Swansea vs Spurs: Safety matches (… take two)

Things didn't quite pan out as Swansea had hoped when taking on a stubborn Everton last Saturday. The 2-0 loss goes to show that... well, Swansea can't win them all (I think, deep down, we already knew that).

Onto Sunday and Swansea City, with accompanying Jack Army, will travel the simple journey to London to play a not-so-simple match against Harry Redknapp's side (hopefully not soon to be Brendan Rodgers' side as the media like to suggest!).

Swansea shared the points with Spurs at the Liberty Stadium back in December in a thrilling encounter that felt more like a win for Swansea. So we know it's not an impossible task – when you beat Man City, nothing seems an impossible task I guess – but we do know it'll be a tough one.

There are two key changes to the Swans squad this weekend, the first being a big blow in not having Spurs loanee Steven Caulker available, due to the terms of his loan. Garry Monk should slip back into the squad and do an equally fine job, but there'll be aspects of Caulker's game we will miss, especially in the air.

A more positive change is the return of Nathan Dyer after his three-match suspension. He'll be fit, fresh and dying for a game, but would his inclusion mean a place on the bench for Wayne Routledge? Routledge has been superb recently with three assists in the last two games that Swansea have won and it would be harsh to drop him. The other option is to leave out Scott Sinclair who hasn't had the greatest of seasons so far. However, I feel it's more likely that Routledge will sit this one out.

Spurs are currently fourth in the Premier League table and are looking likely to play Champions League football next season, despite a recent dip in form (they have failed to win in their last four league matches).

Aaron Lennon is likely to make and appearance after four matches out with a hamstring injury, which will be a boost to the home side, but they're likely to miss Ledley King and long-term absentees Michael Dawson and Heurelho Gomes.

This week we're lucky to have insight from top Spurs writer Dan Fitch from tottenhamblog.com, who kindly donated thoughts from a Spurs perspective:

Swansea gave us one of our toughest games this season, when we drew 1-1 at the Liberty Stadium. I knew that Swansea had a reputation for playing attractive possession football in the lower divisions, but I've been astonished at how successful it's proved in the top flight. Most promoted teams who try to play good football go straight down, but Swansea seem to have a tough core and defend well.

It's been great to see how Steven Caulker has done at Swansea and although I don't agree with the rule that on-loan players can't play against the club that owns them, I hope you miss him on Sunday. After a difficult time, we've maybe turned a corner with our results against Chelsea and Bolton. I'm expecting us to create loads of chances, miss most of them and struggle to a 1-0 win.

Despite Swansea having the option of Dyer back and Premier League survival all but guaranteed, I can't confidently predict a win for Swansea down to the inconsistency on the road. I'm feeling a repeat of December could be in store though, so I'll predict an entertaining 1-1 (at 7/1 on PaddyPower). Dan's prediction of a 1-0 win to Spurs is at 5/1.

Whatever the score, it's a game bringing two enjoyable footballing sides together in front of the Sky Sports cameras (no need for dodgy Greek cable hook-ups this weekend then!). As both Swansea and Spurs sit in first and second in the Premier League Fair Play table respectively, we can expect a clean, positive game with a lively atmosphere (which, I suspect, will be even better if Swansea win!)

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Check out my preview for UniBet.com, where I go head to head with a Spurs fan to give my take on Sunday's game.

Swansea City vs Everton: Safety matches!

The notion of “safety” in the Premier League seems a little irrelevant when Swansea City comfortably hold eighth position in the table.

Even so, the mathematicians among you (which, I suspect, is not that many) will want the added feeling of security that 40 points will bring and a win in Saturday's game against Everton will push Swansea into the desired “safe” zone.

The current team is looking more and more comfortable each week. I can't see much being changed this Saturday - the old cliché reads 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. (Other clichés I enjoy include: 'stubborn as a mule', 'tip of the iceberg' and 'start from scratch' - all have probably featured heavily in this blog over the years.)

Nathan Dyer will be serving the last of his three-match ban for his red card at Wigan, leaving Wayne Routledge to once again fill in on the right wing. I guess “fill in” undermines him slightly as he's done so much more than just fill a hole. While arguably less skilful and certainly less speedy than Dyer, Routledge's delivery into the box has been superb and it's something that is definitely leading to goals.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is having an inspired few weeks and I wouldn't bet against him getting another goal or two in the game against Everton. He's certainly the player to permanently fill the Dobbie-role (now on loan to Blackpool until the end of the season) – if Swansea can raise the funds to sign him.

Ashley Williams is still not a certainty to start after missing out at Fulham due to sickness last weekend. We hope he returns, but I'm sure Monk would relish another starting appearance (and probably deserves it).

Before we get too caught up in getting the fourth win in a row, lest we forget Everton are still a “big” team. Despite now being below the Swans in the table (tenth), they're consistently a top-ten side and boast a number of impressive players and a good manager in Moyes.

Everton took all three points from Swansea in Goodison Park at Christmas time with a 1-0 win, but were unable to overtake the Swans in the table on Wednesday, when they lost 1-0 to Arsenal. In fact the Arsenal game marked the third in a row without a win, so they'll see Swansea as a route back to winning ways. I'm sure they'll be wary though – I don't think any team now feels Swansea is an easy three points, especially at the Liberty Stadium.

But who am I to analyse Everton? In a ForzaSwansea first, I've allowed another blogger to grace my blog. Here's some great analysis from Nic, writer at top Everton blog The Executioner's Bong:

Brendan Rodgers has rightly been lauded for the way Swansea have lightened up the top flight. The best thing about your style is that it shows you don’t have to play the direct, dour percentage football adopted by other sides that have come up.

Against a side who keeps the ball like you guys do there is perhaps a plan A and Plan B. ‘Plan A’ is to let you have the ball, conserve energy by only pressing when you approach 20 yards from our goal. Plan B is to stop you playing from the back. Given the small squad and the vital cup replay on Tuesday I’d doubt very much if Moyes would adopt an energy sapping tactic like Plan B and will instead adopt Plan A and look to stand off, narrow the passing angles to Swansea’s defenders and push them to play longer.

Moyes will certainly shuffle his pack for this one given the Arsenal game last night and the cup game next Tuesday. I’d expect Stracquilarsi, Anichebe and perhaps Gueye to get run outs given they all have good energy as we will probably spend a lot of time not in possession. Pienaar is cup tied for Tuesday so will probably start also. I’d imagine Cahill, Jelavic and possibly Drenthe will all be rested.

Our goal scoring record on the road is awful – less than one per game – so you probably only need the one goal to win it!

With that in mind, let's move to some bets! If you're planning to place a wager on the match, a few to cover are listed below:

Swansea are favourites at 5/4 so would be a good inclusion in any accumulator you have going this weekend. 'Sigurdsson to score first' is at 13/2 and probably worth covering as he is the man on fire at the moment.

My score prediction is 2-1 to Swansea, which is priced at 15/2. Nic says just one goal could win it for Swansea, and 1-0 to the home side is at 11/2 (all odds from PaddyPower)!

Thanks again to Nic and be sure to check out The Executioner's Bong for more analysis!

Swansea City in Europe!

Swansea? In Europe? Yes, I recall being laughed out of various forums/blogs at the beginning of the season for suggesting that Swansea City may end up in Europe. I was talking optimistically of course, and actually meant “it may happen in a few years”.

But it could well be a reality next season. While it's highly doubtful (yet not impossible) that Swansea will qualify for the Europa League next season by table position, they have another route.

As we speak (well, as I type and you read a few hours later) Swansea sit second in the Premier League Fair Play Table, just below Spurs. As you might be aware, Swansea were leading the race for first up until a few weeks ago.

But there is ample opportunity to claim top spot again, and you can help with this.

The Fair Play competition is not just about red and yellow cards gained, it covers many aspects of promoting the "beautiful game", including positive play, respect towards opponents, respect towards the referee and – where you come in – behaviour of the public.

The full details of how the Fair Play scores are calculated can be found here.

The rules are basically encouraging the public to "verbally support their team in acceptable form" (I think Hymns and Arias has helped Swansea to no end this season!) and to also “covert recognition of outstanding play by the opponents”, which means applauding when, say, Heskey scores an overhead kick.

Teams can be deducted points for “persistent foul and abusive language”, “persistent abuse of the officials’ decisions” and “aggressive and threatening conduct towards opposing fans.”

So think carefully next time you decide to remind the referee he is a wanker (even though he may well seem it).

At the end of May, even if Swansea don't top the Fair Play table, they may be able to gain access to Europe depending on who is above them (if it's Man United, Spurs, etc, chances are they will already have a spot, so Swansea will automatically qualify).

There is another league controlling entry to the Europa League however, so this will all be obsolete if the English Premier League does not finish in the top three of the overall country league (it's getting confusing now). As it stands the EPL would not be given a fair play place as it sits eighth in the league.

Here is a little more reading on the subject, along with the current table – definitely something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

So how will Swansea fare in Europe? There are negatives such as squad size and a dent in finances to balance the prestige of playing with the likes of Napoli, Udinese, Bayer Leverkusen, Levante, and so on, but we'll cover that if Swansea do get there!

Remember to check me out on Twitter @ForzaSwansea for blog updates and general Swans discussion!

Swansea vs Wigan: Not must-win but must-not-lose

With the Wigan game on the way this Saturday it has just occurred to me that I've not heard any Swans fan - online or otherwise - mention “getting one over on Martinez”.

It's actually refreshing to concentrate on the game in the wider scheme of things instead of it being headlined as a match to show the former boss what he's been missing.

Chances are he already knows what he's missing!

Despite a more mature approach to this game by the fans - a sign of how far Swansea have come this season - the same question is there for a different reason: is this a must-win game?

I put this question out on Twitter last week and the response was mixed. Some say it is, some say it isn't. Some don't know. Perhaps the best response was: “It's not a must-win game, but it is a must-not-lose game”, a statement I very much agree with (thanks to @twm88 for that).

While a win is certainly desired (when is it not?) a draw would do fine. A loss on the other hand would make it three in a row and a meagre four points in seven games - not a good confidence boost before the Man City game next weekend. In fact, Swansea don't have the easiest set of games in the coming weeks with an away trip to Fulham, followed by Everton (home) and Spurs (away) soon after. You can see why it could be seen as a must-win game to some.

The good news for Swansea is Michel Vorm is likely to be back between the posts. Unfortunately Gerhard Tremmel - despite the polite words from the team - played a big part in the Stoke loss. He didn't ooze confidence during that 90 minutes. I'm aware he was called in at short notice, but a second keeper is probably the most likely reserve to be needed at short notice. It's a little bit 'Catch-22' - he needs more game time for confidence, but the game time he gets is not boosting his confidence (for the record, I haven't read 'Catch-22' so I may or may not know what I am talking about).

A regrettable loss is Kemy Agustien - out again following ankle surgery, which is something likely to keep him sidelined for a few weeks. Elsewhere Joe Allen and Ashley Williams should both feature after playing in the Wales international on Wednesday. The Swans set-up should be similar to that against Stoke, though I'd still like to see Routledge start and Sinclair come on later.

Saturday's game will be refereed by Andre Marriner. I found this article on a Wigan fan site outlining why he is likely to be booed by the Latics fans. Makes interesting side-reading.

As for bets this week I am holding off on any correct score prediction as my last few have been well off the mark and I don't want anyone to follow my lame guesses and waste money (like I do). However, Swansea to win the match is 2/1 (PaddyPower) and I think that is one bet my money will be on this Saturday afternoon.

So, while it's not officially a must-win game, let's hope for it. Otherwise things start getting a little uncomfortable. Also - it'll be nice to get one up on Martinez!

Remember to check me out on Twitter @ForzaSwansea for blog updates and general Swans discussion!

Swansea vs Stoke: something to do with pottery?

As you may be able to tell I was unable to come up with an original title with a good play on words for the Swansea vs Stoke (aka Potters) game. You could say... coming up with a title has... driven me potty! Boom.

So, shit introductions aside and Swansea City are back playing this weekend following what has essentially been two weeks off. They're playing away, they're playing Stoke and they're playing for the win.

Whereas Swansea's last international flight was a week ago, returning from a relaxing break in Tenerife, Stoke's last flight was probably this morning after retuning from their 1-0 Europa-League-exiting defeat to Valencia last night. Swansea, despite having to travel to the Britannia Stadium, should have a more relaxed air about them.

They'll need it after their last match. The game against Norwich was the first in a long time that Swansea visibly lacked composure. Yes, it's been put to bed now, but Stoke will surely have taken note of it and will know that to win, all they must do is ruffle Swansea's usual cool, calm game.

Stoke, as everyone is quick to point out, are very heavy handed. They have the height and physical advantage and have as much to play for as the Swans (both teams on 30 points at the moment). The Swans, as many more will be equally quick to point out, can out-pass Stoke all day long. In fact they've done so already this season, winning 2-0 in the Liberty against them in October.

A win on Sunday would probably see Swansea hold onto 11th place in the table – not a bad position. If things don't go as planned and they lose, Swansea could well fall to 15th. While that wouldn't necessarily be a dire situation, it's certainly the wrong end of the table to be finishing the weekend in, especially ahead of the upcoming game against Man City.

We can be thankful that there are no testing injury worries for Brendan Rodgers, so he has much to chose from. On Sunday I'd go with:

Vorm,
Rangel, Caulker, Williams, Taylor
Dyer, Britton, Allen, Agustien, Routledge
Graham

Kemy Agustien and Joe Allen were both missed in the Norwich game, but need to be included this time: Allen for his ball winning and Agustien just for his size and physical nature. However, there is news that Agustien has picked up a knock in training – if that's the case and he's sitting this one out, Sigurdsson is certainly the man to bring in. On the wing, I'd start Routledge for a change as Sinclair seems slightly off form (though he'd be a great sub to bring on to add speed when legs get tired). The rest goes without saying.

Onto predictions: I see a Swansea away win. 1-0. I think that ends this blog post.

Five things to do when the Swans aren't playing

Ah... another one of those weekends coming up.

That's right, Swansea don't play again until next Sunday, leaving us with over two weeks of clock watching. We are currently one week in to our two week void, and Saturday will really drag unless you have something to fill the hole.

So here are a few suggestions of things you can do to avoid boredom this Saturday:

1. Do the essential things you've put off because of the Swans
This is boring but it makes sense. While there is no score to check or stadium to be at, do all the things you've been meaning to do - household chores, spending time with family or washing the cat. Why not wander into Swansea City centre and remind yourself just how irritating it is on a Saturday? While there, stroll past Nandos and look for any Swans players inside eating over-priced chicken.

2. Watch football
While the Premier league is taking a little break, there is no reason you should deny yourself football watching or listening – many other games are being played this Saturday:

Why not give some much needed support to a local Welsh Premier League club by popping down to the Gnoll (Neath v Prestatyn 14:30) or Stebonheath Park (Llanelli v TNS 15:00). If it's something bigger you're after, the FA Cup sees Chelsea v Birmingham (12:30) and the all Premier League clash of Sunderland v Arsenal (17:15). Why not check out our neighbours (a nice reminder of our Championship years...), with Ipswich v Cardiff at 15:00? Plenty of football to be getting on with!

3. Have a few games on the PS3/Xbox/Wii
This could be smashing people on MW3 (or, like I do, hide and hope no-one finds me), soaking up the scenery in Uncharted 3 or, most apt, a few hours on FIFA 12! Whether you're amazing or shit (basically whether you choose Barcelona or Barnet) it kills a few hours and gives you that Saturday feeling (minus the singing and the over-priced pints). Start a new FIFA campaign as the Swans – it may not be as satisfying this season because there is no Premier League promotion to battle for, but try getting into Europe! I believe in you.

4. Play some football
Scrape the mud off your T90's, down a Lucozade and take to a field of your own! Try getting some friends together for a 5-a-side match in one of Swansea's many (well... two) five-a-side centres, or take a ball down the park and run like Dyer, score like Graham and fall over like Tate.

5. Go to the Liberty Stadium
If all else fails and you just can't keep away, wander through Hafod, buy a KFC and sit on a curb outside the stadium and quietly meditate. For that extra special feeling, buy the DVD of Swansea vs. Arsenal from the club shop and watch on a portable DVD player.

Thanks to @chippie77, @1matthewburgess and @kennyb0y for their suggestions on Twitter – feel free to leave any more in the comments section below or tweet me: @ForzaSwansea!

Roll on next week!

Swansea 2 – 3 Norwich: a game best forgotten

It's not often a team will out-Swansea Swansea. I expect it to happen when Swansea eventually make it to the Champions League and play Barcelona, but I didn't expect it yesterday against Norwich.

I had heard a few Swans fans were a little pessimistic before the match, but I honestly couldn't see it going any other way than three points to the home side. Yet Norwich came out and really did a number on the Swans and deserved their win. They had us sussed from start to finish.

So who didn't turn up? Literally Joe Allen, but he was injured so it's forgiveable. I can't say I was overly impressed with his replacement – Josh McEachran was a little too weak in an area that needs strength. Leon Britton needed someone more physical next to him and unfortunately McEachran didn't offer it. It's a shame Kemy Agustien was also injured as it might have been a different game with a stronger ball winner in the middle.

Angel Rangel was uncharacteristically disappointing. Too many times we saw a Norwich goal-scoring opportunity come from an attacker in too much space on that left wing. The rest of the back four all had a poor game in my eyes, although Steven Caulker showed some attacking talent with a few decent headed attempts at the other end.

Neil Taylor scoring a second consecutive home own goal was just bad luck, but own goals are only scored when there is pressure on the defence – and there was plenty of pressure on the defence yesterday! Elsewhere, Nathan Dyer and Scott Sinclair weren't allowed their usual space which resulted in both being rightly subbed.

On a positive note, Leon Britton, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Michel Vorm had decent games, but the performance by the whole team was very under-par.

The Liberty is a hard place for visitors to score (we actually have to go back to 2009 – Paulo Sousa reign – for the last time three away goals were scored there), but Swansea lacked the composure, style and accurate passing we have been spoilt with so regularly this season.

The worrying thing is that there doesn't seem to be a plan B for these situations. It's good for football that Swansea won't just hoof it long up the field, even when under pressure, but what can they do when their Barcelona-esque passing isn't an option?

The bench offered little in the way of impact subs – Mark Gower is fine to float a few balls into the area, and is a nice player to air-out when ahead, but he's no game changer. The introduction of Leroy Lita and Wayne Routledge seemed more out of desperation than a well thought out plan.

Let's get this right – Swansea will secure safety this season. I'm confident. At risk of jinxing it, there are too many other teams that are destined for the Championship and I can't see Swansea being one of them. But to continue and grow in the Premier League, Swansea need more of an idea of what to do if they aren't allowed to play their usual game.

It would be nice to see this experimented after safety is secured. It would be interesting to try a new formation or a new system. This experimentation could end up ruining a game for the Swans, but it would be worth it for a clearer idea of what is needed when teams come looking for trouble.

Swansea 1 – 1 Chelsea: an honest look at the game.

As I'm sure many will have said as they poured from the stadium last night: had Chelsea scored first and Swansea equalised (a la Spurs) it would be a scoreline worth celebrating. However, last night's point is acceptable to be annoyed at. As I see it, it is two points dropped.

As many others will have said: to be disappointed with a draw against Chelsea really shows Swansea have come a long way. Yes it does, but that fact doesn't make the disappointment any easier.

Looking at the match, and the evening in general, it was quite entertaining. The first half saw the typical Swansea set-up and the slick pass-and-move philosophy. Swansea could well have taken the lead at the 15-minute mark when three beautiful open-goal opportunities presented themselves, but it was not to be.

The pressure did pay off when Scott Sinclair took a blind swing at a bouncing ball and it dipped and floated past Petr Cech. A deserved 1-0 to the Swans.

Second half was a different game. Swansea's passing was way off the mark, with one too many loose passes and aimless runs. I had a feeling it wouldn't end 1-0 and I was right. It's just so cruel that the equaliser came in the 93rd minute from an own goal! The own goal won't be remembered though – Taylor had a good night and didn't deserve it. But Chelsea's goal looked imminent during the last 20 minutes.

I think a turning point was bringing on Luke Moore for Scott Sinclair. Apart from the goal, Sinclair didn't have an outstanding night, so a sub was a decent call. Bringing on Moore wasn't. He just doesn't do the running of Sinclair and never seems that interested in defending. I'd have brought on Routledge or even Richards if they wanted to close the game up. Ultimately Moore let Bosingwa through and there came the goal.

Moore and his lackadaisical approach aside and it was a decent team performance: Dyer didn't seem as composed as usual, but frustrated the hell out of the Chelsea midfield towards the end. Ashley Williams put in a good man-of-the-match performance, while Caulker mopped up a lot of loose ball at the back. Leon Britton was busy as usual and Kemy Agustien seemed to have a positive impact when coming on.

The referee was terrible in the second half generally, though he did issue the yellow cards and eventually send off Ashley Cole, so he got something right.

We can't blame the referee though. Swansea let Chelsea keep possession and territory in the second half and that led to the goal. The now famous “Swansea Triangle” was rarely seen in the latter stages. The skill is always there, but the composure and concentration is the thing that tends to transform three points into the single one with Swansea.

Still, it's a point...

Onto West Brom on Saturday, where there's now just a little more pressure to get the away win.

Swansea vs Chelsea: a small preview

After a wonderful start to the year, with two away wins and that game against Arsenal, the last week has seen Swansea lose to Sunderland (where at least a point was deserved), and dumped out of the FA Cup by Bolton.

So I don't know why I feel so confident that the Swans can take at least a point ahead of tomorrow, when Chelsea make their way to the Liberty Stadium.

We all remember what happened last September in Stamford Bridge – Swansea put in a proud performance, but failed to stop four goals going in, despite being a man up for much of the game. However, Swansea have grown through the season and are so much more confident now.

In a blog previewing Chelsea it's just too easy to mention the ongoing incapability of Fernando Torres... but I'm going to anyway. He's failed to score for a total of over 15 hours of football. There I said it. Interestingly, his last league goal came against Swansea back in September. I think I'd take another goal from him if he is willing to get sent off again. (I think he would take another sending off just to score!)

Despite the suffering Spaniard, lest we forget that Chelsea are fourth in the table and have oodles of talent. Thankfully, a handful of that talent is unavailable: Ramires - who scored two against the Swans last time - is out for a few weeks and John Obi Mikel and John Terry are also both out injured. Elsewhere Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are away for the African Nations Cup, while Frank Lampard is doubtful due to a calf strain.

For the Swans, Alan Tate is back and ready for selection (though I can't see him starting), while the likes of Sinclair and Britton, and (apart from the last 25 minutes) Graham and Dyer were rested on Saturday, so should be fresh. Josh McEachran is ineligible due to terms of his loan.

It's very close in the middle of the table and a win would see Swansea overtake four teams and finish Tuesday in ninth. A loss isn't going to change much tomorrow.

Prediction time: it's not going to be a 4-1 type scoreline again, even if Swansea do lose. With the home fans behind them and the knowledge that they can beat the bigger teams, a draw is not unlikely. I'm going to say... 2-2 (around 13/1 if you're up for a bet).

Let's end the month as we started it!

Rodgers out!

Get him out! Bring back Sousa! What's Rodgers ever done for this club? While we're at it, lets get rid of Sinclair too!

I am, of course, being ironic. Or am I...? (Yes I am.)

The loud thud at the end of the loss to Sunderland was the sound of Swansea falling back to Earth after the euphoric victory against Arsenal.

I was a little surprised – I expected no less than a draw, especially with high team confidence and a decent run of recent away form. However, two classy goals from Stephane Sessegnon and Craig Gardner ensured Swansea were not even picking up one point, in a match where they actually deserved to.

Possession and passing were high as usual (64% possession for the travelling Swans), but they seemed flat near goal and were unable to put away any chances. Swansea had four attempts on target - Sunderland had just two and both went in.

During the match, I tweeted on Twitter (where else?):

Swansea frustrating in the final third as usual. Creating all the chances, but can't get anything from them.

I had a little stick from this, saying I was negative and my use of 'as usual' was way out of line, but I stand by it.

Swansea are usually frustrating in the final third. Think of all the possession and passing close to the box, but the opportunities that go wide, go over or don't actually go near the goal at all. Recently we've seen a little more cutting-edge from the players, but I think I'm right in saying they are frustrating to watch at times!

I'm not a negative person when writing about the Swans – a shameless plug for my recent article on the Sabotage Times will prove I am sometimes over optimistic when it comes to the future of the club.

However true you believe or don't believe the "frustrating in the final third" statement to be, there is no reason to vent your feelings against the players via social networking (yeah, it's happened again).

I'm not really listening to what's been happening – I don't follow any of the Swansea players on Twitter (or any footballers or "celebrities" for that matter), so I am not “in” on the conversation, but have noticed a number of mentions that someone or other is abusing some player about something he did in the match.

No need. Yes, Scott Sinclair is not putting them away like he was last season. He knows that. It's a different game in the Premier League so that affects things. Maybe he's just having a dip in form. But abusing players? Save it for the bigger celebrities who feed off the abuse, or other fans who have a go.

This ends a short blog. See you next week for a build up to the Chelsea match – another “big one” I am confident the Swans will win!

Swansea vs Sunderland: A brief look at another winnable game!

While Sunderland have had a recent revival after replacing Steve Bruce with Martin O'Neill, I see Swansea winning this one.

Going against Swansea is the fact that they are travelling. We know how poor their general away form is, but recent wins against Aston Villa and Barnsley, combined with that historic win over Arsenal should see the Swans full of confidence.

We've seen it before with Swansea though – it could well be another Blackburn (losing 4-2 away) as they sometimes lose concentration when not surrounded by 18,000 supporters.

I'm thinking 2-1 to the Swans today (currently 12/1 on PaddyPower). That could be a little optimistic if I'm being honest, so if you're after a bet, try something on 1-1 (at 5/1). Nathan Dyer to score in another game? It's pushing it but he seems to be on a roll at the moment and at 9/2 it could well be worth a few pound.

More of my thoughts on this game and recent Swansea City fixtures are here at the RokerReport.com after I guest blogged there earlier this week. Check it out!

Swansea 3 – 2 Arsenal: All round complete

Well, well – Super Sunday truly lives up to its name if you happen to be a Swans fan!

An exciting and significant game, with goals from Scott Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and Danny Graham, cancelling out the two Arsenal scored (Van Persie and Walcott). It's significant in the sense that Arsenal are the first “big” team Swansea have taken three points from this season. Notice I said first – Chelsea are just around the corner.

So, what went right this Sunday?

The team selection worked. While the keeper, back four and striker usually write themselves, midfield is always a headache (albeit a good one). This time, the combo of Allen, Agustien and Britton worked well in the first half, with Dyer and Sinclair both well on form at the same time (for a change).

Dyer deserved the man of the match award – well-earned from the little winger after setting up the penalty and scoring a fine strike himself. It was the third game in a row in which he scored, meaning he is becoming more of a well-rounded player, combining dizzy runs and an abundance of speed with goals... finally. He'll be a target for a number of teams come the summer.

This kind of thing I felt was missing in the first half of the season: long shots. by anyone, not just Dyer. Walking every ball into the goal was never an option in this league. I'm not sure what has changed recently – a managerial decision or just more confidence – but long shots are being taken more frequently, with some being scored. Good.

At half time I felt Kemy Agustien was taken off a little prematurely – he was having a decent game. However, Gylfi Sigurdsson made an appearance and the decision paid off. Nice to see the Icelandicman (Icelandian? Ice... forget it) slot into the squad with ease. Midfield is surely well equipped now, especially with Josh McEachran on his way next week. Britton, Allen, Gower, Agustien, Orlandi, Sigurdsson, McEachran... as each game goes by, it is hard to see where Stephen Dobbie will fit in.

Captain Ashley Williams did well enough to quell most of the danger, though his passing was uncharacteristically sloppy at times and, though he looked dangerous going forward, his runs left a few gaps when the ball was intercepted. He did enough to have a good game though, as did the rest of defence.

Arsenal were decent. I personally don't mind them as a team (apart from when they consistently cock up my betting accumulators!) and there is plenty of talent in their ranks. I'm sure you'll agree when I say I wasn't comfortable with a one goal lead at 2-1 or at 3-2. It could have feasibly gone three ways with ten minutes left on the clock; thankfully it went the right way.

I'm not praising Arsenal too much – just enough to drill home the fact that it wouldn't be such a significant win if they were shit! I'm sure a number of those sitting in the home stands / corporate boxes only came to see Thierry Henry and team-mates grace our small city, yet left with a new found love for the Swans (or so you would hope).

So, Swansea start the week 10th in the table. With a winnable game against Sunderland on Saturday, the Swans are finally looking like the complete Premier League team.

Swansea City: Weekly thoughts

Time for a very brief Swansea City catch-up.


Dobbie + Lita + Cash = Maynard?

Rumours were confirmed earlier in the week that a 'cash and Dobbie' deal is on the table for Bristol City's Nicky Maynard.

Dobbie was so influential in Swansea's final championship season – a true fan favourite – but is he worth hanging onto? I guess if he never warms to the different game that is the Premier League, the answer is no. But I can't see this being it for Dobbie and the Swans. I feel he still has something to prove. His time is running out though, so he'd better shape up soon or he will be gone.

Lita is another who has been rumoured to be included in that deal, but it hasn't been confirmed by the club and seems a little unlikely. Dobbie AND Lita AND cash for one decent Championship player? I think not. Lita is one worth hanging onto for his clinical (albeit rare) goals and strength up front.

Nicky Maynard has scored eight goals for Bristol City this season, from 25 appearances. This is in the Championship mind you, and we all know the step up the player would have to take. Star boy in the Championship can mean nothing in the Premier League. Look at Danny Graham – last season's top scorer, but took a while to get going (though now, thankfully, he is putting away a few good goals).


Cotterill

The club needed a little exfoliation – scrubbing off the dead players and replenishing them with new, moister players (is it me, or is this blog turning a little erotic...?)

Are you really sad to see David Cotterill go? I can't say I'll give it much more than a shrug of the shoulders. The club have cancelled his contract by mutual consent, which I feel is fair enough. In the past few weeks there was chat of Cotterill moving to ADO Den Haag but it didn't happen.

He had a few good seasons with Swansea (along with a few terrible penalty misses), but in a midfield rammed with speed, accuracy and strength, he would never have made a starting line-up/bench/cup match line-up/cup-match bench, so he's essentially just dead wood. Cheers David, but it was unlikely to work.


Olympic Team

Brendan Rodgers has essentially given his blessing for Ashley Williams, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Steven Caulker to take part in Team GB after the players were shortlisted.

As Mr Rodgers says, it would disrupt pre-season and the start of the 2012/13 season, but if the players want to play in the Olympic squad, who are we to say no?

Frankly I couldn't give a shit about football at the Olympics - there are enough major tournaments to be a part of and it will easily be overshadowed by Euro 2012.

For the three Welshmen it may well be a once in a lifetime opportunity as Wales may not qualify for a major tournament in the next ten years. However, the players should be aware that they're club needs them more than Stuart Pearce, for a competition that... nobody really cares about.


Swansea vs Arsenal

Swansea can win the game on Sunday! Back in September the travelling Swans were unlucky not to grab a point at the Emirates (thanks to the rare mistake from Michel Vorm, who threw it at the heels of Angel Rangel, leaving Andrey Arshavin to slot in a fine strike). In fact, with a little more cutting-edge, a win wasn't that far out of reach for the Swans.

With the home crowd behind them, it's more likely this time around. Saying that, Arsenal have warmed as the season has progressed (currently 5th in the table) and may appear more dangerous this time.

The Arsenal legend that is Thierry Henry has returned to the club, and I expect to see him feature at the Liberty. We all know he is capable of scoring a few, so Williams and co will have to keep concentration up at the back. Going forward it's got to be Graham, Dyer and Routledge starting, with Sinclair coming off the bench later in the game.

I predict a cheeky, though well-earned, 2-1 victory to Swansea.

Swansea City 2 – 0 Aston Villa: Happy New Year!

Swansea marked the start of 2012 and the halfway point of the season with a slick performance and generally comfortable win against Aston Villa. A significant first away win in the Premier League, marking the halfway point in the season.

Swansea looked strong, fast and confident going forward, with goals from both starting wingers – Nathan Dyer early in the first half and Wayne Routledge early in the second.

In the 4th minute, Dyer pounced on a silly back flick from Stephen Warnock and, after a slight deflection, put the ball in the back on the net. Routledge had his in the 47th with a follow up to Danny Graham's post hit. A scrappy goal, but his first for the Swans: a long time coming and well deserved.

After recent weeks, Dyer seemed to be back to his old form and used his usual brand of high speed and skill to make a nuisance of himself against Villa's back line. The inclusion of Andrea Orlandi was quite a shock before the game, but he did enough to impress with some nice touches and a wonderful strike in the first half. Leon Britton and Kemy Agustien looked as strong as usual in the centre. Defensively Swansea were solid, with Angel Rangel, Neil Taylor and Stephen Caulker all injury free for a change and joined captain Ashley Williams in contributing to the clean-sheet.

A bigger plus for Swansea is that Aston Villa weren't actually that bad. Villa didn't back down after Dyer's early goal and kept attacking. They also had the most possession (57%), but a number of misplaced passes didn't help their cause, while they were unable to capitalise on any of their fourteen corners (compared to Swansea's no corners), incurring a fourth consecutive home defeat.

Though it's hard to pick out Swansea's negatives, there were a few. The game saw a few silly tackles, with Caulker, Agustien and Orlandi receiving yellow cards which could have been avoided. The final ball was also questionable at times – the hard work was always done well, but the final cross or shot was scuffed a little too often. It's still a concern that more aren't put away, but games like this will give the confidence needed to remedy this problem.

Kudos to the travelling Jacks who filled Villa Park with hymns, arias and confirmation that Swans will, indeed, tear you apart... again. Nathan Dyer rightly saluted you after his goal and you deserved it.

After this good win, Swansea start the year 11th in the Premier League. All eyes turn to the FA Cup match away against Barnsley on Saturday, before the second chance to get something from Arsenal, on the 15th January.

2011: The Year of Swansea City

It's the most wonderful time of the year – the time for food, drink, football and drink. And food.

This is also the time for reflection. While it's up to you to reflect on your own lives in 2011, I can help you reflect on the goings-ons of Wales' only Premier League team.

It's as comprehensive a compilation as I could produce, while still making it readable within ten minutes (no detailed match reports here then). If you've noticed anything I may have missed, write it as a comment and I'll include it!

I've also included my “Swansea Team of the Year 2011” at the end for you to disagree with.

“My, my, my... did that really happen this year?” you may gasp as you read the next few thousand words, for this is the story of Swansea City's 2011.


January 2011

After the snow of last Christmas, Swansea started the year second place in the Championship table.

My earliest blog post fell in the first frosty week of January, where I addressed the lack of fire-power up front (not much has changed). Brendan Rodgers responded by signing Luke Moore and Ryan Harley.

Players also left the club in January: the ever likeable Shefki Kuqi ended his contract by mutual consent, while Gorka Pintado went on loan to AEK Larnaca FC.

The biggest shock of the January 2011 transfer window was the re-signing of Leon Britton from Sheffield United, who returned to South Wales after leaving the club in 2010.

On the field, Swansea won their first home game of the year – 1-0 vs Reading (a team they'd meet again in a slightly bigger match in May), and beat Colchester 4-0 in the Carling Cup, before bowing out to the might of Leyton Orient later in the month.


February

February saw a great streak of wins, and would've been a perfect month had it not been for the 1-0 loss to Cardiff at the Liberty Stadium. Another game of note was Middlesbrough away; an intense match where the Swans eventually came back from a 3-1 almost-certain loss by winning 4-3.

February also saw me slated for my criticism of Luke Moore, though I stood by my comments: an average player that wouldn't impact the Swans as much as people expected.


March

Fabio Borini joined the club on loan from Chelsea and really kicked off Swansea's promotion drive, scoring two on his debut. Tamas Priskin joined on loan too, though he was less memorable.

Swansea's form dipped slightly in March, winning just one in four games (3-2 at home against Nottingham Forest).

Elsewhere, the Audio Jacks podcast was born – a Swansea City podcast presented by myself and Matt Barroccu (albeit under the then title, “It wouldn't happen in Swansea”).


April

A media ban on Swansea players was issued by Huw Jenkins, who wanted to focus on winning games. However, Swansea continued their bad away form, which began to dent their hopes of automatic promotion – something that looked near certain earlier in the year. However the Swans went on to secure a place in the play-offs after beating Ipswich 4-1.

Tamas Priskin returned to Ipswich after becoming injured, scoring just one goal for Swansea.


May

A massive month. The Swans played their final league game at home: a routine 4-0 victory against Sheffield United, ending the season in third place in the Championship table.

Swansea were placed against Nottingham Forest in the play-offs, drawing the away leg 0-0, after Neil Taylor was sent off in the second minute. The second leg at the Liberty Stadium was full of entertainment, where Swansea eventually beat Nottingham Forest 3-1, including a wonder strike from Leon Britton and a last-gasp goal from the halfway line by Darren Pratley, securing a place in the Championship Play-off Final in Wembley.

Swansea fans got their first taste of everyone's favourite pass-time: queuing at the Liberty. The first time was for Wembley tickets.

Those 40,000 Jacks with tickets make their way from South Wales to London to watch history in the making. After a first half of sheer bliss and a three goal lead, Swansea make things difficult by allowing Reading back into the game. Thankfully, Scott Sinclair ensured it was Swansea's day with a successful penalty that finally brought the Premier League to South Wales!


June

The victory is celebrated throughout the city with an open-top bus parade. As the realisation of the Premier League sinks in, it was all change for the Swansea squad.

The first disappointing move was Fabio Borini's exit to Parma, before Darren Pratley left the club for Bolton. More surprisingly Dorus De Vries left for Wolves and a frantic search for a new keeper began. Cedric van der Gun and Albert Serran also said their goodbyes, to shrugs of the shoulder from most fans.

Swansea made a record transfer move, bringing Danny Graham to the club for £3.5 million while Ryan Harley finally joined the club after spending six months with Exeter on-loan.

A second bout of mega-queuing at the Liberty took place, this time for season-tickets.


July

“How many points do I need... wait do I need to be a season-ticket holder too or... hang on, why does he get priority over me if...” That's right, July was the month we saw the ultra-confusing, always-infuriating Jack Army membership scheme launched. Everyone in Swansea joined anyway, making it seem a little pointless.

Swansea's Premier League home and away kits were also revealed: the home kit was nice as expected, but the orange away kit baffled at first, then annoyed soon after, as people discovered it was no more than an old line of generic Adidas training kits. The third mega bout of queuing took place at the stadium for those after a home kit.

The club played summer friendlies against Neath, Port Talbot and Afan Lido... really preparing themselves for the best in the Premier League! At least it was an excuse for a little summer football.

In the transfer window, Steven Caulker arrived at the club on a season-long loan from Spurs, while goalkeeper Jose Moreira joined from Benfica.


August

In August, Leroy Lita signed up from Middlesbrough, while Michel Vorm joined the club from FC Utrecht. Gerhard Tremmel also signed at the end of August, after impressing during his summer trial.

Swansea played, and won, friendlies against Celtic and Real Betis at the Liberty Stadium, showing off a few new players, though the first major test was Man City at the Eithad. This was a test Swansea technically failed, though in an impressive way, with wonderful saves from Michel Vorm (the first time many had properly seen him in action), and proof Swansea could replicate their impressive passing game in the big league.

Embarrassingly though, the club lost 3-1 to Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup. Though this allowed concentration on the Premier League, it was a feeble way to exit the competition.

With winnable games against Wigan and Sunderland, Swansea were unable to find the back of the net and ended the month goalless, though quickly showing they were not finding the new league too daunting.

Ryan Harley and Shaun MacDonald both left the club in this month, leaving a very ginger-shaped hole. Elsewhere, Alan Tate broke his leg in what the club described as a "bizarre golfing accident" (aka buggygate).


September

Transfer Deadline Day saw the Swans sign Darnel Situ from Lens and Rafik Halliche on loan from Fulham, moves that would supposedly boost the club's defensive problems. However, an annoying amount of red tape stopped these from being eligible to play. Fede Bessone also rejoined the club – a shock to many supporters.

On the field, the phrase: “You wait for a bus, then three come along at once” summed up Swansea's first goals in the Premier League. They nabbed their first three goals and a comfortable 3-0 win against West Brom.

This game was sandwiched between two “glamour” ties – one a game Swansea could well have won against Arsenal (instead losing 1-0), and the other a less than impressive performance at Stamford Bridge (at least an away goal was scored in the 4-1 loss).


October

If September was a step in the right direction, October was a slight step backwards, featuring some of the concentration lapses and cock-ups that we are accustomed to from Swansea City.

Two decent home wins (against Stoke and Bolton) fell either side of two away losses: the first against fellow newcomers Norwich, who scored two early goals and took advantage of poor Swans performance. The second came against Wolves, where Swansea let a 2-0 lead slide into a 2-2 draw after two goals in two minutes from the home side.

The lack of away wins continued.


November

Though a quiet month thanks to an international break, November saw the game of the season as Swansea welcomed Manchester United to the Liberty Stadium – a game that stirred up plenty of anticipation and excitement, in addition to irritation and disappointment (again, mainly through the Jack Army ticketing system). Essentially it was a game Swansea could've actually won, let alone draw. However a opportunistic goal from Hernandez ensured United left with a 1-0 victory.

Other games included the exciting, yet frustrating, 0-0 draw away to Liverpool and another 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in a subdued Liberty Stadium fixture.


December

December packed six games into one month, though the Swans were unable to pick up as many points as expected.

The month began with Yakubu running riot in the shocking 4-2 loss at bottom-of-the-table Blackburn, a game in which two rare away goals were overshadowed by poor defending.

Michel Vorm was again the hero in the 2-0 win against Fulham the following week, while a 'boxing day' match between QPR produced a game of two very different halves – another one Swansea should've grabbed by the scruff.

Angel Rangel and Neil Taylor both picked up fresh injuries in December which, again, highlighted the lack of depth in defence and the need for an established utility back in the January Transfer window. Up front, Rory Donnelly was the main name in Brendan Rodgers' sights, though the young Irishman seemed to be highly sought after...


It's all up to Mr. Rodgers and his men to write what happens in 2012. Will it be the year Swansea face a big relegation battle? Will they get their act together in attack and finish in the top ten? It's an exciting time to be a Swans fan!

Before I sign off for the year, here is my "Swansea City Team of 2011" - including players who have now left/have fallen out of form, but did so much for the club at some point this year.

Team of 2011
Michel Vorm
Angel Rangel
Garry Monk (Captain)
Ashley Williams
Neil Taylor
Leon Britton
Stephen Dobbie
Mark Gower
Scott Sinclair
Nathan Dyer
Fabio Borini

Subs
Dorus De Vries
Alan Tate
Joe Allen
Danny Graham


I know that this will produce a few annoyed responses! I feel it's about right. I did have trouble with the "Gower or Allen" question - they both had their ups and downs - but Gower just pipped it for me. What's your Team of 2011?

Happy New Year to all readers of the blog. I hope 2012 sees you well. Forza Swansea!

Swansea 1 – 1 QPR: Fair

I have a mammoth Swansea City 2011 yearly review on its way in the next 24 hours, but I have taken time out of compiling that to write a few thoughts about Swansea vs QPR.

Football returned to the Liberty Stadium on 27th December for a very entertaining game between Swansea and QPR. Both promoted last season, both in need of a win to repair a slight dip in form. Both, probably, felt they would have won it on paper and should have won it at the end of the game. But they didn't – it was a draw, and a draw was a fair result.

Swansea deserved to win from their first half performance. Again, very slick, easy-on-the-eye passing which resulted in the opportunity and goal for Danny Graham. Was it a handball from the striker? To be honest, it looked like. Should it have been disallowed? Probably, but, as you know, the ref wasn't having the best of days.

Graham had a good game overall, as did Leon Britton, while Kemy Agustien was strong in the centre (until he moved to right back). Michel Vorm had a few good saves and Joe Allen looked good, if slightly flustered.

However, Neil Warnock seemed to transfer his anger to his players and the second half became QPR's to win. The point that turned Swansea from 'cruising' to 'stumbling through' appeared to be the joint substitution of Dyer and Moore for Rangel and Routledge. No sooner had this happened, a flick backwards from Britton saw Mackie outrun Williams and draw level. Swansea looked disjointed from this point onwards and QPR could well have scored another two.

A stonewall penalty appeal was turned down by Mr Probert, cancelling out his earlier mistake which allowed the Swans goal. Probert seemed to have an odd game. The ref is said to have done a good job when he tends to keep out of the limelight, but Probert was all over the place – frustrating both teams in equal measures. As mentioned, he allowed Graham to handball, but turned down a clear penalty. He wanted throw-ins retaken and allowed players to talk back too often. He even got in the way of a Joey Barton run, which nearly ended in a Swansea goal.

Though a point is obviously better than a loss, the game against QPR was one Swansea should've grabbed by the scruff and put away before half time. However, like we've seen a few times already this season, they've let the opposition get back into it. With Spurs rampant anything more than a loss on Saturday will be an exceptional result. Then again, Swansea seem to perform better when they are expected to lose, so a point or three isn't that unlikely.

At 14th in the Premier League table, Swansea are in a dangerous place, but it's not time for panicking yet. At halfway through the season they're looking like a team that are “almost there”. Some tweaking with the final third – maybe another capable striker – in the transfer window and I'm still confident of a top ten finish this season.

Bite-size Blog: Swansea City vs Blackburn Rovers

The bite-size blog returns! A short, swift kick of opinion, for those who don't have the time to read pages of endless drivel.

This Saturday Swansea City take on Blackburn Rovers: a team at the very bottom of the Premier League.

The opposition:

With just seven points to their name so far, things are not looking too hot for Steve Kean and his men. They've won just one game this season (a frenetic 4-3 win against Arsenal), and have 16 games separating them from their last clean sheet.

Their last match was against Cardiff in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, where they lost 2-0. Steve Kean admits he essentially forfeited the game, keeping players fresh for Swansea – a game Kean believes will “kick-start” Blackburn's season.

There aren't too many players to fear, though Nigerian international Ayegbeni Yakubu will keep Ashley Williams busy enough (probably).

Swansea focus

So is this a must-win game for the Swans? Yes, I think so.

A loss to Blackburn, who are suffering a terrible run, will not make for happy fans. If a draw at Liverpool seemed like points thrown away, a draw or less on Saturday will be an incredible waste!

I would have put my savings (all £94) on Swansea winning on Saturday, but injuries are standing in the way of pure confidence. Jazz Richards will fill in for the injured Angel Rangel, but his finesse and confidence is off the mark.

Danny Graham is also likely to miss the match, which is worrying as he has stepped up in recent games, even though the goals are still not consistently flowing. Leroy Lita is likely to stand in, though I'd be happier seeing Sinclair take the lone striker role, with Routledge and Dyer on the wings. It won't happen, but it's an idea that hasn't been explored enough.

What results mean:

Currently 13th, a win could technically see Swansea move to 8th in the table, providing the five teams above all lose, but it's unlikely (isn't it?). Let's say a good win should see Swansea back in the top ten.

Betting on the game?

Despite me, and most other fans, feeling the away win, the bookmakers are looking to Blackburn to take the points. Swansea aren't likely to score many away from home, but if their Rangel-less defence stays solid and Lita can muster up more than a few nice attempts, I think Swansea to win 1-0 (at 9/1 on PaddyPower) is a realistic bet!

A 'scorecast' on Swansea to win 1-0 with Sinclair scoring the only goal is a generous 45/1. That's worth a pound!

Swansea WILL NOT be able to deal with the might of Heskey

I hope the title of this blog has done the trick and made you scream "what is he talking about!?" - those who haven't headbutted their computer screens in anger and disbelief will know I am joking.

While Christmas is the busiest time of year for many around the globe, it's not just over-priced gift boxes containing a cheap bar of soap and a Homer Simpson flannel (£15.99? Bargain!) and excessive drinking that will take up the majority of our free time. This year Swansea City FC will essentially be juggling eight games over the festive period, which is a lot of football-watching to cram in!

As it's been a few weeks since I've been regularly blogging (holiday and exams eating up a good chunk of that), I feel a little "recap" and look ahead to the upcoming month is in order.

Let's blitz through this:

Norwich
I was in America for this one and used a 'pay-per-view' television to watch the game on. I wish I hadn't, as Swansea fell apart against fellow promotion successfuls in a game they should have won on paper. 3-1 to Norwich.

Wolves
Again, still in the USA for this one (thankfully it was free on cable this time). Swansea had the chance to hammer Wolves and record a nice away win with two early goals, but buckled and ended up allowing Wolves to score two goals in two minutes and share the points. A big waste!

Bolton
Swansea welcomed back Darren Pratley with a 3-1 win over Bolton, in a game that saw Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham all score. Graham scored an own goal in the second half which seemed to give Bolton something to chase, but thankfully another 'Wolves' wasn't on the cards.

Liverpool
An enjoyable game to watch, but frustrating towards the end when Swansea should have won it - they were the better team on the day.

Man United
Another great game to watch, but Swansea seemed in awe of United in the first half and Rangel's silly mistake cost Swansea a draw and potentially (if Scott Sinclair hadn't boobed up his shot) a win over the champions.


So that's the past out of the way - what does Santa have in his sack for Swans fans?

December will be the busiest month in Swansea City's Premier League calendar, with six games, sandwiched between the Aston Villa game on Sunday and a game on 2nd January against... Aston Villa. It seems Villa will kick off and round up the festive period in Swansea then!

Aston Villa currently sit 8th in the table. Swansea are in 13th, but just two points separate the teams. With Danny Graham settled and the work-rate of the whole team one of the best in the Premier League, not to mention the home advantage, there is no reason why Swansea shouldn't win! Villa fans know this and confidence is apparently low among them. Yes, Michael Vorm will be dealing with one of football's most incredible strikers – Emile Heskey – but the three points are definitely up for grabs! My predication? A simple 1-0 home win to Swansea.

So how many points can we expect from the festive season?

I'm not going to get into score prediction, but roughly, this is how I see the win-draw-losses working out:

Aston Villa (home) - win
Blackburn (away) - win
Fulham (home) - win
Newcastle (away) - lose
Everton (away) - lose
QPR (home) - win
Tottenham (home) - draw
Aston Villa (away) - draw

14 points from 8 games.

Realistically speaking, Swansea, if they can keep up their good form, are looking at about 14 points. They could lose at home to Villa and win away at Newcastle, but around 14 points is what we're looking at achieving. This would set the team up for a great start to 2012.

The most important upcoming games are against the likes of Blackburn and Fulham who are below the club in the table and that's where we want to keep them! Same goes for Everton who are a place above the Swans in the table, so taking points off them is more important than the glamour ties.

This ends a relatively short and vague blog, but I'm going to leave you with this video I found. It pretty much sums up Emile Heskey's prowess on FIFA – not sure why I find it so amusing!

(NB: I didn't produce, edit or upload the video, and own no copyrights to anything - etc, etc, etc)

Swansea City: Man United tickets sell out... but why?

I wasn't planning to write a new post until my November exams had finished (towards the end of next week), but with my Twitter feed going mental over the Man United ticket problems I felt I had to write a small reflection.

Let's get the facts out first - as was reported by the club this afternoon:

Swansea City can confirm that all home tickets for the Premier League fixture with champions Manchester United on November 19 have sold out today.

Following a busy first day of sales on Monday, the remaining few tickets were snapped up this morning as the club sold out its home allocation for the sixth consecutive match.

It seems to be the season-ticket holders with over a certain amount of points on the Jack Army membership scheme who got hold of the majority of tickets yesterday, before the final few were purchased today (I believe these were also season-ticket holders, albeit with less points).

This does beg the question: why does the ever-infuriating Jack Army scheme give priority to those who already have a ticket to the match? (I'm not having a go at season-ticket holders by the way - far from it - instead having a go at the logic of the scheme). Naturally season-ticket holders don't need another ticket as they already have one. I'm not arguing this case too much, because the answer is probably: they are buying them for friends/brothers/fathers who, say, can't afford a season ticket usually, which is a probable scenario. I have little qualms with that.

There is the option that they are buying tickets for 'plastic' fans or Man United fans living in Swansea who just want to watch Alex Ferguson’s men instead of their home team (and there will be quite a few in the stands by all accounts). This is irritating as it fills the seat of a true Swans fan who may not be able to afford a season ticket, or who lives away and can't get to every match. However, I can write this option off as a 'it was bound to happen because its the biggest game of the season'.

What I don't accept as fair is the rumours of those who have bought a spare ticket and are selling them for a large profit, either online or on the gates. Currently these are unconfirmed rumours – I'm going off a number of comments I've noted on Twitter and Facebook. There will always be those wanting to make a profit off other people, but the worst thing about these rumours is: it is Swans fans making a profit off Swans fans!

If you think about it, only those with the season-ticket AND Jack Army membership AND priority points (essentially fans who have already spent a lot of time and money following the club) were able to buy the tickets before they sold out. Therefore, if any are exchanging hands for well over the RRP, it's a loyal Swans fan ripping off another Swans fan. As I said: these may just be rumours and come to nothing, but if you are thinking of selling your ticket on to a genuine Swansea supporter, please don't do it extortionately!

Remember, if you weren't lucky enough to get a ticket but are still intent on watching the match, it is on ESPN and in the majority of Swansea pubs with that dodgy Armenian television channel on Saturday 19 November at 5:30pm .

That's it from me, I'll be back soon with my usual brand of sketchy, irreverent (and irrelevant) blogs.

Swansea City on FIFA 12

Firstly, may I apologise to the regular readers who haven't seen a blog post for a while. It's been a busy few weeks and I've been a little pushed for time, so a couple of regular activities for me – such as the blog and AudioJacks podcast – have had to take a back seat. However, here I am returning to share a few thoughts on Swansea and FIFA 12.

The first thing we must address is the fact that Swansea are in the Premier League. If this news hasn't sunk in for you, seeing the team there in FIFA must be the proof you need! Though in real life this is wonderful, in-game some of the pleasure has gone: the pleasure of taking a smaller team through the divisions to the glory of top flight football! This season Swansea have already booked their place in the greatest league in the world. Where's the fun in that!? A small price to pay I guess. I guess getting into the Champions League will be the aim for manager mode now!

Talking of aims, my current target is to actually win a game. Or even to score a goal. One thing you may agree with if you've had a go: FIFA 12 is hard. This is not a terrible thing for those liking a challenge, but even getting the ball off the opposition seems to be a struggle with the revamped defending system. It's a hard game. Or I'm shit. One of those...

Attacking is also more difficult, though more interesting I must admit. Past editions of the iconic game have seemed a little 'ping-pongy' at times, but FIFA 12 seems to have changed the physics of the game again, meaning you have to work hard for every pass, every shot and every goal. Not delving too far into the physics of it (mainly because I don't understand them), I will conclude goals are harder to come by, but when they do come you may find they are more enjoyable.

So, onto the Swans: the primary reason I am writing this blog.

Before we take to the field, I must mention there is finally a stadium that resembles the Liberty! Though it'll probably be a good few years before the Liberty Stadium is created as it's own special stadium, 'British Modern' has the look of Swansea's home: a generic, concrete, one-tier stadium that does the job. With a simple name change in the settings, it feels just like a Saturday afternoon in Landore – I can almost smell the Tesco Stand.

It seems not much effort has gone into developing the facial detail of the Swansea players, though the general body size, hair cut and skin colour ensures it's not difficult to distinguish who's who on the pitch. From the usual 'tele camera' angle, Dyer looks like Dyer, Williams looks like Williams and Tate looks like Beaker. This makes it easy enough when playing as you know who to pass to for zippy wing play, and who to switch to when making that goal saving slide tackle!

A feature born in FIFA 11 was the post-match player ratings screen, where each individual player was awarded what the computer judged as fair ratings. While the concept is the same on FIFA 12, the CGI avatars of the player's faces have been replaced with an actual photo of the player. In theory this adds realism, though as the picture is relatively small it seems to warp the photos slightly. I've noticed Stephen Caulker looks like Mr Miyagi, while something odd happens to Scott Sinclair's forehead that makes him resemble a Klingon.

All the new signings, as expected, are available to play with (yes, including Bessone!). Even Bodde is injury free, though it seems like cheating if I play him - I'm a stickler for realism.

Commentary is the final point I'll touch on. In one of my first Swansea vs. Cardiff matches I played (Cardiff won 4-0 by the way... sorry) I noticed the commentary team of Martin Tyler and Alan Smith seemed fresher than previous games. The specific commentary they make about the passion of the South Wales derby is nice to hear, instead of the generic old "oh, this will be a good derby match" that could apply to anything. If you get bored of those two, Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend are the other option. Spoilt for choice these days aren't we!

Overall, FIFA 12 will provide me with a lot more game-play than FIFA 11 did, mainly through the challenges it poses. I've yet to have a good go at manager mode, though from what I've seen it will take up the majority of my cold winter evenings. I do feel I may have to change the difficultly level from 'pro' to 'semi-pro' soon, lest I throw my PS3 at the wall in the frustration of not being able to make one successful tackle.

Until next time, happy gaming!

Swansea vs Chelsea: Another week, another glamour tie

Continuing the pattern of 'winnable game at home, tough game on the road', this Saturday the Swans take on Chelsea: last season's Premier League runners-up, consistent Champions League qualifiers and a starting eleven including a host of World Class international players, all dying to put a big score on the men in white (or bright orange).

Last week we finally saw a goal (make that three) in the Liberty Stadium, which did wonders in settling the nerves of players, management and fans alike. Had a goal not been scored, things may be looking a little bleak against Chelsea. Thankfully Leroy Lita stepped up well and put away his first chance, contributing to Nathan Dyer's goal and generally menacing West Brom's back four. But with Danny Graham fit again, this throws us straight onto the question: who to start up front?

While Graham does need a confidence-boosting goal, is Stamford Bridge the place he'll find it? If he starts and again fails to score, will his fifth goalless game mean another dent in his confidence? Having said that, maybe the pressure is off him now that the first goals have been scored and he is not expected to to score this week. All a little confusing this psychology business isn't it...?

Leroy Lita was a stand-out player against West Brom, so should he start again? His presence on the field against West Brom was reminiscent of a thug you may see strutting around Wind Street on a Friday night. Lita constantly looks like he's after a fight, so I say let him fight! His first attempt on goal was clinically put away, which was a breath of fresh air after the 'almost there mate' few games that Graham has had. Start Lita again – if he doesn't perform, bring Graham on towards the end of the game.

The midfield (bar Sinclair and Dyer) is the other area that poses selection problems. The first start for Joe Allen against West Brom was great to see – he worked hard (running 13.25 km in the West Brom game, a season high for a Swans player) and maybe deserves to take the field on Saturday. Who should line up next to him? With Leon Britton on top form, Wayne Routledge back in action and Mark Gower spraying a nice array of passes in the last game, as well as Stephen Dobbie still looking to make his mark, Brendan Rodgers is spoilt for choice.

A question mark remains over Neil Taylor's fitness after the Odemwingie clash, but Bessone may prove to be a decent temporary replacement. Hungarian defender Zoltan Liptak (I'm sure that's a brand of sunblock...) is on trial with the club after leaving Videoton (and I'm sure that's a DVD rental shop in Brynhyfryd...), but he probably won't feature. He adds enough height at the back (6ft 4in) so could be another decent one for the future

If Taylor remain questionable, my team to play Chelsea would be:

Vorm
Rangel Monk Williams Bessone
Dyer Britton Routledge Allen Sinclair
Lita

Scott Sinclair will want to show Chelsea what they missed out on, while Brendan Rodgers will also want to have a great game against the club he played a management role in. Frank Lampard will play against the team he scored his first professional goal against, during his stint with the Swans in 1995. Recent history lesson over.

We know Chelsea are a danger. Despite Torres being incredibly light on goals, he's a world class player, a Spanish national and has incredible skill at his disposal. Whether or not he will use any of it against Swansea remains to be answered, though he is a big threat for Ashley Williams and co., not forgetting the likes of Didier Drogba, Juan Mata and Nicholas Anelka.

They've already bagged a series of good results and currently sit 3rd in the table. Come on, you've seen them play plenty of times – you don't need me to tell you they are a quality side, if lacking that cutting edge recently.

My prediction? I can't realistically see Chelsea losing this (Swansea are 13/1 to win). If Chelsea are planning to make anything of this Premier League season they must win against the less established teams. However, I do see Swansea putting up a similar fight like the game against Arsenal. I'll say 3-1 to Chelsea (9/1), though it wouldn't be impossible for Swansea to walk away with one point, which would be a massive success (only topped by a win!).

Swansea 3 - 0 West Brom: Told you so...

Much like Italy in the 2006 World Cup, off-the-field incidents seemed to spur the players to an on-the-field performance to be proud of as Swansea beat West Brom 3-0 on Saturday.

Local tragedies had been building through the last few weeks, so it seemed right that the Swans should banish their goal demons on a day where they were playing for more than just points - they played for the four Welsh miners, the local five-year-old and Brendan Rodgers' father, who all sadly died recently.

I don't particularly want to mention the moment's silence prior to kick-off, but I will: the first 30 seconds were a touching tribute, however a minority of West Brom fans (who were reported to be entering the stadium at the time) began a shouting battle which quickly ruined the moment. Very shameful, if it was a purposeful interruption.

Onto the match, where we finally saw Swansea score not one, but three goals! Fair enough, it was a penalty, but I think a penalty is what was needed. Surely a message from the Gods of football: “You've had so many bloody chances and keep missing - just have one on us”. Scott Sinclair put it away and, like many had predicted, the flood gates opened.

The amount of abuse I've recently received for asking “why not start Leroy Lita instead of Danny Graham” was large and consistent. Not one to gloat, let me just say “TOLD YOU SO!” and move on. Seriously though, it took an injury to the aforementioned Graham to see Lita claim his first Premier League start. Lita knew, like the majority of us, that he might not get regular chances to impress with Graham fully fit, so he had a lot to prove; and prove he did. He looked hungry for the ball from the off. The first chance that fell to him was put in the back of the net – very refreshing. He made a number of impressive off-the-ball runs and also contributed to Nathan Dyer's goal with a nice flick from Vorm's clearance. An enjoyable performance by the pitbullish Lita.

A note about Danny Graham: it's possible that, now goals have been scored, the pressure is off him personally. Therefore he may relax a little more in front of goal during his next game and put away his chances.

As I mentioned, it was nice to see Dyer score for a change – the amount he creates has always been overshadowed by his (lack of) ability in front of goal, but he managed to calmly slide one between the legs of Ben Foster early in the second half. It may well be the last goal of his for another year, but as long as he continues running and creating, he'll be the first name on the team sheet for some time to come.

Defensively, Swansea were solid once again. In a time where every feasible defensive option appeared to be unavailable, we saw Garry Monk return to the pitch slightly before he was 100% fit, though you wouldn't have guessed: he fell back into action like it was an extension of that play-off final.

The injury to Neil Taylor was very worrying, especially with the appearance of stretchers, paramedics, oxygen and Fede Bessone on the sidelines, but it doesn't seem to be as serious as it first appeared thankfully. He had a good game (apart from the occasional lapse of concentration) and it'll be good to see him back at Chelsea - we hope.

Fede Bessone did appear, as I said, and seemed to slot in fine. I doubt he was expecting to feature at any point against West Brom, though he didn't look too phased by the “big time”. Elsewhere, Joe Allen and Leon Britton had wonderful games, Mark Gower played some lovely long balls and Scott Sinclair troubled the Baggies defence a number of times. A convincing team display by Swansea.

Generally, the opposition were not terrible and had their chances (which gives even more credit to Swansea) – Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie looked sharp throughout (though I'd better curb any praise of Odemwingie due to his poor challenge on Taylor). It was good to see West Brom not completely give up towards the end, which ensured an enthralling finish, instead of everyone just counting down the seconds until the final whistle.

If you read my last blog, I hope you followed one of my tips and covered the 3-0 win (at 25/1) and are all collecting your winnings? I wish I'd put more than a pound on it now!

The Swans travel to Chelsea next Saturday with at least one win and, more importantly, a few goals under their belts. Will Taylor be back in time? Will Swansea lose another three to the injured list? Will Lita start again? Find out next time on, Swansea in the Premier League!

Materazzi, Christmas trees and West Brom

By now you'll be well aware that Swansea are losing defenders left, right and centre (well, mainly just centre...)

Rumours that Steven Caulker had picked up a knee injury that was likely to keep him out for two months was verified on Wednesday evening, shortly followed by the announcement that Rafik Halliche and Darnel Situ are unlikely to play for the club at any time soon, thanks to FIFA blocking the transfer. Thus, Swansea's defensive struggles finally peaked. Things can't get any worse! (Ashley Williams; move away from that golf cart...)

As Halliche, Situ and Caulker join Alan Tate on the unavailable list, just four realistic Premier League defenders remain in the squad: Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor, Angel Rangel and Garry Monk (assuming he plays on Saturday – reports circulating that he is likely to). Of course Fede Bessone and Jazz Richards are also available, as are those in the youth squad, though these aren't exactly mouthwatering prospects.

Kemy Agustien is also a factor in this, as he would have been available to simply slot into Caulker's place had he not picked up a hamstring injury against Arsenal.

Swansea are in dire need of a replacement – not one for the future, but one who can step in immediately. As they are permitted to sign free-agents, eyes turn to the list of misfits and has-beens who are ready to blow the dust from their boots. Names likes Sol Campbell have done the rounds with the fans. The 36-year-old clearly has the experience and, wages permitted, would be a fine replacement for Caulker. Certainly not a long term solution, but some type of pay-as-you-play deal might be worth looking at.

Another name cropped up: Marco Materazzi. The former Inter Milan and World Cup winner would add some sun-bleached glamour to the squad, with heaps of big game, big name experience, though wages again might be a problem. Personally I'd love to see this guy at Swansea!

Maybe Swansea are fine with what they have at the moment? Yes, its not an ideal situation, but a formation change could be the answer. Something like a 3-2-4-1 formation (inverted Christmas tree?):

Vorm
Rangel Williams Taylor
Allen Britton
Dyer Gower Routledge Sinclair
Graham

With Allen and Britton as holding defenders, and Taylor and Rangel making less attacking runs, there is no reason why this formation shouldn't temporarily work. I'd select Wayne Routledge over Stephan Dobbie. More than likely, this won't happen as Monk is expected to return, but the option is there.

West Brom are another team Swansea are expect to win against, in fan's and pundit's eyes alike (currently 8/5 favourites with PaddyPower). For essential confidence and points, Swansea must: a) get a goal and b) win. It's in front of another sell-out home crowd who deserve to finally see a goal.

Danny Graham must start – he needs another opportunity to score. However, should he fail to score this time, Leroy Lita should start for the next game. I know that may dent his confidence, but surely not scoring is already doing that? I'm aware some can't fathom Lita starting, but as he hasn't started a game yet nobody knows if it'll work or not.

Anyway, I might be jumping ahead too far – Graham may well score a hat-trick (80/1) and Swans will crush West Brom 3-0 (a more realistic 25/1)!

But what do we know about the opposition? Well the Baggies finished 11th in the Premier League last season and are currently 13th in the table, just a point above Swansea (lost their first three, but beat fellow newcomers Norwich 1-0 last week).

They certainly have key players that will cause Swansea's defence (or lack of it) some trouble. Peter Odemwingie is very bright up front, as is their new singing Shane Long, who was excellent for Reading last season (including against Swansea in the play-off final). At the back they're not so strong and have struggled to keep a clean-sheet under Roy Hodgson, so this may well be the game that Graham breaks his goal-scoring duck and Swansea put away all the chances they create – here's hoping.

My prediction: West Brom will score one by taking advantage of a weakened Swans back four, though everything will finally click for Swansea and they'll, once again, create plenty of opportunities and score least three! Swansea 3 – 1 West Brom (20/1).

… or it could be 0-0 again.

Swansea 0 – 1 Arsenal: Take two magnets...

You don't have to be scientifically gifted to follow Swansea (as some of the regulars in the East Stand will confirm), but a basic experiment to carry out is this: take two magnets and try to place the opposite poles together. Feel the strong force that pushes the magnets apart? Well, scientists have discovered that that is the same force which pushes the ball away from any goal that Swansea try to score in!

Questionable physics aside and we are left with another game where Swansea are unable to score, despite many chances.

The positives were clearly there once again – the game against Arsenal showed that Swansea can be consistently solid against a strong Premier League opponent (apart from the occasional blip) and can push forward with relative ease at times. The fact is, Swansea should have taken at least a point away from the Emirates. They deserved it – if not, all three.

In fact, Arsenal didn't particularly look like scoring that many. Yes they had some wonderful chances, stopped by Michel Vorm and the post, but they didn't threaten as much as I expected. It's a shame, then, that Swansea lost to one of the oddest goals we'll ever see!

Let's clear the white elephant from the room – Vorm's uncharacteristic mistake was stupid. There's no two ways around it. It took a few seconds for everyone to register what had happened, but soon it was apparent that Swansea City had secured their place on at least one 'bloopers' DVD this Christmas. 'Danny Dyer's semi-amusing football-related cock-ups' will not be on my Christmas list this year.

Vorm, like the rest of us, was clearly disappointed, though it's easily forgiveable – the amount of points he's already saved in his short career with the club means I'd let him do it again next game (…maybe not). Kudos to Andrey Arshavin and his fat tongue, whose reaction time was incredible and easily put the resulting mistake in the back of the net.

As well as a pretty solid team display there were stand-out individuals for Swansea. Stephen Caulker showed a lot of talent, and his goal saving, potentially testicle-destroying sliding save in the first half was enough for a Man of the Match award for me.

Nathan Dyer's work rate was top notch as usual. Scott Sinclair caused trouble to Sagna at times and he was unlucky not to score when his powerful free-kick slapped the crossbar in the second half.

Talking of unlucky, it's time to scrutinise Danny Graham. Again he showed plenty of enthusiasm and will to score, but again he failed in his efforts.

It's a tough decision now. It's only been four games (five including the Shrewsbury fiasco), but Graham hasn't scored. A selection of pundits believe he isn't cut out for the Premier League. I'm not sure – technically, he has looked like scoring plenty of times. It probably is just bad luck, but for the West Brom game should Graham start on the bench and be used as an impact sub? No doubt I'll look at this option further in my West Brom preview in the week. (Your opinions and thoughts are more than welcome - leave them in the comments box below)

Either way, Swansea must score in the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. West Brom are another of the 'easy' teams and, at home, Swansea will surely have chances to put them away. Things may start to get a little awkward if they don't score.

Brendan Rodgers was naturally not present in London due to the unfortunate death of his father on Saturday morning. It goes without saying that all fans' thoughts are with him and we hope he is able to return soon to guide the team to their first Premier League victory.

The Preview: Swansea vs Arsenal

While the international break is needed in the long run (trust me, you'd be annoyed if there was no Euro 2012 next summer!) it's always nice to get back to normal. If that's what you can call supporting Swansea City.

This Saturday sees another 'glamour tie', where the Swans will take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. It's highly anticipated as both teams have a similar brand of football: fast and entertaining, with wonderful passing abilities, but sometimes struggle with the end product!

Ashley Williams and Neil Taylor return from international duty to join new defenders Darnel Situ, Rafik Halliche and Fede Bessone, though at the time of writing only Bessone was cleared to play - the club are still waiting on Situ and Halliche. With Rangel and Caulker also fit and ready there is finally a little competition in the back line, with all four spots theoretically up for grabs (though I can't see Bessone starting ahead of Rangel or Taylor). Garry Monk is still struggling with his foot injury, so it's unlikely he'll feature.

Mark Gower has spoken of his hopes of finally pushing for a place in the starting line-up, though probably won't be first on the list. Personally I'd use the Britton, Routledge and Agustien combo once again. It's been working at home: goal scoring opportunities have been created, and Agustien and Britton add defensive security.

Starting Stephen Dobbie instead of Routledge may also be an idea - his confidence doesn't seem to be that high currently, so a start may give him a boost. Then again, decisions should be for the best of the team, not the best of the individual. He needs to use the times he is subbed on as a platform to show how capable he is. So far in the Premier League he hasn't been able to show that.

As usual Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer are vital for creating chances on goal so they're in. That leaves the starting striker. Is it time for Lita? Many would argue no, and I may agree this time. Danny Graham should start, though if he fails to get a goal his confidence may take a further knock. Despite Arsenal going through a low, they will be harder to break down than the likes of Wigan and Sunderland, so any chances that are created must be put away!

Onto the opposition: the Gunners have recently hit a low point, with the 8-2 demolition by Man United surely rock-bottom.

The main area they've struggled with recently appears to have been transfers; both bringing players in and letting them slip, most notably Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Man City. However, they managed to rejuvenate the squad on transfer deadline day with German international Per Mertesacker and Brazil international Andres Santos - both add to a back four that were seriously lacking against Man United, and, with Bacary Sagna expected to be back from illness, Arsenal's defence is looking a lot healthier.

Arsene Wenger also added Mikel Arteta from Everton and Chelsea's Yossi Benayoun to the midfield, and with Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie in the squad it won't be a simple task by any means. Luckily for the Swans the likes of Gervinho and Alex Song will miss the match, both still serving bans from recent red cards, while Jack Wilshire is out with an ankle injury.

My prediction is 2-1 to Arsenal (odds currently around 7/1). I see Swansea getting their first goal, though can see an exciting Arsenal attack finding a way past the defence and Vorm.

Ultimately it's Arsenal's game to lose. Swansea aren't expected to win (with 9/1 odds confirming this), so, with less pressure than the games against Wigan and Sunderland, maybe we'll see a goal? A loss isn't ideal for Swansea (obviously), though a draw would be seen as a wonderful success. Either way, with both teams out to play attractive football, it's bound to be an entertaining game!

Read more of my thoughts on the Arsenal match here – an interview carried out by an Arsenal blogger (towards the bottom of the page). Interesting reading about the opposition too!

Swansea City's Transfer Deadline Day: digested!

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).