Swansea City: Lessons from the opening

We are now three games into the new season and we've already experienced panic, joy and the rest after watching Swansea City. The transfer window has finally closed, everybody is staying where they are and the Swans have four competitions to play for. Former Swan ALEC JOHNSON is taking a breath, then analysing what we can take from the opening month.

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By Alec Johnson

Club
Our club is incredibly well run - that's not news, but it's always worth reminding everybody. Huw had his hands in the right places during the transfer window, working very closely with Laudrup and his team of Vikings. We can also have confidence in the club to manage the budgets within our means. Once Bony was signed we were always in the market for loans and freebies.

If there is a bullet to fire at the club, it has to be in the direction of the ticketing department. It is beyond painful and the frustration lies across the board with fans, irrespective of status in the supporter hierarchy. It cannot be that difficult to promote an efficient processes for purchasing tickets. Frustration ranges from three hours to three days. They will get it right eventually - they always do in the end - but it’s taking far too long.

We also know we are now a big club. Each season highlights the growth curve that we’re on. In fact we are a bigger club than our last opponents West Brom these days! While they struggle to fill their seats at the start of a season we still have a short supply, by some five thousand or more. How things have changed since we met in the play-offs twenty years ago when we were in awe of them - even intimidated by them - in almost every way.

Players
Our core has become Spanish! As long as we’re winning most won’t care, but if the tide turns then the Spanish archers will be out in force with their "they don’t understand our league" arrows. Individually they all bring something a little different, with only Pozuelo worthy of being classed as typically Spanish. Pozuelo is a very exciting prospect and has the best feet since Alan Davies. Let’s hope he gets plenty of opportunities to start to shake those dancing feet.

Most impressive for me so far has been Michu. Playing in the deeper role he affects every area of the pitch and is never more than twenty yards from the ball, while his energy and passion is contagious for the whole spirit of the team. At the Hawthorns last week I followed him closely and don’t recall him actually giving the ball away once. His awareness and unselfish play embodies everything that the great man Laudrup stood for on the pitch. He is our standout performer, scoring or not.

We don’t have the biggest squad - 22 could be classed as small for a club entering four competitions, but every position has adequate cover and, barring any disaster, we will be safe until May. However I would have added an extra body or two myself.

Europe
Loving it. Our style of battering teams at home and sitting back away has worked through the double headers but may need to be reconsidered for the group stages where away points will be vital. If we change this style and adapt could we progress? I think so. There is no reason why we can’t run through to springtime and beyond. Turin in May sounds great!

League
For those hitting the panic button - stop. There are at least ten weaker squads than us, but the way we play the game requires a lot of confidence. A third league defeat to kick off the season may have seen the rest of the year take a different shape but thankfully that wasn't to be. The win against West Brom away was huge for us. We will develop from here and pass the ball under different circumstances and give Liverpool a tough game next week.

Our real place in the pecking order will be visible come ten games in. We should be sitting in the mid-table positions looking ahead to a decent November and December, kicking off with our nasty neighbours.

On that topic...

... Nasty neighbours
I've sort of got used to seeing them hanging around us in the top flight now. I'm not surprised by their energetic start, nor by their apparent love of set pieces and whacking it 90 yards to create the odd chance from a second ball. My prediction remains that they will struggle and slip away into the abyss, followed quickly by Odd Job at the helm.

Our manager
He remains the coolest man at the club and it is with no surprise that clubs continue to circle, with Benfica seemingly very interested in him. I had complete faith in him through the summer and have total faith in him seeing this season out, beyond which I believe he will move on. When he eventually does up sticks, it won’t be to Benfica but to a title contender in one of the big four European leagues. He would have deserved it and will reach the very top within a couple of years.

So, it’s as you were this season, with plenty more action than we are used to at this level. Let’s enjoy the ride, who knows how long it will last!

The £150 million Swansea City question!

After last weekend's match, ForzaSwansea's favourite American Swans supporter JACOB CRISTOBAL somehow found himself on BBC Radio's Sports World talking to presenters about the Swans vs Spurs match (you can listen to it again here). However his connection dropped out as he was asked a very important question - a question he attempts to answer in this blog post!

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By Jacob Cristobal

If you listened to my broadcast last weekend you will know I was presented with a question of what would/could Swansea City do with “Gareth Bale money.” But before I could answer the question, the connection dropped off. Hey, it comes with the territory of calling from some six or seven time zones away. Coincidentally it did create the narrative that my brief appearance on worldwide radio ended on a cliffhanger. So the question remains - what would I do with a £150 million budget at Swansea City?

Before we jump into the money pit, take note that my approach to this question involves fantasy signings and some general practicality. £150 million to spend is indeed a lot of money, but it’s still not buying you the Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and, now, Gareth Bale's of the world. Yet you can still pick up a lot of talent with that much money. Or Itay Shechter 150 million times over.

So if the Swans were given that much money with the current squad as it is, here’s what I’d do:

• PAY WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP MICHAEL LAUDRUP AT THE LIBERTY FOR LIFE

For me, this is priority number one. I say it because lightning is just not going to strike twice (or is it thrice). Swansea were lucky to continue the climb to where they are after Roberto Martinez became the architect and Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers followed in suit. Yes Rodgers guided them to promotion and in the first year, didn’t become a one and done. He leaves and we then get Michael Laudrup, only one of the greatest midfielders of not just his generation, but all-time. He only improves on what the previous guy did and guided the Swans to European competition. Maybe there is another manager that can easily come in with their own Midas touch, but I’d rather not take that gamble. Add whatever zeroes are necessary to his paycheck and keep him happy!

• PAY WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP MICHU 

I’m a firm believer in that ideology that no player is bigger than a club. But Michu is sure going to be (if he isn’t already) the offensive spark for the club. I want him to be wearing the Swansea shirt as long as possible with the only exception being his personal dream of going back to his local club Real Oviedo where it all began and retire back home playing in the top flight of La Liga.

• THE ADDITIONS 

Swansea City need a strong holding/defensive midfielder. As you saw in the match against Spurs, their midfielders out-muscled Swansea’s. Capoue smothered whoever had the ball and that’s what I’d like to see Swansea have. Your Marouane Fellaini’s of the world, or if you could do some reverse-ageing and get Xabi Alonso a couple years ago. If I may go local flavor here, Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders FC would be great. Hands down one of the best box-to-box mids - he will come at you hard and fast and take that ball away from you.

Another fantasy name on my list, one who would probably cost a good deal of that £150 million is Paul Pogba from Juventus. I don’t think I’m telling anyone anything new in terms of the potential he could very well reach while under such tutelage as the legendary Andrea Pirlo.

Remember in January the bookies had Swansea pegged to land the services of one David Villa? From 2010 to 2011 he was unstoppable and only a fool wouldn’t want his killer long shot. I could watch this goal over and over. I am always going to rate El Guaje and nothing short of him committing a major, violent crime is going to change that opinion. With that huge sack of money, I’d resurrect that rumour and turn it into reality!

This next name is strictly based on the fact that whenever I can afford him in FIFA he’s been nothing but gold. Adryan over in Brazilian side Flamengo is a teenage mid/attacking mid who, if you play regularly in the game, progresses very well. It got to the point that I was rejecting offers from Barcelona for his services at four, five times the price I got him. I’m not sure how Laudrup and Jenkins view Brazilian talent but in my fantasy scenario, since there’s plenty of years ahead of him, you can ease him into the system and first team.

Now - a gamble... Fernando Torres. That’s right, I’d take a flier on Torres. Here’s why. Ever since he made the move to Chelsea, people just cannot seem to let go of the running joke: “OMG! HE DOESN’T SCORE ANY GOALS! WASTE OF MONEY LOL!” - those jokes are just so tired now! Like it or not he has a spot on the Spanish national team and they don’t just give those out to anyone for just showing up with a smile. I’d be that guy who’d take Torres and at the presser, tell people to back off because I still rate him as an effective player that could fit well into the Swansea system and take some pressure off offensive threats like Michu and Bony.

• HOW DO YOU SAY “LA MASIA” IN WELSH?

Outside of those major-name moves and picking up various cheap talent to round out depth, I’d put the bulk of the money into developing Swansea’s own La Masia. Hell, if the club already has the nickname of Swanselona why not go all out and invest in resources to develop a youth academy like the Catalan giants have? If that academy could produce even half of the alumni La Masia has over the years, that’s still every worth dime spent on it.

The business model Swansea City have utilised is the ultimate light at the end of the tunnel for all those clubs in various depressing levels of financial plight, so this would only be another notch to claim that the club is doing it right.


£150 million is a lot of money and acquiring some of those marquee name talents will take a big slice of that pie. Yet I think such a sack of money would honestly have Laudrup and Jenkins confused as to what they could do with it. I know they wouldn’t just piss it all away and let it negate the hard work they’ve done to get where they are in the present. The years of hard work now sees them playing in Europe and making full efforts to stay in the Premier League. Stable and continued success could very well see them making savvy moves that translate to a club that operates and brings in quality players like they’re one of the big boys with a £150 million budget every year.

Still if that magical, giant sack of money showed up at the front door of the Liberty Stadium I fully offer my services as to how to use that money!

Swansea City: Keep Calm and... PANIC!

Regular readers will know the headlines to my blog posts are usually sarcastic and this one is no exception. I am, of course, referring to the underlying panic that Swansea City fans are feeling after the first two games.

Maybe panic is a little strong... but a sense of unease always creeps in when your club is rock bottom of a table, regardless of how many games have been played.

Rock bottom.

But we all knew it would be like this before the season started! Didn't we?

Okay, I was quite confident before the Man United game and assumed the Swans would pick up at least a point, but a loss to the champions was quite a predictable result in retrospect. And away to Spurs? That too was likely to end in a loss, a draw at best (that didn't stop me putting money on Swansea to win 2-1).

What I'm saying is most Swans fans expected to have zero points from two games. Maybe we didn't expect to be rock bottom (especially with Cardiff in the mix), but things aren't always predictable in football (if they were I wouldn't be giving £20 a week to Mr William Hill...)

So now isn't the time to panic if you are a fan of Swansea.

Despite a very difficult start, Swansea finally have a chance to put some points on the board. West Brom away won't be the simplest game, but a point there is certainly up for grabs - if the players play like they want it. Then Liverpool at home? It's not too far fetched to say at least a point is available in that game too.

However, these points will only come with good performances. I don't really agree with Rangel insisting that Swansea deserved a point at White Heart Lane - Swansea's performance there was way too patchy and messy. If anything Spurs probably deserved a higher victory. Thankfully Michel Vorm was on hand to save face.

One thing we may all agree on is that if Swansea are going to start picking up points, Wilfried Bony has to start. I'm not sure if player fatigue is still a concern for Michael Laudrup, but he seems to be bringing Bony on when it's too late to change the game. I'd love to see him (Bony, not Laudrup) start against West Brom, alongside Michu. It's an attacking set-up, yes, but it's surely what we need to see some Premier League goals!

To conclude, let's all calm down for now. This was to be expected. We have another nine months of this and if the negativity starts now it's going to be a long season! As many of you have said: "let's see what the table looks like at Christmas time" - a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.

Now let's finish off Petrolul Ploiesti mid-week to regain some confidence!

Competition: Win a copy of 'Saturday Afternoon Fever' by Johnny Phillips

For those of you who don't watch Sky Sports (do those people exist?), Johnny Phillips has been a staple of the channel and the now iconic Soccer Saturday programme for many years, beaming into our homes every Saturday afternoon.

And his new book, Saturday Afternoon Fever, is a collection of his most memorable tales from the past decade or so. However, it's not just tales from the press room and studios (like I first assumed it may be) - he tells the stories of the televised features he made with some of football's most colourful characters, including the homeless African street kid who ended up playing for his country, the world’s most eco-friendly football club and an octogenarian dressing room attendant.

Swansea City fans will take interest from the first chapter, as the ninth word in is Port Talbot, followed by a brief mention of former Swans striker James Thomas. This is picked up again in chapter three, where 15 pages are dedicated to Johnny's time in Swansea, talking to James (who now works as an ambulance driver), Alan Curtis and Leon Britton about the most important match in the club's history - Hull, 2003.

As Johnny takes an ambulance ride around the city with James they discuss the pressures before the match and the euphoria afterwards, but also touch on the injuries that halted his career as a footballer. The chapter is crammed with emotion!

In particular I enjoyed Johnny's summing up of Swansea as a city: "Swansea is a wonderful place. It is surrounded by some of the best beaches in Britain, the people are amongst the friendliest I've ever met, a night out on Wind Street is like no other in the world, and the football club is brilliantly run from top to bottom. It just rains a bit too much, that's all."

The only thing lacking throughout the book in my opinion is a photo section, which would really highlight some of the colourful characters brought to life through Johnny's words. But with a decent imagination you shouldn't be too hard pressed to enjoy a well thought out and genuinely interesting book.

The book can be purchased for £9.99 in bookshops and on Amazon.

And to win a copy of the book, just send me an email via the contact form with your name and address, or retweet a specific tweet from my Twitter feed to be in with a chance.

A winner will be selected around 3pm on Sunday, and announced just before the Swansea vs Spurs match. Good luck!

Swansea City vs Man United: The Beginning

Football is back!

I mean it never really left us, but... football is back!

And this could be the best season to date for Swansea City. Every year it seems to get better and better. Naturally it will plateau at some point, but I feel this season is another that will top the previous one.

Think about it: a European tour, the best squad ever, the South Wales derby... it's already panning out to be the most eventful one yet and we haven't even started!

There is no denying that the Swans third season in the top flight will begin with a tough test, but it's the perfect way to set the bar high - a win against the champions (KO Saturday, 5:30pm)!

Maybe a win is optimistic, but confidence is high among the squad and fans alike. Honestly, this is the best chance the new Swansea have ever had for a victory against Man United. Combine the fact that United aren't fully settled under their new manager, with the superb pre-season that Swansea have enjoyed and there is no better time to play them.

Swansea should start with pretty much the same eleven we saw line-up at the Malmo home game. Despite Gerhard Tremmel's near-perfect performances last season, it will be Michel Vorm in goal. In defence we should see Angel Rangel and Ben Davies alongside Ashley Williams and Chico Flores, who has a tough pre-season of injury and personal loss to put behind him.

There is no way Jonjo Shelvey will miss out as he was superb in the Malmo tie, so it will be him and Michu in the centre, along with Leon Britton to clean things up behind them. On the wings Wayne Routledge is now first choice with Nathan Dyer likely to start. And up front...? Thankfully there is no Itay Shechter anymore - we have Wilfried Bony to smash them in now!

Apart from the recruitment of David Moyes, not too much has changed with United, who won 2-0 against Wigan in the Community Shield match last weekend. The champions will certainly be less predictable at the start of this season.

I've asked Scott from one of the biggest Man United websites, The Republik of Mancunia, to give us his thoughts on the potential United line-up and that all important score prediction. Take it away Scott!

Predicting our line-up and formation was difficult enough last season with a manager we'd had for almost three decades picking the team. Trying to guess with a new manager is even more difficult!

Our starting team for the Community Shield is probably a good starting point though. It's a toss up between Zaha and Valencia on the right wing, although we did see a lot of the former in the pre-season. It's likely that Welbeck and Van Persie will start up front with Carrick and Cleverley in midfield. Rafael is ruled out for the first month of the season so it will be interesting to see whether Moyes fancies Jones or Smalling at right back. Jones was mainly used in midfield in the pre-season.

Last year we drew 1-1 at your place and I would have preferred an easier start to the season for Moyes. Maybe someone could buy Michu before the weekend to do us a favour!

I'll go 2-1 to United, but that's just because I tend to be fairly optimistic. Wouldn't be too surprised (or disappointed) with a draw.

So a cautious but optimistic prediction from Scott. Like most Swans fans, I am confident of at least a point for Swansea and maybe a win, providing the defence are as solid as they have been in pre-season and the attack keep linking up well. It's just a case of putting the chances they have been making into the back of the net (or at least across the line)!

My money would be on 1-1, but 2-1 to Swansea isn't too far fetched this year.

See you there!

The left-back headache: Davies or Taylor?

It's been an ongoing point of conversation for many Swans fans - who should start at left-back next season: Ben Davies or Neil Taylor? However, making his ForzaSwansea debut, JAMES GILL highlights why he believes the decision isn't as complicated as it first seems.

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By James Gill

Just three games into last season Neil Taylor suffered a horrific injury against Sunderland resulting in a dislocated fracture of his ankle. After the initial worry for the player, many of the fans attention switched to who would fill in for Taylor after his outstanding rise over the previous two seasons, especially in the step-up to the top flight.

As a nervous looking Ben Davies first ran out onto the field to make his Swans debut, I wondered whether this was a temporary replacement before we signed a free agent. But Davies immediately put any doubts to bed.

From his first game Davies showed his intent and, surprisingly, his confidence on the ball. He also showed an overlapping prowess that added an extra element to Swansea's attack, while he was technically good in defence.

He even bagged himself a goal against Stoke using his wing-back mentality. Within months of making his debut, he received a Wales call up and earned his first cap, again replacing Taylor in the left back position (he has since made five appearances).

As each game went by this 19-year-old looked more and more comfortable, as if he'd been playing Premier League football for years. When Neil Taylor announced he was hoping to return before the end of the season, I did wonder how he would get back into the side. Davies hadn't put a foot wrong all season! How can you drop a player who had done everything that had been asked of him?

In his first season (37 games) Davies contributed one goal and two assists whereas Taylor has never scored a goal for the Swans and only has one assist to his name since arriving from Wrexham in 2010.

Davies created 18 chances last season compared to Taylor's seven. However Taylor does have a slightly better pass rate at 88% compared to Davies 83%. And these stats continue to shine through when you look at how they play for Wales.

As the season approaches I believe it will be Ben Davies who will start in the left back position. Because of unfortunate events Michael Laudrup only had Taylor in his side for three games last season, meaning the rest of the season he worked with Davies week in week out. Managers tend to stick to what they know and, as I've said before, Davies doesn't deserve to be dropped at the moment.

It's up to Taylor to win his position back, which will only ensure Davies keeps on top of his game. Taylor would be a great asset for any team outside the top four to have and I think it shows how far as a club we've come when we have quality such as him sat on the bench every week.

And with a European campaign looming, the quality we have in the two of them will allow us to rotate if needed and that gives us a great advantage.

Either way you look at it, all Swans fans will agree that it's a nice headache to have!

Interview with former Swans goalkeeper Mike Hughes ('83 - '88)

In this ForzaSwansea exclusive interview, JULES PRICE has been talking to former Swansea City goalkeeper Mike Hughes about his time with the club, his health problems and his thoughts on the club today.

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By Jules Price

Mike Hughes played for the Swans between 1983 and 1988, making 139 appearances for the club. However, after making 101 consecutive appearances and not missing a game for three years, Mike was advised by neurosurgeons not to continue as a full-time football player.

I remember going to Mike’s testimonial match against Tottenham Hotspur at the Vetch Field. It was the first time Paul Gascoigne played for Spurs after his transfer from Newcastle United. Gascoigne scored a 25-yard free kick that evening.

 

Mike in action for the Swans in the 80s

I had the pleasure of watching Mike play in goals for many years when I was growing up and supporting the Swans. In my opinion he was one of the best ever keepers for the Swans. Therefore it is my absolute pleasure to be able to interview him.

Fans who were supporting the Swans during that period were very saddened to hear of Mike’s forced retirement. Still a Swansea City fan, here Mike tells us about the injury that forced him into retirement, the best player he played with and against and his ongoing love of the club.

(Note: Interview was carried out before the Malmo home game)

Mike in the present day: still a Swans fan!

What is your favourite memory of playing for the Swans?
No one thing stands out for me apart from it being a dream come true for a kid to progress from the North Bank to the hallowed turf of the Vetch Field and play in front of the Jack Army. I always had tremendous support from them even through the not-so-great times.

Who was the best player in the Swans team at that time?
I played with some very good players in the eight years I spent at the club. The best by a mile even at his age was the late great Robbie James. The guy was a legend. The world's worst trainer but what a player and what a guy. Very sadly missed.

Who was the best player you played against?
Probably Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. We kept them out for 80 minutes until he changed the game with a piece of magic only someone of his ability would have produced. Class.

What were the symptoms/illness that caused you to retire early?
I received two bouts of concussion during games at home to Bristol City pre-season and again at Crewe four months later and could not shake off the headaches. Following a scan at the hospital, neurosurgeons informed me that it was too great a risk to continue as a full time player. To say I was devastated was an understatement as I had not missed a first team game for nearly three years and had played 101 consecutive games at that point.

Your testimonial match was against Spurs when Paul Gascoigne played his first ever game for Tottenham. What are your memories from that game?
To be honest not a lot. I still have the game on video and have never watched it apart from the after match events in town. Not the happiest of memories to be honest.

Do you keep in touch with any of your old teammates?
Not on a regular basis but I have seen a few of them at various games and it is always nice to catch up.

What did you do after your retirement from professional football?
I initially worked in the financial services sector until joining HM Prison Service at Swansea in 1990. I then spent 13 years as a Physical Education Officer at various establishments before taking a managers role at HM Prison Chelmsford, where I have worked for the past 11 years.

What was the last Swans game that you went to?
Southampton at home last season, but as I write I will be at the Malmo game. I was at all the London games last season and it was a fantastic experience seeing us win at QPR, Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham as well as drawing at Norwich.

Since your retirement the Swans have had some great keepers including Roger Freestone, Rhys Wilmot, and Michel Vorm. In your opinion who had been the best ever Swans goalkeeper? 
To be honest, I would have thrown Dorus de Vries in there as well for the contribution he made before his very poor lapse in judgement to leave! 24 clean sheets in a season - wow! However, despite Michel Vorm being our number one, I am personally a big fan of Gerhard Tremmel and would like to see him get more game time after his exploits last season.

Finally, do you think the Swans can keep on progressing? Ultimately what do you think they can achieve?
Why not? But when you are up against the likes of Man City and Chelsea who have billionaire owners, we have to be realistic. To finish ninth and win the League Cup was beyond everybody's dreams last season. I guess to match this again and make a reasonable mark in Europe will be progression this season. I for one cannot wait - starting with Malmo. COYS!

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A big thank you to Mike for taking the time to answer these questions.You can follow Mike on Twitter @mike_hughes01 and you can follow Jules via @jpswansea.