chance to impress at Liverpool in the future?

Darren Pratley
There was plenty of hoo-hah (finally managed to use that phrase) surrounding Pratley's departure but he officially left the club for Bolton on a free transfer, immediately after Swansea reached the Premier League. He now plays regularly for the Championship club which sit in an uninspiring 16th position. After his amazing halfway-line goal against Nottingham Forest, getting relegated with Bolton must have been a little anti-climactic.

Dorus de Vries
If there was ever a case of why you shouldn't leave Swansea for reasons of greed, The Cautionary Tale of Dorus de Vries is one people should tell their grandchildren. The highly-respected goalkeeper was adorned by Swans fans for many a season, including his awesome promotion-winning final season. On his departure, De Vries said: "Wolves are going into a third season in the top division and ... the difference for me is that while Swansea will hope to maintain their Premier League status, Wolves will expect to survive."

While Swansea are now 9th in the Premier League, Wolves are currently 18th in the Championship, and de Vries is a reserve player. While we can't hate him, we can chuckle at the fact that he may be sitting on the bench for a League One team next season.

Brendan Rodgers (not a player, but still...)
Rodgers ditched a place where he was loved, to join a bigger club where he was initially hated. Fans have warmed slightly to him - from hatred to indifference - but with Liverpool off the mark and Swansea heading for another Wembley final, Rodgers must have some regrets now. Not that he would admit it. Okay? Okay.

Alan Tate
Just joking - Tate's loan move to Leeds was the right decision for everyone involved and he is welcome back at any time.

Out of all these players, can we really be that bitter? The answer is no. They all helped Swansea get to where they are today in one way or another, and their exit made room for an even better successor to come in. Still, there should be no guilt in smiling at their misfortune.


This post was kindly sponsored by XLSMedical.co.uk

Ok? Ok? Ok? - OK!

You may think I've gone mental, or my blog been hacked into, but no - the title is just a light-hearted jab at Brendan Rodgers (whose time on Being: Liverpool has exposed him as a religious user of the word 'ok').

It seems like just yesterday we all felt the jolt of panic when we sensed unrest in the Swansea City camp - Brendan Rodgers being linked with Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers being confirmed with Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers leaving for Liverpool. Then came the cliche-riddled letter to the Evening Post. Then he was gone.

We soon wiped away the tears. Some of us turned angry, others remained unsure whether or not he was the new Martinez. However, he soon confirmed his place on the Swans fans hate list after looking to poach players like Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm, and then succeeding in taking Joe Allen.

Tomorrow, for the first time, Swansea City come up against Brendan Rodgers in the Capital One Cup.

We probably won't see the usual cup match tradition, where most Swansea fringe players will be aired out - we would hope for (and I'm sure Laudrup will deliver) pretty much a first team squad, with a few exceptions.

With the Man City game taking one of Swansea City's most valuable players in Michel Vorm, Gerhard Tremmel will really need to rise to this occasion. He has look flaky in the past and even struggled against Barnsley, but Laudrup has confidence in him. Still, I guess he is a better option than David Cornell.

Elsewhere Angel Rangel is suspended, but it's not the end of the world as I'm sure Rangel needed a bit of a rest. Dwight Tiendalli or Jazz Richards may well get an airing out, while Alan Tate or Garry Monk may make an appearance somewhere in defence at some point.

Maybe we'll see Luke Moore start up front or on a wing, though Danny Graham and Nathan Dyer have both been bench-warming recently, so I'd be surprised if they don't start.

Of course, this is a cup match - if Swansea lose it's not the end of the world. Ultimately the Premier League is still priority, but it goes without saying a win would be more than just a win.

Rodgers has the advantage of it being in Anfield and has the 'bigger' players advantage - we know what Steven Gerrard, Louis Suarez and, of course, Joe Allen can do on a good day. However, it's likely they will be rested - which is good news for the Swans.

I'm not sure how the travelling Jacks will respond to Rodgers... okay, they won't be applauding him. We all know what Rodgers did for the team, but it wasn't just his doing, as some of the lazier media outlets like to insist. We have plenty to thank the Irishman for, but enough to be bitter about too.

While the Swans fans at the game will surely vent plenty of anger, it will hopefully be our (well, Michael Laudrup and the team's) football that will do the talking.

(Meanwhile, this is an interesting article I found on the origin of the word Ok). Ok?

The Swansea City Vindaloo: Hard to digest

So much changes over a week during the post-season/pre-season/void, especially when you combine the search for a manager and a handful of new players. It's hard to keep up. Some are able to; some are not, and ultimately crack under the pressure of trying to take in all the rumours, gossip, chatter and inevitable sightings of José Mourinho and Paulo Sousa at Morgan's Hotel.

Let's at least try to digest some of the past week with Swansea City with a Pepto Bismol-coated blog post.

Most recently - who saw Brendan Rodgers' open letter to the Evening Post? It was heart-warming. Well, not really. In fact, it was as you might have expected and can be summed up like this:

Thanks. Mission. Legacy. Thanks. Love Swansea. Thanks. Forever a Jack. (Wait... what?)

Don't get me wrong - he didn't have to do it, nobody forced him. In a way, it's better than nothing. I guess he felt it would be nice to explain himself. But, as one enjoyable tweeter wrote after reading it: “The Rodgers letter; a bit like your wife leaving you and then sending you a letter to say how good you were.”

It's also very similar to the Martinez open letter, written just before he nabbed a few players for Wigan.

Anyway, I'll be mentioning the new Liverpool manager as little as I can now, because Swansea City must move forward! The Swans need a manager, back room staff, players and a new focus for next season.

Before I leap into possible new managers, it's worth mentioning that the Sigurdsson move is off. Two weeks ago he was about to have a medical and sign, then... he wasn't. Sigurdsson is one of the best loanees to have worn the Swansea shirt in recent years, but he certainly was not the sole reason Swansea survived last season. Yes, he scored vital goals and created reassuring chances, but to be honest, maybe the massive price tag would've seen him do a Torres/Carroll and flop? Who knows. Maybe Liverpool will find out.

Besides, Swansea are not lacking midfielders and at least the new manager will have £7million to spend on a different player or two.

Moving on, and Swansea are without a manager in case you hadn't noticed.

There has been nothing in the way of concrete moves so far - a few talks here and there, a few rumours - but nothing that justifies the bookmakers suspending bets. Huw Jenkins has recently been holidaying, so to expect a new manager by now may be a little premature. Reports says that the club are expecting to have the new man (or at least a good idea of who he will be) within the next week.

Good. Though it shouldn't be a rushed decision, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. The existing players (not to mention the eventual new recruits) need a good enough chunk of pre-season to 'gel' and decide what the best strategy is for survival come August.

We've seen several names thrown by the media and fans alike – some shrugged off easily, some sticking. The names we've heard the most of seem to be Michael Laudrup, Graham Jones, Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Holloway. Not to dwell on these too much (there are plenty of others who can give pages of why it may, or may not happen), let's quickly look at them.

First up is Graham Jones, who saw the bookmakers halt bets at one stage last week. In fact there was a small window when even I was certain he would be announced. It seems that Jones initially decided against it, but the press has recently reported he is back in the running, after a second bid will be made by the club.

Jones clearly knows the club and the style of football well, and would be welcomed back by a number of senior players, but does not have first hand experience of being a sole manager. While it could be another Brendan Rodgers in the making, I feel someone with a little more managerial experience would be better.

Michael Laudrup's odds have recently fallen from around 22/1 (when I put my £1 on him), to 8/11 where he currently stands as favourite. Hell of a player and has the managerial experience, as well as a similar style to what Swansea have been impressing everyone with over the last few years. According to the Mail, he is keen to take over and would welcome interest. Watch this space.

Dennis Bergkamp was another big name associated with Swansea. His odds fell rapidly within the last week, but it has come to nothing so far (nothing new there then). He has experience as the assistant manager at Ajax, but is he holding out for the Arsenal job. His odds are back at 12/1 - don't rule him out, but don't bet your life (or £100) on it.

Finally in my little round-up is Ian Holloway. I would say Holloway is one of my favourite choices. He's a colourful character and knows how to play attractive, attacking football. He's done well with Blackpool over the last few seasons and there's no reason he wouldn't continue his success with Swansea.

Some say, under Holloway, the defence wouldn't be up to scratch, but providing Swansea can keep Williams, Taylor and Rangel, and add another one or two solid defenders to the list, I think there is little to worry about. However, Blackpool say there has been no formal approach. He's currently third favourite after Laudrup and Jones. It's another 'watch this space' I think.

Right, that's quite enough from me. I'll be back soon with a post about the new players we need to get in. Let's hope a manager is sorted by then.

(I fear as soon as I click 'publish', this blog will already be out of date...)

Rodgers gone: In nobody we trust.

So, what's been happening with Swansea City? The new home kit is expected to be released soon... some of the players have played for Wales in America... there are vacancies in the Liberty Stadium ticket office. Oh, and...

BRENDAN RODGERS HAS LEFT THE CLUB TO JOIN LIVERPOOL. 

Yes, it's official.

It had been speculated for a while, so can we be too shocked? However, Rodger's constant comments, reassuring us that he would not leave, that Swansea was the place for him - it does make it a surprising decision.

Firstly, I fully appreciate his situation. He is a young manager with a great record of success over the past few years. Liverpool is a big club (albeit one struggling a little at the moment), and Rodgers has seen his chance to manage that big club. I accept the situation.

I also recognise what he has done for Swansea: taking them from a mid-Championship team to a mid-Premier League team in just two seasons. His style of football is fantastic and he's brought some superb players to the club.

While I wish him no specific ills, I can't really say I wish him all the best. Or much of the best for that matter.

Whatever spin he puts on his departure (e.g. wiping away the tears), he won't be remembered as highly as he could have been. If he made this move two years down the line he could have gone to a bigger club, and we'd have probably respected him for it.

Hell - I'd have probably respected him more if he didn't try to reassure everyone with false statements of intent. 

Let's look at a select few quotes taken from newspapers just a few months ago:

"If I felt in my own mind that I was going to be leaving, I wouldn't have signed the new deal"
"But I want to complete the job here and, unless the club tell me otherwise, I am very, very happy here."
"I don't know where else I could go and be as happy as I am at Swansea City."
"Hopefully I can see out the contract I have just signed."
"My focus is purely on Swansea City, and on building what we have done here."
"I get the opportunity to manage this club the way I want to do it”
"I've learnt my lesson in my career (at Reading), and that was a defining moment for me.”
"My family love it here in Wales. I'm 39 years of age and I hope to be in the game for a long time, but for now my concentration is with Swansea City." 

Blah, blah, blah and so on.

It was all technically lies... Maybe he meant it back then. Back two months ago.

The whole 'Elvis for Brendan' thing seems a little silly now.

So, most of us are understandably angry at the moment, especially with news that three backroom staff will leave with him. I'm assuming our anger will swell over the summer - as, inevitably, Gylfi Sigurdsson refuses to sign a contract, or Rodgers starts peeling players away from the club. I can't see Joe Allen, Ashley Williams, Michel Vorm leaving, but Scott Sinclair? Nathan Dyer? I'd hate to see it, but you can't help feel something else is on its way to ruin our summer!

The opportunity for Mr Rodgers is a big one, I'll admit. But it's the wrong one for him. I know that a few years later and the Liverpool job may not be there - this may be the only chance he has to manage Liverpool. But who the hell wants that job!?

If he likes a challenge he's found it, that's for sure! If the Liverpool fans were happy to get rid of “King Kenny”, a supposed Anfield legend, how will they accept Brendan Rodgers?

So far, looking at the forums, listening to Liverpool radio stations and, of course, Twitter, the response is mixed, with more emphasis on the 'no ambition in signing Brendan Rodgers' angle from many Liverpool fans. He's off on the wrong foot already.

Even if they are ready to accept him, how much time will he get? He will need time to find his feet - to develop a style of play around the current team - which may take a while.

But Liverpool want Champions League football. They want to win the Premier League. They want all of this NOW. There is no “a few years down the line”. He'll struggle to win over the fans I fee.

So, Swansea - the team we really care about - are left with a massive hole to fill. It's by no means the end of the world. But it is a major setback for a summer where a little tinkering was required, rather than a complete change.

Who is going to fill that hole? There are a number of names being thrown around: Holloway, Di Canio, Zola, Solskjaer, Laudrup, Poyet... Monk.

Monk is an interesting one - he's committed to the Swans, he knows the club, he knows the style of play. However, he's inexperienced as a manager, so is not the answer... yet.

I don't understand those who are desperate to see Roberto Martinez back. While I like Martinez as a manager, the way he left Swansea is much the same way as Rodgers has done. You know he'd jump into the role, stay another few years, then move along when another big club comes calling. Anyway, he has supposedly confirmed his loyalty to Wigan (but what does loyalty mean in footballing terms these days?). 

No, Martinez is not the answer.

Whoever comes in, we just hope it's the right guy to keep the club moving forward. Swansea City have the footballing philosophy in place, they have the money, they have the board and the full support of the fans. I am positive the Swans will remain in the Premier League after next season. They just need the manager to make sure of it.

Swansea City: Hello Sigurdsson? Goodbye Tate? Stay there Dobbie?

It's been just under two weeks since Swansea City last took to the field. Brendan Rodgers has barely opened his bottle of SPF 30 and the summer rumours, links and signings are already in full flow.

Too many rumours begin and end on Twitter and, with no attribution, it's barely worth taking notice of most of them. However, some may have legs...

Let's briefly catch up with what's been going on:

Gylfi Sigurdsson
I began writing several posts on Sigurdsson, but as soon as I went to publish them we heard of another twist in the story. It seems Huw Jenkins is opening his wallet wide to grab the Icelandic midfielder, who played such a key role in the latter stages of the season. He filled the centre of the pitch nicely, netting many goals in style for the Swans, so it's no wonder everyone wants him to stay on.

The latest news seems to be that Swansea have agreed a £7.2million fee with Hoffenheim after Huw Jenkins flew to Germany. Sigurdsson must now agree personal terms and decide if he wants to make the switch permanently.

Let us hope it's all sorted soon and £7.2million is the limit. Though he is clearly a quality player, the whole budget shouldn't be spent on one man. You never know - he may have his own bout of 'second-season syndrome'! But I'm almost certain that won't happen. A decision is coming soon though; an announcement we all anticipate highly.

Tate and Monk Released?! 
No... at least I don't think so. But I bring this up as I recently overheard someone say 'I don't believe they've released Tate and Monk from their contracts!'. Thankfully a quick internet search proved it to be another nothing rumour, and rightly so.

While they are struggling in the Premier League they should never be forced out, for two reasons: one being Swansea are severely lacking defenders at the moment. If Taylor and Rangel take a knock, it's Tate who will step in. We don't even have the luxury of two fresh, young centre-backs at the moment with the departure of Caulker, so Monk is currently first choice along with Williams.

The other reason should be obvious - they are Swansea City. Despite being somewhat past their prime, both Monk and Tate are key figures to have on the bench, in the dressing room and, when it's called for, on the field. I'm sure they'd take pay cuts if needs be, but to be released just like that? No!

Stephen Dobbie
Still on the Swans books, but will he play again? Watching the play-off semi-finals it was clear to see why the Blackpool fans love him. His touch, his vision... he is the complete player. For the Championship. Yes, I fear Dobbie is a very good Championship player and that is his limit.

Is it worth keeping him? With the probable signing of Sigurdsson, Dobbie is even less likely to start for Swansea next season, so I think now is the time to let him go (for a nice lump sum of course - £1million is the current price tag). Naturally, he won't be forgotten easily, after what he did for the team in the promotion winning season, but I think most would be happier to see him make the switch to Blackpool permanently.

Marvin Emnes 
Swansea were linked with Marvin Emnes last week, but that little rumour did the rounds and died. Like Dobbie he seems to be a fantastic Championship player and will always be remembered for his goal against Cardiff, but I can't confidently say he'd make an impact on the Premier League.

Rodgers to Liverpool 
He wasn't first choice for the Liverpool job and didn't want to upset the Swans players and supporters, so his decision not to get involved with talks was clever and ultimately the correct choice.

And the rest...
Rodgers to Roma, Emile Heskey to Swansea, Allen to Liverpool for £3million - none of these are happening! I can't decide which one is the most absurd and which I dislike the sound of the most...

Swansea vs. Scunthorpe - I can't think of a better title...

Firstly, thanks to those who contributed to the podcast idea. Despite some complications resulting in the podcast having to come offline, a new one will be up soon! Definitely stay tuned.

Tomorrow we'll see Swansea on stage up in the sunny Scunthorpe! Like the majority of supporters (and non-supporters alike), I think I am not too forward in saying “I can't see Swansea losing”. They're in great form, great spirit and a great table position, so if we can't be confident now, when can we be?

Brendan Rodgers has made manager of the month, a superb achievement. It's a feat I can't even achieve in FIFA 11's Manager Mode, so to win it for real just shows how far he has come in his short time with the Swans! With such a confident squad and manager, it is impossible for Swansea to lose tomorrow.

But I've said this before and have been very wrong!

We know all too well that the Swans can shoot themselves in the foot eleven times over by going into a match looking too far ahead of the game in front of them. Scunthorpe is another must win game and it'll be no good imagining the Premier League if they can't beat a poor Scunthorpe side. These days even a draw isn't that reassuring in an ever changing top 6 of the table. In fact a loss tomorrow could see Swansea, theoretically at least, drop back down to fourth (this is a worst case scenario by the way). A win though, would keep them in the automatic promotion spot, where they, lets face it, deserve to be.

Betting on the game?

I seem to have started offering betting tips in my blogs recently, which is odd considering I am usually way off! But I'm predicting a 2-0 victory to the Swans. I know its an away game and who knows, Scunthorpe may well grab a home goal for the fans to cheer at, but they are struggling in 22nd at the moment and have lost more Championship matches than any other club (20) and failed to score in the most (16) (thanks to the BBC for those wonderful stats!).

But who will score? Well thankfully many are sticking their hand up for the Swans and even Luke Moore now has two goals. I'd say Moore, Sinclair and Dobbie all have another goal in them this match, though with Dyer and Pratley around and with Williams capable of getting decent contact on the ball from corners, a “first goalscorer bet” may be a bit pointless – it's hard to predict these days!

I'm actually in Rugby tomorrow (the place, not at the rugby, like I've had to explain to my dad twenty times this week), which is closer to Scunthorpe than Swansea, but I'm unable to travel further to make the game. I'll be checking in on my numerous iPhone apps to see how the Swans are playing minute-by-minute, though I have no major worries that all three points will be coming home with them.