Raising awareness: "I'm Swansea and I Know It" - Charity Single

Very often I am emailed asking to help promote something. More often than not it's from a big company who have more than enough money to spend on advertising but would prefer to try to get their message on my blog for free. These messages I usually ignore, or ask them for money - an email which they usually ignore.

However I'm usually happy to help good causes, so this blog post has been written to help raise awareness of the new charity single "I'm Swansea and I Know It (feat. Kevin Johns MBE and Smithy)" which has been made to raise money for Llanelli four-year-old Eva Rose, who has cerebral palsy and is going through procedures to help her walk.

 

Many of the people living in Swansea will have heard about this single through the usual media channels, but a large chunk of my readers come from America, Australia and Asia and probably don't read the South Wales Evening Post that often, so this may be the first time they have heard of it.

You can download the single - based on the LMFAO hit, "Sexy and I Know It" - for 79p via iTunes or Amazon, knowing that all the proceeds will be going to help little Eva and her dream to walk. Go on, what's 79p these days?

Cheers!

The return of the South Wales Derby!!

It's almost here - Swansea City vs Cardiff City: the South Wales derby!

Things have certainly changed since the last time the teams met (where Cardiff won 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium, thanks to a goal from Craig Bellamy).

For starters Swansea are in the Premier League! Where last time the Swans had Gower, Moore and Beattie we now have Michu, Vorm and Bony. Swansea have Michael Laudrup, Swansea are league cup winners and Swansea are in Europe! And Cardiff are in the Premier League.

I was planning to write a comprehensive match preview, but realised there are probably about 40,000 others out there at the moment so, instead, myself and the other ForzaSwansea bloggers are sharing with you a few thoughts ahead of the match in an easy to digest Q&A format!

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What's the best thing about the South Wales Derby? Have you missed it?

Jules Price: I've missed the build up! It's great seeing the local papers like the Evening Post and Western Mail competing for the best headlines and interviews for this game. It's almost reaching fever pitch. I don't feel the national media has quite picked up on it yet though. Part of the build up has been looking-back at old games and memorabilia and that is something I really enjoy.

Alec Johnson: The pure intensity of the occasion - it is unrivalled and no other fixture comes close. It’s all about the adrenaline which runs in overdrive for 24 hours either side of the match. It’s never changed and never will.

Jacob Cristobal: Well obviously I'm the newbie to the South Wales derby in the group so I approach it with the freshest of eyes. It just happened to be by the fates of the football gods that before Cardiff and Swansea face off, Seattle and Portland do battle in the MLS Cup playoffs over here. I expect the South Wales derby to be just as intense. I've read the story of Cardiff supporters being chased off into the water and that is just awesome!

Matthew Jacob: The incredible atmosphere created by two sets of fans that want nothing more than to get one over on the enemy. But this isn't just about the fans - this is about two cities, two clubs, and the whole world will be watching. I had to wait a long time for my first derby and I also know I'm included in the thousands of Jacks who will have had a knot in their stomach from last Sunday knowing this game is coming. Excitement, passion, nerves, aggression, all building to the crescendo at 4pm on Sunday when the game kicks off!

Chris Carra: I've definitely missed this fixture - so much rides on it. As Jules said, I don't think the national media know how important a match it is, but they will when it's over! Whether you are watching in the stadium, in the pub or at home, this is the match no-one wants to miss.



In a dream, how will Sunday afternoon pan out for you?

JP: A dream would be Swansea losing 1-0 or 2-0 at half time... Stay with me on this! Then in the second half, Swansea turn on the style (which is the case recently) and we pull level with 10 minutes to go. Finally in the dying minutes of the game the Swans score a winner. The Cardiff fans would feel like they have been robbed! Outstanding!

AJ: A win of course, but the manner is equally as important. We have an opportunity to turn on the style and embarrass them. I am dreaming of a three or four nil humiliation with us bossing from start to finish, with the Redbirds humping it up to our boys at the back. They hate Ashley, Leon, Michu and Routledge most so one goal each for them. The dream will be complete with a deafening boooo around Legoland before Malky gets the boot on Monday morning.

JC: Dream scenario personally for me is Seattle stomps Portland, and across the pond, Swansea smashes Cardiff. Simple as that.

MJ: We humiliate them on their own patch, in front of their fans, with a worldwide television audience. That doesn't necessarily mean we beat them four or five nil, but let's have them chasing shadows all afternoon, silence their stadium because they can't cope with us (and win the game obviously) - that would be enough for me. The Sam Hamman comments about the 'little cousins' down the road will always stick with me, and passing them into submission while putting two or three on them would be a satisfying afternoon. Oh and a goal for Chico, that would be enjoyable. 

CC: I'd say it's 0-0 until the last few minutes, then Michu uncorks a 30 yard strike into the back of the net. Swans fans go mental. Then moments from the end, Alan Tate abseils from the roof of the stadium, subs himself on then scores an overhead kick from his own penalty area. Perfect.

In a nightmare, how will Sunday afternoon pan out for you?

JP: Nightmare for me would be Cardiff City comprehensively beating us to produce a 3-0 or 4-1 type result. This would have major repercussions for me as I work in Cardiff and Monday morning would be dreadful. I could probably just about swallow a 1-0 defeat.

AJ: Don't go there!

JC: Nightmare is obviously the opposite of my dream scenario. If my voice and liver are gonna be shot this weekend, it better be because the two clubs I support handled their business!

MJ: We turn up and don't give 100% for 90 minutes. We need everyone pulling their weight and no lack of effort. I can accept defeat if we've given it everything, but to not do so, and lose, I wouldn't be able to accept that. 

CC: As the others say, we could probably take a cruel 1-0 defeat, but being hammered by Cardiff would be terrible. It's a match full of emotion and a red card for someone like Ashley Williams would be horrific.

 
Who is going to be the key player for Swansea?

JP: Recent performance stats indicate that de Guzman and Chico have been the key players for the Swans so we would need them to maintain that high level of performance. Hernandez made a great impact during his return last week against West Ham so a big game from him could make a difference. Ultimately I feel our striker needs to step up and be counted. If Bony could score one or maybe two goals on Sunday it would go some way to justifying that record price tag.

AJ: People keep talking about the midfield, but like the West Ham game it’s all about the attack and defence for me. They will bypass the middle all game and it’s no coincidence that West ham and Cardiff have the two least completed passes in the league this season. Our back four have to be dominant and Vorm needs to boss the air, unlike last weekend. Our final ball needs to be better to take the chances that we will undoubtedly create.

JC: Battleship Bony. He'll be the difference with a brace as Swansea win 4-1! 

MJ: They'll be aggressive, pressing, won't let us settle if they can help it and they'll give maximum effort you can be sure of it. Leon Britton will be key to nullify Mutch and keep the ball rolling for us. Having Williams back is massive for us too.

CC: Everyone has to bring their A game with them on Sunday, but I feel the passion and work-rate of the Spaniards, in particular Michu, will be key to winning it. Leon Britton and Ashley Williams will also know what rides on this game, so their experience will also be relied upon greatly.



Finally, what's the score going to be?

JP: 2-1 to the Swans, one of which will be a penalty!

AJ: I’m in for 2-0 and if we play our game I cannot see us losing.

JC: 4-1 Swansea!

MJ: It's gonna be tight. 1-1. 

CC: It's a difficult away game, but Swansea definitely have the quality to win it. I'm going for 2-1 to the Swans!

Swansea City vs Sunderland: A lovely little preview

We're only in October, but we've already arrived at a crucial game for Swansea City. A win in the match against Sunderland on Saturday is very important!

Why? Firstly, despite an array of top players, Sunderland are rock-bottom of the league with just a single point. I have compassion, but Swansea need to take advantage of Sunderland's confidence and kick them when they're down, so to speak. They also have a new manager in Gus Poyet, so it's a great time to take all three points before he settles in.

And finally it's at the Liberty Stadium! The Swans' home form hasn't been that impressive this season, but understandable with Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool the opposition. This is the first of the "should-wins" at home, and the Swans must do exactly that.

Swansea should have a full squad, with Ben Davies, Pablo Hernandez and Garry Monk all back from injury. However it seems Ashley Williams will be out a little longer so expect Amat to replace him again. I'd like to see a middle three of Shelvey, Canas and Michu, with Hernandez and Routledge outside them - very attacking. And up front is obviously Bony. With a team like that, goals shouldn't be a problem.

Sunderland have surprised me this year as there are some quality players in their squad, including two with big Swansea connections - Fabio Borini and the on-loan Ki Sung Yeung. However, it's clear to see Paolo Di Canio didn't help things and is probably the reason they have done so poorly. With Gus Poyet I think they'll be much more solid. But now is a great time for Swansea to make sure they start his reign off with a lose!

I've asked David Boyle from top Sunderland website The Roker Report to give me his thoughts and a prediction ahead of Saturday's match, which he kindly agreed to:

Sunderland fans will anticipate yet another new dawn this weekend, something we have become accustomed to given the rate we've been going through managers recently!

Kevin Ball acted quickly to reinvigorate a squad left downtrodden and demoralised by Paolo Di Canio’s regime and Gus Poyet will be hopeful he can carry on the improved performances which Ball was able to produce during his spell as caretaker manager.

Poyet may well be keen to instil his preferred football philosophy of possession football and methodically looking after the football - something that Swansea fans are well accustomed to, but quite whether it is possible to implement yet another new tactical approach in such a short space of time remains to be seen. However, if we’re being honest, putting points on the board is much more important than easy-on-the-eye football at this stage for a side rooted to the foot of the table.

I wouldn’t expect Poyet to tinker too much or change from the 4-3-3 formation which Kevin Ball employed in the last two games. Obviously he will have to find somebody else to pull the strings in the middle of the park rather than your very own Ki who is unavailable due to the restrictions of the loan deal. I must say I’ve been impressed with the Korean; very tidy on the ball and a good eye for a pass, he has certainly added something to our middling midfield at the very least.

Steven Fletcher is also reportedly ahead of schedule in his bid to returning to action following a shoulder injury sustained against West Brom but if he is to feature it is likely to come from the bench.

It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of three points for the travelling side this weekend but I have a feeling that the spoils will be shared - score draw.

David believes a score draw is likely, which should be the very least Swansea should expect. However I feel the Swans will be too strong at home (hopefully) and too eager following their 2-0 loss to Southampton, so I'm going for a 2-1 win to Swansea.

See you at the Liberty!

ForzaSwansea Exclusive: Toshack is back with the Swans!

The Toshacks have always been a big name with Swansea City. In 1978 John Toshack joined the club as a player manager and took his team from the old Fourth Division right up to the First Division in four seasons. He remains the most successful manager in the history of the club.

But it's not John who has returned to Swansea City (yet...). His son Cameron, who was part of the Swans squad in the late 80s, has followed his father's managerial lead and, since August this year, is back with the club as coach of the under 21 squad!

And it's a great pleasure to have former football agent and now ForzaSwansea writer ALEC JOHNSON catch up with Cameron - discussing his relationship with his father, his thoughts on the club as it is now and the future of Swansea City's youth.

Take it away Alec!

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Alec Johnson: Welcome back to Swansea City Cameron! The club has changed a bit since you were last here in the late 80s hasn't it?

Cameron Toshack: Yes it certainly has and I'm delighted to be back working at the club I've supported since arriving in Swansea as a boy. The changes from the outside are obvious, but it's also great to see the club has remained the same in many ways - important ways. It's retained its values and affiliation with the city and the people, which is due in no small part to the leadership from board level.

Cameron Toshack (© swanseacity.net)

AJ: Gone are the days of getting up at 6am and tearing up the M4 in a transit van to play an afternoon game - now it’s all leather coaches the night before I hear?

CT: Thankfully those days have gone! I can still recall travelling with the youth team to Belgium on the club's mini bus to play in a tournament as well as the long trips to Plymouth and Exeter - all great memories and certainly character building.

However today the club leaves no stone unturned and provides fantastic support to the younger age groups and local players coming through. The latest example of this is the state-of-the-art academy in Landore which is a great place to go to work everyday.

It's always a challenge with younger players to get the balance right between giving them enough to want more and not giving too much and risk affecting their motivation to be the best they can be. My early impression is that the club have the mix right and are keen to progress wherever possible.


AJ: Roll back to your youth - what was it like growing up in the Toshack household?

CT: I've been asked this one a few times... Growing up I was fortunate to be part of a close family unit along with my brother Craig and sister Sally. Looking back I can understand why I was always asked the question, but at the time it never seemed out of the ordinary because your dad is your dad. It's not as if I had anything to compare it to.

Success was the norm from Liverpool to Swansea to Real Madrid (twice) via Real Sociedad, Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas, winning five major trophies. It was a roller-coaster ride and a fantastic experience at an early age to experience different cultures and visit many countries. That said, it was clear we made our base in a great place to live in Swansea and made friendships that remain to this day.

My mum deserves a mention here as she picked up the considerable role of taking us to clubs and schoolboy games all over the place from an early age, while dad worked abroad.


AJ: You retain a very special relationship with your dad don't you?

CT: I guess it inevitably is a special relationship. A lot of boys look up to their father as a key influence on them and mold how they view the world. It's fair to say both my father and his father have passed on the values and ethics which I hold close to this day. As a man he has always set high standards of himself and those around him, something which I experienced at close quarters working with him as part of the technical teams of both national teams in Wales and Macedonia.

It was great for me to work alongside him as both my father and also as one of the most successful coaches to come from these shores. I have learned and continue to learn a lot. I would describe our relationship as special, as you mentioned. I'm very grateful to him for his guidance over the years and I often find it interesting to hear others speak about him.

While knowing him very well myself, I can say that he is a fair person that is very well respected across Europe, in particular in Spain and Turkey where he has worked.


AJ: How is the future looking for our under 21 squad? Who should we look out for?

CT: The future is looking bright! The development squad has taken shape this year and, as you may be aware, as a club we were recently awarded a Category 2 academy status which is a fantastic achievement. Many at the club deserve a lot of credit for driving this successful outcome, in particular Tony Pennock and his team. But things never stand still and the next goal is to move forward which will involve bringing in different thinking to challenge and raise the bar.

Having completed my UEFA badges some time ago as well as coaching at national level I'm hoping to be a key part of the progression. It has been a difficult start for the under 21s as it's the first year the group could be called a squad. Many are new to the club and the expectation of all working in a new structure is high but will need a little time to bed in.

Since arriving in early August I have really enjoyed working with the group and from a player perspective we have a number of good prospects, as do the under 18s who I have also been involved with to a lesser degree, but I'm not going to give you the names yet - weren't you an agent?!

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A big thanks to Cameron for agreeing to give Swans fans a glimpse into his family life and his thoughts on being back with the club again after so many years!

Bony the bemusing benchwarmer

Okay he's not a bench-warmer in the traditional sense, but now seems a good time to ask the question: why does Wilfried Bony - Swansea City's record signing - start most of the games on the bench?

The Bench.

Naturally we as fans don't know everything Michael Laudrup knows. But, while he's proved naysayers wrong in the past with some decisions, starting with Bony on the bench doesn't seem to be his finest move.

As we know from watching Bony in action, he's strong, he can hold up the ball and turns well, and he can score vital goals against the top teams! He's the striker we've all been calling for for the past few seasons. So why doesn't he consistently start?

One theory for Bony starting matches on the bench is that he is very useful as an impact sub. And there is no denying that he is just the firepower Swansea need when chasing a game.

What we've seen recently, especially at home, is the team go down a couple of goals, then Bony comes on and we get one back, then get a great rally going, then... it's too late. It should be Swansea who come out, grab a great goal (or even a poor, lucky goal) and sit back a little and see what the other team bring.

Now, it could be a fitness issue - Bony may tire himself out easily and Laudrup doesn't want to risk fatigue. He's a big guy and doesn't look like he has Nathan Dyer levels of energy, so this may be plausible. If this is the case, a better strategy would be to start both Bony and Michu together, then as Bony's energy flags, swap him with a benched midfielder (say, Leon Britton) and put Michu up front.

I mention Michu there, which brings me onto another point - as a few on Twitter have also highlighted - the less Michu and Bony play together, the less of a partnership they develop. And as the Swans start to progress in the Europa League, that partnership will be crucial.

As I say, this is all speculation. And it's not like it's every game he starts on the bench. However I just think that Laudrup could be a little more ambitious, especially in home games. Bony is too good and too expensive to leave on the bench for half a game and if the Swans want to reach a higher position in the Premier League this year, Bony must start more games on the field.

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What are your thoughts on this? Why is Bony starting so few games? Leave your comments below or tweet me.

Read all about it (or don't): Blog is back! Swans out of cup! Arsenal visit Wales!

Yes, we are back!

Sorry if you have tried to check the blog over the past two days - if you did you would have been presented with a spam page advertising tooth-whitening services and, possibly, dirty photo...

For the past three years I haven't had to think about renewing my domain name - money just left my account and things sorted themselves out automatically. However, for some reason, this year Blogger decided I had to do it manually. Cue me procrastinating, missing the deadline, losing my domain account password, emailing five different support accounts, crying, then eventually getting the site back up.

I'm gutted because for the first time in three years ForzaSwansea registered a day without any hits!

Anyway, let's put this behind us and enjoy Swansea City's defence of the Capital One Cu... oh, yeah. The Swans are out. That was fast! It's pointless me lying and saying I was going to make a prediction that Swansea would lose 3-1 to Birmingham last night because, truth be told, I wasn't. I would have predicted a second string team would have defeated Birmingham quite comfortably but, like the world of blogging, not everything is simple.

It's a shame that Swansea didn't maintain any run in the Capital One Cup. It was our trophy to defend and bowing out in a dismal display (from what I heard - I didn't see the match) isn't what we were hoping for.

Then again it was unlikely that the club would be able to sustain a good standing in the Premier League AND get to the knockout stages in the Europa League AND defend the league cup, and I think we'd all rather the first two happen, so it's probably best to be out of the cup early on.

So onto a tough game against Arsenal on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium (5:30pm). It'll be an interesting game and one we should probably expect to lose, with Arsenal holding a great away win record at the moment.

But we have done Arsenal before (a win and a draw last season for starters) and, with a rested squad, we should have the determination and energy to get something from the game. Yes they have Ozil (I don't know how to do the little dots over the O...) but we have Michu, Bony, Canas, Shelvey, Vorm and the rest!

I'm going to say 1-1 (around 5/1) is my prediction at the moment, but you'd be silly not to cover Arsenal to win 2-1 (at around 7/1). Then again my predictions have been dire (...Nathan Dyer) recently, so you'd also be pretty silly to listen to what I say!

Swansea City 3-0 Valencia: Kings of Europe!

A guest post by Andrew Lassiter

Following a mixed start to the Premier League, Europe has been Swansea City's strongest competition so far this season and it's safe to say that all Swans fans were looking forward to the Europa League opener against Valencia last night.

And it didn't disappoint! The 2,000-odd Jacks who travelled to soak up the remaining Spanish sun were rewarded with a 3-0 crushing of the Champions League giants!

Although Valencia haven't looked particularly strong of late - in fact quite the opposite - the BBC rightly pointed out that Welsh sides have historically had very little success against Spanish clubs, and the odds were against Swansea ahead of the match.

However Angel Rangel led his team through an incredibly lopsided win in flawless fashion. Despite missing key players like Williams, Britton and Davies, the Swans showed intent and intensity from the off.

Of course Adil Rami's early red card didn't help Valencia, but it takes nothing away from a passing masterclass from the Swans. In the end Swansea controlled 65% of the possession and it's not surprising to see how. Canas in particular passed himself into a frenzy, while Pozuelo ran the opposition ragged. The only Englishman in the team - Nathan Dyer - excelled as well. And Bony also showed his strength and made another European statement with his early goal.

The other two goals were equally satisfying, especially de Guzman's superb free-kick. He's occasionally been disappointing with set pieces, but the finish was perfect - on par with Pirlo this time!

So it was the perfect start to Swansea's European campaign, putting them right at the top of Group A in Europa League play.

Ultimately, this should also inject a bit of confidence into the Premier League pursuit. Of course, winning the league is an unrealistic stretch at this point, but if you take a look at the Betfair news gambling exchange, which offers fixed betting odds for a variety of outcomes, Swansea are currently 16/1 for a top-6 finish in the Premier League. A top-6 finish certainly seems within reach at this point as, beyond the top four, the rest of the league seem to be pretty evenly balanced.

The winning is likely to continue on Sunday when the Swans face Crystal Palace away (1:30pm), before a trip to Birmingham on Wednesday evening for the defence of the Capital One Cup. It's a great time to be a Swans fan!