Swansea City's 2014/15 season is over... What do we do now?!

What do we do now?

The 2014/15 Premier League season is finished, meaning there is no Swansea City action for a few months. And to rub salt into our footballing wounds, there are no summer competitions like the World Cup to give us our fix.

But in reality the football season never finishes. There's a fine line over when the post-season ends and the pre-season begins and - thankfully for football fans - both tend to overlap. (I love the below cartoon from the New York Times which captures the essence of the summer perfectly):

Although the next time the Swans kick a ball may seem ages away, the club will start their pre-season tour in July, which is essentially just a month from now.

Unfortunately, as reported on the club's website earlier this week, the original plan to play a mini tournament in Dallas, Texas has been cancelled. A great shame. Rest assured Swansea will definitely be arranging an alternative, but we're still waiting to hear what exactly.

For those of you yearning for a little live football action closer to home, there's always the SwansAid 'Sellebrity Soccer' match, which features a line-up of local and national celebrities such as Kevin Johns, Lee Trundle, Shane Williams and Dean Gaffney, along with an array of others (many of who are from soaps and shows I don't watch, like X Factor - I therefore don't know who they are. However, you probably do and can check out the full list here.)

The fun match will take place this Sunday, May 31st at the Liberty Stadium at 3pm. Proceeds go towards SwansAid - the club's charity, which helps local sport, health and educational projects and causes. Watch Lee Trundle and Kev Johns train for the match on the video below:

Finally, while I will temporarily stop the semi-regular Sunday morning catch-ups, I will bring some news of transfers, as well as a couple of nostalgia posts through the summer, although - as you know by now - for a great dose of Swans history you just have to check out Swansea City's Greatest Games!

Good luck keeping entertained in the post-/pre-season.

Chris

Swansea City Summary: A month of pre-season friendlies

For those who didn't see them or who haven't been keeping an eye on the scores, here's a recap of how the Swans have fared in their pre-season friendlies:

vs. Chivas Guadalajara (16 July) - Drew 1-1
Many first-team players were involved in the opening friendly against the Mexicans in America, including Angel Rangel (captain), Leon Britton, Bafetimbi Gomis, Jonjo Shelvey and Nathan Dyer, who scored Swansea's only goal in the 57th minute. Chivas proved tricky opponents and found an equaliser through a last-minute penalty. There were two red cards in this game, including one for Neil Taylor.

vs. Minnesota United (19 July) - Lost 2-0
The first loss of the season, courtesy of two first-half goals from Justin Davis and Greg Jordan. Again the Swans showed off several first-team players including Chico Flores, Gerhard Tremmel, Bafetimbi Gomis, Neil Taylor and Angel Rangel. Swansea enjoyed most of the possession, but failed to turn it into anything worth celebrating.

vs. Plymouth Argyle (27 July) - Won 4-0
Back in Britain following their short American tour, Swansea finally claimed a victory in their pre-season campaign. The game saw the return of Ki Sung-Yueng to the team. Rory Donnelly scored first within ten minutes, followed by a rare goal from Jordi Amat in the second-half. Then came two goals for Gylfi Sigurdsson on his return to the club. A very comfortable afternoon for Garry Monk and the travelling Swans fans.

vs. Exeter City (29 July) - Won 2-0
Another comfortable game for the Swans against League Two opposition, which saw a number of first-team players out with injury. New striker Bafetimbi Gomis scored his first goal for the club in the first half, before Josh Sheehan made it two in the 78th minute. Wilfried Bony made his first appearance following his World Cup campaign, and set up Sheehan's goal.

vs. Bournemouth (1 August) - Lost 3-1
Garry Monk started with quite a young and inexperienced team, which probably explains the 3-1 loss to Championship side Bournemouth. The most experienced players to start for the Swans were Gerhard Tremmel, Nathan Dyer and Angel Rangel. Swansea's speedy new winger Jefferson Montero grabbed the only goal for his new side.

vs. Reading (2 August) - Won 3-1
The Swans second game in two days saw a much more experienced starting eleven and it showed with a convincing 3-1 victory against Reading. Wayne Routledge was in great form and scored two of Swansea's goals in the first-half, before Bafetimbi Gomis made it three in the second-half with a nice chip. Wilfried Bony also missed a penalty (but we'll forgive him this once).

vs. Villareal (9 August, 3pm) - Lost 3-0
A pretty poor return to the Liberty Stadium for Swansea who looked pretty clueless in their set-up against the Spaniards. Monk selected pretty much his complete first-team, but they were torn apart by an average Villarreal. A little worrying a week before the season kicks-off, but at least it's exposed some problems before it's too late.

Summer silence on Forza Swansea

Just a note to acknowledge the lack of blog updates recently. From February to the end of June I spent nearly every day researching and writing about the Swans for my upcoming book, Swansea City's Greatest Games, so this summer I've taken a bit of a break.

I mean, I am usually pretty lazy over the summer anyway, but at least this year I have a bit more of an excuse... (do I?).

Rest assured, as the new season dawns there will be more fresh content from myself and the contributors (who also seem to have taken a bit of a summer break).

Meanwhile, as soon as the book is available for pre-ordering I will write a big article about what's in it and what you can expect. It's looking good though!

Anyway, that's it for now, keep checking back and see you soon!

"Good goal Messi son - done exactly what I taught you."

Swansea City: New fixtures, World Cup watch and transfers round-up!

Another week or so has passed - the World Cup is in full swing, the transfer market has seen some movement and Cardiff are still in the Championship. So let's see how the summer is treating Swansea City!


Fixtures

The Premier League fixtures for the 2014/15 season were released today. Rumors of playing West Brom at home for the first game were false - instead Swansea will play Man United again for their opening fixture, albeit at Old Trafford this time around (this will be on 16th August).

The rest of August, September and October are all pretty winnable and should give us some nice points to take into November which looks like a bit of a tough month (with games against Everton, Arsenal and Man City).

The season overall is pretty well balanced between tough and not-so-tough teams. Hopefully survival in the Premier League will be sorted before May as the Swans will face both Arsenal (away) and Man City (home) in that month. The final game is on 24th May with an away trip to face Crystal Palace. The full list can be found on the Evening Post's website.

Emnes during his first stint with the club in 2010/11

Transfers

There's not been much in the way of transfer activity over the past week. At the moment the biggest news is that the Swans are pretty close to signing an old face - Marvin Emnes - for around £1million. The 26-year-old has been with the club on loan twice over the past few years and, although he's nothing groundbreaking, he offers another decent option up front and is already a firm fan favourite. And, let's be honest, £1million is a bargain!

Wilfried Bony has said he will only leave Swansea for a top six club, which - I guess - is fair enough, even though we hope it doesn't happen this summer. It may/will definitely be difficult for the club to keep hold of the star striker in the long term, but if he does go it will be better to see him with Arsenal or Chelsea, not Stoke or Sunderland.

Meanwhile the question mark still hangs over Ashley Williams' head, but all this talk from his agent smells too much like a tactic to increase his wages rather than an actual threat to go elsewhere. Another 'watch this space'!


World Cup watch

The World Cup is only a week old, but it's already been a fascinating tournament. And Brazil - home to the Copacabana, the Rio Carnival and the BSOP - is the temporary home to some of Swansea City's stars.

Wilfried Bony popped up to score Ivory Coast's first goal in the 2-1 turnaround against Japan, with a glancing header after latching on to Serge Aurier's cross in the second half.

Meanwhile Jonathan de Guzman played around an hour of Holland's thrilling 5-1 hammering of Spain (even if he looked a little out of his depth at times). Michel Vorm was on the bench for the Dutch for that game, but with Holland having no set number one, don't be surprised if we see him at some stage in the tournament.

In South Korea's 1-1 draw with Russia last night, Ki Sung Yueng showed the kind of midfield passing and domination that, had he shown more of in his first season with Swansea, may have seen him avoiding that loan spell at Sunderland. Either way, he looks like a player Garry Monk - and the Swans fans - will want to keep hold of.

More from all these players in the next few days (including de Guzman tonight hopefully)!


Shirt sponsors

Finally, the Swans look to have agreed a new shirt sponsorship deal with the company with the almost unreadable logo, GWFX (the Goldenway Global Group).

It turns out to be the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in Swansea City's history, supposedly worth more than £4 million to the club. Good business there, even if I do hate that logo!

Blogger Q&A - "Goodbye 2013/14"

Swansea City's 2013/14 season is finally over! It's been eventful - happy, sad, angry and proud, the emotions were all over the place this year.

So, to end the season, myself and the Forza Swansea bloggers are answering a few questions to round it all up, including the best and worst games, goals and players!

Q1) What was Swansea's best game this season?

Jules Price: For me the best game would be the draw at the Emirates Stadium. Bony's headed goal was sublime, underlining his increasing confidence. What was so pleasing was how the Swans were able to put up a solid resistance for most of the game against an Arsenal side that were completely dominating the match.

Alec Johnson: It has to be Cardiff at the Liberty - beating your fierce rivals so comfortably with so much at stake. The six point swing was crucial for momentum and it could have gone horribly wrong had we lost.

Gavin Tucker: It has to be my trip to the Mestalla and our 3-0 annihilation of Valencia. Perhaps it didn't have the historical significance of a play-off match or cup final but it's up there with my all time favourite game. Quite possibly the best away trip ever.

Jacob Cristobal: It's a tie between these two: September 16, 2013 against Liverpool. You have to look back with a sense of humour and appreciate that Jonjo Shelvey was MOTM for both sides - that's special talent right there. And February 27, 2014 against Napoli. All Swansea fans should be damn proud of their Europa League campaign. To be 35 minutes away from the Round of 16 is nothing to scoff at.

Chris Carra: The Cardiff game was of course superb, but I enjoyed the penultimate home game against Aston Villa. It secured safety in the league with four good goals, and the players did it with the drive that had been missing for much of the season.

Probably the worst game...

Q2) What about the worst game?

JP: The early season defeat against Man United at the Liberty. It was the most watched game in US history and I know Swansea's performance that day ensured we gained many new followers and admirers from the other side of the Atlantic. The scoreline flattered United because for the first 25 minutes we were on top.

AJ: West Brom at home was the most frustrating. The manner of the defeat turned the majority of our supporters into predicting certain relegation. We rolled over and let them tickle our soft centre in a must not lose game.

GT: West Ham away was my lowest point of the season, as I'm sure it was for many. The apparent lack of preparation and so many simple errors... Chico. There was just nothing positive to take from that performance.

JC: That would be November 3, 2013 against Cardiff. One, it came on at some ungodly hour here in the US (time zone differential) and two, losing to rivals just stinks.

CC: I'm agreeing with Jacob and probably thousands of other Swans fans - the Cardiff loss was terrible. No fight from anyone and Cardiff deserved their one moment of glory.

Q3) Apart from Bony, who was the stand-out Swansea player?

JP: Pablo Hernandez. He had an average season but the increase in his confidence and match performances were evident to see once Garry Monk was installed as the manager. Without doubt he seemed a much happier player in the centre of midfield.

AJ: Jonjo Shelvey. I was one of the excited few when he arrived last July. A genuine Steven Gerrard type that doesn't exist at many clubs. He's scored key goals at key times - Fulham away, Villa at home and, of course, the two against the scousers.

GT: I really want to say Wayne Routledge, but I'll go with Jonjo Shelvey - he still needs some refinement but his potential is clear. Lately everyone has raved about Everton's Ross Barkley but if you look at the stats over the season Jonjo has scored as many in less games, assisted more, created more key chances, passed, shot and tackled more successfully. Get him on the plane to Rio Roy!

JC: Jordi Amat - who I had as the player to watch this season. Simply put he should always be starting over Chico.

CC: Jonjo Shelvey would also do it for me. He wasn't everyone's first choice when he arrived, but showed exactly what he is capable of!

Celebrating one of the goals of the season!

Q4) For you, what was Swansea's goal of the season?

JP: I think the De Guzman goal at the Mestalla was an incredible piece of skill in front of a very large crowd and an even bigger European television audience watching. Even the home fans were stunned.

AJ: A few ways to look at it! The biggest relief was West Brom away when Pablo scored the second in front of us in the away end - we knew we had our first three points of the season after two nasty defeats. The most celebrated was Nathan Dyer's header against Cardiff, while the sexiest was de Guzman's against Norwich: Bony's back heel to set up the delicate chip from our Canadian Filipino Dutch international!

GT: You can't really look much further than THAT goal by Shelvey, but there were many others I loved. Ben Davies' laser guided left foot volley away to West Brom is probably my next choice.

JC: I'm going with Jonathan de Guzman's brilliant free kick in Valencia.

CC: The first goal against Cardiff in February was brilliant - Hernandez's cutting pass through to Routledge who took it superbly.

Q5) With Swansea not in it for obvious reasons, who will you be supporting in the World Cup? And who's going to win it?

JP: South Korea or Ivory Coast for the Swansea connections. Probably South Korea as I enjoyed watching them play during the 2002 World Cup. I also went to watch them play against Japan during the Olympic Games at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and they play some attractive technical football.

AJ: The Ivory Coast - it's a long shot, but you never know. We made a promise to our next door neighbour [Bony - who lives next to Alec] that we would back him in Brazil and you never let the beast down with a promise!

GT: I'll be supporting the Ivory Coast and our human battleship Wilfried Bony (150/1 for tournament top goal scorer!). I think Brazil would be the safest bet to win but there are so many excellent players and teams it's hard to say. I just can't believe Tiendalli didn't get a call up!

JC: The United States and I'll consider it impressive if they get out of the group. The winners will be Argentina as this is where Lionel Messi shows why he is the best in the world.

CC: ITALIA! Of course I am supporting Italy and I reckon they are in with a good shout! I do have a bet on Ivory Coast too though - not just for Bony, but their team is full of potential match winners. Should be a great tournament!

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Many thanks to the bloggers for their answers. We'll be back soon! In the meantime, like us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for updates.

 

Swansea City 2013/14 - "Thank f**k it's over!"

May... we knew this month would come.

Swansea City's eventful season is finally over. In equal parts it's made us happy, sad, angry, proud and, at times, even a little horny. However I am sure you'll agree that there is a part of you that's glad we can put it all behind us?

With European football, Premier League survival, derby glory and some stunning goals, Swans fans have ultimately enjoyed a successful season, which I am going to run through briefly.

It all started with the Europa League in August, which produced some incredible early season moments. First Swansea shrugged off Malmo and Petrolul Ploiesti before an emphatic victory against Valencia at the Mestalla. The Swans thoroughly deserved to win the game 3-0, including a lovely free-kick from Jonathan 'Pirlo' de Guzman.

Progression through the group was less comfortable, with Swansea making a meal of qualification to the knock-out stages. Who can forget dropping a point with Kuban Krasnodar in the final minute, before doing the very same again in the return leg! Mental.

Swansea at the Stadio San Paolo

Still, the Swans made it out of Group A, where they would find Napoli waiting. The Italian giants proved tough opponents, but Swansea gave it a good go and, in reality, should have won the first leg considering the chances they had. The game in the San Paolo was equally as enjoyable, but Swansea ran out of steam and gracefully fell out of Europe. (Read Gavin's brilliant round-up of the group stages, and Alec's travel journal from his trip to Napoli).

Between all this, Michael Laudrup had been sacked. In early February rumours circulated that a backroom shuffle was taking place. The following day the announcement was made that Swansea had parted ways with the Danish prince. Of course there were mixed reactions, but ultimately fans knew it was for the best. Laudrup seemed to have lost any enthusiasm and direction and he had to go. (Check out Matt's thoughts on his departure).

Thank you Michael, and goodbye.

Meanwhile Swansea were slipping down the Premier League table. Unfortunately they joined around ten teams under threat of the bottom three all season and found it difficult to get a foothold in the league. Dropping silly points against West Brom and Crystal Palace at the start of March was probably the lowest Swansea sunk, with the exception of the highly embarrassing 1-0 loss to Cardiff in November. However, revenge for that one was particularly sweet...

In Garry Monk's first game in charge he led the Swans to victory by hammering the Redbirds 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium. There were no excuses from Cardiff that day - they had been outplayed by the better team. The remained in the drop zone until May when they were relegated.

The Swans eventually sealed their safety with an enthralling 4-1 victory against Aston Villa at the Liberty, before the lacklustre game against Southampton a week later showed why the season needed to end when it did!

The big man

We saw some brilliant players offer awesome contributions. Wilfried Bony for one almost single-handedly kept Swansea afloat while the rest of the team were simultaneously out of form. His goals show why he was actually a bargain at £12 million! Jonjo Shelvey also developed into a more rounded player, offering a new attacking option and a couple of very memorable goals (make sure to read Jacob's rules for The Official Jonjo Shelvey Drinking Game!)

Jose Canas, Alejando Pozuelo, Alvaro Vazquez and even Michu all underperformed and ended up playing no part towards the end of the season. It will be interesting to see where they all are come September.

There was plenty of moaning throughout the season (myself included), though in the end - apart from finishing slightly lower than we may have liked - no-one can really complain.

Though the season is now over we will still do our best to update ForzaSwansea.com with the goings-on in the Swansea City world over the summer, starting with an upcoming Blogger Q&A later this week.

For now, thanks for reading again this season - it's been one hell of year, but thank f**k it's over!

Swansea City 2012/13: One to remember!

It's that time of year again - a time for reflection, a time for celebration and a time to prepare for two months with no football. Still, there are plenty of memories to take us through to August - memories of a superb season for Swansea City, possibly the best yet.

Super-Dane Michael Laudrup joined us last year as the club were looking to avoid second-season syndrome. Despite some hesitation with his shaky track record, Laudrup was instantly loved and the cliched alliteration was never mentioned again. I'm sure FourFourTwo ate their words...

FourFourTwo's accurate pre-season prediction...

The 5-0 drubbing of QPR on the opening day set the tone for an exciting ten months of football, where we saw victories against Arsenal, Chelsea and Brendan Rodgers, while scaring Man United and Man City a couple of times.

As well as seeing the rise of homegrown talent - namely Ben Davies - this exciting season has seen some new names cement themselves in the Landore walk of fame. Michu, Ki, de Guzman, Chico, Hernandez and Tiendalli (and Shechter) all made their own impact on South Wales, bringing goals (Michu), passion (Chico), hoards of new fans (Ki) and, at times, frustration (Shechter). Whatever impact they made, they have all contributed to an eventful season and we thank them for their efforts.

That day in Wembley

One of the most eventful days saw around 40,000 of us head to Wembley again for the mental 5-0 smashing of Bradford in the Capital One Cup final, giving the club some much needed silverware and a ticket to European football next season.

What will this summer bring? Hopefully not another new manager - one thing the club could do without is another managerial change as stability is going to be key to establishing Swansea as a long term Premier League club. Another thing we hope the summer doesn't bring is the greedy hands of big clubs looking to poach players away - Michu and Williams in particular, though some seem resigned to the fact that Vorm will probably head off.

What we hope the summer will bring is more players. Swansea need about five or six new players in various areas, either to replace those who leave or bulk up the squad for the tiring European experience. Mainly a proven striker or two - if there is an area to spend money on it is certainly a goalscorer!

Elsewhere, I'm happy to have completed my third season as a Swansea City blogger. It's been an eventful year for me, winning the Best Sports Blog at the Wales Blog Awards in September, before opening the blogging doors to a few talented and passionate writers who have helped keep the blog afloat during a busy few months for me. Check them out on the contributors page.

Me claiming the Best Sports Blog in Wales title in September

I expect a nice (if rainy) summer of rumour and speculation, with a little bit of heartache, but plenty of anticipation ahead of the Swans' third season in the Premier League, a European tour (qualification permitting) and a South Wales derby or two to top it off.

Check back soon for regular posts over the summer. Forza Swansea!

Swansea City 2012/13 - back to the Championship?

Please rest assured that the title of this blog post in no way reflects my personal prediction of Swansea City's destiny this season. But it does reflect what I'm reading elsewhere.

Recently flicking through the new FourFourTwo Season Preview magazine, I noticed they predict Swansea will finish in 20th. That's right, propping up the table. A 'Wolves' if you will. On the first read I was a little surprised, considering how well Swansea did last season.

However, the relegation predictions don't end with FourFourTwo. The American sports site, Bleacher Report feature Swansea in their 'Five favourites to be relegated this season' article, while The Independent suggest the Swans may 'struggle to keep up' in their preview.

FourFourWrong?

They key reasons behind the relegation predictions become obvious when you read on. Issues like the fact that the Premier League is all new to Michael Laudrup, a manager who hadn't been successful with all his previous teams. Also if Laudrup plans to stick to the same attractive, passing football (which he does), he won't have the element of surprise that Brendan Rodgers had last season - the rest of the league may have the Swans all figured out. This is worrying with no definite 'plan B'.

The other issues addressed in these articles focus on the players. If Sinclair leaves the club (which seems 50/50 at the moment), the Swans will have lost three of their five top scorers last season in this transfer window: Sinclair (8), Sigurdsson (7), Allen (4). This means Swansea may well be lacking the fire-power FourFourTwo warn about.

Personally I don't feel the Swans have that much to worry about. Not as much as the media make out anyway. However, points will be needed from the very start; there won't be as much room for trial and error this season.

Away form must be sorted out too, and points have to be ripped away from the new arrivals in the league as well as potential relegation rivals. This season, it should be these vital games that draw the crowds, not the Man Uniteds, Chelseas and Liverpools of the league (okay, maybe not the Liverpool one - that is a must win game!).

Swansea supporters, myself included, are more optimistic than the media, but with understandable caution. Last season we predicted a realistic finish of 16th or so in the untested waters of the Premier League, but thankfully our caution wasn't needed with the superb 11th finish. This season, we all seem to be predicting around the same (15th seems to be the magic number), with as much caution I guess.

Though praise from national media last season was nice, I'm sure we'll all admit that being the underdog is an equally enjoyable way to approach some games, so this assumption that Swansea will do poorly shouldn't get us down. We all enjoyed saying 'told you so' last season, and it'll be nice to do it again the second time around (especially to Brendan Rodgers).

"The land of the freeee... and the home of the Swans!"

Firstly, before the actual blog starts, to celebrate Swansea City's trip to the USA, press 'play' below and stare at the picture!

Star Spangled Banner by mahjepahje

 

What a multimedia treat that was! (Okay, you can press stop now and carry on reading...)


Following the intense emotional slap we all took after Brendan Rodgers left the club in the immediate post-season, we've had quite a calm ride. Michael Laudrup came in, shocking a few and exciting many, but since then it has been quite comfortable to watch, listen and read about Swansea City.

With just under four weeks until the Swans begin their second Premier League season, and before I take my two week holiday (…in Italy, thanks for asking), lets have a brief recap and then look ahead to what still needs to be done.

The first game under Laudrup was a success. An expected relief for all. 5-0 against Port Talbot showed that even a Swansea B team can score goals and, though it was against a much weaker side than any they'll face next season, it showed there is potential in the reserves and kicked off the Laudrup reign wonderfully.

The squad, minus a few of the Team GB hopefuls, have already made the journey to the USA for their 12-day, three-game period of friendlies against Colorado Rapids, Ventura County Fusion and San Jose Earthquakes. These games should pose a significant test to the Swans A team and allow them to (I hate this word) 'gel' before they return for more warm-up matches against Blackpool and Stuttgart in the familiar setting of the Liberty Stadium.

As I mentioned, we're seeing a pretty calm pre-season transfer-wise. No major names have come to the club, but the three that have put pen to paper (unless it's done digitally these days?) are all worth taking notice of.

However, some areas still need attention before that visit to QPR.

Starting with one of the most important areas on the pitch, I'd say another semi-decent goalkeeper is needed at some point. This signing isn't the highest of priority at the moment, but it may well be if Vorm and Tremmel simultaneously fall ill this winter. But for now we can leave this area and hope they take their vitamins.

Defence has certainly been boosted by Jose Chico Flores coming in as centre-back, while Curtis Obeng impressed many with his speed in the Port Talbot game - something he was unable to show off last season. This is a relief as, if he can do it at Premier League level, it would mean defence is pretty much sorted with a starting four of Rangel, Williams, Flores and Taylor, with Tate, Monk, Obeng and Richards available to cover.

An area which is now saturated with quality is midfield. The arrival of Jonathan de Guzman and Michu has beefed up an already meaty area of the squad. Michu, with 15 La Liga goals last season certainly looks to fill the void left after the departure of Gylfi Sigurdsson. Add the two new boys to the likes of Britton, Agustien, and possibly Orlandi and Dobbie, and there will be plenty of options next season.

Upfront is now the main area of concern. Ignoring the wingers and just focusing on the strikers, will Danny Graham, Leroy Lita and Luke Moore be enough? I'd say no. It's close, but I'd like to lose Moore or Lita and bring in one more striker - one with enough quality and goals to relegate Graham to the bench. Then we would have ourselves a team!

Elsewhere in the world of football, it's worth pointing out that Brendan Rodgers is looking to recreate the play-off winning Swansea squad at Liverpool. Fabio Borini has already signed, while Rodgers is looking to prise Joe Allen away. There are also rumours that he is interested in Dorus De Vries as a second/third keeper. My bet is he is also after Darren Pratley and Lee Trundle. Gorka Pintado has also been spotted at Anfield, though he was just there to have a stadium tour.

The only major point in that last paragraph is that Allen's place with the Swans is under question. One thing I will say is: I'd happily take £15million for Joe Allen. He's been fantastic in the last few seasons and is one of the few 'local boy made good' stories around, but, in my eyes, he's not worth £15million. Therefore, if Swansea were able to bank that much for him it would be good business for the sad farewell.

Nothing is set in stone yet and there are plenty of reasons why it may not be the right move. I feel he has another few years with the Swans yet, but there is obviously truth in the rumours and Rodgers always seems to get his way...

That's it from me for about two weeks. When I return I expect a new goalkeeper, a winger and a striker. I expect Swansea will have won their warm-up games. I expect Sinclair and Allen will have signed new contracts. I expect no injuries to the three Team GB players. I also expect the unexpected and know that there will be at least one more surprise that none of us will expect!

Premier League and we're having a laugh... £45? Actually, we're not.

That's right - Swans fans are justifiably unhappy after the club announced two things yesterday: an updated Jack Army (JA) Membership Scheme and the new price of a home ticket. £45.

Surprisingly, after reading through the new membership scheme details, I'm less irritated than I am at the price hike. But there is still confusion as expected. Let's look at the Jack Army scheme first.


Jack Army membership – home games

The full details are on the club's website, but I will attempt to sum it up:

Tickets go on sale three weeks in advance. The first week and 70% of the allocation is for 'non season-ticket holding JA members' (to give the full title). The second week sees the remaining 30% and leftovers allocated to 'season-ticket holding JA members'. The third week is general sale. You'll be very lucky to get a general sale ticket!

Firstly, I'm glad they've listened to our complaints (unless it was just a good guess) and have changed the glaringly obvious mistake of last season where season-ticket holders had priority to buy an extra ticket.

Season ticket holders - many of whom are regular readers of this blog - have agreed that there is no need for them to have priority to purchase a home ticket as they already have access to home games.

Giving the first 70% of tickets to non season-ticket holders is a good move, and one that I welcome.

As I mentioned, I can't imagine the club selling many general sale tickets this season as surely the 2,000-odd seats will sell out in the first two weeks - mainly because I assume the club will sell thousands of JA memberships to compete for those 2,000 seats.

Elsewhere, I still don't fully understand the points system. The whole scheme seems to be a three-way divide between ST holders, non-ST holders and general sale - where do the points come in? Why are you getting three points for QPR away and one for Man United home if they are not for anything? These are not hypothetical questions, I actually don't know.


Jack Army membership – away games

This is essentially the same system, just reversed - ST holding JA members are given the 70% priority, then 30% to the non-ST holder and finally general sale. Makes complete sense (for a change) as this time ST holders have a valid reason for needing priority.

Note that the cost of joining the new membership scheme will remain the same as last season: £10 for season-ticket holders and £25 for non season-ticket holders.

Got anything left?

Ticket Prices!

Moving on to the price... what can I say. £45 for a home ticket. It's ridiculous. To clarify, the £45 is for Category A games (including Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs), while Category B games (I'm assuming these are somehow unimportant games?!) are £35.

Just shy of £50 for a fan to watch their team against one of these 'big' clubs is everything that is wrong with football these days. Naturally it's not just Swansea, but the club are now revealing their nastier side and distancing themselves from the fans with this move.

The simple way to look at it is: the average guy in Swansea is finding it hard - unemployment, higher cost of living, recession... it's all a bit gloomy. Football is one of the things that can help ease that stress - it allows a fan to have a pint with their mates, cheer on their team and forget about life for a few hours. However, jacking the price up £10 for these already expensive prime games is greedy. It's at least a day's wages for some people.

I am well aware that Swansea are not owned by Johnny Oil-tycoon and need to raise money somehow, but as one fan pointed out, even if all six of the Category A games sell out, including away fans, the club will net an extra £270k over the season. This is nothing in Premier League terms (thanks to @NeathJack1 for working it out).

Is that extra money worth upsetting - even excluding - the loyal fans? It's barely enough to pay wages for a few weeks. The fans are the only ones who are suffering. It's now the case of “if you are lucky enough to find a ticket to a Swans home match, can you even afford it?”

Think of the silly money that players are paid. I could write thousands of words on the problems of money and football, but it's pointless - it will depress us all and won't change anything. I know a blog like this isn't going to get anyone saying “you know what, players are paid too much - let's cut the wages and give something back to the fans”. Still, it's worth mentioning.

One day Premier League clubs will price their fans out of the stadium. Empty seats galore reminiscent of the Six Nations or the Euros. Then again, fans will go to any lengths - pay any price - to get tickets to see their club. We're stupid I guess.

It's not just me annoyed with this increase. Here are a selection of tweets I received from fellow fans following the announcement of the £45 ticket:

@philbettany
At least relegation has a silver lining now: we get to actually see a game! I saw QPR & Fulham away in the oppositions stands...

@Onslow74
Chris, chances are I'll get to see 3 or 4 games max this season. £45 for a Swansea ticket is shocking no matter the opposition. The club has lost touch with their fan base. Especially the ones they'll call on if the PL dream turns sour.

@beaker1964
Think they have forgotten we are in a recession.

@Grayo85
The new system is clearly designed to make having a season ticket v attractive (ground expansion in mind). £45 is a lot tho!

@CliveMitchell54
I think at £45 we are turning into a boutique club a la QPR. It was 1/6d or 7.5p when I first paid to see Swans!

Soon it will be the case that the only people who can afford to watch football are... well, footballers.

Thank god for illegal Armenian cable hook-ups eh?


Your thoughts are more than welcome as always. Sign in using Blogger, Wordpress, Open ID and leave your comment! Or tweet me @ForzaSwansea.

Swansea City: Evil Plans, Team GB and Friendlies

Who's a lazy boy then? Me. It's been over a week since I've written a blog post, so let's catch up on what's been happening with Swansea City!


Rule Britannia (...or not)
Not sure about you, but my interest in Team GB is very low - be it running, swimming or, indeed, football. However, I now have to pay more attention after three Swansea City players were named in Stuart Pearce's squad: Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Scott Sinclair.

It's probably a big honour for the players so I guess congratulations are deserved. But is it good news for Swansea?

There will be positives in the sense that the three will play competitively through the summer so will not have too much rust to WD40 off when it comes to the opening game against QPR. They will also come up against high quality opponents which is, of course, great exposure to new playing styles and tricky players. Meanwhile they may learn a thing or two from experienced teammates Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy.

Yet you can't help feel these positives will immediately be shadowed if one of the Swans trio picks up a knock or, worse, a long term injury. There's also the likelihood that, should Team GB go all the way, the three will pick up some fatigue going into the first few games. They'll also miss much of pre-season with Michael Laudrup - I can't see this affecting his decision making (i.e. he won't automatically opt for Tate over Taylor), but it would be better for them to be with the club than running around in London.

A mixed bag then. Good luck to them - just watch those injuries.


Welcome Flores and De Guzman! 
While most of the focus is on players leaving the club, Michael Laudrup has reinforced the squad with two solid signings: defender Jose 'Chico' Flores comes in from Genoa on a three-year contract (initial fee of £2million) and midfielder Jonathan De Guzman arrives on a year-long loan deal from Villarreal.

From what I've seen of these guys, they look to be good acquisitions, especially Flores - it was no secret that Swansea were desperate for a centre-back after Steven Caulker returned to Spurs, and Flores looks very capable of filling the hole. Meanwhile, Jonathan De Guzman looks quite impressive in his attacking midfield role with plenty of vision and passing ability. Hopefully a good replacement for Sigurdsson.

As always, time will tell. For now they both seem to be players that are comfortable with the Swansea style of play, have big game experience and could fit in very well. Welcome.


Brendan Rodgers' Evil Plans
Mr Rodgers has, unsurprisingly, made Fabio Borini one his prime targets at Liverpool. Why should we care what happens at Liverpool? Well, it's our ex-manager and one of our ex-strikers, so it is interesting to see if these two do reunite for a third time. Nothing is confirmed yet, but I'd urge Borini to stay in Italy.

More critical to Swansea is whether Rodgers will want to link up with Joe Allen again. We know that Rodgers can't instigate a move for Swans players due to the terms in his contract termination, but, if I understand correctly, if Allen wanted to go to Liverpool, he could. There's no denying Liverpool can offer him bigger wages and that Rodgers is keen to have him, so the rumours are more believable than some of the others we've heard (although Swansea have announced there are no plans to sell the midfielder things can change).

Nobody wants to see Allen leave the club - he is vital to the central three, he works hard, he's from Swansea (rare now to see a local boy with his local team, especially in the top flight). Yes, he'd fit into Liverpool's plans, but I feel he'll make a big mistake. Maybe I'm being cynical towards Liverpool (I am), but I genuinely think anyone going there these days is making a mistake!


We're all friends here!
Swansea will play a number of friendlies prior to the first game against QPR - some in Swansea, some in America. One in Port Talbot.

Here are the details (all subject to change, etc, etc):

vs. Port Talbot - Sat 21st July (3pm, GenQuip Stadium)
vs. Colorado Rapids - Tues July 24th (7pm local time, Dick's Sporting Goods Park)
vs. Ventura County Fusion - Sat July 28th (5pm local time, Oxnard College Stadium)
vs. San Jose Earthquakes - Tues July 31st (7.30pm local time, Buck Shaw Stadium)
vs. Blackpool - Tues 7th August (7pm, Liberty Stadium)


Follow me on Twitter for immediate blog updates and general Swans news - @ForzaSwansea.

See you next time!

Swansea City: “Just a trim please darling”

If you thought it was going to be a summer of ten new signings... you clearly haven't been following Swansea City for very long.

But in addition to not many signings being made, recent reports have suggested, somewhat surprisingly for me, that Michael Laudrup wants to trim the current 34 man squad down to a streamlined 22.

It's a bold move by the new manager, and something I can imagine may not have happened under Rodgers, but whether it does happen or not, it gives us a chance to take a look at the squad; what we can afford to lose, and what we definitely can't.

Erik Larsen, Laudrup's assistant, said in the week: "It's not the case that there's only room for 22. These things develop so if someone gets injured you can add more." At least this means Laudrup hasn't gone crazy and is aware that some depth is needed.

It would be hard to speculate exactly who would go if Laudrup does have his way, mainly because I don't know what he has planned for the summer transfer window. He may well have two new strikers lined up, so keeping the likes of Luke Moore, Leroy Lita and Rory Donnelly would be pointless. However, as I say, nobody knows.

So, hypothetically, let's assume Ludrup will bring five new players to the club. Ideally these would be: a centre-back, a right/left back, a striker, an attacking midfielder or a winger, and a spare keeper. With those in mind, this is how I would trim the squad down to 22:

Swansea City (in association with ForzaSwansea.com) 22-man squad:

Goalkeepers

Michel Vorm

Gerhard Tremmel

New Goalkeeper #1

Defence

Ashley Williams

Angel Rangel

Alan Tate

Garry Monk

Neil Taylor

New CB #2

New LB #3

Midfield

Leon Britton

Kemy Agustien

Joe Allen

Nathan Dyer

Wayne Routledge

Andrea Orlandi

New CAM/Winger #4

Striker

Danny Graham

Leroy Lita or Luke Moore

New Striker #5

You may notice that I've only listed 20 at the moment - I haven't mentioned Scott Sinclair and Stephen Dobbie. We'll move onto those two in a moment, but first, let's look at my choices.

While most are pretty straightforward and will not need justifying to the reasonable fan, you'll notice I've included Alan Tate and Garry Monk. Both are getting on in terms of stamina and quality, but Monk has proved he can cope in the Premier League, while Tate has also shown he can help out at times, and is useful cover for any position across the back four. For their lengthy service to the club they must be kept, at least for one more season.

Gerhard Tremmel is required as a back up keeper, while Kemy Agustien has shown his worth and will surely feature more now that he is fit and Sigurdsson has buggered off. As for the Lita/Moore choice, we only need one of these underachievers and I'd edge towards Leroy Lita personally - three decent strikers (including a new first choice ahead of Graham) would be enough under Swansea's system.

Andrea Orlandi is one who stunned quite a few Swans fans by scoring the fastest Premier League goal for five seasons, in a rare appearance against Wolves last season. In that game he showed some flair and skill - enough to intrigue me to keep him around. He would need to prove something in the first half of the season though, or he should be gone by Christmas.

Before we get onto the list of who must leave the club, what about Sinclair and Dobbie?

Scott Sinclair was given an ultimatum by Swansea: sign or be sold. A choice I support because Sinclair would end up leaving for free otherwise. If we're being honest, he hasn't looked happy at the club in recent months. The winger has been linked with Fulham in the past few days, a move I'd support for £5million. It would be a shame to see him go, but if he does, Laudrup could use the space (and the cash) to buy a replacement winger.

Elsewhere, we all know the Stephen Dobbie story. Amazing Championship player, not so hot when it comes to the Premier League. Will Laudrup gamble on his past abilities, or will he see him as a wage burden and not one for his streamlined squad?

So, if those are the ones we keep, who are the players that must go?

The Unfortunates:

Mark Gower

Curtis Obeng

Darnel Situ

Ashley Richards

Federico Bessone

Rory Donnelly

Scott Donnelly

David Cornell

Lee Lucas

Ben Davies

Joe Walsh

Daniel Alfei

Casey Thomas

Jordan Smith

Gwion Edwards

Kurtis March

You'll agree that none on this list have really set the footballing world alight, and – if Laudrup has his way – these would most likely be the casualties.

It was a shame to put Ashley Richards and Mark Gower on the list, as Gower was relatively solid in the final Championship season and Richards is a Welsh talent that has shown some potential. But neither would worm their way into my 22 man squad.

Elsewhere, Curtis Obeng and Darnel Situ were brought to the club in an odd panic buying spree by Rodgers last season, and ended up tied up in contract chaos, so didn't feature apart from in the reserves. Rory Donnelly seemed an interesting prospect, but if it's down to 22 he is going to have to go as he hasn't proved what he can do yet. Meanwhile, Fede Bessone is just using up wages for doing nothing.

The youngsters are all obvious casualties – they may have potential, but don't have the experience. It would take a major disaster to see many of them featuring in the Premier League next season.

Hey, I could be wrong. Laudrup may hate the way Dyer moves and chose Bessone to be the new winger. He may think Vorm is overrated and give Tate another chance in goals. Who knows!?

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on my selection. Is it silly to keep Tate and Monk? Would you do all you can to keep Sinclair? Are both Lita and Moore worth holding onto? Is Obeng the answer we're actually looking for in defence?

Swansea City 12/13 Kit Review - Swansea's answer to Gok Wan!

Firstly, to clarify: I am not Gok Wan - I'm not half Chinese (though am partial to a dim sum) and my opinions in the world of fashion are not well respected. However, I like to think I know at least something about the only fashion that should matter to you readers: Swansea City kits!

We've now had 100 years of Swansea kits to enjoy, from the simplicity of the earlier years to the over complicated designs we saw in the 90's.

While the 2010/11 home shirt was pretty nice - white with black trim and Adidas stripes - there was nothing immense about it. No real 'wow factor' (I assume that is something Gok says?), and nothing significant to celebrate Swansea's promotion to the Premier League. But, as I say, it was nice enough.


However, last seasons' orange away kit was one of the worst we've had for a while in my opinion, in both design and effort, especially after finding out that it was no more than a generic training top reissued with a Swans badge. An insult if you ask me.

But I'm willing to forgive Adidas after seeing the effort that has gone into the centenary kit.

When I first saw the kits for the 2011/12 season I was surprised and satisfied (in that order). After a few ordinary seasons, we now see a shirt worth getting excited about! Let's have a look at it.

The Badge

To mark 100 years of Swansea City, the club designed a centenary badge, which was a brilliant idea. There are many websites, books and events planned to celebrate 100 years of the club, so it was only expected that the logo designers follow suit and conjure up something special. This special badge features on both the home and away kits, in addition to a selection of jackets and training tops.

Naturally, we all love the standard Swans logo, but to have a one-off edition made especially to celebrate the centenary is a smart move. The bevelled-edge shield features something that resembles an actual swan, the words centenary and the important text: Swansea City A.F.C 1912-2012. I like it – it's fit for the celebration and adds to the collector appeal of this new shirt.

Home Shirt

Never has a blogger looked so awkward...

Swansea City will walk out on the Liberty Stadium pitch in what must be their most princely kit yet. It's the white we all expected (no red re-branding in Swansea thankfully...) but with a luxurious twist: gold!

Not just a bit of gold here and there, but gold Adidas stripes, gold Swans badge and even a gold 32 Red logo! It's a bold move changing from white and black to white and gold, but, like the new badge, for a one off and a celebration of 100 years of Swansea City it was a worthy gamble that has paid off with the fans.

So far, every supporter I've spoken to seems to love its over-the-top statement, but simple design. Hopefully it will reflect and compliment the style of football that the Swans will play under Michael Laudrup. It's so stylish, even Alan Tate may look good.

You'll notice I've had my name on the back. I could have had Graham, Sinclair, Williams, Vorm, Rangel... but who knows where they'll be playing in a year from now, so why risk it. No, go with your own name. You'll be that bit less depressed when your favourite player leaves the club as you won't need any re-stitching.

I'm also enjoying the appearance of 'The Jacks' stitched onto the back of the shirt – a classy finishing touch and a nod to the fans.

Away Shirt

Initially I was indifferent when seeing the almost garish away kit, though it has grown on me. It's a typical Adidas design, but combines two colours not usually seen together in the Swans back catalogue: red and green - the colours of Wales. It's another bold move, but it works. It promotes the fact that Swansea City are the first Welsh football team to land (and stay in) the Premier League. There was no need to change the name of the team to... say, the Red Dragons.

 

However patriotic the colours are, I find they clash a bit and it may be a problem for the style conscious fan. Naturally it is designed to be worn with white shorts, thus completing the Welsh flag feel, but for those of us who rarely wear white shorts, it would have been even better if the design incorporated a little more white into the top to break up the greed and red.

Let's hope squad do us proud in both shirts!

Expert opinion!

I'll be frank with you - I couldn't find a non-football fashion expert who was willing to give their view on the shirt. I tried, but the fashion world is stuck up it's own arse when it comes to football kits it seems.

However, I convinced my long-suffering, football-hating girlfriend, Becci, to have a look at both shirts and give me her honest opinion. This is basically how our chat panned out:

Becci: I think you're asking the wrong person because I think all football shirts are awful.
Chris: Right... Anyway, this is the away shirt (shows photo)
Becci: It looks like the Welsh rugby top to me. It is quite smart though. But if you saw them on the football field wearing the shirt you wouldn't say it was Swansea.
Chris: So you like it?
Becci: It doesn't look cheap like some of the other kits. It's nice.

Becci's score: 8/10

Chris: This is the new home kit (shows photo)
Becci: Is that actually it? Oh my god that is fu**ing awful. It looks tacky with the gold. I have nothing else to say about it.
Chris: Say something else please, I have a blog to fill.
Becci: ... is there a reason it's gold?
Chris: It's to celebrate 100 years history of Swansea City.
Becci: Oh. I just think they could've made more of an effort. I suppose it is quite nice. I just think the gold looks tacky though.

Becci's score: 6/10

So, while I assume Becci does not reflect the whole non-football loving world, it seems the away kit is a hit, while the home kit needs a bit more work. Keep this in mind for next time Adidas...

I'll be back soon for more Swans news as we head into the 'looking ahead to next season' stage of the summer. In the meantime I'd like to say a big, big thank you to Idealo.co.uk for supplying the shirt for me to review and Becci for her opinions.

See you next time!

A sensible look at the newest addition to Swansea City

For my last birthday I received South Park Season 14 on DVD and some moisturiser. Michael Laudrup got a Premier League football team for his... He wins.

You should be well aware of the news by now: Michael Laudrup has been confirmed as the new Swansea City manager on a two-year contract, replacing Brendan Rodgers who left the club two weeks ago.

A recent photo... 2011 I think

It's not much of a surprise as Laudrup has been the bookies favourite for a while, with numerous 'leaks' and media chatter backing it up. Still, it's superb to have confirmation, after the two manager-less weeks. Even one day without a manager is a day where the club can't move forward.

Firstly, let's take a moment to consider the shrewd moves by Huw Jenkins over the past fortnight - he's secured £7million for Brendan Rodgers and brought an exciting new manager to the club for free. Add that to the £7million that we won't be spending on Gylfi Sigurdsson and Swansea theoretically have £14million to play with. Nice one Mr Jenkins.

So, while Michael Laudrup has been described as the best player ever by many through the years, what do we know about him as a manager?

He has held the reins of four other clubs in the past ten years and was assistant manager of Denmark for a couple of years before that. While his playing career saw him well decorated - with medals for league wins with Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and more, in addition to many Player of the Year awards - his managerial career hasn't particularly wowed anyone (but neither did Brendan Rodgers', and we all know what he achieved...).

Laudrup did well with Brøndby over four years, revamping the team and winning the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup, before moving to Getafe. He stayed with the Spanish side for only one season, but implemented a similar easy-on-the-eye style of passing football there and took them to the UEFA Cup quarter finals. He then moved to Spartak Moscow where he flopped and was sacked after just seven months, before spending a season with Mallorca where he kept them from relegation, but resigned in September 2011 after his assistant was sacked.

So a colourful ten years for the Danish manager, all of which has led him to Swansea City.

The good news is he'll be bringing a similar brand of football to the Liberty Stadium and fields a 4-2-3-1 formation, so very little tinkering with the squad will be needed (though be sure to read my Swansea City Summer Shopping List article for what should still be considered this summer).

There is little in the way of bad news in this appointment. If you need a point of view from Mallorca, who were supposedly glad he left, read this article.

The only real thing I'm worried about is trying to find another manager two years from now, when Liverpool ultimately steal him from us (in this scenario, Brendan Rodgers was sacked after his first season with The Reds. He is now the assistant manager of Dagenham & Redbridge).

We've all discussed loyalty, and it may seem a little pessimistic – even inappropriate – to discuss this on the day he's been appointed, but is Laudrup in it for the long run? Early indications seem to say... no, he's not.

It's hard to predict, but we'd be fools to believe that loyalty to a team - for players and managers alike – is anything more than a bonus these days. I guess, as long as he is able to keep the team playing as they are, or better, and continues to build on the work of the past three managers, we will be satisfied.

Whether this scenario is more than fiction, and whether he does a brilliant Brøndby or a sluggish Spartak Moscow with Swansea City will be revealed over the next few seasons. But for now Michael Laudrup has the full support of the Jack Army behind him.

The Swansea City Summer Shopping List

There have been no sightings of Torres, Gerrard or Aguero dining at Rossi's yet this summer, because new signings for Swansea City won't be at the forefront of attention until a new manager is secured.

That patient wait until he is announced has overshadowed the fact that this is the post-season and Swansea need to replenish their squad.

It's hard to speculate on whether the new manager will play a similar 4-3-3 system or whether he will switch to a totally different style. This makes writing a 'what do we need' blog a little tricky at this stage, but, for now, this is my opinion on what should be considered for the shopping list.

Note: I've asked the #TwitterJacks their views on who should be signed (or loaned). If you don't know what a #TwitterJack is, the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as:

#TwitterJack
(noun: a Jack what is on Twitter) 

Shopping List 

Centre-back 
First on the list is quite clearly a new centre-back. It's the essential one - much more crucial than signing Sigurdsson in reality.

It's currently unlikely that Steven Caulker will return from Spurs on another loan deal. Not impossible, just very unlikely. Swansea are bare in the centre-back spots at the moment, with only Ashley Williams really able to do the job week-in week-out. Garry Monk is certainly able to step in when needed - he showed it last season - but he also showed he is slowing down a little, and I don't think he has the legs for a full season as a starting Premier League centre-back.

Ideal ForzaSwansea signing which certainly won't happen: Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

Other, more realistic options: Christian Kum (ADO Den Haag), Ömer Toprak (Bayer Leverkusen), Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (Heerenveen), Steven Caulker (Spurs - naturally a very popular choice with the #TwitterJacks)

Left/Right-back
This is less vital than bringing in a new centre-back, but if Angel Rangel or Neil Taylor (or both!) take a knock or are ruled out for a few games, things become a little worrying. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Alan Tate start a few games - he deserves it - but, like Monk, he doesn't have the legs and consistent quality that is needed in the Premier League. Jazz Richards is also an option, but not established enough for me yet and uninspiring at times.

Swansea need someone strong, fast and comfortable with the ball at his feet, with the ability to make those essential overlapping runs. Not Fede Bessone.

Ideal ForzaSwansea signing which certainly won't happen: Christian Maggio (Napoli)

Other, more realistic options: Sam Ricketts (Bolton), Adam Henley (Blackburn), Fabio (Manchester United), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace)

Winger 
This is more of a 'if-we-have-time-and-money-at-the-end-of-the-summer' kind of signing because Nathan Dyer, Scott Sinclair and Wayne Routledge all have the ability to play well enough in the Premier League. However, they all displayed moments of poor form last season - sometimes simultaneously - so another winger to mix things up and provide options if things become stale would be ideal. But, as I said, the new manager will be after others before this position.

Ideal ForzaSwansea signing which certainly won't happen: Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

Other, more realistic options: Thomas Ince (Blackpool), Vaclav Pilar (Wolfsburg), Matt Jarvis (Wolves)

Striker
Danny Graham's work ethic is superb and his first season with the Swans produced 12 Premier League goals after a nervous start. While he is certainly one to keep hold of, someone a little more confident - someone who can put them away consistently - should also be on the shopping list. Maybe to start ahead of Graham, or even with him if we see a formation change.

Leroy Lita is strong and keen, but is lacking when it's at his feet. I've warmed a little to Luke Moore, but he has never made me say 'wow - you know what we need is another few Luke Moore's at this club'. Though both Lita and Moore have had their moments of brilliance (vs Blackburn and vs Man City respectively), if Graham became injured, I wouldn't be confident that these two could do the job.

Ideal ForzaSwansea signing which certainly won't happen: Fabio Borini (Parma/Roma)
Other, more realistic options: Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham), Yakubu (Blackburn), Marvin Emnes (Middlesbrough) Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield), Nelson Oliveira (S.L. Benfica), David Lafata (FK Baumit Jablonec)


Attacking Midfield?
I'm not sure about this area. I know Br**an R****rs was ready to break the transfer records with his £7million signing of Sigurdsson, but attacking midfield is an area that Swansea, possibly, already have the talent in.

Let's look at Stephen Dobbie one last time. We've all noticed he has, so far, been unable to make his mark on the Premier League and seems much more comfortable in the Championship. However, any permanent loan to Blackpool seems off until the new manager is sorted for Swansea. Maybe give him a final chance in the first part of next season? It's a gamble which might just pay off (and a gamble I'm sure Ian Holloway would take if he was in charge!).

Andrea Orlandi is another who impressed during his very limited time on the field last season. It could've just been a one off, but Orlandi is one player I'd like to see in the pre-season games against the American sides and could well be the answer to the tricky central problem?

Ideal ForzaSwansea signing which certainly won't happen: Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid)
Other, more realistic options: Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Jens Toornstra (ADO Den Haag), Rasmus Elm (AZ Alkmaar)


Your opinions are always welcome - just add them in the comments box below, or get in touch on Twitter (now you know what a #TwitterJack is) via @ForzaSwansea.
 

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...)