Happy Monday to you.
You probably weren't expecting this (and neither was I until a few days ago), but I have a new Audio Jacks podcast for you!
About three years ago myself and Matt Barroccu (an expert Swans fan and broadcaster) created the Audio Jacks - a light-hearted weekly podcast all about Swansea City. However, after a few successful episodes we went our own ways as careers and laziness took over.
But now, a few years later, we have decided to test the water with a comeback podcast. Why? I don't really know. It's a nice way to vent views on the Swans through a different medium to blogging/books, and is something fun for you guys to listen to on the way to work.
Have a listen via the SoundCloud link below and let us know what you think. I'm reachable via the contact form, the comments section, or on Twitter @ForzaSwansea, while you can also reach Matt on @LMScreamer.
Enjoy!
Monday, 19 January 2015
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Cup o' coffee and the Swans (Sunday Catch-up - 18th Jan 2015)
Wake up - it's Sunday morning and time for our new regular weekly Swansea City catch-up, featuring Bony's departure, Mario Gomez and the... *sigh*... Chelsea match.
Swansea City 0 - 5 Chelsea
Let's get this out of the way then...
A goal in the first minute really set the tone for a game that Chelsea dominated in every way. Another in the 20th gave the visitors a comfortable cushion. A third in the 34th minute killed the game off completely, and a fourth just over a minute later was just embarrassing. If you weren't watching (lucky you) it was Oscar and Costa who scored two each.
The second half wasn't particularly brilliant, but at least the gaps were filled and the Chelsea goals stopped coming... for a while. In the 78th minute, substitute Ivanovic got the fifth and final goal of the game.
Ruthless from Chelsea, who will become deserved champions of the Premier League this season. And overall very poor from Swansea. However, the Swans were without first choicers like Ki, Montero, Shelvey and Britton, while Routledge also hobbled off in the first half. It's no excuse, but it's worth pointing out.
It was only a loss at the end of the day, although the goal difference could hurt come the end of the season. It was never a game Swansea were likely to win, but no-one saw that coming! Oh well, onto Blackburn in the FA Cup - a game in which some pride can hopefully be restored.
Mario Gomez spotted in Rossi's?
BREAKING: German star striker Mario Gomez has been spotted having a rissole in Rossi's carpark!
That's right, it seems Gomez - who plies his trade for Serie A club Fiorentina - is the latest in the series of unlikely players linked with a move to Swansea.
I mean, if he was willing to take a major pay cut then perhaps it would be a little more feasible, especially as he's clearly not loving his time in Italy. But please don't hold your breath on this one...
Bony officially gone
After perhaps a sliver of uncertainty over Wilfried Bony's exit from the club, on Wednesday Swansea City officially confirmed that he would leave for Manchester City for a fee of £17,000 (... just joking - it's an officially undisclosed fee, which is understood to mean the club will take £25million initially, with the possibility of £3million add-ons).
Stating the obvious, he's been immense over the past two years, almost single-handedly keeping the Swans from relegation last season before contributing some noteworthy goals this year too. We wish him the best of luck - he seems more likely to succeed with City than Scott Sinclair did.
Catching up with Ki
The Swans are certainly missing Ki Sung Yeung this month, who is still in Australia captaining the Korean team in the 2015 Asian Cup.
And by all accounts Ki is playing very well, with Korea finishing top of Group A, having won all three of their games 1-0.
Korea are likely to play either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan in the competition's quarter-finals on Thursday. Let's hope the midfielder can keep injury free for the rest of the competition, then return to South Wales ready to slot in to a sloppy Swansea side!
Swansea City 0 - 5 Chelsea
Let's get this out of the way then...
A goal in the first minute really set the tone for a game that Chelsea dominated in every way. Another in the 20th gave the visitors a comfortable cushion. A third in the 34th minute killed the game off completely, and a fourth just over a minute later was just embarrassing. If you weren't watching (lucky you) it was Oscar and Costa who scored two each.
The second half wasn't particularly brilliant, but at least the gaps were filled and the Chelsea goals stopped coming... for a while. In the 78th minute, substitute Ivanovic got the fifth and final goal of the game.
Ruthless from Chelsea, who will become deserved champions of the Premier League this season. And overall very poor from Swansea. However, the Swans were without first choicers like Ki, Montero, Shelvey and Britton, while Routledge also hobbled off in the first half. It's no excuse, but it's worth pointing out.
It was only a loss at the end of the day, although the goal difference could hurt come the end of the season. It was never a game Swansea were likely to win, but no-one saw that coming! Oh well, onto Blackburn in the FA Cup - a game in which some pride can hopefully be restored.
Mario Gomez spotted in Rossi's?
BREAKING: German star striker Mario Gomez has been spotted having a rissole in Rossi's carpark!
 |
| Gomez - the one with the smaller eyes. |
That's right, it seems Gomez - who plies his trade for Serie A club Fiorentina - is the latest in the series of unlikely players linked with a move to Swansea.
I mean, if he was willing to take a major pay cut then perhaps it would be a little more feasible, especially as he's clearly not loving his time in Italy. But please don't hold your breath on this one...
Bony officially gone
After perhaps a sliver of uncertainty over Wilfried Bony's exit from the club, on Wednesday Swansea City officially confirmed that he would leave for Manchester City for a fee of £17,000 (... just joking - it's an officially undisclosed fee, which is understood to mean the club will take £25million initially, with the possibility of £3million add-ons).
Stating the obvious, he's been immense over the past two years, almost single-handedly keeping the Swans from relegation last season before contributing some noteworthy goals this year too. We wish him the best of luck - he seems more likely to succeed with City than Scott Sinclair did.
Catching up with Ki
The Swans are certainly missing Ki Sung Yeung this month, who is still in Australia captaining the Korean team in the 2015 Asian Cup.
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| Korean Ki |
Korea are likely to play either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan in the competition's quarter-finals on Thursday. Let's hope the midfielder can keep injury free for the rest of the competition, then return to South Wales ready to slot in to a sloppy Swansea side!
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Swansea City's Greatest Games - The Top 50
There can be few clubs with a more colourful history than the Swans and this book records some of the club's greatest moments on the pitch. This wonderful trip down Swansea City's memory lane is essential reading for the Jack Army, of all ages and generations!" - Kevin Johns, Club Chaplain
It's been over three months since Swansea City's Greatest Games was released (yes, time does fly!). And it's only now I'm realising that I've not yet put the complete contents up online.
If you've not yet bought the book, it contains 50 of Swansea's finest matches, starting with their very first one in 1912, right up until the end of last season. There's at least one game from every decade, although some eras warrant more focus, such as John Toshack's blistering rise through the leagues in the early eighties, and - of course - the Premier League era.
The book is still available on the official Swansea City website and worldwide on Amazon. If you are in Swansea it can also be found in Waterstones, WHSmiths, HMV and an array of independent book shops.
Here's the list of 50 excellent Swansea City games, spanning more than 100 years (and 200 pages):
1. v Cardiff City 1912
2. v Pontypridd 1913
3. v Exeter City 1925
4. v Arsenal 1926
5. v Bury 1932
6. v Newport County 1949
7. v Cardiff City 1949
8. v Coventry City 1951
9. v Leicester City 1956
10. v Sunderland 1958
11. v Cardiff City 1960
12. v Liverpool 1964
13. v Preston North End 1964
14. v Newport County 1970
15. v Tottenham Hotspur 1978
16. v Rotherham United 1978
17. v Chesterfield 1979
18. v Preston North End 1981
19. v Leeds United 1981
20. v Stoke City 1981
21. v Manchester United 1982
22. v Liverpool 1982
23. v Cardiff City 1982
24. v Sliema Wanderers 1982
25. v Huddersfield 1994
26. v Cardiff City 1998
27. v West Ham 1999
28. v Rotherham United 2000
29. v Hull City 2003
30. v Cheltenham Town 2003
31. v Yeovil 2003
32. v Bristol City 2005
33. v Carlisle United 2006
34. v Leeds United 2007
35. v Cardiff City 2008
36. v Cardiff City 2009
37. v Norwich City 2011
38. v Nottingham Forest 2011
39. v Reading 2011
40. v Arsenal 2012
41. v Manchester City 2012
42. v Liverpool 2012
43. v Queens Park Rangers 2012
44. v West Bromwich Albion 2012
45. v Chelsea 2013
46. v Bradford City 2013
47. v Valencia 2013
48. v Cardiff City 2014
49. v Napoli 2014
50. v Aston Villa 2014
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Cup o' coffee and the Swans (Sunday Catch-up - 11th Jan 2015)
Here we go - Happy New Year!
Recently my commitments to other projects (along with a peppering of laziness) has seen output on Forza Swansea fall pretty low. So, in an attempt to ensure at least one new post a week, I have created a new Sunday catch-up post which I aim to keep up with!
So grab your Sunday morning coffee / tea / hair-of-the-dog, and let's catch-up with the goings on in the wonderful world of Swansea City over the past week!
Swansea 1 - 1 West Ham: Frustrating / Inspiring / Greasy
Sloppy defending in an overall frustrating first half saw Swansea concede to a decently struck goal from Andy Carroll. His celebration was infuriating, but Swans fans had the last laugh as his team lost two points when Bafetimbi Gomis equalised in the second half.
As I mention, the first half was - in a word - pathetic from Swansea. Most of the passes were in the middle of the park and as soon as they had a chance to break quickly... the ball was passed back to the centre backs, rendering a surprise counter attack impossible.
The fans were screaming for subs and thankfully Garry Monk heard our cries, bringing on the inspired Modou Barrow and Marvin Emnes; injecting some much needed pace and desire to replace Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge. Some attractive passing in front of goal later and we had our deserved equaliser. Men of the match (for me): Fernandez, Britton, Fabianski.
What did we learn from yesterday? Gomis - with a little work and confidence - will be enough to carry the team through the second half of the season. Nelson Oliveira looked smooth and very handy with the ball. Angel Rangel had a terrible game - no matter how much of a club legend he is, he needs to sort it out before next time. Andy Carroll is still a greasy b*****d, capable of scoring against Swansea when he wants.
Bye bye Wilfried Bony, no more goals for Swansea
The biggest news this week has been the imminent (although not yet confirmed) departure of beloved Swans striker Wilfried Bony, who is likely to head off to big spending Manchester City for £30million (although Chelsea are also in the running to sign the striker, should the Man City move break down, or so the Daily Express report).
The power striker is currently in Equatorial Guinea for the African Cup of Nations, but it's unlikely he'll ever put on the white shirt of Swansea again. It was always likely to happen and it will be a great shame to see him go. Not only for his goals, but his creativity and his huge presence on the pitch.
As Forza Swansea blogger Alec Johnson tweeted last week: 'Gomis was signed as a Wilf replacement last summer as offers were expected for £19m... But we've had an extra 4 months and £11m so just smile'.
That's a sentiment I agree with, and I'm sure sensible Swans fans everywhere else do to.
Hello Troy Deeney?
With the upcoming departure of Bony, several media outlets have linked Swansea with Watford striker Troy Deeney, who has been one of the Championship's top scorers in recent seasons.
Deeney has scored 69 goals in 183 appearances for Watford since 2010, and could fit into the side pretty nicely.
However as Planet Swans pointed out earlier in the week, with Gomis and Oliveira already in place, it's unlikely that a move will be made for the 26-year-old front man. But who knows...?
Rory goes to Tranmere
Finally, young Rory Donnelly has joined League Two bottom-dwellers Tranmere Rovers until the end of the season. The 22-year-old striker has suffered his share of frustrating injuries since joining the Swans in January 2012 and as a result has made little impact.
So it's a good move for both clubs and the player in this respect - he'll definitely get some much needed game time with Tranmere, as yesterday afternoon proved. Donnelly came on for Rovers as a 67th minute sub in yesterday's flaccid 0-0 draw against Morecambe. Good luck Rory.
That ends the first of these regular Sunday morning catch-ups. In the meantime make sure to cheer yourself up this January and get your copy of Swansea City's Greatest Games now!
Recently my commitments to other projects (along with a peppering of laziness) has seen output on Forza Swansea fall pretty low. So, in an attempt to ensure at least one new post a week, I have created a new Sunday catch-up post which I aim to keep up with!
So grab your Sunday morning coffee / tea / hair-of-the-dog, and let's catch-up with the goings on in the wonderful world of Swansea City over the past week!
Swansea 1 - 1 West Ham: Frustrating / Inspiring / Greasy
Sloppy defending in an overall frustrating first half saw Swansea concede to a decently struck goal from Andy Carroll. His celebration was infuriating, but Swans fans had the last laugh as his team lost two points when Bafetimbi Gomis equalised in the second half.
 |
| Carroll goading the Swans fans (Great photo - not sure who took it sorry) |
As I mention, the first half was - in a word - pathetic from Swansea. Most of the passes were in the middle of the park and as soon as they had a chance to break quickly... the ball was passed back to the centre backs, rendering a surprise counter attack impossible.
The fans were screaming for subs and thankfully Garry Monk heard our cries, bringing on the inspired Modou Barrow and Marvin Emnes; injecting some much needed pace and desire to replace Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge. Some attractive passing in front of goal later and we had our deserved equaliser. Men of the match (for me): Fernandez, Britton, Fabianski.
What did we learn from yesterday? Gomis - with a little work and confidence - will be enough to carry the team through the second half of the season. Nelson Oliveira looked smooth and very handy with the ball. Angel Rangel had a terrible game - no matter how much of a club legend he is, he needs to sort it out before next time. Andy Carroll is still a greasy b*****d, capable of scoring against Swansea when he wants.
Bye bye Wilfried Bony, no more goals for Swansea
The biggest news this week has been the imminent (although not yet confirmed) departure of beloved Swans striker Wilfried Bony, who is likely to head off to big spending Manchester City for £30million (although Chelsea are also in the running to sign the striker, should the Man City move break down, or so the Daily Express report).
 |
| Goodbye, and thanks for all the goals! |
The power striker is currently in Equatorial Guinea for the African Cup of Nations, but it's unlikely he'll ever put on the white shirt of Swansea again. It was always likely to happen and it will be a great shame to see him go. Not only for his goals, but his creativity and his huge presence on the pitch.
As Forza Swansea blogger Alec Johnson tweeted last week: 'Gomis was signed as a Wilf replacement last summer as offers were expected for £19m... But we've had an extra 4 months and £11m so just smile'.
That's a sentiment I agree with, and I'm sure sensible Swans fans everywhere else do to.
Hello Troy Deeney?
With the upcoming departure of Bony, several media outlets have linked Swansea with Watford striker Troy Deeney, who has been one of the Championship's top scorers in recent seasons.
Deeney has scored 69 goals in 183 appearances for Watford since 2010, and could fit into the side pretty nicely.
However as Planet Swans pointed out earlier in the week, with Gomis and Oliveira already in place, it's unlikely that a move will be made for the 26-year-old front man. But who knows...?
Rory goes to Tranmere
Finally, young Rory Donnelly has joined League Two bottom-dwellers Tranmere Rovers until the end of the season. The 22-year-old striker has suffered his share of frustrating injuries since joining the Swans in January 2012 and as a result has made little impact.
So it's a good move for both clubs and the player in this respect - he'll definitely get some much needed game time with Tranmere, as yesterday afternoon proved. Donnelly came on for Rovers as a 67th minute sub in yesterday's flaccid 0-0 draw against Morecambe. Good luck Rory.
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That ends the first of these regular Sunday morning catch-ups. In the meantime make sure to cheer yourself up this January and get your copy of Swansea City's Greatest Games now!
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Why losing to Liverpool really wasn't that bad.
Swansea were embarrassed last night by Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool at Anfield, deservedly losing 4-1 after a scrappy first half and a lacklustre second.
A couple of defensive mix-ups, a bizarre mistake from Lukasz Fabianski and an unfortunate own-goal from Jonjo Shelvey (who had an overall dreadful evening) saw the Swans pretty much dead and buried with over 20 minutes left to play.
It's annoying, but is it that bad?
In a 'grand scheme of things' kind of way, no - it's not that bad at all. Garry Monk - still only half-way through his first full season in charge - has navigated his team through a tough few months of fixtures and injuries, and is ending the year ninth in the Premier League.
And having already played teams like Liverpool, Man United, Chelsea, Man City and West Ham away from home, the second half of the season should be a little smoother, fixtures-wise at least.
Of course, losing Wilfried Bony and Ki Sung Yeung to their nations for respective national competitions is a big blow considering the impact both those players have had; Bony with his creativity and goals, and Ki with his strength and composure in the middle of the pitch.
But their absence will allow Bafetimbi Gomis - who looked pretty good against Liverpool - some time in the spotlight, while midfield is deep enough to cope without Ki for a month (providing Shelvey pulls his finger out a bit). And of course we'll finally be able to see Nelson Oliveira in action.
So it's been a good year; certainly ending better than it started (I need not remind any Swansea fan of the way 2014 began, with Michael Laudrup slowly guiding the team towards relegation). In reflection, losing to Liverpool - and Brendan Rodgers - was in no way desirable, but it's not the end of the world.
All that's left to do is say Happy New Year and see you all in 2015! (And don't waste those Christmas vouchers on something boring - instead, buy your copy of Swansea City's Greatest Games today!).
A couple of defensive mix-ups, a bizarre mistake from Lukasz Fabianski and an unfortunate own-goal from Jonjo Shelvey (who had an overall dreadful evening) saw the Swans pretty much dead and buried with over 20 minutes left to play.
It's annoying, but is it that bad?
In a 'grand scheme of things' kind of way, no - it's not that bad at all. Garry Monk - still only half-way through his first full season in charge - has navigated his team through a tough few months of fixtures and injuries, and is ending the year ninth in the Premier League.
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| Right on cue: Shelvey played his part in an awful game. |
And having already played teams like Liverpool, Man United, Chelsea, Man City and West Ham away from home, the second half of the season should be a little smoother, fixtures-wise at least.
Of course, losing Wilfried Bony and Ki Sung Yeung to their nations for respective national competitions is a big blow considering the impact both those players have had; Bony with his creativity and goals, and Ki with his strength and composure in the middle of the pitch.
But their absence will allow Bafetimbi Gomis - who looked pretty good against Liverpool - some time in the spotlight, while midfield is deep enough to cope without Ki for a month (providing Shelvey pulls his finger out a bit). And of course we'll finally be able to see Nelson Oliveira in action.
So it's been a good year; certainly ending better than it started (I need not remind any Swansea fan of the way 2014 began, with Michael Laudrup slowly guiding the team towards relegation). In reflection, losing to Liverpool - and Brendan Rodgers - was in no way desirable, but it's not the end of the world.
All that's left to do is say Happy New Year and see you all in 2015! (And don't waste those Christmas vouchers on something boring - instead, buy your copy of Swansea City's Greatest Games today!).
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
'Tis the (middle of the) season - a festive blogger Q&A on the season so far!
It's been a while so, with a week to go until Christmas and very close to the mid-way point in the Premier League season, let's check in with some of the Forza Swansea bloggers to catch up on their highlights of the season so far:
Alec Johnson: Rollercoaster!
Matthew Jacob: Positive. Some excellent results, interspersed with some superb football - a real positive start to Monk's first full season in charge.
Jules Price: Pleasing.
Jacob Cristobal: Top-half!
Chris Carra: Potential.
AJ: The big kick-off in Old Trafford. That set us off with the belief that we are ready to compete at the top table again.
MJ: Arsenal at home. Dug in when we needed to, played our game and were deserved winners.
JP: It has to be the win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. We crashed the van Gaal party when there was so much expectation around his appointment and his signings. It was a historic win too which makes it even more significant.
JC: The season opener against United, spoiling van Gaal's debut.
CC: The Arsenal one has probably been my favourite to this point - I was watching in Amsterdam in a bar full of Arsenal supporters who naturally went crazy when Arsenal scored. But the two quick goals from Swansea were superb and the small table of Swans fans made more noise than the entire pub. Great!
AJ: Gylfi. His feet are magical but his footballing mind is breathtaking. He sees passes that can only be spotted from the sofa in your lounge.
MJ: I'm sure many will say Bony, or perhaps Montero, and both are worthy candidates. For me though Sigurdsson has given us a real attacking edge, and the spark of creativity we'd perhaps lacked in recent years. Consistently brilliant.
JP: Fabianski. Very solid and commands his defenders well. Great shot stopper who has already shown that he has more quality than Vorm. Arsenal’s loss, Swansea’s gain. I would argue he is one of the top five keepers in the Premier League although he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves in the national media.
JC: Fabianski. He is proving he can handle his own when actually given matches and I do not miss Vorm. Still miss Ben, but that's something else.
CC: I'm going to be obvious and say Bony. Not just for his goals - without which the Swans would be much further down the table - but for his overall strength and class up front.
AJ: Full backs. Both are currently decent, but a notch beneath the rest of the team.
MJ: A right back and a left back. Both positions need addressing. I quite like Kieran Trippier at Burnley. He's done well after stepping up to this level and has more to offer I think.
JP: Raul would have been a great signing however he signed for former Swansea City player Giovanni Saverese at the New York Cosmos just a few weeks ago. Realistically I would like to see Harry Kane at the Liberty. Not a guaranteed first team starter for Tottenham and he’s a good old-fashioned striker. Just look at Sunday’s performance.
JC: Podolski. He deserves better than being a sub off the bench.
CC: A solid wing-back who would challenge for a starting spot - can't put my finger on a name though.
AJ: 9th. Above Liverpool and a whole league above our red, white or occasionally blue neighbours.
MJ: Mid-table, possibly 8th.
JP: Mid-table unless they fail to replace Bony sufficiently during the African Cup of Nations which could mean they struggle to score. Then again Gomis will get his opportunity so who knows!
JC: Somewhere in between 7th and 9th.
CC: Definitely in the top ten, perhaps 8th.
Thanks for reading. Make sure you order your copy of the best-selling Swansea City's Greatest Games in time for Christmas. It's now available at the club shop as well!
 |
| Definitely some positives to smile about Garry! |
Q1. Sum up Swansea's season so far in one word!
Alec Johnson: Rollercoaster!
Matthew Jacob: Positive. Some excellent results, interspersed with some superb football - a real positive start to Monk's first full season in charge.
Jules Price: Pleasing.
Jacob Cristobal: Top-half!
Chris Carra: Potential.
Q2. What's been your favourite game of the season to this point?
AJ: The big kick-off in Old Trafford. That set us off with the belief that we are ready to compete at the top table again.
MJ: Arsenal at home. Dug in when we needed to, played our game and were deserved winners.
JP: It has to be the win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. We crashed the van Gaal party when there was so much expectation around his appointment and his signings. It was a historic win too which makes it even more significant.
JC: The season opener against United, spoiling van Gaal's debut.
CC: The Arsenal one has probably been my favourite to this point - I was watching in Amsterdam in a bar full of Arsenal supporters who naturally went crazy when Arsenal scored. But the two quick goals from Swansea were superb and the small table of Swans fans made more noise than the entire pub. Great!
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| Fabianski is proving a hit this season. |
Q3. Who has been your stand-out Swans player (and why)?
AJ: Gylfi. His feet are magical but his footballing mind is breathtaking. He sees passes that can only be spotted from the sofa in your lounge.
MJ: I'm sure many will say Bony, or perhaps Montero, and both are worthy candidates. For me though Sigurdsson has given us a real attacking edge, and the spark of creativity we'd perhaps lacked in recent years. Consistently brilliant.
JP: Fabianski. Very solid and commands his defenders well. Great shot stopper who has already shown that he has more quality than Vorm. Arsenal’s loss, Swansea’s gain. I would argue he is one of the top five keepers in the Premier League although he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves in the national media.
JC: Fabianski. He is proving he can handle his own when actually given matches and I do not miss Vorm. Still miss Ben, but that's something else.
CC: I'm going to be obvious and say Bony. Not just for his goals - without which the Swans would be much further down the table - but for his overall strength and class up front.
Q4. Who would be your ideal January transfer window signing (and why)?
AJ: Full backs. Both are currently decent, but a notch beneath the rest of the team.
MJ: A right back and a left back. Both positions need addressing. I quite like Kieran Trippier at Burnley. He's done well after stepping up to this level and has more to offer I think.
JP: Raul would have been a great signing however he signed for former Swansea City player Giovanni Saverese at the New York Cosmos just a few weeks ago. Realistically I would like to see Harry Kane at the Liberty. Not a guaranteed first team starter for Tottenham and he’s a good old-fashioned striker. Just look at Sunday’s performance.
JC: Podolski. He deserves better than being a sub off the bench.
CC: A solid wing-back who would challenge for a starting spot - can't put my finger on a name though.
Q5. Where are Swansea going to finish come May?
AJ: 9th. Above Liverpool and a whole league above our red, white or occasionally blue neighbours.
MJ: Mid-table, possibly 8th.
JP: Mid-table unless they fail to replace Bony sufficiently during the African Cup of Nations which could mean they struggle to score. Then again Gomis will get his opportunity so who knows!
JC: Somewhere in between 7th and 9th.
CC: Definitely in the top ten, perhaps 8th.
Thanks for reading. Make sure you order your copy of the best-selling Swansea City's Greatest Games in time for Christmas. It's now available at the club shop as well!
Friday, 21 November 2014
"We are nobody's whipping boys" - Exclusive interview with Kevin Johns!
He's one of the city's most recognisable faces, a film/theatre/radio star, and - most importantly - a lifelong Swans supporter... it's Kevin Johns of course!
And it was my great pleasure to catch up with Kev this week to chat about his involvement with Jack to a King, the Arsenal game, Swans managers, and his passion for the club.
Chris: It took me long enough, but I finally saw Jack to a King in October. What a brilliant film! I know you've seen it a few times, so what are your thoughts now the dust has settled?
Kevin: I've seen the film five times and every time I watch it I see something different or I see somebody different. I can honestly tell you that I've not watched the film once without having tears in my eyes. And I often see people in there who are no longer with us. I saw the minister Caradog, who married my parents and did my Christening when I was a baby – he was a Swans fan and he sadly is no longer with us and there are others [who feature in the film] that have passed away. They would have all loved to see us where we are today. But I do see something different every time I watch it.
C: It's a great advert for Swansea City isn't it? Such a gripping, almost fictional storyline!
K: I think it's great for the club and introduces us to an international audience. It tells the story that shows that we have not forgotten those who are hugely responsible for saving this club. There were some ugly, dark moments during the Tony Petty period and we fought through. I also think it's a very funny film and very emotional. But the story hasn't finished yet – there's a greater story still to be told!
C: Sticking with film, you were part of Barclay's Spirit of the Game heroes and starred in your own short video for them last month. Tell us about that?
K: Well it's a bit embarrassing really. I was aware something was going on since last March. I had a few phone calls from Barclay's asking for an interview and we did that, then they asked if I would take part in their podcast - again something I happily did. But then I was getting more phone calls and more interviews, asking more questions, so I said to the guys at the Liberty “do you know anything about it?” but they said no. Then, after hearing Barclay's wanted to do some filming with me for the Stoke game, I had a phone call explaining what it was all about and that they were making four short films about passion in football. It was all very humbling - there are so many people who do so many things, but I am the guy the club suggested for it.
C: And that led onto the signs flashing around the sides of the stadium on match days that say 'Thank You Kevin Johns'?
K: (Laughing) A friend of mine who I've not seen for 30 years, who works in the British Embassy in Bucharest, sent me a screen shot of the television and said “I'm just watching the match in Bucharest, and look what I see!” Those signs are quite humbling and quite nice. My mum and dad were very proud, and I'm happy for them that these nice things happen.
C: You do have a reputation for being ultra passionate about the club, so you deserve it.
K: I'm just a Swansea City fan. I'm just a supporter of the club who's been given the opportunity to serve the club and do what I do. I still have a season ticket. I was actually asked a few years ago, when we were in the Championship, if I would be interested in doing what I do for a Premier League club. An agent rang me to see if I was interested but I said no I'm not, only because I think a real supporter needs to do that job. I have no second team, I am a Swans supporter – always have been, always will.
C: Moving onto what's been happening on the pitch and the Swans seem to be doing brilliantly at the moment. Garry Monk is clearly the right man for the job. What's gone right this season?
K: I think there seems to be a great team spirit there. In the Arsenal game – in an age where we talk about the salaries the players are on and some of the negative aspects of their lives – I watched a team play for the shirt. They were playing for the badge. And Garry Monk is a Swansea City man, and there are people like him – Alan Curtis and Kristian O'Leary – all in the dressing room, motivating the players. All are passionate about the Swans. I never doubted that one day Garry would be involved with coaching and management with the club. But I didn't think it would happen so soon.
C: I guess no-one expected it to happen that quickly did they? He was just thrown into it.
K: No, it happened much quicker than we thought, but I have no doubts that he's the right man for the job. And of all the managers we've had though the era of success, it's the new, young managers that have done the best job for us. Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez, and now Garry - all are guys who have punched above their weight and succeeded.
C: I couldn't have put that better myself! Now, Man City on Saturday – do you think we'll come away from the Etihad with something?
K: Well I believe anything is possible now. To be honest with you I think why I get so disappointed when we lose is because I never actually think we are going to lose! I expect us to win every game. When we looked at the fixtures at the beginning of the season we kind of thought “oh we've got a run of easy games there,” but they're actually not easy games because teams like Stoke, Newcastle and Sunderland will all be saying “Swansea is a game that is winnable for us.” They have the same mentality as we do. I also thought “Everton, Arsenal and Man City – that's a tough run,” but we've picked up four points so far and I'm thinking now that if we only get four points from these three games I'm okay with that. But I also think that Man City have had better times, it's a different Premier League this year, so anything is possible. I don't think we are anybody's whipping boys. I think we'll come away with credit and the supporters will have seen a good game of football. There's a great team spirit, so there's no reason we can't beat Man City.
Make sure to get to this year's panto at Swansea Grand Theatre to catch Kev in action on stage! You can follow Kev on Twitter and keep up to date with all Forza Swansea news on my Twitter page.
And it was my great pleasure to catch up with Kev this week to chat about his involvement with Jack to a King, the Arsenal game, Swans managers, and his passion for the club.
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| Kev Johns - a true Jack through and through! |
Chris: It took me long enough, but I finally saw Jack to a King in October. What a brilliant film! I know you've seen it a few times, so what are your thoughts now the dust has settled?
Kevin: I've seen the film five times and every time I watch it I see something different or I see somebody different. I can honestly tell you that I've not watched the film once without having tears in my eyes. And I often see people in there who are no longer with us. I saw the minister Caradog, who married my parents and did my Christening when I was a baby – he was a Swans fan and he sadly is no longer with us and there are others [who feature in the film] that have passed away. They would have all loved to see us where we are today. But I do see something different every time I watch it.
C: It's a great advert for Swansea City isn't it? Such a gripping, almost fictional storyline!
K: I think it's great for the club and introduces us to an international audience. It tells the story that shows that we have not forgotten those who are hugely responsible for saving this club. There were some ugly, dark moments during the Tony Petty period and we fought through. I also think it's a very funny film and very emotional. But the story hasn't finished yet – there's a greater story still to be told!
C: Sticking with film, you were part of Barclay's Spirit of the Game heroes and starred in your own short video for them last month. Tell us about that?
K: Well it's a bit embarrassing really. I was aware something was going on since last March. I had a few phone calls from Barclay's asking for an interview and we did that, then they asked if I would take part in their podcast - again something I happily did. But then I was getting more phone calls and more interviews, asking more questions, so I said to the guys at the Liberty “do you know anything about it?” but they said no. Then, after hearing Barclay's wanted to do some filming with me for the Stoke game, I had a phone call explaining what it was all about and that they were making four short films about passion in football. It was all very humbling - there are so many people who do so many things, but I am the guy the club suggested for it.
C: And that led onto the signs flashing around the sides of the stadium on match days that say 'Thank You Kevin Johns'?
K: (Laughing) A friend of mine who I've not seen for 30 years, who works in the British Embassy in Bucharest, sent me a screen shot of the television and said “I'm just watching the match in Bucharest, and look what I see!” Those signs are quite humbling and quite nice. My mum and dad were very proud, and I'm happy for them that these nice things happen.
C: You do have a reputation for being ultra passionate about the club, so you deserve it.
K: I'm just a Swansea City fan. I'm just a supporter of the club who's been given the opportunity to serve the club and do what I do. I still have a season ticket. I was actually asked a few years ago, when we were in the Championship, if I would be interested in doing what I do for a Premier League club. An agent rang me to see if I was interested but I said no I'm not, only because I think a real supporter needs to do that job. I have no second team, I am a Swans supporter – always have been, always will.
C: Moving onto what's been happening on the pitch and the Swans seem to be doing brilliantly at the moment. Garry Monk is clearly the right man for the job. What's gone right this season?
K: I think there seems to be a great team spirit there. In the Arsenal game – in an age where we talk about the salaries the players are on and some of the negative aspects of their lives – I watched a team play for the shirt. They were playing for the badge. And Garry Monk is a Swansea City man, and there are people like him – Alan Curtis and Kristian O'Leary – all in the dressing room, motivating the players. All are passionate about the Swans. I never doubted that one day Garry would be involved with coaching and management with the club. But I didn't think it would happen so soon.
C: I guess no-one expected it to happen that quickly did they? He was just thrown into it.
K: No, it happened much quicker than we thought, but I have no doubts that he's the right man for the job. And of all the managers we've had though the era of success, it's the new, young managers that have done the best job for us. Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez, and now Garry - all are guys who have punched above their weight and succeeded.
C: I couldn't have put that better myself! Now, Man City on Saturday – do you think we'll come away from the Etihad with something?
K: Well I believe anything is possible now. To be honest with you I think why I get so disappointed when we lose is because I never actually think we are going to lose! I expect us to win every game. When we looked at the fixtures at the beginning of the season we kind of thought “oh we've got a run of easy games there,” but they're actually not easy games because teams like Stoke, Newcastle and Sunderland will all be saying “Swansea is a game that is winnable for us.” They have the same mentality as we do. I also thought “Everton, Arsenal and Man City – that's a tough run,” but we've picked up four points so far and I'm thinking now that if we only get four points from these three games I'm okay with that. But I also think that Man City have had better times, it's a different Premier League this year, so anything is possible. I don't think we are anybody's whipping boys. I think we'll come away with credit and the supporters will have seen a good game of football. There's a great team spirit, so there's no reason we can't beat Man City.
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Make sure to get to this year's panto at Swansea Grand Theatre to catch Kev in action on stage! You can follow Kev on Twitter and keep up to date with all Forza Swansea news on my Twitter page.
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