An exciting event in the football calendar, transfer deadline day sees men (and women of course) from across the globe fixated on Sky Sports News, Twitter and other news feeds to see if their club managed to sign the one over-paid primadonna they were after.
What's that you say? You didn't sit inside all day watching the television because you have better things to do? Well I don't, so here's what happened for Swansea City.
To start with, throughout the day, Swansea were linked with several players who, for one reason or another, didn't end up near the club, such as Romaric (Sevilla), Adrian Mariappa (Watford), Matthew Bates (Middlesbrough) and a last minute loan bid for Fabio Borini, among others (including several wind-up rumours such as Stockport's Ryan Fraughan and a last-gasp bid for Marcos Senna).
Eventually the window slammed shut and Swansea were left with:
Gerhard Tremmel (free from Red Bull Salzburg)
Completed earlier in the day, the signing of Gerhard Tremmel was unsurprising, yet welcome news. The trialist impressed more than Jose Moreira in pre-season friendlies and will add strength to the important area that is goalkeeping. We hope Michel Vorm will remain fit throughout the rest of his career with Swansea; if not, Tremmel is an adequate backup.
Darnel Situ (£250,000 from Lens)
The most exciting signing of the evening for Swansea, the France u19's captain was signed for £250,000 from French club Lens. The 19-year-old seems to be a “one for the future” signing, and isn't expected to make a direct impact on this Premier League campaign, but the centre back looks promising!
Rafik Halliche (on loan from Fulham)
On loan until the end of January 2010, the 24-year-old centre back will be cover for Ashley Williams and Steven Caulker, and another defender to temporarily add to the bench – an area Swansea have been lacking in for some time. I'm yet to see Halliche in action but, by all accounts, Fulham fans are glad to get rid of him, which is never a nice thing to hear about your new signing. He made just one appearance for Fulham, from the bench, but he has had 21 caps for the Algerian national team. Don't expect wonders, he's nothing more than cover it seems.
Fede Bessone (free from Leeds)
Earlier in the day, rumours were strong that an old face would be joining the Swans again. Scotland? Gomez? … Trundle? No, we were all wrong – it was Fede Bessone. The 27-year-old left Swansea for Leeds in 2010, making just six appearances, before being loaned to Charlton Athletic. Now he's back with the newest Premier League club on a two-year deal.
I know it's frowned upon to moan about players, but I know I am far from the only one who sees this as a backwards step. He was surplus to requirements at a Championship club, so I'm not sure what impact Rodgers believes he will make in the Premier League? I hope I'm wrong; I hope Bessone returns as a new, fast, Rangel-esque wing back, but will that really happen? I'm sure Ashley Richards would've provided as much cover. Still, it's an option on the bench. Mustn't grumble.
There were no players to leave the club on deadline day, though a rumour that Blackpool were interested in Stephen Dobbie circulated through much of the afternoon. Probably a feasible rumour, but not in Swansea's best interests. Dobbie has only had half an hour on the Premier League pitches – while he hasn't yet impressed, there is more to come from Dobbie this season I am sure.
Another end to a slightly underwhelming transfer deadline day for Swansea City – apart from loan signings the team is now ready to continue their Premier League campaign, barring any exclusions in the 25 man squad (announced shortly).
Thursday 1 September 2011
Sunday 28 August 2011
Swansea 0 – 0 Sunderland: Still no goals
A rammed Liberty Stadium once again witnessed a 0-0 draw that only told half the story.
Swansea's general possession was less dominating than previous games, but their chances in front of goal increased, which is a positive. However, like the game against Wigan, they were not able to put anything in the back of the net, taking the "games-without-scoring" tally to four.
Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer were typically the main routes to goal, both creating several chances - Sinclair saw his rocket of a strike slam off the crossbar in the first half, while Dyer showed his strengths in skill and agility, as well as his one weakness: shooting!
Sunderland will also feel it was two points dropped as they were not without their golden opportunities. These emphasise Vorm's importance once again, as he kept Swansea in the game with a number of top quality saves, including the one-on-one with Gyan in the 72nd minute. Interesting coincidence: the penalty that Vorm saved against Wigan also fell in the 72nd minute!
Mentioning Asamoah Gyan, the battles between him and Ashley Williams were enjoyable to watch, while Steven Caulker, apart from one little blip, had another comfortable game - very confident in the air.
The middle three were unchanged from the match against Wigan and rightly so. It's a combination that seems to be working well, with Agustien's strength, Routledge's speed and Britton's determination to get the ball when, technically, he shouldn't be anywhere near it!
This brings us to Danny Graham, who, once again didn't score. I mean, the rest of the team didn't score either, but Graham has to be singled out as he's the striker that promised so much. It may just be the case of adjusting from Championship to Premier League, and one goal will open the cat flap (listen to me chatting with Ian Wright below for that cliché!), but the opportunities were there; opportunities that a striker should be putting away. Let's put it down to nerves – the pressure for him to get a goal now is very high, so when he receives it in the box he probably thinks too much instead of actually putting his foot through it. They'll come. If not, at least he didn't cost £50 million.
The next game Swansea will play will be after the international break, against Arsenal in two weeks time – a game which the Swans won't be expected to win, or probably even score in. So, with that pressure off, expect to see Graham come out of his shell and grab a hat-trick!
Absolute Radio called me up earlier in the week, asking me to take part in Ian Wright's 'Rock n Roll Football' show after the Swans match. I agreed; here's how it went!
Absolute Radio - Chris Carra / Ian Wright - Swansea City chat by ChrisCarra
Swansea's general possession was less dominating than previous games, but their chances in front of goal increased, which is a positive. However, like the game against Wigan, they were not able to put anything in the back of the net, taking the "games-without-scoring" tally to four.
Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer were typically the main routes to goal, both creating several chances - Sinclair saw his rocket of a strike slam off the crossbar in the first half, while Dyer showed his strengths in skill and agility, as well as his one weakness: shooting!
Sunderland will also feel it was two points dropped as they were not without their golden opportunities. These emphasise Vorm's importance once again, as he kept Swansea in the game with a number of top quality saves, including the one-on-one with Gyan in the 72nd minute. Interesting coincidence: the penalty that Vorm saved against Wigan also fell in the 72nd minute!
Mentioning Asamoah Gyan, the battles between him and Ashley Williams were enjoyable to watch, while Steven Caulker, apart from one little blip, had another comfortable game - very confident in the air.
The middle three were unchanged from the match against Wigan and rightly so. It's a combination that seems to be working well, with Agustien's strength, Routledge's speed and Britton's determination to get the ball when, technically, he shouldn't be anywhere near it!
This brings us to Danny Graham, who, once again didn't score. I mean, the rest of the team didn't score either, but Graham has to be singled out as he's the striker that promised so much. It may just be the case of adjusting from Championship to Premier League, and one goal will open the cat flap (listen to me chatting with Ian Wright below for that cliché!), but the opportunities were there; opportunities that a striker should be putting away. Let's put it down to nerves – the pressure for him to get a goal now is very high, so when he receives it in the box he probably thinks too much instead of actually putting his foot through it. They'll come. If not, at least he didn't cost £50 million.
The next game Swansea will play will be after the international break, against Arsenal in two weeks time – a game which the Swans won't be expected to win, or probably even score in. So, with that pressure off, expect to see Graham come out of his shell and grab a hat-trick!
Absolute Radio called me up earlier in the week, asking me to take part in Ian Wright's 'Rock n Roll Football' show after the Swans match. I agreed; here's how it went!
Absolute Radio - Chris Carra / Ian Wright - Swansea City chat by ChrisCarra
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Swansea City Weekly Catch-up: Shrewsbury, Sunderland and two gingers
I'm aiming to sum up Shrewsbury, preview Sunderland and talk about transfers in this bumper post, so I've split it into three digestible sections:
Shrewsbury 3 – 1 Swansea: Opinion
Swansea crashed out of the Carling Cup in the least glamorous fashion on Tuesday, losing 3-1 away to League Two minnows Shrewsbury. I wasn't at the match, so am basing this part of the blog on my experience of the game from watching Tony Cottee's scrutiny live on Sky, reading match reports and speaking to fans who made the journey.
In a recent blog post I stated it would be in Swansea's best interest to fall out of any cup games as soon as possible, avoiding the risk of injury and fatigue for some first team players, but I almost regret typing that now. Swansea shouldn't have dropped out in the fashion they did, not against a team 65 places below them in the collated league table and certainly not when they took the initial lead!
The worrying element is, despite theoretically being a weakened side, on paper it wasn't that weak. Plenty of first team players started the match (Ashley Williams, Danny Graham, Joe Allen, Alan Tate) with more joining in the second half as subs (Scott Sinclair, Stephen Dobbie and Neil Taylor) – between them they should have been able to seal a comfortable win or, at the very least, a goal (remember, the one Swansea 'scored' was an own goal by Shrewsbury's Cansdell-Sherriff). The rest of the team was made up with the likes of Leroy Lita, Luke Moore, Mark Gower and Jose Moreira who, last season, wouldn't have been considered weak players.
Can we single anyone out? Lita and Graham both missed chances; I guess for £3.5 million, Danny Graham should have scored against a League Two side. Maybe he wasn't being fed the ball enough but, again, this would highlight the ongoing problem of plenty of possession and attractive passing, but no end product. Graham is not the only one to blame. By all accounts, Orlandi and Gower seemed to waste set pieces and Tate was out of position a little too often. Ashley Williams was also singled out for acting too big for the game (see this post from an angry fan on a Swansea City message board).
I don't think anyone has ever seen or heard Brendan Rodgers speak so angrily about his team before, but the stark truth needed to be voiced and he did so very well. Though I can't see many players telling their grandchildren they lost to Shrewsbury, like Rodgers suggested, the statement hopefully makes them think, even feel a little embarrassed.
A good performance, and possibly a goal, against Sunderland on Saturday and this will all be forgotten, but it's been a wake-up call to the players and fans alike.
Transfers
The two gingers I mention in the title are Ryan Harley and Shaun MacDonald, who have both left the club permanently. Harley left for Brighton for an undisclosed fee, while Shaun MacDonald made the move to Bournemouth for £150K.
MacDonald was never going to force his way into the first team, so the move was probably best for his own career. One thing: I am glad we never got to see him play in front of the Sky cameras – I don't think the world was ready for Shaun MacDonald in High Definition, let alone 3D! Best of luck to him anyway.
Ryan Harley's departure, however, was a little more disappointing. He seemed to be an interesting prospect for the central attacking midfielder role back in January, though his immediate return to Exeter on loan allowed Stephen Dobbie to claim the position as his. With Premier League promotion and another helping of new signings able to slot into the role, Harley was left fighting one too many for the position.
He played a wonderful game for Brighton in the Carling Cup by all accounts; a 1-0 win against Swansea's next opponents, Sunderland. He might not have had first team football on tap in Swansea, but games similar to the one against Shrewsbury might have seen Harley able to push his case forward. Again, good luck to him.
vs. Sunderland
So, onto Sunderland, who Swansea play this Saturday at 3:00pm in the Liberty Stadium. It's a game full of opportunities: to get a much needed first goal (especially for Danny Graham), to get another point or three on the board and to claw back a little respect from the fans after the woeful display in the Cup.
What do you need to know about Sunderland? They are currently 13th in the Premier League, with one point. They lost 1-0 to Newcastle at home last week, though pushed Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield in their opening game. They've recently lost players such as Welbeck and Bent, though still have one of World Cup 2010's stars, Asamoah Gyan who is quick, clever and very exciting.
Swansea are actually favourites against last season's top ten team, currently 7/5 (PaddyPower). If I was betting on this one (...who am I kidding, I am betting on this one), I'd put a few pound on Sunderland to win as they are priced at 2/1; seemingly generous odds, all things considered. However, I predict another draw, albeit a score draw – my money is on 1-1 (currently 5/1).
Shrewsbury 3 – 1 Swansea: Opinion
Swansea crashed out of the Carling Cup in the least glamorous fashion on Tuesday, losing 3-1 away to League Two minnows Shrewsbury. I wasn't at the match, so am basing this part of the blog on my experience of the game from watching Tony Cottee's scrutiny live on Sky, reading match reports and speaking to fans who made the journey.
In a recent blog post I stated it would be in Swansea's best interest to fall out of any cup games as soon as possible, avoiding the risk of injury and fatigue for some first team players, but I almost regret typing that now. Swansea shouldn't have dropped out in the fashion they did, not against a team 65 places below them in the collated league table and certainly not when they took the initial lead!
The worrying element is, despite theoretically being a weakened side, on paper it wasn't that weak. Plenty of first team players started the match (Ashley Williams, Danny Graham, Joe Allen, Alan Tate) with more joining in the second half as subs (Scott Sinclair, Stephen Dobbie and Neil Taylor) – between them they should have been able to seal a comfortable win or, at the very least, a goal (remember, the one Swansea 'scored' was an own goal by Shrewsbury's Cansdell-Sherriff). The rest of the team was made up with the likes of Leroy Lita, Luke Moore, Mark Gower and Jose Moreira who, last season, wouldn't have been considered weak players.
Can we single anyone out? Lita and Graham both missed chances; I guess for £3.5 million, Danny Graham should have scored against a League Two side. Maybe he wasn't being fed the ball enough but, again, this would highlight the ongoing problem of plenty of possession and attractive passing, but no end product. Graham is not the only one to blame. By all accounts, Orlandi and Gower seemed to waste set pieces and Tate was out of position a little too often. Ashley Williams was also singled out for acting too big for the game (see this post from an angry fan on a Swansea City message board).
I don't think anyone has ever seen or heard Brendan Rodgers speak so angrily about his team before, but the stark truth needed to be voiced and he did so very well. Though I can't see many players telling their grandchildren they lost to Shrewsbury, like Rodgers suggested, the statement hopefully makes them think, even feel a little embarrassed.
A good performance, and possibly a goal, against Sunderland on Saturday and this will all be forgotten, but it's been a wake-up call to the players and fans alike.
Transfers
The two gingers I mention in the title are Ryan Harley and Shaun MacDonald, who have both left the club permanently. Harley left for Brighton for an undisclosed fee, while Shaun MacDonald made the move to Bournemouth for £150K.
MacDonald was never going to force his way into the first team, so the move was probably best for his own career. One thing: I am glad we never got to see him play in front of the Sky cameras – I don't think the world was ready for Shaun MacDonald in High Definition, let alone 3D! Best of luck to him anyway.
Ryan Harley's departure, however, was a little more disappointing. He seemed to be an interesting prospect for the central attacking midfielder role back in January, though his immediate return to Exeter on loan allowed Stephen Dobbie to claim the position as his. With Premier League promotion and another helping of new signings able to slot into the role, Harley was left fighting one too many for the position.
He played a wonderful game for Brighton in the Carling Cup by all accounts; a 1-0 win against Swansea's next opponents, Sunderland. He might not have had first team football on tap in Swansea, but games similar to the one against Shrewsbury might have seen Harley able to push his case forward. Again, good luck to him.
vs. Sunderland
So, onto Sunderland, who Swansea play this Saturday at 3:00pm in the Liberty Stadium. It's a game full of opportunities: to get a much needed first goal (especially for Danny Graham), to get another point or three on the board and to claw back a little respect from the fans after the woeful display in the Cup.
What do you need to know about Sunderland? They are currently 13th in the Premier League, with one point. They lost 1-0 to Newcastle at home last week, though pushed Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield in their opening game. They've recently lost players such as Welbeck and Bent, though still have one of World Cup 2010's stars, Asamoah Gyan who is quick, clever and very exciting.
Swansea are actually favourites against last season's top ten team, currently 7/5 (PaddyPower). If I was betting on this one (...who am I kidding, I am betting on this one), I'd put a few pound on Sunderland to win as they are priced at 2/1; seemingly generous odds, all things considered. However, I predict another draw, albeit a score draw – my money is on 1-1 (currently 5/1).
Monday 22 August 2011
The irritating Jack Army membership scheme: revisited
Once again the severely flawed Jack Army membership scheme did nothing more than irritate Swans fans as they scrambled for Arsenal away tickets this morning.
Fans across social networking and message boards describe the system as “a shambles” “disgraceful” and “shit”. At the present moment this seems to describe the scheme perfectly!
Even those who managed to get tickets are unhappy with the way the club is running the scheme, and rightly so. It's embarrassing for a Premier League club to have to settle for Conference levels of organisation. There was ample time in the pre-season to iron out the wrinkles, so what's going wrong and leading to the backlash from loyal fans?
I was initially dubious as I signed up back in July - however the vague rules and benefits were not enough to put me off if it meant an edge when obtaining highly-sought after tickets.
My “making sense of the scheme” blog that I knocked up in July is here, but even to this day I'm still not 100% sure if it's accurate. I'm not sure anyone is.
Where is the information that states, in black and white (and orange), whether season-ticket holders have priority over those without a season-ticket but with membership to the Jack Army scheme? When do the priority points kick in and how many do you get? When are they awarded? If one person has 15 points but doesn't have a season-ticket does he have priority over the season-ticket holder with 13 points? Confused? Welcome to the club - 20,000 and growing.
These aren't hypothetical questions by the way. I may have missed a vital page or six on the official site, but I would actually like to know the answers!
A further slap in the face is the fact that so many fans have handed either £10 or £25 over for, essentially, nothing. I think I've somehow lost the initial email containing my membership number (which makes me wonder whether they actually sent an email out?). This leaves me without login details. For £25 it might have been nice to see a membership card, similar to the season-ticket card, to welcome you into the club. A certificate even. Just some evidence that you are involved.
Ultimately we are left with a club that, like it handled the season-tickets, Wembley tickets and various other events in the past few months, let itself down with poor organising.
I think it's time to either abolish the system and refund each member's money or sort it out properly – full list of who gets priority in what order, what the procedure is for buying tickets and what benefits we will actually receive for our money!
The media's focus should be on the attractive football Swansea produce, not the ugly organisation.
I'll end with some comments that I've lifted from Twitter and Facebook, from a range of Swansea supporters.
“Total shambles! Fixtures not there (online) to start, then showing members inactive!”
“I think having no physical proof of membership is wrong. My Girlfriend signed to a similar scheme with Cardiff Blues and has a card”
“They need a good kick in, due to the fact that b*****ds who don't even support the Swans have got tickets!”
“They had better get a real internet company in and sort the system out as its only gonna get worse”
“Its a disgrace, the way they are treating the fans, absolute disgrace”
Fans across social networking and message boards describe the system as “a shambles” “disgraceful” and “shit”. At the present moment this seems to describe the scheme perfectly!
Even those who managed to get tickets are unhappy with the way the club is running the scheme, and rightly so. It's embarrassing for a Premier League club to have to settle for Conference levels of organisation. There was ample time in the pre-season to iron out the wrinkles, so what's going wrong and leading to the backlash from loyal fans?
I was initially dubious as I signed up back in July - however the vague rules and benefits were not enough to put me off if it meant an edge when obtaining highly-sought after tickets.
My “making sense of the scheme” blog that I knocked up in July is here, but even to this day I'm still not 100% sure if it's accurate. I'm not sure anyone is.
Where is the information that states, in black and white (and orange), whether season-ticket holders have priority over those without a season-ticket but with membership to the Jack Army scheme? When do the priority points kick in and how many do you get? When are they awarded? If one person has 15 points but doesn't have a season-ticket does he have priority over the season-ticket holder with 13 points? Confused? Welcome to the club - 20,000 and growing.
These aren't hypothetical questions by the way. I may have missed a vital page or six on the official site, but I would actually like to know the answers!
A further slap in the face is the fact that so many fans have handed either £10 or £25 over for, essentially, nothing. I think I've somehow lost the initial email containing my membership number (which makes me wonder whether they actually sent an email out?). This leaves me without login details. For £25 it might have been nice to see a membership card, similar to the season-ticket card, to welcome you into the club. A certificate even. Just some evidence that you are involved.
Ultimately we are left with a club that, like it handled the season-tickets, Wembley tickets and various other events in the past few months, let itself down with poor organising.
I think it's time to either abolish the system and refund each member's money or sort it out properly – full list of who gets priority in what order, what the procedure is for buying tickets and what benefits we will actually receive for our money!
The media's focus should be on the attractive football Swansea produce, not the ugly organisation.
I'll end with some comments that I've lifted from Twitter and Facebook, from a range of Swansea supporters.
“Total shambles! Fixtures not there (online) to start, then showing members inactive!”
“I think having no physical proof of membership is wrong. My Girlfriend signed to a similar scheme with Cardiff Blues and has a card”
“They need a good kick in, due to the fact that b*****ds who don't even support the Swans have got tickets!”
“They had better get a real internet company in and sort the system out as its only gonna get worse”
“Its a disgrace, the way they are treating the fans, absolute disgrace”
Sunday 21 August 2011
Swansea 0 – 0 Wigan: Digested opinion
The first Premier League game held outside England turned out to be one of the most exciting 0-0 draws I've witnessed! Speed, skill, cards, hit woodwork, penalty (saves), male voice choir... the game had it all. Apart from goals.
Ultimately both teams will see the draw as two points dropped instead of one gained, especially Swansea who dominated possession for the first hour - 70 percent heading into half-time for the second game running show Swansea won't find the ball hard to come by in the next few months. However, no goals to show for their possession highlights the cutting edge is still not there.
Wigan warmed up in the second half which didn't help Swansea's case, with two strikes bouncing off the woodwork. It looked like the Latics would take the lead in the 72nd minute after Ashley Williams brought down Jordi Gomez in the box, however the resulting penalty, taken by Ben Watson, was expertly saved by The Penalty Killer, also known as Michel Vorm. The only downside to Vorm's display seems to be his authority during corners and set pieces, sometimes looking unsure of himself. Still, the penalty save alone sees him retain his hero status without a doubt. £1.5 million very well spent – THE summer signing.
While I mention summer signings, is it me or did Danny Graham look slightly uncomfortable? His few chances came early in the first half, but he seemed quiet from then on. Despite Graham only starting two competitive games, I'd like to see Lita start the next one. Starting Routledge with Agustien and Britton was a relatively untried midfield and that worked very effectively, so changing the starting striker may also prove a worthwhile move for one game. Would it knock his confidence? Maybe, but then again he was brought to the club as a striker, not the striker. Just a thought.
Routledge and Agustien worked hard in the centre and probably impressed me the most in the first half, as well as Nathan Dyer, who claimed another deserved man of the match award. Ashley Williams, even though he gave away a penalty, had a good game, as did Steven Caulker who looked very comfortable in the air. Scott Sinclair looked more alive this game than against Man City, with some exciting runs, while Neil Taylor showed his strengths in attack.
Substitute Stephen Dobbie, again, looked out of place. I'm sure he will eventually find a way to fit into this slightly different looking Swans side, but made some decisive errors in attack, while his corner taking didn't work as planned.
Overall a very deserved point for Swansea - if they can just be more punishing in front of goal, games against the likes of Wigan will end more comfortably.
They play again on Tuesday away to Shrewsbury in the second round of the Carling Cup, though it's not a game worth killing players over. In fact, the sooner they exit the Carling and FA Cups this year the better. It's going to be a difficult enough season without risking injuries and fatigue in cup matches. A trophy or a nice run is nothing to be snubbed, usually, but all concentration should be on staying up this year.
Ultimately both teams will see the draw as two points dropped instead of one gained, especially Swansea who dominated possession for the first hour - 70 percent heading into half-time for the second game running show Swansea won't find the ball hard to come by in the next few months. However, no goals to show for their possession highlights the cutting edge is still not there.
Wigan warmed up in the second half which didn't help Swansea's case, with two strikes bouncing off the woodwork. It looked like the Latics would take the lead in the 72nd minute after Ashley Williams brought down Jordi Gomez in the box, however the resulting penalty, taken by Ben Watson, was expertly saved by The Penalty Killer, also known as Michel Vorm. The only downside to Vorm's display seems to be his authority during corners and set pieces, sometimes looking unsure of himself. Still, the penalty save alone sees him retain his hero status without a doubt. £1.5 million very well spent – THE summer signing.
While I mention summer signings, is it me or did Danny Graham look slightly uncomfortable? His few chances came early in the first half, but he seemed quiet from then on. Despite Graham only starting two competitive games, I'd like to see Lita start the next one. Starting Routledge with Agustien and Britton was a relatively untried midfield and that worked very effectively, so changing the starting striker may also prove a worthwhile move for one game. Would it knock his confidence? Maybe, but then again he was brought to the club as a striker, not the striker. Just a thought.
Routledge and Agustien worked hard in the centre and probably impressed me the most in the first half, as well as Nathan Dyer, who claimed another deserved man of the match award. Ashley Williams, even though he gave away a penalty, had a good game, as did Steven Caulker who looked very comfortable in the air. Scott Sinclair looked more alive this game than against Man City, with some exciting runs, while Neil Taylor showed his strengths in attack.
Substitute Stephen Dobbie, again, looked out of place. I'm sure he will eventually find a way to fit into this slightly different looking Swans side, but made some decisive errors in attack, while his corner taking didn't work as planned.
Overall a very deserved point for Swansea - if they can just be more punishing in front of goal, games against the likes of Wigan will end more comfortably.
They play again on Tuesday away to Shrewsbury in the second round of the Carling Cup, though it's not a game worth killing players over. In fact, the sooner they exit the Carling and FA Cups this year the better. It's going to be a difficult enough season without risking injuries and fatigue in cup matches. A trophy or a nice run is nothing to be snubbed, usually, but all concentration should be on staying up this year.
Friday 19 August 2011
Swansea v Wigan: the must win game!
Maybe it's too soon to declare the game against Wigan as “must win”, but isn't it just that? It's not the games against Man City, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool that Swansea are expected to win; it's victory over the likes of Wigan that will see them survive come May. Games like this will define the season.
Wigan are, again, amongst the pundits and bookies favourites to face relegation this season and it's up to Swansea to help make that happen by taking all three points on Saturday. In the Liberty Stadium, with the twelfth man advantage, the Swans can't afford to miss out on this occasion.
Naturally the Roberto Martinez factor will also play a part on Saturday – his return to the place he once called home is significant and he is probably, quite rightly, expecting a frosty reception, but this match should be more than just getting one over on the man who dumped the club for better things.
Garry Monk and Neil Taylor are both likely to return to the squad, easing the pressure on defence – the weakest area in Swansea's opening fixture against Man City. I can assume Alan Tate will be dropped to the bench to allow Taylor and Sinclair to play their effective left wing game. Taylor will probably take part in his first competitive game since that heart-stopping evening back in May and will have to put in a good performance to impress those he offended with the Newcastle-gate scandal in the summer.
Again, Sinclair and Dyer are expected to start up front with Danny Graham, though I have a suspicion that Leroy Lita may take the starting striker position. Even if he doesn't, it could be a good move as his pace, combined with Dyer and Sinclair's, would make a dangerous front line. It also shakes things up a little and shows strikers like Graham that they have to work for their place, no matter how much was paid. Whoever takes that starting position will be looking to grab the club's first Premier League goal.
The middle three are, as usual, the only uncertain spots in the starting eleven. Leon Britton had a good game against Man City, as did Kemy Agustien. Stephen Dobbie was a little too quiet in the Eithad, though will have more space against the Latics and, with Swansea needing goals, may be the best to start. Joe Allen instead of Leon Britton? Or instead of Agustien? It's good to see Agustien is now more than just a bench warmer and his inclusion against Man City has added another incentive for all midfield players to perform well in training.
Vorm had a terrible game against Man City, stupidly letting in four goals - he should be dropped... I am, of course, joking. He was Swansea's stand-out player in Manchester and has surely sealed his place between the posts for the season.
My team to face Wigan?
So what about Wigan? They are an attacking team albeit without a consistent goalscorer to put chances away. Still, they've had six consecutive seasons in the Premier League and will pose a similar threat as the likes of QPR did last season.
Wigan's first three matches are against the three Premier League newcomers, all games they were expected to take all three points from. However, dropping points against Norwich means Wigan will be desperate for all three at the Liberty.
Still, this isn't enough for the bookies, who place Swansea as favourites to win in the 90 minutes. I'm predicting 2-0 to Swansea (9/1 PaddyPower). It's a realistic scoreline and one which they need to be achieving – they won't be favourites against many teams this season, so Saturday is about making it count!
Wigan are, again, amongst the pundits and bookies favourites to face relegation this season and it's up to Swansea to help make that happen by taking all three points on Saturday. In the Liberty Stadium, with the twelfth man advantage, the Swans can't afford to miss out on this occasion.
Naturally the Roberto Martinez factor will also play a part on Saturday – his return to the place he once called home is significant and he is probably, quite rightly, expecting a frosty reception, but this match should be more than just getting one over on the man who dumped the club for better things.
Garry Monk and Neil Taylor are both likely to return to the squad, easing the pressure on defence – the weakest area in Swansea's opening fixture against Man City. I can assume Alan Tate will be dropped to the bench to allow Taylor and Sinclair to play their effective left wing game. Taylor will probably take part in his first competitive game since that heart-stopping evening back in May and will have to put in a good performance to impress those he offended with the Newcastle-gate scandal in the summer.
Again, Sinclair and Dyer are expected to start up front with Danny Graham, though I have a suspicion that Leroy Lita may take the starting striker position. Even if he doesn't, it could be a good move as his pace, combined with Dyer and Sinclair's, would make a dangerous front line. It also shakes things up a little and shows strikers like Graham that they have to work for their place, no matter how much was paid. Whoever takes that starting position will be looking to grab the club's first Premier League goal.
The middle three are, as usual, the only uncertain spots in the starting eleven. Leon Britton had a good game against Man City, as did Kemy Agustien. Stephen Dobbie was a little too quiet in the Eithad, though will have more space against the Latics and, with Swansea needing goals, may be the best to start. Joe Allen instead of Leon Britton? Or instead of Agustien? It's good to see Agustien is now more than just a bench warmer and his inclusion against Man City has added another incentive for all midfield players to perform well in training.
Vorm had a terrible game against Man City, stupidly letting in four goals - he should be dropped... I am, of course, joking. He was Swansea's stand-out player in Manchester and has surely sealed his place between the posts for the season.
My team to face Wigan?
Vorm
Rangel Caulker Williams Taylor
Dyer Allen Dobbie Britton Sinclair
Lita
So what about Wigan? They are an attacking team albeit without a consistent goalscorer to put chances away. Still, they've had six consecutive seasons in the Premier League and will pose a similar threat as the likes of QPR did last season.
Wigan's first three matches are against the three Premier League newcomers, all games they were expected to take all three points from. However, dropping points against Norwich means Wigan will be desperate for all three at the Liberty.
Still, this isn't enough for the bookies, who place Swansea as favourites to win in the 90 minutes. I'm predicting 2-0 to Swansea (9/1 PaddyPower). It's a realistic scoreline and one which they need to be achieving – they won't be favourites against many teams this season, so Saturday is about making it count!
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Swansea 0 - 4 Man City: brief reaction
It's tricky writing about a hammering when Swansea didn't actually play that badly considering the quality of opponent.
If you weren't aware, Swansea lost 4-0 to Man City, with goals coming from Silva, Dzeko and two from debutant Aguero (including one shot that no human could have saved!). However, the hefty scoreline of this historic match only tells one side of the story.
Swansea went to the Eithad to play their usual brand of attractive, attacking football and did just that. Their first half was very reassuring; they passed well and looked calm and composed. Possession was not a problem - the Swans retained 70% of the ball with 20 minutes gone, although they were unable to create much more that a couple of off-target shots.
Eventually Man City began to warm up and Michael Vorm finally got his hands on the ball for the first time in the most dramatic way possible, after David Silva's rocket of a shot in the 23rd minute. This was the first I had properly seen of Vorm and was instantly impressed. Apart from Gianluigi Buffon in goals for Italy, never have I been more comfortable with the sight of a ball heading towards the net. The 4-0 scoreline was not fair on the Dutch keeper who put in a shift well worthy of man of the match. He stopped it ending in complete embarrassment and will be a great asset this season. Dorus De Who?
Brendan Rodgers emphasised in his pre-match conversation with the Sky pundits that Alan Tate would captain his side in their first Premier League game, after being with the club through League Two, League One and the Championship. It is an honour Tate really deserved, certainly for his loyalty. He put on a brave face, though the nerves were showing as he led the team onto the pitch and a shaky first five minutes followed. He seemed slow in closing down attackers and gave too much space to the likes of Johnson, but made blocks when necessary.
Overall defence is the area Swansea have problems in. I dread to think what would've happened had one of the defenders taken a knock and had to leave the field – with only Monk and Taylor the other feasible options, Swansea are very scarce in that department. On the field the four fit defenders had a decent game all things considering, but signing another capable defender is crucial before the transfer window slams shut.
Apart from Vorm the positives were obvious to anybody watching – Swansea were able to frustrate a big team, possibly scare them at a few points, and kept true to their passing style: completing 486 passes according to statisticians - more than any other side in the Premier League over the weekend and 144 more than Man City. However, as we have seen with the likes of Arsenal, more than passing is needed to win games and Rodgers will have to take a look for better ways to penetrate in this tough league.
A word must go to the travelling supporters: I was watching at home, but it felt like Wembley with the recognisable songs booming through the speakers. 2,000 sounded like 40,000 so well done to the Jacks who made the journey!
Against the lower rated teams, the Swans should have no problems in picking up vital points. Before their next daunting away trip to the Emirates Stadium to visit struggling Arsenal, Swansea will face Wigan in the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, where three points will almost be expected against Martinez's men.
If you weren't aware, Swansea lost 4-0 to Man City, with goals coming from Silva, Dzeko and two from debutant Aguero (including one shot that no human could have saved!). However, the hefty scoreline of this historic match only tells one side of the story.
Swansea went to the Eithad to play their usual brand of attractive, attacking football and did just that. Their first half was very reassuring; they passed well and looked calm and composed. Possession was not a problem - the Swans retained 70% of the ball with 20 minutes gone, although they were unable to create much more that a couple of off-target shots.
Eventually Man City began to warm up and Michael Vorm finally got his hands on the ball for the first time in the most dramatic way possible, after David Silva's rocket of a shot in the 23rd minute. This was the first I had properly seen of Vorm and was instantly impressed. Apart from Gianluigi Buffon in goals for Italy, never have I been more comfortable with the sight of a ball heading towards the net. The 4-0 scoreline was not fair on the Dutch keeper who put in a shift well worthy of man of the match. He stopped it ending in complete embarrassment and will be a great asset this season. Dorus De Who?
Brendan Rodgers emphasised in his pre-match conversation with the Sky pundits that Alan Tate would captain his side in their first Premier League game, after being with the club through League Two, League One and the Championship. It is an honour Tate really deserved, certainly for his loyalty. He put on a brave face, though the nerves were showing as he led the team onto the pitch and a shaky first five minutes followed. He seemed slow in closing down attackers and gave too much space to the likes of Johnson, but made blocks when necessary.
Overall defence is the area Swansea have problems in. I dread to think what would've happened had one of the defenders taken a knock and had to leave the field – with only Monk and Taylor the other feasible options, Swansea are very scarce in that department. On the field the four fit defenders had a decent game all things considering, but signing another capable defender is crucial before the transfer window slams shut.
Apart from Vorm the positives were obvious to anybody watching – Swansea were able to frustrate a big team, possibly scare them at a few points, and kept true to their passing style: completing 486 passes according to statisticians - more than any other side in the Premier League over the weekend and 144 more than Man City. However, as we have seen with the likes of Arsenal, more than passing is needed to win games and Rodgers will have to take a look for better ways to penetrate in this tough league.
A word must go to the travelling supporters: I was watching at home, but it felt like Wembley with the recognisable songs booming through the speakers. 2,000 sounded like 40,000 so well done to the Jacks who made the journey!
Against the lower rated teams, the Swans should have no problems in picking up vital points. Before their next daunting away trip to the Emirates Stadium to visit struggling Arsenal, Swansea will face Wigan in the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, where three points will almost be expected against Martinez's men.
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