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!

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!