NEW PODCAST! - "It wouldn't happen in Swansea..." Episode 3

Matt returns to the studio after his heart operation to discuss the play-offs and more with Chris.

Just click play on the big orange button below and enjoy!

In this packed episode:

- Saturday's win against Sheffield
- Swansea's hopes in the play-offs
- The prospect of a Swansea vs Cardiff final
- "Plastic" fans
- Fabio Borini: will he stay?
- Matt tests Chris with "Who am I?"
- This season's heroes and zeros
- A very frantic Challenge Matt (with another format change)

...and much (well not that much) more!

Here are two photo's to look at while you listen. Don't know which one is which? Chris is the good looking one. Matt is the... the smaller thing with the odd hair.

It wouldn't happen in Swansea - Podcast - Episode 3 by ChrisCarra

Bite-size Blog: Swansea vs Sheffield Utd

That went quick!

It seems like just last week that I, like supporters across the city, cried: "Brendan who?!" as Swansea City appointed their new manager. Cue a massive season of ups and downs, ins and outs, and wins and losses (...and draws).

Come early Saturday afternoon the 2010/11 Championship season will officially be over. The bulk of the season will be done and dusted, though the final promotion place will be decided a few weeks later after the play-offs. This is clearly where the fate of Swansea's 2011/12 season will lie.

Before jumping too far ahead, Saturday will see the Swans take on already-relegated Sheffield United at the Liberty Stadium where a win, for many reasons, is vital.

Naturally the QPR fiasco still hasn't been resolved, though I can't see points being docked in a way that would see them drop out of the promotion places. Swansea will still want to ensure they are sitting in 3rd to bump themselves up to 2nd should the unlikely actually happen. Failing this, a win is needed to end the season on a high and to give some momentum going into the play-offs.

A big boost will be the return of Garry Monk, who rejoins the team after a stomach bug last week. Thankfully, the rest of the squad are relatively fit and healthy (apart from Ferrie Bodde... obviously), which can only be a good thing.

What results mean:
Currently the unresolved QPR situation hangs over the top of the league (just one of the reasons I kept putting this blog post off as I, like every other football fan, am confused as to what's happening). If QPR don't get docked any meaningful points though, the season for Swansea will end like this:

A win would see them finish in 3rd position, providing Cardiff lose (or draw, but goal difference starts to play a role then). If Cardiff win, then Swansea will end the season in 4th.

A draw would also mean Swansea stay in 4th spot.

A loss may see Swansea drop to 5th if Reading win. If Reading lose though, a loss would mean Swansea would remain in 4th.

Betting on the game?
Swansea will definitely be aiming to go into the play-offs off the back of a good win, though Sheffield United will be playing for pride. Sometimes teams like this are dangerous as they have literally nothing to lose, so may go all out attack for a final hurrah in the Championship.

With this in mind I still see the Swans winning, so will say a comfortable 2-0 win at home. As for goal scorers? Alan Tate needs to get his goal this season – for all the money I've wasted on him getting a cheeky goal, he needs to score tomorrow... doesn't he?

Stay tuned for my end of season review coming very soon, with a new podcast hopefully being released on Monday!

Bite-size Blog: Swansea vs Millwall

With a play-off place secure, Swansea can do two things.

They can start resting the Dyers, the Sinclairs and the Monks of the team to ensure that, come the emotionally and physically draining play-off games, these vital players are fit and ready, or they can go into the last two all guns blazing and look for two wins to give them the confidence and momentum they need for the play-offs.

I feel it'll probably be a mixture of both, with players like Nathan Dyer playing an hour of a game before being subbed to keep his stamina at peak levels, while giving the Swans a fighting chance at some confidence before the play-offs.

I keep forgetting that, mathematically, auto-promotion is still possible for the Swans, though if they were aiming for the auto spots, losing four away games in a row wasn't the best way to go about it. Still, if it's even slightly possible, they must play for a win.

Millwall are currently two points out of the play-off positions in 7th, which means they will be fighting and fighting for a win and a step closer to the Premier League. If Swansea have struggled on the road recently, they will find the game against Millwall very tough. A win for the Swans is not impossible, though away form seems to be saying it could well be...

What results mean:
The last few weeks of bite-size blogging has focussed strongly on this section, yet it's not as life changing now that we know Swansea will probably finish in 4th and face Reading in the play-offs. Remember, I said "probably".

A win would be ideal as they desperately need to show themselves and the supporters that it isn't impossible to win games away from the Liberty. A win wouldn't change anything in the table though: Swansea would remain in 4th as Cardiff are just out of reach in 3rd.

A draw would see things stay the same, but only if Reading lose. Should Reading win and Swansea draw, they would switch places with Swansea ending the day in 5th.

A loss would mean the same as a draw at this stage, but a loss would also damage the away confidence even further. Considering the next away game will be the 1st/2nd leg of the play-offs, a loss is not a great result to walk away with.

Betting on the game?
After thrashing Ipswich on Monday, Swansea have shown that they can come off periods of bad form and win games when they need to so, with that in mind, an outright win for the Swans against Millwall is currently 2/1 (PaddyPower.com) and worth a fiver at least!

Elsewhere, should he play and not rest, a few pounds on the unstoppable Fabio Borini to score first is a good bet.

As for predictions: if Swansea are going to win, it will be by one goal. 1-0 seems reasonable. I can't see an open, goals-galore game (watch now - it'll be 5-3 to Swansea after a hat-trick in the first five minutes...). I'd say 2-1 is also a possibility, but only if Swansea score first.

The heat is... off

In what is certainly another massive game against Portsmouth this Saturday, the pressure may have eased slightly for Brendan's men.

“What the...?” you may ask as your pointer hovers over the X in top right corner of your screen.

Keep listening. I genuinely feel the pressure on the Swans to put in a massive performance is slightly less than in previous weeks. Don't get me wrong, this is not the time for the team to take games casually, but because the play-offs are now where their promotion hopes lie (with the auto-promotion places more than likely going to Norwich or Cardiff), the Swans have a focused date of May 30th to aim towards.

In fact, so long as the Swans claim seven points from their last four games, they will get into the play-offs. I feel if they now chase an auto-promotion spot they are aiming too high. The team had the chance to remain in 2nd, and even chase the top spot, but lost their nerve slightly a few weeks back.

This isn't to say they shouldn't go for the win tomorrow and for the following three games, but by mentally taking some pressure off, the team can play their brand of smooth, fast football without having to worry about conceding the odd goal. Naturally the pressure will be piled back on during the play-offs, but at least they will be there, instead of slipping out at the last moment, like last season.

These are only the ideas of one man, and naturally may not be the philosphy of the team, players or any other supporter. Just like to throw that out there.

The next four games may now be the last time Brendan Rodgers can play around a little to figure out what his best, play-off winning team is and, more of an issue it seems, what his best substitution options are. Who replaces Dyer or Sinclair if they come off due to fatigue? Moore isn't working on the wing, and neither is Priskin. Play Borini on the wing? What about using Rangel as a winger and Tate as LB? As I've said in past blogs, without Dyer and Sinclair out wide, the Swans don't seem to function properly and this needs to be changed now.

With all this idea in mind, let's have a little preview of Saturday's game vs. Portsmouth:

What results mean:
A win is still very important. All three points could see the Swans back in 4th, so long as Reading lose.

A draw now would still see the ForzaSwansea “seven points in four games” idea work out. A draw would see the Swans remain in 5th with 71 points.

A loss wouldn't actually change much either: Swansea would hold onto their 5th place spot as Leeds are too far behind to overtake them at this stage.

Betting on the game?
It's been a while since Swansea have walked away with three points on the road. I feel it will happen on Saturday, and am predicting 1-0 to Swansea, Borini to score.


This isn't the ideal way to finish the season, but for a manager new to the club, Rodgers has really brought the team up to a different level. This time last year we were umm-ing and ahh-ing over who to play up front. Kuqi, Pintado or overweight Trundle. Depressing options. Just think how exciting things have become in the last season! It's a joy to watch and, whatever happens in the next month, you know you'll always get value for money with Swansea City!

Two gifts for Burnley

I don't quite know how to start this blog post. It seems Saturday's game against Burnley was one of the many defining points of the season.

Though technically one automatic promotion spot is still in reach, it relies on too many other factors to go Swansea's way for it to be a realistic dream. But the play-offs are still fully up for grabs, and that is where the team, and fans, should now focus their attention.

Brendan Rodgers explained in a post match interview that his main task of surviving in the Championship is complete (I don't think that task was in any doubt from a couple of games in), and to be in a near play-off position is great. While I will agree with him that it's a great position to be in, being a couple of points off the top spot earlier in the season means anything but promotion would now seem a little disappointing to fans.

Right, I've tried to put it off, but there must be a mention of Saturday's falling apart against Burnley.

I felt, as I'm sure many listening to the dramatic radio commentary did, that Swansea had a great first half and were showing that they were a changed team on the road. Britton and Pratley added some solidity to the midfield and defensive mistakes were kept to a minimum.

Then came the second half. Fabio Borini beat the offside trap and scored his first away goal in a white shirt. Brilliant! The travelling Swans were ahead. This was the time they needed to learn from past mistakes, most recently in the previous game against Hull, and build on the lead. After three minutes things were looking good, Swansea hadn't conceded, they were still ahead. Then... then we hear of an own goal. Ashley Williams is able to beat De Vries with a header, putting the home team level.

An own goal is unlucky. As is a penalty (I'm getting to that). But these two things come from defensive errors and letting the opposition pressure you deep. It's unavoidable at times, but with the Swans dominating the first half and then scoring early in the second, they shouldn't have let Burnley get their heads up. But they did. Then, during the 76th minute, Burnley won a penalty (told you I'd get to it) thanks to a rare Rangel error and the game was as well as over.

What can you say? It is crushing. If it was a 1-0 loss, say, after Burnley had strung together a few nice passes early on in the game then shut up shop, it wouldn't have been so bad. But to literally gift Burnley with two easy goals, after taking the lead, shows that Swansea don't have the cutting edge they need to consistently win games.

There was no blaming the bowling green pitch this time and the "curse of the black shirts" wasn't a plausible excuse either.

Nevermind though! As I said, it's disappointing but the play-offs are just around the corner and, so long as Swansea can pick up about six points in the next four games, they will be around to battle for that final promotion spot. A good idea would be to get the results with minimal effort (is that possible?) and rest some vital players at home, so everyone is refreshed and raring to the play-off games. This is one of the best positions the team has been in in many, many years so, despite little disappointments, the team as a whole should be applauded.

This brings me onto my side note: the Mark Gower incident. I have yet to see this, but rumour has it (and there are many) that one/a few travelling Swans fans were shouting abuse at Swansea as they left the pitch (singling out Gower). Gower retaliated by showing one or more fingers to this group. What can you say? Not much. A minority of stupid fans get over emotional and then hurl abuse, which shouldn't happen, no matter how angry they feel. Meanwhile, Mark Gower shouldn't have reacted. He is a professional and, despite being full of emotion himself, is being paid handsomely to act in a specific way. A role model to youngsters should just suck it up and let the cool headed fans sort the abusers out. Lesson learnt: just leave the stands in silence if you didn't think anything of the performance (this goes for players and supporters alike).

With that, I leave you with this thought. Swansea vs Cardiff, Wembley, May 30th. Anyone fancy that?

Bite-size Blog: Swansea vs Burnley

I feel that writing about 'the importance of winning at Burnley' is a waste of time. You all know. There is no reason to “big it up” - it's already massive. This game, like the remaining four Swansea will play, will define the season.

Problems
Swansea regularly start with the likes of Pratley and Britton on the bench and it gives the illusion of squad depth. While this does show that there are plenty of options for the three midfielders, a change in attack seems to stump everyone.

Brendan Rodgers appeared desperate for a second goal against Hull, and ended up throwing on Priskin, Moore and Beattie. Three strikers. Swansea can't function with three strikers. What he really needed was a solid, speedy winger to replace Sinclair or Dyer, and then a man-for-man swap of Borini with either Beattie or Priskin (...or Moore). However, there is nobody to replace Dyer or Sinclair. If one of them does get fatigued or injured during a game, there is no replacement. Van der Gun? He can do a wingers job, but he isn't as creative or fast.

It may be a little late to get a winger on loan, but that is what the team needs. Even if they aren't used they'll be there just in case the worst happens or, like we saw against Hull, something needs to change.


What results mean:
A win could see the Swans end the day in 3rd, providing Cardiff lose. 2nd place is just out of reach after Norwich beat Nottingham Forest. More than likely, a win for the Swans would see them hold onto the 4th place spot. If Cardiff slip up then all the better, but a win is vital to keep the pressure at bay.

A draw wouldn't be the end of the world, though it's certainly not what Rodgers and his men should be aiming for. If Reading (5th) lose or draw, Swansea would remain in 4th. If, however, Reading win, the Swans would slip down to 5th.

A loss is, needless to say, not worth thinking about. It would probably impact the table in the same way as a draw: Swansea would fall to 5th if Reading win. A loss would be crippling to confidence levels for the following game.


Betting on the game?
I feel confident that Swansea will hold it together under immense away pressure and get a victory. They wasted a chance on Tuesday against Hull. As Rodgers has said, the team need to be more aggressive away from home. They can't buckle and concede an early goal as this would destroy any team spirit.

I will say a 1-0 win to the Swans looks promising. Burnley have lost their last four games (and haven't won for six) and do concede plenty of goals, but Swansea's away form isn't the best. Still, I feel the travelling Jacks will have the edge. It may be worth covering 1-1... just in case.

Bite-size Blog: Swansea vs Norwich

Swansea cannot lose against Norwich. Not if they want to battle for the automatic promotion spot. A win is vital.

With a full strength squad, this would usually be an easy outing, with three points almost certain on a smooth Liberty surface with a sell-out crowd spurring them on. However the loss against bottom of the league side Preston last week has asked some questions of the Swansea defence (“how could you let such a weak team pressurise you?”) and attack (“why could you not put away your chances?”). These questions must be answered by a convincing win over fellow promotion contenders Norwich.

Norwich, on good form, will be full of confidence after thrashing Scunthorpe 6-0 on Saturday. Can Swansea stop their decent run?

What results mean:

A win would probably see the Swans retain their 4th place spot, which is still a great place to be in considering a slightly bad run recently. If Cardiff lose or draw a win against Norwich would see the Swans leapfrog them to 3rd!

A draw would be better than a loss (duh!). If Cardiff lose Swansea would jump into third.

A loss would be terrible. Technically a loss could see the Swans drop to 6th place (if both Leeds and Reading win, thanks to goal difference), which would be one spot away from dropping out the play-offs. Not a good position to be in considering what happened last year.

So you can see: a good result against Norwich now means everything.

Betting on the game?

I honestly don't know these days. Swansea aren't the most predictable of teams at the moment. You don't know who will score at any point! As for score prediction, a 1-1 draw seems likely, though if Swansea really go for it 2-1 is also a high possibility.

This is the time to prove you have what it takes to get into the top tier once again. Don't let us down.