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...
Friday, 25 May 2012
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Goodbye 2011/12: a brief reflection
From crashing back to reality with the hammering from Man City in August, to the comfortable win over Liverpool on Sunday, it's been one hell of a debut season for Swansea City!
The months since the Premier League new boys walked out at the Etihad have been incredibly memorable. The first win against West Brom; taking points from games against Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea; Alan Tate and his golf buggy; incredible possession stats; and the 3-1 loss to Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup (…yeah, scrap that last one).
This season has shown the world what Swansea City are all about. The pundits and bookies said the club would rejoin Cardiff in the Championship if they tried to replicate the pass-and-move style in the Premier League - how wrong they were.
Over the months we've seen some real talent join the club: Michel Vorm, Wayne Routledge, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker - vital players in the survival campaign. They won't all stay, but they'll be welcomed back any time! Some players joined and didn't make much of an impact, like Josh McEachran and the incredible return of Fede Bessone.
We've also said our goodbyes to some such as Craig Beattie, and two gingers, Ryan Harley and Shaun MacDonald, while Stephen Dobbie made a loan move (again) to Blackpool (again) where he helped them secure a place in the play-off final (again).
Swansea had their ups and downs on the field, from the deserved victories against Man City and Arsenal, to never being able to win against Wolves (even when it looked certain!). Low periods of form did become a worry at times, but the Swans never looked like being dragged into a relegation battle, with 17th being the lowest place all season, after the second game.
Despite that well-deserved win against Liverpool, Swansea ended the season with a poor spell - winning just one in eight and losing four in a row. Had they been a little more clinical in the final third, scoring just one or two goals where it mattered, Swansea could easily have finished in the top ten.
Having said that, finishing too high in the first season might not be desirable as it could set unrealistic ambitions for next time.
No, this season will be remembered as a highly positive campaign. 11th place was more than any of us predicted and to do it in such style and with limited resources has gained the club followers from across the globe.
So, what can we expect next season?
Some are already using the clichéd 'second season syndrome' when looking ahead, but this seems to be coming from the same people who said we'd see Elvis sooner than we'd see Swansea survive... and we all know what happened there.
In their 100th season as a football club, Swansea will no longer have the 'new boy' tag and many fans will expect to better the 11th place finish. Maybe a place in Europe? Maybe that's a bit too ambitious for now, especially with a squad lacking depth. I'm sure we'd all take another season of survival!
I will explore the ambitions, targets and how it'll be done over the next few weeks, but for now enjoy the summer Swans fans - you've earned it!
The months since the Premier League new boys walked out at the Etihad have been incredibly memorable. The first win against West Brom; taking points from games against Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea; Alan Tate and his golf buggy; incredible possession stats; and the 3-1 loss to Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup (…yeah, scrap that last one).
This season has shown the world what Swansea City are all about. The pundits and bookies said the club would rejoin Cardiff in the Championship if they tried to replicate the pass-and-move style in the Premier League - how wrong they were.
Over the months we've seen some real talent join the club: Michel Vorm, Wayne Routledge, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker - vital players in the survival campaign. They won't all stay, but they'll be welcomed back any time! Some players joined and didn't make much of an impact, like Josh McEachran and the incredible return of Fede Bessone.
We've also said our goodbyes to some such as Craig Beattie, and two gingers, Ryan Harley and Shaun MacDonald, while Stephen Dobbie made a loan move (again) to Blackpool (again) where he helped them secure a place in the play-off final (again).
Swansea had their ups and downs on the field, from the deserved victories against Man City and Arsenal, to never being able to win against Wolves (even when it looked certain!). Low periods of form did become a worry at times, but the Swans never looked like being dragged into a relegation battle, with 17th being the lowest place all season, after the second game.
Despite that well-deserved win against Liverpool, Swansea ended the season with a poor spell - winning just one in eight and losing four in a row. Had they been a little more clinical in the final third, scoring just one or two goals where it mattered, Swansea could easily have finished in the top ten.
Having said that, finishing too high in the first season might not be desirable as it could set unrealistic ambitions for next time.
No, this season will be remembered as a highly positive campaign. 11th place was more than any of us predicted and to do it in such style and with limited resources has gained the club followers from across the globe.
So, what can we expect next season?
Some are already using the clichéd 'second season syndrome' when looking ahead, but this seems to be coming from the same people who said we'd see Elvis sooner than we'd see Swansea survive... and we all know what happened there.
In their 100th season as a football club, Swansea will no longer have the 'new boy' tag and many fans will expect to better the 11th place finish. Maybe a place in Europe? Maybe that's a bit too ambitious for now, especially with a squad lacking depth. I'm sure we'd all take another season of survival!
I will explore the ambitions, targets and how it'll be done over the next few weeks, but for now enjoy the summer Swans fans - you've earned it!
Friday, 11 May 2012
Swansea City vs Liverpool: Farewells from Graceland
It's May already?!
Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that the Premier League had a shiny gloss of untried anticipation about it? Now we're all old pros, having stood face-to-face with the giants, showing planet football that Swansea aren't just making up the numbers.
So this game shouldn't matter.
Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that the Premier League had a shiny gloss of untried anticipation about it? Now we're all old pros, having stood face-to-face with the giants, showing planet football that Swansea aren't just making up the numbers.
We've seen so much this
season, and I'll capture those memories in an upcoming blog
post. But for now it's a look ahead to Swansea's final game: at home to
Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers has
already ensured that the stadium will have a party atmosphere about it, with his request
for fans to wear Elvis costumes on Sunday. This is, of course, to highlight
Swansea's silencing of the critics who said there would be more
chance of seeing the fat man (not Michael Chopra...) reappear
than Swansea surviving the Premier League.
Though Swansea's dreams
of finishing in the top ten have all but gone, along with the other
dream of finishing above Liverpool, the most important dream of
league survival was the only one that needed to come true. And it
did.
So this game shouldn't matter.
But it does. It's the
last chance for the East Stand to shout and sing, showing the club
their appreciation for the season gone by. It's also the chance for
the players to show the fans a final good performance, because the
Swans fans really have played that 12th man role all season. Everyone deserves a good game.
Liverpool are eighth in
the table after giving Chelsea a good thrashing on Tuesday night, and
they have nothing to lose on Sunday either, except dignity;
something they have already lost in bucket-loads this season. They'll
be coming down to Graceland with
intentions to claw a little back, ending their damp season on a high.
I don't expect much in
the shape of a team overhaul from Brendan Rodgers – Liverpool are
still a good footballing force, so the inclusion of weaker fringe
players will probably wait until those pre-season friendlies in America. On Sunday it
should be the same eleven we've seen so much of this season. However, I wouldn't mind seeing Orlandi get a run around again, if he can shake off his injury. He intrigued in his last match...
This could also be the
last game we see Steven Caulker and Gylfi Sigurdsson in Swansea City white, depending on their intentions during the summer. Hopefully they will stay, but if not this will be their farewell game.
Having a final bet of
the season? Put it all on Swansea! 12/5 with the bookies, and well
worth a gamble. The Elvis stunt is bound to create a 13th,
14th and 15th man for the Swans, spurring them on for that final win to round off a memorable season.
It's also worth sticking a pound on 4-4. You never know.
It's also worth sticking a pound on 4-4. You never know.
I'll be back with my
season reviews, player report cards and next season previews over
the next few weeks – until then, Forza Swansea!
Friday, 4 May 2012
Swansea City vs Man United: The brief, sketchy preview
The trip to Manchester is the penultimate match for Swansea City this season and the chance to cause another real upset in this unpredictable league.
Man United quite possibly threw away their chance at a 20th league title after that lacklustre, tired performance against their rivals on Monday night, but are still tipped to destroy Swansea on Sunday.
However I am optimistic. Perhaps I shouldn't be, with Swansea winning just one in their last seven games and with odds of 12/1 to win this one, but I feel we're still in for one more Swansea City shock before the season is through.
The Swans are safe. They have nothing to lose, and nothing more to gain (the top ten spot is probably just out of reach unless other results go the right way). The Sky cameras will be on, Swansea are clear underdogs and Man United, who are also slightly out of form, will be playing with desperation. Call me a silly sausage, but I feel this has 'upset' written all over it!
Who does Brendan Rodgers pick then? The 3-4-3 worked well to an extent last week, giving Swansea a much stronger attacking threat, but leave three at the back and the Swans will surely be torn apart by Rooney and co. No, it'll be much the same as we've seen all season – 4-5-1 or thereabouts.
I'd like to see Orlandi take part again, after an effective first half last week. Possibly in the place of Leon Britton, maybe even Gylfi Sigurdsson – two players who might have been figured out a little by the opposition.
Alan Tate is expecting to make a return for this game against his former club. However, if Angel Rangel is fit, I don't think many will see Tate starting the game. He may come on at the end, depending on how things are going, similar to Mark Gower getting a little run-around against his former team at Spurs.
Whatever team Rodgers picks for this game, be sure that Sir Alex (...Ferguson) (...you knew who I meant) will field a younger Man United team, a much different side from the bunch who lost to Man City. Good news for Swansea as Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck are unlikely to feature due to injuries, but we may see the return of Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez to the starting line-up.
Betting on the game? Swansea, as mentioned, are around 12/1 to win, and 6/1 to draw. A decent bet to cover may be 'Swansea to win or draw' which is priced at 4/1. It's hard to call a score on this one – I wouldn't bet against 4-4 (at 350/1) if I'm honest, but a more realistic 3-1 to Man United may be wiser (9/1).
Either way, it should be a great final away game for Swansea before a sure win against Liverpool the following week!
Man United quite possibly threw away their chance at a 20th league title after that lacklustre, tired performance against their rivals on Monday night, but are still tipped to destroy Swansea on Sunday.
However I am optimistic. Perhaps I shouldn't be, with Swansea winning just one in their last seven games and with odds of 12/1 to win this one, but I feel we're still in for one more Swansea City shock before the season is through.
The Swans are safe. They have nothing to lose, and nothing more to gain (the top ten spot is probably just out of reach unless other results go the right way). The Sky cameras will be on, Swansea are clear underdogs and Man United, who are also slightly out of form, will be playing with desperation. Call me a silly sausage, but I feel this has 'upset' written all over it!
Who does Brendan Rodgers pick then? The 3-4-3 worked well to an extent last week, giving Swansea a much stronger attacking threat, but leave three at the back and the Swans will surely be torn apart by Rooney and co. No, it'll be much the same as we've seen all season – 4-5-1 or thereabouts.
I'd like to see Orlandi take part again, after an effective first half last week. Possibly in the place of Leon Britton, maybe even Gylfi Sigurdsson – two players who might have been figured out a little by the opposition.
Alan Tate is expecting to make a return for this game against his former club. However, if Angel Rangel is fit, I don't think many will see Tate starting the game. He may come on at the end, depending on how things are going, similar to Mark Gower getting a little run-around against his former team at Spurs.
Whatever team Rodgers picks for this game, be sure that Sir Alex (...Ferguson) (...you knew who I meant) will field a younger Man United team, a much different side from the bunch who lost to Man City. Good news for Swansea as Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck are unlikely to feature due to injuries, but we may see the return of Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez to the starting line-up.
Betting on the game? Swansea, as mentioned, are around 12/1 to win, and 6/1 to draw. A decent bet to cover may be 'Swansea to win or draw' which is priced at 4/1. It's hard to call a score on this one – I wouldn't bet against 4-4 (at 350/1) if I'm honest, but a more realistic 3-1 to Man United may be wiser (9/1).
Either way, it should be a great final away game for Swansea before a sure win against Liverpool the following week!
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Swansea City 4 - 4 Wolves: "The Sloppy Swan - a cautionary tale”
I'm not sure what result Mr Rodgers was hoping for when he put his new look 3-4-3 side out against Wolves. I guess it wasn't 4-4. Still, safety was basically secure, so trying something new was worth a go...wasn't it?
If you saw the game, you know what happened and can miss out the following paragraph (unless you want to relive the horror...):
Kick-off. 22 seconds and Orlandi heads past de Vries. 1-0! Allen makes it two within four minutes. 2-0! Dyer grabs the third. 3-0! Game over! No, Wolves claw one back through Fletcher. 3-1. Graham puts the game to bed with Swansea's fourth. 4-1! Or does he? Jarvis soon makes it 4-2. Half time! Restart, Edwards makes it 4-3. A comeback is on. Nope it's already here - Jarvis makes it 4-4. Wolves should really go onto win the game, but it ends 4-4.
A thriller - Amazing. Entertaining. Annoying. Frustrating. Sloppy.
From 3-0 up in 15 minutes to 4-4 at the final whistle. Swansea haven't really self-imploded like this all season... not since... well, that game against Wolves in October.
In a match they were expected to win quite easily, Swansea could have done just that. Not many teams who are already relegated find the will and energy to stage a come back. But Wolves had nothing to lose and, sensing a vulnerable Swansea defence, come back they did.
The formation certainly contributed to Swansea both scoring and conceding those total six goals in the first half. The additional man in midfield gave the Swans plenty to work with. Orlandi, that extra man, really put in a good display and scored the quickest Premier League goal this season, before he was subbed at half time. It's a shame he wasn't on in the second half as you feel Swansea might have clung onto that lead.
It was Swansea's defence that lost it today. Very sloppy from all involved. Having three at the back in the first half saw too much pressure when Wolves decided that they actually wanted to come away with something. Bringing on Taylor should have made things more solid, but Caulker was forced to play as a makeshift right back. This wasn't the reason for the draw though – letting Wolves score even one goal was too much of an error.
Some have put Swansea's unravelling down to tired legs and tired minds, but we must remember Wolves have played the same amount of games. It's no excuse really.
The result means Swansea drop a place to 12th, where the win might have propelled them to 9th. I think a dream top ten finish is now out of the question. A shame, but survival was more than anyone hoped at the start of the season.
A few positives to end this blog post:
- Swansea scored four goals
- Andrea Orlandi looks to be a decent player again
- Swansea recorded the quickest Premier League goal this season
- De Vries didn't have a great game (or save a penalty like I predicted)
- We witnessed Terry Connor smiling. It was heart-warming.
See you in Manchester!
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Swansea City vs Bolton: Now, back to the top ten!
That dreaded fifth defeat in a row didn't come last week thankfully, as Swansea comfortably beat Blackburn 3-0. This Saturday sees the Swans take on relegation strugglers Bolton in the Reebok Stadium.
Now, I thought 40 was the magic number of points needed to mathematically stay afloat in the Premier League pond, but others, including Brendan Rodgers, are insisting on another win to be sure. I guess this isn't a bad thing; we wouldn't want him to come out and say “yep, we're done for points this season - Gower will start in goals on Saturday, with an injured Alan Tate up-front, just for a laugh!”.
No, Rodgers wants to be sure, and a win on Saturday will guarantee Swansea are safe.
However, winning the game against Bolton would be another stepping stone to, what should be, Swansea's next achievable goal: finishing in the top ten. It would be a real triumphant end to a season already filled with a variety of memorable accomplishments for the little club from South Wales.
Four games left. Two are very winnable. One is certainly drawable, if not winnable too (the Liverpool game). If results don't go well for other teams around the Swans in the table, that tenth place finish is there for the taking.
So - Bolton. Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham all scored in October as Swansea beat Bolton 3-1 in the Liberty Stadium.
Bolton have a few on the injury list including Stuart Holden, Ricardo Gardner and Tyrone Mears along with Fabrice Muamba, who is recovering well it seems, after his collapse a few weeks ago. This encouraging news will ensure Bolton have nothing on their minds except winning.
Swansea will also come up against Darren Pratley for the second time this season. I don't see much reason to boo him, though I assume he may get a jeer or two from the odd few travelling Jacks. Not as many as I anticipate Dorus de Vries will receive next week... but that's another blog post entirely!
Looking at Swansea and, apart from Alan Tate's fresh calf injury ruling him out, they have a full squad to choose from (minus long term absentees Kemy Agustien and, of course, Ferrie Bodde). The Swans squad, as usual, picks itself. Vorm; Rangel, Williams, Caulker, Taylor; Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson, Britton, Sinclair; Graham. I can't see Routledge forcing his way back into the starting squad this week.
As you are aware, Bolton are in the bottom three (18th), which don't make them nice opposition at this time of the year. They have slightly more to play for than Swansea and have the home crowd behind them. It's a dangerous mix for the Swans, who do stutter on the road.
My prediction then is a 2-2 draw (priced at 11/1 on PaddyPower). It's been a while since I've predicted 2-2, but I just have that feeling. If Swansea concentrate though, the win is well within them, so add another goal onto that for 3-2 (at 25/1). For your information, Darren Pratley to score and Bolton to win is priced at 13/2 – maybe worth covering, just in case.
Now, I thought 40 was the magic number of points needed to mathematically stay afloat in the Premier League pond, but others, including Brendan Rodgers, are insisting on another win to be sure. I guess this isn't a bad thing; we wouldn't want him to come out and say “yep, we're done for points this season - Gower will start in goals on Saturday, with an injured Alan Tate up-front, just for a laugh!”.
No, Rodgers wants to be sure, and a win on Saturday will guarantee Swansea are safe.
However, winning the game against Bolton would be another stepping stone to, what should be, Swansea's next achievable goal: finishing in the top ten. It would be a real triumphant end to a season already filled with a variety of memorable accomplishments for the little club from South Wales.
Four games left. Two are very winnable. One is certainly drawable, if not winnable too (the Liverpool game). If results don't go well for other teams around the Swans in the table, that tenth place finish is there for the taking.
So - Bolton. Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham all scored in October as Swansea beat Bolton 3-1 in the Liberty Stadium.
Bolton have a few on the injury list including Stuart Holden, Ricardo Gardner and Tyrone Mears along with Fabrice Muamba, who is recovering well it seems, after his collapse a few weeks ago. This encouraging news will ensure Bolton have nothing on their minds except winning.
Swansea will also come up against Darren Pratley for the second time this season. I don't see much reason to boo him, though I assume he may get a jeer or two from the odd few travelling Jacks. Not as many as I anticipate Dorus de Vries will receive next week... but that's another blog post entirely!
Looking at Swansea and, apart from Alan Tate's fresh calf injury ruling him out, they have a full squad to choose from (minus long term absentees Kemy Agustien and, of course, Ferrie Bodde). The Swans squad, as usual, picks itself. Vorm; Rangel, Williams, Caulker, Taylor; Dyer, Allen, Sigurdsson, Britton, Sinclair; Graham. I can't see Routledge forcing his way back into the starting squad this week.
As you are aware, Bolton are in the bottom three (18th), which don't make them nice opposition at this time of the year. They have slightly more to play for than Swansea and have the home crowd behind them. It's a dangerous mix for the Swans, who do stutter on the road.
My prediction then is a 2-2 draw (priced at 11/1 on PaddyPower). It's been a while since I've predicted 2-2, but I just have that feeling. If Swansea concentrate though, the win is well within them, so add another goal onto that for 3-2 (at 25/1). For your information, Darren Pratley to score and Bolton to win is priced at 13/2 – maybe worth covering, just in case.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Swansea City vs Blackburn Rovers: five in a row?
Before a quick look forward to the Blackburn game, let's rewind to that one against QPR.
I've been relatively quiet about the farce on Wednesday evening. Many others have been very vocal. Some fans seem to be panicking, some seem to be angry and some seem to be angry that others are angry. It's all very confusing. What is pretty straightforward however, is that Swansea were very, very poor (compared to recent standards) and must get, at the very least, a point on Saturday. A loss will not do.
Before I start complaining about the drought of wins (or even goals) to celebrate, let's remember that this is still the debut Premier League season. Perhaps most of us (the team included) have jumped ahead of ourselves - enjoying the 'Swanselona' nicknames and superb passing/possession stats a little too much.
It's great to see, but Swansea are not Barcelona. The Swans are still a smallish club and even finishing 17th this season will be a good achievement (albeit a little damp considering the club had graced the top ten a few weeks ago).
So, looking ahead to Saturday and that single point needed to thrust Swansea into supposed mathematical safety is still at large. Unfortunately, playing a team like Blackburn, currently in the relegation zone, proves harder at this stage as they have so much to play for. Blackburn, too, have lost four in a row and know another loss will just increase the pressure.
That point we crave will not come easily. Lest we forget, Blackburn did a number on the Swans back in December (4-2) with Yakubu smashing them in from anywhere he chose. While I doubt it'll be the same scoreline this time around, even a team facing relegation can be a big threat (need I refer to QPR again?).
Who will start then? Rodgers has a full strength team (minus Kemy Agustien) to chose from, but it's the same eleven we are likely to see again in the Liberty Stadium this Saturday, as the quality of the reserves is not that inspiring at the moment. I do think Nathan Dyer needs to start after Wayne Routledge has shown some inconsistency recently after a few very good games, and looks to be lacking confidence.
Generally, the team need to keep on going about what they've been doing so well for the last few months, but with more confidence and a little enjoyment. Yes, it's hard to play with confidence and a smile when you're out of form, but if you dwell on it, it could become the start of a downwards fall that may see Cardiff welcome us back to the Championship next season.
Okay, that is an extreme example. If Swansea win on Saturday, safety is technically guaranteed. This should have happened a few weeks back, but it wouldn't be Swansea City without some unpredictable results and some nervous moments, would it!
It's hard to predict a score for this one. Swansea are favourites with the bookies (at evens or thereabouts), despite poor form, though the Liberty Stadium crowd will play a big part in lifting the team. I think Swansea will win, and will say 2-0 (at 9/1).
I've been relatively quiet about the farce on Wednesday evening. Many others have been very vocal. Some fans seem to be panicking, some seem to be angry and some seem to be angry that others are angry. It's all very confusing. What is pretty straightforward however, is that Swansea were very, very poor (compared to recent standards) and must get, at the very least, a point on Saturday. A loss will not do.
Before I start complaining about the drought of wins (or even goals) to celebrate, let's remember that this is still the debut Premier League season. Perhaps most of us (the team included) have jumped ahead of ourselves - enjoying the 'Swanselona' nicknames and superb passing/possession stats a little too much.
It's great to see, but Swansea are not Barcelona. The Swans are still a smallish club and even finishing 17th this season will be a good achievement (albeit a little damp considering the club had graced the top ten a few weeks ago).
So, looking ahead to Saturday and that single point needed to thrust Swansea into supposed mathematical safety is still at large. Unfortunately, playing a team like Blackburn, currently in the relegation zone, proves harder at this stage as they have so much to play for. Blackburn, too, have lost four in a row and know another loss will just increase the pressure.
That point we crave will not come easily. Lest we forget, Blackburn did a number on the Swans back in December (4-2) with Yakubu smashing them in from anywhere he chose. While I doubt it'll be the same scoreline this time around, even a team facing relegation can be a big threat (need I refer to QPR again?).
Who will start then? Rodgers has a full strength team (minus Kemy Agustien) to chose from, but it's the same eleven we are likely to see again in the Liberty Stadium this Saturday, as the quality of the reserves is not that inspiring at the moment. I do think Nathan Dyer needs to start after Wayne Routledge has shown some inconsistency recently after a few very good games, and looks to be lacking confidence.
Generally, the team need to keep on going about what they've been doing so well for the last few months, but with more confidence and a little enjoyment. Yes, it's hard to play with confidence and a smile when you're out of form, but if you dwell on it, it could become the start of a downwards fall that may see Cardiff welcome us back to the Championship next season.
Okay, that is an extreme example. If Swansea win on Saturday, safety is technically guaranteed. This should have happened a few weeks back, but it wouldn't be Swansea City without some unpredictable results and some nervous moments, would it!
It's hard to predict a score for this one. Swansea are favourites with the bookies (at evens or thereabouts), despite poor form, though the Liberty Stadium crowd will play a big part in lifting the team. I think Swansea will win, and will say 2-0 (at 9/1).
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