Global Jack Army: Catching up with Swans fans from around the World!

We can't all be lucky enough to live in Swansea. (I'm serious).

Yes, despite the beauty of Indonesia, the endless sun of Florida and the high quality living in Austria, the residents of these countries are missing one thing: the Liberty Stadium. As you know, when you don't have the Liberty Stadium, you don't have the Swans.

This may not matter to some, but since Swansea City have gone global after joining, and staying in, the Premier League, the club has picked up a mass of new fans along the way. But who are these fans? Why did they pick the Swans as their adopted team instead of Man City, Arsenal or... Cardiff?

I have been very fortunate to speak to a great group of Swansea City fans who live in faraway places (yes, further than Glynneath) and ask them why they chose to follow Swansea City, what it's like supporting a team many people haven't heard of before and how do they keep up-to-date with the most exciting club in the Premier League!

In this article we have Jacks from South Korea, India, Australia, USA, Indonesia and more, all giving us a taste of what it's like to be a Swans fan abroad, from brand new supporters to exiled Jacks!

(NB: While these are the genuine answers given to me by the fans, some have been edited slightly for clarity).


RJ Kim, 25 
Seoul, South Korea
@vola1104

When did you start following Swansea City? 
Since Ki Sung-Yueng was transferred from Celtic.

What made you choose the Swans?
Because Swansea show remarkable growth in EPL 2012-13 and their style of play is very attractive.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
Since Ki's signing, Korean football fans have looked at Swansea with interest and now they like Swansea. Countless Koreans cheers for the Swans.

Who is your current favourite player?
Miguel Michu. He scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season already. I was very impressed with it.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
I check SCFC and their fan's Twitter frequently. When it's a game day, I watch games on television or live streaming. Sometimes, I use a live text message service from a Korean sports website.

Give me an interesting fact about your country! 
Google 'Gangnam Style' now! This is a song of PSY which is very popular in Korea. Gangnam Style has been a big issue across the border. Above all, its music video is very funny. Watch it!



Joarezka Adriargo, 25 
Surabaya, Indonesia
@VetchField 

When did you start following Swansea City? 
Since last season, when Brendan Rodgers was in charge.

What made you choose the Swans?
The way they play is totally different from other EPL teams. It's tiki-taka from the Welsh they said. Then I started to browse and watch the games, regularly whether on TV or streaming, and started to follow them.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
Not that much. But everyone starts to open their eyes widely now. They start wondering - curious, just like I was before.

Who is your current favourite player?
Monk and Tate.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
We had a fan base, unfortunately they're not as active as before. So I decided to follow some Swansea news such as you [I'm honoured! - Chris] to keep me updated.

Give me an interesting fact about your country! 
Indonesia is a beautiful country with friendly people. Surabaya has a local football club named Persebaya and the supporters are called Bonek (Bondo Nekat / Modal Berani; it means 'with just bravery') and we are the most fanatic here. Also, in Surabaya you will find a lot of good food! Semanggi is one of them.



Leo Howell, 26
Lakeland - Florida, USA
@UTEPMiners

When did you start following Swansea City?
Just before their rise to the Premier League over a year ago.

What made you choose the Swans?
My family is of Welsh descent, and I have been looking to follow an EPL team for a while. I only began to like football later on in life, and had a tough time picking a team. Once Swansea were promoted, I had a team to follow and support (it's tough to follow any non-top flight teams over here due to media coverage).

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
Not at all. I am the only Swansea supporter I know of in the States. [Almost - we actually have a West Coast representative just below!]

Who is your current favourite player?
Neil Taylor, hope he gets well soon!

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
Most of the information I get is from Twitter, following Swansea blogs and news accounts. I watch the games on TV when they're shown, or online when they're not shown on television. I wish I had access to more of the Sky Sports online features, as they seem to show plenty of football.

Give me an interesting fact about your city!
There's nothing too special about Lakeland, except that it is only an hour away from Disney World, Florida.



Jacob Cristobal, 28
Seattle - Washington, USA
@jacobcristobal

When did you start following Swansea City? 
I am a newbie Swansea supporter. Decided a couple months ago they would be the team to support in the Premier League.

What made you choose the Swans?
I was intrigued by Swansea last year. I was always more interested at the clubs that get promoted into the top flight than the mainstays that were in it year in and year out. Maybe it's because of the underdog mentality that comes with the new kids on the block, and I just don't want to see them be one and done. Also, the way Swansea moved the ball in the now famous "Swanselona" style was really something to see and I loved seeing that the big bright lights of the Premier League did not scare them in their first run.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
I honestly don't know. I am sure if they keep up this hot start and continue to roam in the top ten and beyond, people are going to be very aware of what Laudrup and gang are doing. Among the circle of folks I chat with about the beautiful game, there is a general consensus that Swansea City this year could be a serious dark horse. I know a couple people want to see them finish in the top ten and more or less become a new mainstay/gradual power in the Premier League.

Who is your current favourite player?
The easy answer here is Michu. Since week one I've coined the trend (at least I want it to trend) #MICHUMANIA, but just as important to their hot start is Nathan Dyer. It's a toss-up between those two. #MICHUMANIA and #DYERMITE - still in the process of developing Twitter nicknames for the rest of the squad. Oh here's another one #ROWDYRODDYROUTLEDGE.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
Being more or less on the other end of the world, I resort to stream sites. Of course the challenge is the difference in time, which in most cases means having to be awake at 7am. Then there's the special moments of matches at 4am like the West Ham match, complete with one bloodshot eye. There is that badge of honour of waking up early to watch these games and it makes the journey of following the Swans all the better. And if their matches are shown here on ESPN or another sports channel, you can bet I will watch it as well as record it for replay later.

Give me an interesting fact about your city! 
It seems that every so often there's some magazine or poll listing "the best cities to live in/work/most educated people..." and Seattle always seems to rank somewhere in those listings. It's nice, but also kind of annoying because people keep moving here. WE ARE FULL AND SEATTLE IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN GREY'S ANATOMY! AND STOP ASKING WHERE FRAISER CRANE LIVES!

[Jacob is also the editor of a great football website and podcast, CheekyBackheel.com]



Akshay Mhaskar, 31
Mumbai, India
@akshay281 

When did you start following Swansea City?
I've been tracking them since 2005.

What made you choose the Swans?
Since I'm from India, geographically I have no allegiance with any English team. However I am a Man United fan. But my Aunt and Uncle who live in UK, moved to Swansea from Carmarthen in 2004. My Uncle, being an Arsenal fan, used to have banter with me over email all the time. So when he started to go to the Swans games, my interest started growing. Now they've become British citizens so I have family in Swansea and a valid reason to go Swan.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
Umm... not really. In a cricket frenzy country, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal have been dominant and now, according to worldwide glory hunter trend, Chelsea and anti-Man United fans have sprung up like mushrooms. But since last season, as Swansea games started to reach football fans live, the Swans have quickly become one of the teams to love. Much of that credit goes to English 'Tic Tac Toe', derived from Catalan Tiki Taka. I've been playing my part by making more and more of my friends watch and follow Swansea.

Who is your current favourite player?
I like Ashley Williams and Leon Britton from the current squad but I've been following Michu for a few seasons - he's a top draw wild card.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
ESPN and Star Sports in India show most of the Premier League games live. But if a Swans game is not live then I follow them on a streaming website.

Give me an interesting fact about your country!
Mumbai is the most vibrant city in the continent in terms of mixture of cultures, arts, sports and of course it is famous for the Bollywood. The city is completely sports crazy and it is a mad house.

[Akshay is also a football writer, with a dedicated Swans section on his blog The Bottom Three]



Aussie Jack, 43 (real name withheld)
Sydney, Australia
@AussieJack1

When did you start following Swansea City? 
In 1977, my Dad took me to see the Swans, Harry Griffiths was manager and the team contained the likes of: Curt, Robbie, Charlo and Wyndham. When we played Spurs in the League Cup I had probably the best view in the house when Tommy Smith gave Ossie Ardiles a welcome to English football. I am not sure but I think Smith wasn't booked for the challenge. Refs were scared of him as well as players. Today he would have gone; it made Chico's violation look rather petty!

What made you choose the Swans?
We actually lived in a Valley between Swansea and Cardiff which was and is a Cardiff stronghold, but I wasn't going to follow them a******s - even at that young tender age I had principles.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
No not really. There is a great market here, it is the fastest growing sport and they follow any team with Aussies. Everton got a lot of mentions when Cahill was in the team. If the Swans gave Kewell a season (this is an example not a suggestion), then the Swans would be big over here. Everton cashed in with a pre-season tour over here two years ago - I'm waiting for the Swans to do the same.

Who is your current favourite player?
Chris Rock, sorry Nathan Dyer - I keep getting them mixed up. Probably one of the most skilful and understated players in the Premier League. I was a big fan of Wayne Routledge last year and I'm glad that he's been given a chance this year.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
Smartphones and apps are brilliant at keeping me up-to-date especially because of the time difference. Evening matches in the UK, I am travelling into the City so I can keep up with scores and I usually get the breaking headlines when most people in the UK are asleep. I watched every game live last year on Foxtel, I didn't miss a minute, but because of the time difference of GMT and daylight saving over here, matches start at 2am. So for nine months I'm like a zombie on Sunday, and if we lose a grumpy zombie.

Give me an interesting fact about your city!
The only difference between one Australian city and the next is the size of the Great White Sharks; apart from that they're all the bloody same! Sydney had one of the biggest gay parades in the world - that is totally unconnected to why I live here.



Daniel James Edwards, 27
Vienna, Austria
@DanJEdwards 

When did you start following Swansea City? 
Many, many years ago.

What made you choose the Swans?
They were my local team before I moved to Austria.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
At first, no. When I wore my Swansea shirts people would ask what team they were and which country they came from. Now they are familiar with the team, but not familiar enough to name players. An article was written about them in one of the local football magazines a few months back. They had a four-page spread about the passionate fans and how the club have risen over the years.

Who is your current favourite player?
Toss up between Dyer and Britton. I first saw Dyer the season he came in from Southampton. He looked so good then, and you could see the potential he had. Britton because he's small but fights for the ball like a rottweiler. His influence in play making is something that makes him rise above the rest in his position, especially for his height: small boy, big heart.

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
When they were in the Championship it was hard. I could only rely on text/radio commentaries. I rely mainly on sites such as the official Swansea website, Vital Swansea, Twitter, Facebook and Sky Sports. Now that their games are regularly televised, I watch every one.

Give me an interesting fact about your country!
It has the third highest quality of living in Europe. Also, Swansea came to train in an Austrian camp before their maiden season in the Premier League.



Natalie Jenkins, 20
Paris, France
@nattj

When did you start following Swansea City? 
My dad is Welsh and has been a Swansea supporter since he was a kid, so I began to follow them through him, pretty much as soon as I could walk.

What made you choose the Swans?
As mentioned above, it was kind of a family thing. We're from the area so I guess it just made sense... regardless of where they stood on a league table.

Are Swansea City a popular team in your country?
They've definitely been getting a lot more attention since their move to the Premier League. As of late I've been wearing my jersey out and about and people actually recognize it!

Who is your current favourite player?
Michel Vorm!

How do you manage to keep up-to-date with Swansea news and matches?
It's definitely a combination of watching on television and online. I've actually found that Twitter has been the best medium because it's literally an up-to-the-second live commentary.

Give me an interesting fact about your city!
Someone told me this a while ago and I found out later that it's completely true: modern night-time photos of the Eiffel Tower are actually under copyright and aren't legally publishable without the permission of the Tower's operating company (this hasn't stopped me!)

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There you go! What a fantastic collection of Swans fans! If you're from another country and support the Swans, get in touch with me and I'll do another of these articles - looking for Jacks from the likes of Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil... anywhere!

Remember you can now follow us on Facebook for updates, photos and chat.

Flying the Swansea City flag at the Wales Blog Awards!

Hi. This is Chris (...Chris Carra) (...the writer of ForzaSwansea.com) (...yes, that one).

This is a rare non-Swans announcement! ForzaSwansea has been short-listed for Best Sports Blog at the Wales Blog Awards 2012.

It's the third year of the Wales Blog Awards and, on September 20th, a panel of (lovely) expert judges from across Wales will decide if I am worthy of holding the title of Best Sports Blog 2012.

However, you (even lovelier) readers can help me out!

If you've enjoyed reading the blog over the past two years, you can cast a vote for Forza Swansea in the People's Choice Award category. Just click the link below and then click 'Forza Swansea'. It's that simple!

Click HERE to vote (...or here - it's exactly the same link).

While it would be a great personal victory, I am the only blog flying the flag for Swansea City FC at the 2012 awards. Also, the blog celebrates its second birthday on September 19th, so an award would be one hell of a birthday present!

Meanwhile, look out for the new blog post coming on Wednesday - a post featuring Swans fans from across the globe!

Swansea City round-up at the end of silly season!

As we head towards the closing of the transfer window, most of us will be religiously checking Twitter, NewsNow and Sky Sports simultaneously, even though the rumour-mill is in overdrive and 80% of what we read will turn out to be nothing of any truth!

Example of the general bollocks we have to put up with!

I don't think there will be much more action for Swansea City in the next few hours. In reality, we've already been spoilt quite a bit this summer and anything we get now will surely be surplus.

So, overlooking the rumours, lets look at the confirmed (or 'most probable') comings and goings of South Wales' favourite football team!

Going, going... still going... probably going... GONE.

The first big mention goes to one of the most significant names Swansea have moulded over the past two seasons: Scott Sinclair. That first season was a dream for him and fans alike, punctuated by the hat-trick in the play-off final. However, since that mental day in London, Sinclair never looked happy at the club.

His departure to Man City is actually fine for Swansea - £8million (or £6.2million plus add-ons) for the winger is, yet again, superb business from Huw Jenkins. But I can't help feel that for Sinclair it's a stupid move. A youngster who spent most of his early career moving from one club to another, until he found his feet at Swansea, where he was the first name on the team sheet during that final Championship season.

Now he's off to Man City - clearly a club oozing with world-class talent and with no obvious need for him. Man City is a club where Sinclair will be lucky to make the bench for most games. So, why is he moving? Money? A whiny girlfriend? Probably a mixture of both. One thing I can guarantee: it's not to further his career. Good luck Sinclair. See you when you're loaned out to QPR a year down the line.

Elsewhere, we've recently said our goodbyes to Andrea Orlandi (to Brighton for an undisclosed fee). While it's refreshing to see a player like Orlandi leave with no long, drawn out negotiations, it seemed a little abrupt as there was some sentimental value with Orlandi.

He had been with the club for about five years, across four different managers. However, he's not done much in the grand scheme of things for Swansea City. I feel he had much more potential than some in midfield and showed sparks of brilliance at times (including his diving header which produced one of the fastest Premier League goal's ever!). Realistically though, he's not achieved that potential and is rightly gone.

Fede Bessone has left to Swindon to vast cries of “I didn't even realise he was still part of the squad!?”. Rodgers dived for ex-Swan Bessone in the 2011 summer transfer window as cover for injured Alan Tate. He wasn't used that much apart from one or two games and a substantial amount of bench-warming. He took wages, played a little for the reserves and ultimately did nothing much for the club. Best wishes Bessone, but please don't return a third time!

The ongoing debate of 'is Stephen Dobbie good enough for the Premier League?' has been solved: he's joining Orlandi at Brighton on a three-year contract. One of those players who never made the step-up to the current level. He'll do well at Brighton, I have no doubts about it!

Others likely to leave, but with no confirmations yet are Leroy Lita, who is rumoured to be loaned out to Crystal Palace, while Garry Monk is set to go to Bristol City on loan (though this is to be delayed for a few weeks after a back injury). Meanwhile, Curtis Obeng is likely to head to Fleetwood Town - again, on loan.

Welcome to Swansea City!

I'm not going to re-mention the likes of Michu, de Guzman and Chico Flores as there is plenty written on them and we've already seen them in action two or three times so far this season. All three are superb signings - let's leave it at that.

A player we will talk about is one of the biggest names of the summer and one who has finally signed - Pablo Hernandez. After much speculation and uncertainty, he's come from Valencia for £5.5million on a three-year deal, linking up again with Laudrup, who managed Hernandez during his time at Getafe. What a good replacement for Sinclair, especially with money left over from his sale!

Maybe having Hernandez is a little rough on Wayne Routledge who has been surprisingly brilliant over the first two games, but wing is one area where Swansea are pretty bare and needed beefing up. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see plenty of rotation and plenty of Routledge as the year goes on - we all know Dyer can tire himself out!

Record signing Ki Sung-Yueng has now played one game for the Swans after coming from Celtic for £5.5million, bringing with him big support from Korea. He'll probably immediately replace Jonathan de Guzman in the centre for now. There's a decent article on another Swans blog, summing up Sung-Yueng, including some words from a Celtic supporter, which is worth checking out.

Elsewhere, Kyle Bartley from Arsenal for around £1million on a three-year deal helps beef up the defence, and Itay Shechter on a season-long loan from Kaiserslautern gives some much needed competition to Danny Graham.

All things considered, I'm sure you'll agree that this has probably been the best summer transfer movement for Swansea in a good while!

As we head into autumn (that's right, all that rain and thunder was actually summer in disguise), Swansea are really looking a solid team, almost unstoppable.

Check out my Swansea vs. Sunderland preview, posted earlier!

Swansea City vs Sunderland: The first real test

This blog post was originally one long unmanageable mess of transfer news and a preview of Saturday's match vs Sunderland. However, I saw sense and spilt them in two! The transfers round-up will be along later today.

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Second Season Syndrome they all cried! They were wrong.

Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. We're only two games in. Still, Swansea City have smashed the first two Premier League games, while comfortably moving into round three of the Capital One Cup mid-week. So far, so good.

However, despite two awesome performances, the quality of Swansea's opponents so far has been on the poor side. Sunderland will certainly pose much more of a threat than QPR and West Ham combined and Swansea can't assume a victory, even though confidence is high.

Last season when the two met they played out a 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium before Sunderland took all three points at the Stadium of Light - this was despite Swansea predictably racking up the possession stats and taking more shots on goal. This season we know things like possession stats are just a bonus and mean little unless goals are scored.

Laudrup, we hope, will opt for pretty much the same team that's done the job so far - why change a winning formula?

Though Pablo Hernandez has sealed a place with the club, he won't be in the squad for Saturday. This is good news I think - I'm all for giving players a little time to settle in before releasing them onto the field. The only change will probably come in the centre, where Ki Sung-Yueng should slot in instead of Jonathan de Guzman. Sung-Yueng can take a decent free kick and enjoys sitting back a little, which should compliment Michu and Britton.

So the team you'll probably see Saturday:

Vorm, 

Rangel, Williams, Flores, Taylor 

Dyer, Britton, Sung-Yueng, Michu, Routledge 

Graham 

Meanwhile, Sunderland should be pretty well rested, having only played one game (a credible 0-0 vs Arsenal) after their second was postponed due to rain. They have a strong squad, with a shrewd manager in Martin O'Neill and top class players including a few new faces that should pose some threat to Ashley Williams and co, such as Louis Saha, Steven Fletcher and, fresh from Man City, Adam Johnson.
It's pointless me pretending I know a lot about Sunderland because... I don't. Thankfully I've been in contact with someone who does: top Sunderland writer Dan Williams from The Roker Report, who has given us his thoughts ahead of the match:

There is a renewed sense of optimism around Sunderland as a club, thanks to Martin O'Neill's hard work in the transfer window. The manager made no secret of the fact that Steven Fletcher was his number one target, and after a long and drawn-out saga, finally got his man, picking up Louis Saha on a free transfer too for good measure. However, it is the signing of Adam Johnson that has Black Cats fans purring, as the Manchester City man shows a real statement of intent from the club, something that we have been crying out for since Darren Bent ran off to Birmingham, and Asamoah Gyan went chasing pound coins in the far East.

Although the weather put paid to our second game of the season, we look strong defensively at the Emirates, and sharp in front of goal against Morecambe in the League Cup on Tuesday night. Simon Mignolet will return in goal, having missed that game, while Carlos Cuellar will return to the middle of the back four alongside John O'Shea, with Jack Colback on the left, and Craig Gardner on the right. Lee Cattermole and Seb Larsson should provide the hold in midfield, for a three-pronged attack behind Fletcher of James McClean, Stephane Sessegnon and Adam Johnson.

Swansea have started the season on fire, but this will arguably be Laudrup's biggest test to date, and I fancy us to go in front. Although my colleagues at Roker Report might not agree, I'm going to plump for a 1-1 draw.

Confidence with caution there from Dan!

Though Sunderland are a bigger team (both physically and in footballing terms) and took three points last time, things will be different this week. Swansea have changed; they now have a few more players up for a scrap and are playing with such confidence it's hard to imagine anything other than a win. They'll also have the edge with the Liberty Stadium as their theatre. It also bodes well that Sunderland have not won in their previous nine away matches.

The bookies (usually in the know) have Swansea as favourites at around 11/10. While Dan predicts 1-1 (odds of around 5/1), I'm more confident of a Swans win. I do see Vorm letting one slip though, but with Swansea's momentum I'm saying 2-1 to the boys in white (around 8/1). A bet on Michu to score two goals or more is 11/1 and also well worth a pound or two!

Not a bad start, Swansea... not bad at all.

Swansea City 5 – 0 QPR
Swansea City 3 – 0 West Ham

That's a good start isn't it?

We've seen two impressive displays from the Swans in the opening week. Eight goals, two clean sheets and now second in the Premier League!

However, it's still early. Plenty of time for Vorm to get injured, the team to lose ten in a row and us to watch as Dyer signs for Liverpool. Yet, so far it's all reassuring stuff from a team tipped for a disastrous season and rock-bottom relegation.

Briefly top of the league, until Chelsea spoilt it.

We knew from the pre-season that Laudrup is a manager with plans to attack. While many - including myself - knew there would be more goals for Swansea this season, many - again, including myself - also assumed there would be more goals against Swansea. So far, in the second aspect, we've been wrong.

Defence, therefore, is doing it's job. Chico Flores has come in and is providing the team with the same stability Steven Caulker offered, though with a little more fire (this may lead to a few cards along the way, but who cares about the Fair Play league if Swansea qualify for Europe the proper way!). Angel Rangel and Neil Taylor look as dangerous as ever going forward, and Williams is as assured as always. Though mistakes have been made at the back, Michel Vorm has been solid enough to clean-up what the defenders leave behind. All looking great.

Going forward, Swansea are already more entertaining to watch. It took the Swans nine games to score eight goals last season under Brendan Rodgers, where it's taken just two this time around. While I thoroughly appreciate everything Rodgers did for the club (apart from pissing off to Liverpool), I found the football last season a little... pointless at times.

While I don't think passing football is boring, the game played under Rodgers was at times frustrating - all pass, pass, pass and incredible possession stats, but not as much end product to get excited about. With Laudrup we are still seeing decent possession (50% in the QPR game and 62% against West Ham), but are also seeing chances made and goals scored, with some exciting counter-attacks thrown in.

Michu is clearly a key figure. For £2million, he's been the signing of the season - no contest. Again, just two games in, but the Premier League's top scorer. He has replaced Allen and Sigurdsson in one hit for literally pennies in this league.

Elsewhere, Wayne Routledge has come alive in the first two games. The ongoing Scott Sinclair moody, pointless move to Man City (until he's loaned out to QPR) has allowed Routledge two starting places and he's done a lot with them; running, cutting inside and offering plenty for Danny Graham and Michu to work with. Though Pablo Hernandez may eventually sign, Routledge is showing he has enough for a permanent first team place.

Little Nathan Dyer - man of the match against West Ham - is looking dangerous as usual. I'm surprised there weren't many rumours/offers from other teams for Dyer this summer. The transfer window is still open, so I won't speak to soon - Rodgers' the thief still has money in the bank. For now, it's nice to see Dyer shooting more.

We are yet to see Ki Sung-Yueng in action. With Britton, Michu and de Guzman all offering plenty in midfield, who will make way for the record signing? I'm guessing it will be de Guzman.

Ultimately it is too early to say Swansea will repeat these exciting scorelines for the rest of the season. There will be tougher games against opponents who actually want to win (both QPR and West Ham haven't looked that up for it). But for now, Swansea still have a nice run of teams where similar comfortable wins are possible - Aston Villa, Stoke, Reading and Wigan are all coming up soon enough.

If Laudrup can keep up a decent run, Swansea can go into the bigger games in November - those against Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool - with no real pressure, already comfortably mid-table. We said before the season started that the Swans must take as many points from the opening games as they could, and things are going exactly to plan it seems!

Swansea City vs QPR: Against all odds!

Football returns!

Well, football never really left us this summer, but the competition that really matters to Swansea City fans is back! (... that's the Premier League if you were wondering)

Maybe it's not wise to get too excited - it's well noted that Swansea often lose the opening game of the season. It's also well noted that Swansea lose away to QPR. Meanwhile the Swans have failed to score in five of their last six visits to Loftus Road and OPR are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games there. So Saturday's game doesn't really have 'Swans win' written all over it...

Still, this is a new Swansea side with a lot to prove and, kicking off their centenary season, is it possible that the team can come back with all three points? It will be the first time we'll see the Swans play competitively under Michael Laudrup – without Joe Allen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and, possibly, Scott Sinclair, but with Michu, de Guzman and Flores.

Trying to break the pattern of an opening day loss will be eleven Swans players - but which starting eleven will feature isn't as easy to predict as last season, when the team wrote itself.

It's safe to say we'll see Michel Vorm in goals and a back four of Rangel, Williams, Flores and Taylor is pretty likely, even though Kyle Bartley has joined and raring to go.

In midfield Leon Britton will be the first picked, and I assume we'll see Jonathan de Guzman and Michu join him for their first competitive Swans matches. Nathan Dyer will feature on the wing from the start and it's likely we'll see Wayne Routledge on the opposite side, if Scott Sinclair has gone by then. Finally, scoring the goals up front on his own (hopefully) should be Danny Graham.

QPR are a team nobody seems to like - I can understand why, with a host of obnoxious players, including Jay Boooooothroyd and Joey Barton (who naturally won't feature on Saturday), along with Adel Taarabt who is confident of a QPR win. Annoyingly QPR are not a bad team, despite a relegation battle last season, and have certainly strengthened over the summer.

While QPR players aren't the nicest around, the fans aren't too bad and Rory Mosedale from QPR Report has kindly shared with us his thoughts on the clash:

On Swansea - It's been a summer of change at Swansea - losing a manager is always tough, especially when it's someone as good as Rodgers. Laudrup was an interesting appointment to me, unproven in the Premier League and hasn't experienced much success in La Liga but he does try and get his teams to play the right style of football. I've been quite impressed with your summer signings so far; Michu is a very good player and should fit in well with your style of play. Sinclair is a bit hit and miss for me so if you get a decent fee for him then it's good business. I think Swansea are a good club who are going about things the right way. It seems a lot of Swansea fans don't particularly like QPR and want us to go down but I think we'll both finish comfortably in mid table.

On QPR – It's been a very exciting summer for the R's. Having finally cleared out the deadwood in the squad we signed Ryan Nelsen, Robert Green, Andy Johnson, Samba Diakite, Fabio, Ji Sung Park and Junior Hoilett, with one or two more coming in over the next few weeks. Everyone is buzzing at QPR right now, something you'll hopefully see on Saturday. No bad injury problems going into the game, midfielder Ali Faurlin won't be fit enough to start but he may come on from the bench. Jamie Mackie and Diakite could miss out but will hopefully be ready for Saturday. Taarabt always enjoys playing against Swansea and he's been on fire in pre-season so you can expect a good game from our Moroccan Magician. Cisse has also been firing in the goals so be weary of him.

QPR's likely starting XI: Green, Onouha, Ferdinand, Hill, Fabio, Park, Diakite, Hoilett, Taarabt, Mackie, Cisse (4,2,3,1)

Rory's score prediction: Swansea have a very poor record at Loftus Road and our team is looking very good. Will have to go for 3-0 to QPR 

It seems Rory is pretty confident and I guess nobody can blame him with the Swans' record at Loftus Road. Is this the season that Swansea stick the middle finger up to both the Loftus Road record and the first game record? I say... maybe. I cautiously predict a break of all trends with a 1-1 draw. That wouldn't be a bad result, all things considered.

If you're after a bet and want to follow Rory's 3-0 to QPR prediction, you'll find odds of around 18/1. My prediction of 1-1 is a less generous 5/1, while Danny Graham to find the net first is 7/1.

Pointless bet of the week: Fede Bessone to score a hat-trick @ 500/1.

Now only another few hours to wait until football starts again!

Swansea City 2012/13 - back to the Championship?

Please rest assured that the title of this blog post in no way reflects my personal prediction of Swansea City's destiny this season. But it does reflect what I'm reading elsewhere.

Recently flicking through the new FourFourTwo Season Preview magazine, I noticed they predict Swansea will finish in 20th. That's right, propping up the table. A 'Wolves' if you will. On the first read I was a little surprised, considering how well Swansea did last season.

However, the relegation predictions don't end with FourFourTwo. The American sports site, Bleacher Report feature Swansea in their 'Five favourites to be relegated this season' article, while The Independent suggest the Swans may 'struggle to keep up' in their preview.

FourFourWrong?

They key reasons behind the relegation predictions become obvious when you read on. Issues like the fact that the Premier League is all new to Michael Laudrup, a manager who hadn't been successful with all his previous teams. Also if Laudrup plans to stick to the same attractive, passing football (which he does), he won't have the element of surprise that Brendan Rodgers had last season - the rest of the league may have the Swans all figured out. This is worrying with no definite 'plan B'.

The other issues addressed in these articles focus on the players. If Sinclair leaves the club (which seems 50/50 at the moment), the Swans will have lost three of their five top scorers last season in this transfer window: Sinclair (8), Sigurdsson (7), Allen (4). This means Swansea may well be lacking the fire-power FourFourTwo warn about.

Personally I don't feel the Swans have that much to worry about. Not as much as the media make out anyway. However, points will be needed from the very start; there won't be as much room for trial and error this season.

Away form must be sorted out too, and points have to be ripped away from the new arrivals in the league as well as potential relegation rivals. This season, it should be these vital games that draw the crowds, not the Man Uniteds, Chelseas and Liverpools of the league (okay, maybe not the Liverpool one - that is a must win game!).

Swansea supporters, myself included, are more optimistic than the media, but with understandable caution. Last season we predicted a realistic finish of 16th or so in the untested waters of the Premier League, but thankfully our caution wasn't needed with the superb 11th finish. This season, we all seem to be predicting around the same (15th seems to be the magic number), with as much caution I guess.

Though praise from national media last season was nice, I'm sure we'll all admit that being the underdog is an equally enjoyable way to approach some games, so this assumption that Swansea will do poorly shouldn't get us down. We all enjoyed saying 'told you so' last season, and it'll be nice to do it again the second time around (especially to Brendan Rodgers).

"The land of the freeee... and the home of the Swans!"

Firstly, before the actual blog starts, to celebrate Swansea City's trip to the USA, press 'play' below and stare at the picture!

Star Spangled Banner by mahjepahje

 

What a multimedia treat that was! (Okay, you can press stop now and carry on reading...)


Following the intense emotional slap we all took after Brendan Rodgers left the club in the immediate post-season, we've had quite a calm ride. Michael Laudrup came in, shocking a few and exciting many, but since then it has been quite comfortable to watch, listen and read about Swansea City.

With just under four weeks until the Swans begin their second Premier League season, and before I take my two week holiday (…in Italy, thanks for asking), lets have a brief recap and then look ahead to what still needs to be done.

The first game under Laudrup was a success. An expected relief for all. 5-0 against Port Talbot showed that even a Swansea B team can score goals and, though it was against a much weaker side than any they'll face next season, it showed there is potential in the reserves and kicked off the Laudrup reign wonderfully.

The squad, minus a few of the Team GB hopefuls, have already made the journey to the USA for their 12-day, three-game period of friendlies against Colorado Rapids, Ventura County Fusion and San Jose Earthquakes. These games should pose a significant test to the Swans A team and allow them to (I hate this word) 'gel' before they return for more warm-up matches against Blackpool and Stuttgart in the familiar setting of the Liberty Stadium.

As I mentioned, we're seeing a pretty calm pre-season transfer-wise. No major names have come to the club, but the three that have put pen to paper (unless it's done digitally these days?) are all worth taking notice of.

However, some areas still need attention before that visit to QPR.

Starting with one of the most important areas on the pitch, I'd say another semi-decent goalkeeper is needed at some point. This signing isn't the highest of priority at the moment, but it may well be if Vorm and Tremmel simultaneously fall ill this winter. But for now we can leave this area and hope they take their vitamins.

Defence has certainly been boosted by Jose Chico Flores coming in as centre-back, while Curtis Obeng impressed many with his speed in the Port Talbot game - something he was unable to show off last season. This is a relief as, if he can do it at Premier League level, it would mean defence is pretty much sorted with a starting four of Rangel, Williams, Flores and Taylor, with Tate, Monk, Obeng and Richards available to cover.

An area which is now saturated with quality is midfield. The arrival of Jonathan de Guzman and Michu has beefed up an already meaty area of the squad. Michu, with 15 La Liga goals last season certainly looks to fill the void left after the departure of Gylfi Sigurdsson. Add the two new boys to the likes of Britton, Agustien, and possibly Orlandi and Dobbie, and there will be plenty of options next season.

Upfront is now the main area of concern. Ignoring the wingers and just focusing on the strikers, will Danny Graham, Leroy Lita and Luke Moore be enough? I'd say no. It's close, but I'd like to lose Moore or Lita and bring in one more striker - one with enough quality and goals to relegate Graham to the bench. Then we would have ourselves a team!

Elsewhere in the world of football, it's worth pointing out that Brendan Rodgers is looking to recreate the play-off winning Swansea squad at Liverpool. Fabio Borini has already signed, while Rodgers is looking to prise Joe Allen away. There are also rumours that he is interested in Dorus De Vries as a second/third keeper. My bet is he is also after Darren Pratley and Lee Trundle. Gorka Pintado has also been spotted at Anfield, though he was just there to have a stadium tour.

The only major point in that last paragraph is that Allen's place with the Swans is under question. One thing I will say is: I'd happily take £15million for Joe Allen. He's been fantastic in the last few seasons and is one of the few 'local boy made good' stories around, but, in my eyes, he's not worth £15million. Therefore, if Swansea were able to bank that much for him it would be good business for the sad farewell.

Nothing is set in stone yet and there are plenty of reasons why it may not be the right move. I feel he has another few years with the Swans yet, but there is obviously truth in the rumours and Rodgers always seems to get his way...

That's it from me for about two weeks. When I return I expect a new goalkeeper, a winger and a striker. I expect Swansea will have won their warm-up games. I expect Sinclair and Allen will have signed new contracts. I expect no injuries to the three Team GB players. I also expect the unexpected and know that there will be at least one more surprise that none of us will expect!

Premier League and we're having a laugh... £45? Actually, we're not.

That's right - Swans fans are justifiably unhappy after the club announced two things yesterday: an updated Jack Army (JA) Membership Scheme and the new price of a home ticket. £45.

Surprisingly, after reading through the new membership scheme details, I'm less irritated than I am at the price hike. But there is still confusion as expected. Let's look at the Jack Army scheme first.


Jack Army membership – home games

The full details are on the club's website, but I will attempt to sum it up:

Tickets go on sale three weeks in advance. The first week and 70% of the allocation is for 'non season-ticket holding JA members' (to give the full title). The second week sees the remaining 30% and leftovers allocated to 'season-ticket holding JA members'. The third week is general sale. You'll be very lucky to get a general sale ticket!

Firstly, I'm glad they've listened to our complaints (unless it was just a good guess) and have changed the glaringly obvious mistake of last season where season-ticket holders had priority to buy an extra ticket.

Season ticket holders - many of whom are regular readers of this blog - have agreed that there is no need for them to have priority to purchase a home ticket as they already have access to home games.

Giving the first 70% of tickets to non season-ticket holders is a good move, and one that I welcome.

As I mentioned, I can't imagine the club selling many general sale tickets this season as surely the 2,000-odd seats will sell out in the first two weeks - mainly because I assume the club will sell thousands of JA memberships to compete for those 2,000 seats.

Elsewhere, I still don't fully understand the points system. The whole scheme seems to be a three-way divide between ST holders, non-ST holders and general sale - where do the points come in? Why are you getting three points for QPR away and one for Man United home if they are not for anything? These are not hypothetical questions, I actually don't know.


Jack Army membership – away games

This is essentially the same system, just reversed - ST holding JA members are given the 70% priority, then 30% to the non-ST holder and finally general sale. Makes complete sense (for a change) as this time ST holders have a valid reason for needing priority.

Note that the cost of joining the new membership scheme will remain the same as last season: £10 for season-ticket holders and £25 for non season-ticket holders.

Got anything left?

Ticket Prices!

Moving on to the price... what can I say. £45 for a home ticket. It's ridiculous. To clarify, the £45 is for Category A games (including Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs), while Category B games (I'm assuming these are somehow unimportant games?!) are £35.

Just shy of £50 for a fan to watch their team against one of these 'big' clubs is everything that is wrong with football these days. Naturally it's not just Swansea, but the club are now revealing their nastier side and distancing themselves from the fans with this move.

The simple way to look at it is: the average guy in Swansea is finding it hard - unemployment, higher cost of living, recession... it's all a bit gloomy. Football is one of the things that can help ease that stress - it allows a fan to have a pint with their mates, cheer on their team and forget about life for a few hours. However, jacking the price up £10 for these already expensive prime games is greedy. It's at least a day's wages for some people.

I am well aware that Swansea are not owned by Johnny Oil-tycoon and need to raise money somehow, but as one fan pointed out, even if all six of the Category A games sell out, including away fans, the club will net an extra £270k over the season. This is nothing in Premier League terms (thanks to @NeathJack1 for working it out).

Is that extra money worth upsetting - even excluding - the loyal fans? It's barely enough to pay wages for a few weeks. The fans are the only ones who are suffering. It's now the case of “if you are lucky enough to find a ticket to a Swans home match, can you even afford it?”

Think of the silly money that players are paid. I could write thousands of words on the problems of money and football, but it's pointless - it will depress us all and won't change anything. I know a blog like this isn't going to get anyone saying “you know what, players are paid too much - let's cut the wages and give something back to the fans”. Still, it's worth mentioning.

One day Premier League clubs will price their fans out of the stadium. Empty seats galore reminiscent of the Six Nations or the Euros. Then again, fans will go to any lengths - pay any price - to get tickets to see their club. We're stupid I guess.

It's not just me annoyed with this increase. Here are a selection of tweets I received from fellow fans following the announcement of the £45 ticket:

@philbettany
At least relegation has a silver lining now: we get to actually see a game! I saw QPR & Fulham away in the oppositions stands...

@Onslow74
Chris, chances are I'll get to see 3 or 4 games max this season. £45 for a Swansea ticket is shocking no matter the opposition. The club has lost touch with their fan base. Especially the ones they'll call on if the PL dream turns sour.

@beaker1964
Think they have forgotten we are in a recession.

@Grayo85
The new system is clearly designed to make having a season ticket v attractive (ground expansion in mind). £45 is a lot tho!

@CliveMitchell54
I think at £45 we are turning into a boutique club a la QPR. It was 1/6d or 7.5p when I first paid to see Swans!

Soon it will be the case that the only people who can afford to watch football are... well, footballers.

Thank god for illegal Armenian cable hook-ups eh?


Your thoughts are more than welcome as always. Sign in using Blogger, Wordpress, Open ID and leave your comment! Or tweet me @ForzaSwansea.

Swansea City: Evil Plans, Team GB and Friendlies

Who's a lazy boy then? Me. It's been over a week since I've written a blog post, so let's catch up on what's been happening with Swansea City!


Rule Britannia (...or not)
Not sure about you, but my interest in Team GB is very low - be it running, swimming or, indeed, football. However, I now have to pay more attention after three Swansea City players were named in Stuart Pearce's squad: Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Scott Sinclair.

It's probably a big honour for the players so I guess congratulations are deserved. But is it good news for Swansea?

There will be positives in the sense that the three will play competitively through the summer so will not have too much rust to WD40 off when it comes to the opening game against QPR. They will also come up against high quality opponents which is, of course, great exposure to new playing styles and tricky players. Meanwhile they may learn a thing or two from experienced teammates Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy.

Yet you can't help feel these positives will immediately be shadowed if one of the Swans trio picks up a knock or, worse, a long term injury. There's also the likelihood that, should Team GB go all the way, the three will pick up some fatigue going into the first few games. They'll also miss much of pre-season with Michael Laudrup - I can't see this affecting his decision making (i.e. he won't automatically opt for Tate over Taylor), but it would be better for them to be with the club than running around in London.

A mixed bag then. Good luck to them - just watch those injuries.


Welcome Flores and De Guzman! 
While most of the focus is on players leaving the club, Michael Laudrup has reinforced the squad with two solid signings: defender Jose 'Chico' Flores comes in from Genoa on a three-year contract (initial fee of £2million) and midfielder Jonathan De Guzman arrives on a year-long loan deal from Villarreal.

From what I've seen of these guys, they look to be good acquisitions, especially Flores - it was no secret that Swansea were desperate for a centre-back after Steven Caulker returned to Spurs, and Flores looks very capable of filling the hole. Meanwhile, Jonathan De Guzman looks quite impressive in his attacking midfield role with plenty of vision and passing ability. Hopefully a good replacement for Sigurdsson.

As always, time will tell. For now they both seem to be players that are comfortable with the Swansea style of play, have big game experience and could fit in very well. Welcome.


Brendan Rodgers' Evil Plans
Mr Rodgers has, unsurprisingly, made Fabio Borini one his prime targets at Liverpool. Why should we care what happens at Liverpool? Well, it's our ex-manager and one of our ex-strikers, so it is interesting to see if these two do reunite for a third time. Nothing is confirmed yet, but I'd urge Borini to stay in Italy.

More critical to Swansea is whether Rodgers will want to link up with Joe Allen again. We know that Rodgers can't instigate a move for Swans players due to the terms in his contract termination, but, if I understand correctly, if Allen wanted to go to Liverpool, he could. There's no denying Liverpool can offer him bigger wages and that Rodgers is keen to have him, so the rumours are more believable than some of the others we've heard (although Swansea have announced there are no plans to sell the midfielder things can change).

Nobody wants to see Allen leave the club - he is vital to the central three, he works hard, he's from Swansea (rare now to see a local boy with his local team, especially in the top flight). Yes, he'd fit into Liverpool's plans, but I feel he'll make a big mistake. Maybe I'm being cynical towards Liverpool (I am), but I genuinely think anyone going there these days is making a mistake!


We're all friends here!
Swansea will play a number of friendlies prior to the first game against QPR - some in Swansea, some in America. One in Port Talbot.

Here are the details (all subject to change, etc, etc):

vs. Port Talbot - Sat 21st July (3pm, GenQuip Stadium)
vs. Colorado Rapids - Tues July 24th (7pm local time, Dick's Sporting Goods Park)
vs. Ventura County Fusion - Sat July 28th (5pm local time, Oxnard College Stadium)
vs. San Jose Earthquakes - Tues July 31st (7.30pm local time, Buck Shaw Stadium)
vs. Blackpool - Tues 7th August (7pm, Liberty Stadium)


Follow me on Twitter for immediate blog updates and general Swans news - @ForzaSwansea.

See you next time!

Swansea City: “Just a trim please darling”

If you thought it was going to be a summer of ten new signings... you clearly haven't been following Swansea City for very long.

But in addition to not many signings being made, recent reports have suggested, somewhat surprisingly for me, that Michael Laudrup wants to trim the current 34 man squad down to a streamlined 22.

It's a bold move by the new manager, and something I can imagine may not have happened under Rodgers, but whether it does happen or not, it gives us a chance to take a look at the squad; what we can afford to lose, and what we definitely can't.

Erik Larsen, Laudrup's assistant, said in the week: "It's not the case that there's only room for 22. These things develop so if someone gets injured you can add more." At least this means Laudrup hasn't gone crazy and is aware that some depth is needed.

It would be hard to speculate exactly who would go if Laudrup does have his way, mainly because I don't know what he has planned for the summer transfer window. He may well have two new strikers lined up, so keeping the likes of Luke Moore, Leroy Lita and Rory Donnelly would be pointless. However, as I say, nobody knows.

So, hypothetically, let's assume Ludrup will bring five new players to the club. Ideally these would be: a centre-back, a right/left back, a striker, an attacking midfielder or a winger, and a spare keeper. With those in mind, this is how I would trim the squad down to 22:

Swansea City (in association with ForzaSwansea.com) 22-man squad:

Goalkeepers

Michel Vorm

Gerhard Tremmel

New Goalkeeper #1

Defence

Ashley Williams

Angel Rangel

Alan Tate

Garry Monk

Neil Taylor

New CB #2

New LB #3

Midfield

Leon Britton

Kemy Agustien

Joe Allen

Nathan Dyer

Wayne Routledge

Andrea Orlandi

New CAM/Winger #4

Striker

Danny Graham

Leroy Lita or Luke Moore

New Striker #5

You may notice that I've only listed 20 at the moment - I haven't mentioned Scott Sinclair and Stephen Dobbie. We'll move onto those two in a moment, but first, let's look at my choices.

While most are pretty straightforward and will not need justifying to the reasonable fan, you'll notice I've included Alan Tate and Garry Monk. Both are getting on in terms of stamina and quality, but Monk has proved he can cope in the Premier League, while Tate has also shown he can help out at times, and is useful cover for any position across the back four. For their lengthy service to the club they must be kept, at least for one more season.

Gerhard Tremmel is required as a back up keeper, while Kemy Agustien has shown his worth and will surely feature more now that he is fit and Sigurdsson has buggered off. As for the Lita/Moore choice, we only need one of these underachievers and I'd edge towards Leroy Lita personally - three decent strikers (including a new first choice ahead of Graham) would be enough under Swansea's system.

Andrea Orlandi is one who stunned quite a few Swans fans by scoring the fastest Premier League goal for five seasons, in a rare appearance against Wolves last season. In that game he showed some flair and skill - enough to intrigue me to keep him around. He would need to prove something in the first half of the season though, or he should be gone by Christmas.

Before we get onto the list of who must leave the club, what about Sinclair and Dobbie?

Scott Sinclair was given an ultimatum by Swansea: sign or be sold. A choice I support because Sinclair would end up leaving for free otherwise. If we're being honest, he hasn't looked happy at the club in recent months. The winger has been linked with Fulham in the past few days, a move I'd support for £5million. It would be a shame to see him go, but if he does, Laudrup could use the space (and the cash) to buy a replacement winger.

Elsewhere, we all know the Stephen Dobbie story. Amazing Championship player, not so hot when it comes to the Premier League. Will Laudrup gamble on his past abilities, or will he see him as a wage burden and not one for his streamlined squad?

So, if those are the ones we keep, who are the players that must go?

The Unfortunates:

Mark Gower

Curtis Obeng

Darnel Situ

Ashley Richards

Federico Bessone

Rory Donnelly

Scott Donnelly

David Cornell

Lee Lucas

Ben Davies

Joe Walsh

Daniel Alfei

Casey Thomas

Jordan Smith

Gwion Edwards

Kurtis March

You'll agree that none on this list have really set the footballing world alight, and – if Laudrup has his way – these would most likely be the casualties.

It was a shame to put Ashley Richards and Mark Gower on the list, as Gower was relatively solid in the final Championship season and Richards is a Welsh talent that has shown some potential. But neither would worm their way into my 22 man squad.

Elsewhere, Curtis Obeng and Darnel Situ were brought to the club in an odd panic buying spree by Rodgers last season, and ended up tied up in contract chaos, so didn't feature apart from in the reserves. Rory Donnelly seemed an interesting prospect, but if it's down to 22 he is going to have to go as he hasn't proved what he can do yet. Meanwhile, Fede Bessone is just using up wages for doing nothing.

The youngsters are all obvious casualties – they may have potential, but don't have the experience. It would take a major disaster to see many of them featuring in the Premier League next season.

Hey, I could be wrong. Laudrup may hate the way Dyer moves and chose Bessone to be the new winger. He may think Vorm is overrated and give Tate another chance in goals. Who knows!?

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on my selection. Is it silly to keep Tate and Monk? Would you do all you can to keep Sinclair? Are both Lita and Moore worth holding onto? Is Obeng the answer we're actually looking for in defence?

Swansea City 12/13 Kit Review - Swansea's answer to Gok Wan!

Firstly, to clarify: I am not Gok Wan - I'm not half Chinese (though am partial to a dim sum) and my opinions in the world of fashion are not well respected. However, I like to think I know at least something about the only fashion that should matter to you readers: Swansea City kits!

We've now had 100 years of Swansea kits to enjoy, from the simplicity of the earlier years to the over complicated designs we saw in the 90's.

While the 2010/11 home shirt was pretty nice - white with black trim and Adidas stripes - there was nothing immense about it. No real 'wow factor' (I assume that is something Gok says?), and nothing significant to celebrate Swansea's promotion to the Premier League. But, as I say, it was nice enough.


However, last seasons' orange away kit was one of the worst we've had for a while in my opinion, in both design and effort, especially after finding out that it was no more than a generic training top reissued with a Swans badge. An insult if you ask me.

But I'm willing to forgive Adidas after seeing the effort that has gone into the centenary kit.

When I first saw the kits for the 2011/12 season I was surprised and satisfied (in that order). After a few ordinary seasons, we now see a shirt worth getting excited about! Let's have a look at it.

The Badge

To mark 100 years of Swansea City, the club designed a centenary badge, which was a brilliant idea. There are many websites, books and events planned to celebrate 100 years of the club, so it was only expected that the logo designers follow suit and conjure up something special. This special badge features on both the home and away kits, in addition to a selection of jackets and training tops.

Naturally, we all love the standard Swans logo, but to have a one-off edition made especially to celebrate the centenary is a smart move. The bevelled-edge shield features something that resembles an actual swan, the words centenary and the important text: Swansea City A.F.C 1912-2012. I like it – it's fit for the celebration and adds to the collector appeal of this new shirt.

Home Shirt

Never has a blogger looked so awkward...

Swansea City will walk out on the Liberty Stadium pitch in what must be their most princely kit yet. It's the white we all expected (no red re-branding in Swansea thankfully...) but with a luxurious twist: gold!

Not just a bit of gold here and there, but gold Adidas stripes, gold Swans badge and even a gold 32 Red logo! It's a bold move changing from white and black to white and gold, but, like the new badge, for a one off and a celebration of 100 years of Swansea City it was a worthy gamble that has paid off with the fans.

So far, every supporter I've spoken to seems to love its over-the-top statement, but simple design. Hopefully it will reflect and compliment the style of football that the Swans will play under Michael Laudrup. It's so stylish, even Alan Tate may look good.

You'll notice I've had my name on the back. I could have had Graham, Sinclair, Williams, Vorm, Rangel... but who knows where they'll be playing in a year from now, so why risk it. No, go with your own name. You'll be that bit less depressed when your favourite player leaves the club as you won't need any re-stitching.

I'm also enjoying the appearance of 'The Jacks' stitched onto the back of the shirt – a classy finishing touch and a nod to the fans.

Away Shirt

Initially I was indifferent when seeing the almost garish away kit, though it has grown on me. It's a typical Adidas design, but combines two colours not usually seen together in the Swans back catalogue: red and green - the colours of Wales. It's another bold move, but it works. It promotes the fact that Swansea City are the first Welsh football team to land (and stay in) the Premier League. There was no need to change the name of the team to... say, the Red Dragons.

 

However patriotic the colours are, I find they clash a bit and it may be a problem for the style conscious fan. Naturally it is designed to be worn with white shorts, thus completing the Welsh flag feel, but for those of us who rarely wear white shorts, it would have been even better if the design incorporated a little more white into the top to break up the greed and red.

Let's hope squad do us proud in both shirts!

Expert opinion!

I'll be frank with you - I couldn't find a non-football fashion expert who was willing to give their view on the shirt. I tried, but the fashion world is stuck up it's own arse when it comes to football kits it seems.

However, I convinced my long-suffering, football-hating girlfriend, Becci, to have a look at both shirts and give me her honest opinion. This is basically how our chat panned out:

Becci: I think you're asking the wrong person because I think all football shirts are awful.
Chris: Right... Anyway, this is the away shirt (shows photo)
Becci: It looks like the Welsh rugby top to me. It is quite smart though. But if you saw them on the football field wearing the shirt you wouldn't say it was Swansea.
Chris: So you like it?
Becci: It doesn't look cheap like some of the other kits. It's nice.

Becci's score: 8/10

Chris: This is the new home kit (shows photo)
Becci: Is that actually it? Oh my god that is fu**ing awful. It looks tacky with the gold. I have nothing else to say about it.
Chris: Say something else please, I have a blog to fill.
Becci: ... is there a reason it's gold?
Chris: It's to celebrate 100 years history of Swansea City.
Becci: Oh. I just think they could've made more of an effort. I suppose it is quite nice. I just think the gold looks tacky though.

Becci's score: 6/10

So, while I assume Becci does not reflect the whole non-football loving world, it seems the away kit is a hit, while the home kit needs a bit more work. Keep this in mind for next time Adidas...

I'll be back soon for more Swans news as we head into the 'looking ahead to next season' stage of the summer. In the meantime I'd like to say a big, big thank you to Idealo.co.uk for supplying the shirt for me to review and Becci for her opinions.

See you next time!

A very brief Swansea City news round up!

Welcome to a very (very) brief round up of this week's Swansea City news!

The Michael Laudrup press conference
As some have said - you know you're a Premier League club when your manager is unveiled live on Sky Sports, and yesterday afternoon Huw Jenkins spoke to the world to introduce Michael Laudrup as Swansea City manager.

The Dane (Laudrup, not Jenkins...) came across very well, as we expected. He spoke about the club matching his own philosophy, the now unlikely move for Sigurdsson, and how changes to the club won't be made for the sake of it. However, he did say they will be looking to make signings.

It seems his big ideas are more about developing the club than about winning trophies. When first hearing this I thought 'no ambition...', but on reflection it will be a while until Swansea are contesting a league title and any shot at glory in Europe, so his aspiration to build the club instead of chasing trophies should please most Swans fans. 


Gylfi Sigurdsson
I'm getting really bored with this, to the point that even if Sigurdsson does come to Swansea the news will be received by little more than a shrug of the shoulders from me. Mainly because he's spent too much time waiting to see if a bigger club will come along and snap him up for more money and higher wages. Selfish.

Controversial as it may be, I'd rather Swansea say - "you know what Gylfi, forget it!". The Swans should use the £7million on something a little less fickle. Don't get me wrong, he was superb for the club in the latter stages of last season and would be a fine addition to any team (apart from Liverpool), but the current situation is just putting a bad taste in everyone's mouth.


Marvin Emnes 
Rumours have appeared this week that Marvin Emnes is being pursued by Swansea for around £3million, though the club have been quick to say that it is just old talk resurfacing and there are no new developments.

Emnes, while able to work hard in several roles across the forwards, seems to be a very good Championship player, but it's hard to speculate how he'd make the step up to Premier League again. He's had a few games at that level, but I can't help feel he'd spend more time on the bench if he signed for Swansea.

I'd be happy to give him a go - maybe another loan deal? - but £3million seems a little steep for a gamble.


Dobbie to Celtic?
Stephen Dobbie has been linked with a move to Celtic today. But, with no idea if he will be used more frequently under Laudrup, it would be best for him and Swansea if he waits to hear the plans.


Jack Army membership scheme
I had a little rant on Twitter about the scheme last week. You all know my thoughts on the many, many flaws, but I've heard a rumour that a new scheme may be announced soon.

Whether it is completely new or just an adaption of the existing one, I guess anything would be better than what is currently available. Very briefly, here are just a few things that would make it more Premier League and less Blue Square Premier in my eyes:

• A rule that season ticket holders would not be able to purchase additional tickets to home games (they already have a home ticket, why on earth would they need another one?!) 
• A new website where it is easier to log in and see your points
• A membership card (just something physical to hold, to justify the £10/25 you've spent) 
• A clearer points system, where points are known in advance (i.e. QPR away = 3 points, Sunderland away = 10 points)
• Most importantly, a clearer system in general, where questions like “if one person has 15 points but doesn't have a season-ticket, does he have priority over the season-ticket holder with 13 points?” would not have to exist! 

That's the round up for this week. Look out for my review of the new Swansea City home and away shirts coming up next week! In the meantime, if you enjoyed this blog, why not follow me on twitter - @ForzaSwansea

A sensible look at the newest addition to Swansea City

For my last birthday I received South Park Season 14 on DVD and some moisturiser. Michael Laudrup got a Premier League football team for his... He wins.

You should be well aware of the news by now: Michael Laudrup has been confirmed as the new Swansea City manager on a two-year contract, replacing Brendan Rodgers who left the club two weeks ago.

A recent photo... 2011 I think

It's not much of a surprise as Laudrup has been the bookies favourite for a while, with numerous 'leaks' and media chatter backing it up. Still, it's superb to have confirmation, after the two manager-less weeks. Even one day without a manager is a day where the club can't move forward.

Firstly, let's take a moment to consider the shrewd moves by Huw Jenkins over the past fortnight - he's secured £7million for Brendan Rodgers and brought an exciting new manager to the club for free. Add that to the £7million that we won't be spending on Gylfi Sigurdsson and Swansea theoretically have £14million to play with. Nice one Mr Jenkins.

So, while Michael Laudrup has been described as the best player ever by many through the years, what do we know about him as a manager?

He has held the reins of four other clubs in the past ten years and was assistant manager of Denmark for a couple of years before that. While his playing career saw him well decorated - with medals for league wins with Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and more, in addition to many Player of the Year awards - his managerial career hasn't particularly wowed anyone (but neither did Brendan Rodgers', and we all know what he achieved...).

Laudrup did well with Brøndby over four years, revamping the team and winning the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup, before moving to Getafe. He stayed with the Spanish side for only one season, but implemented a similar easy-on-the-eye style of passing football there and took them to the UEFA Cup quarter finals. He then moved to Spartak Moscow where he flopped and was sacked after just seven months, before spending a season with Mallorca where he kept them from relegation, but resigned in September 2011 after his assistant was sacked.

So a colourful ten years for the Danish manager, all of which has led him to Swansea City.

The good news is he'll be bringing a similar brand of football to the Liberty Stadium and fields a 4-2-3-1 formation, so very little tinkering with the squad will be needed (though be sure to read my Swansea City Summer Shopping List article for what should still be considered this summer).

There is little in the way of bad news in this appointment. If you need a point of view from Mallorca, who were supposedly glad he left, read this article.

The only real thing I'm worried about is trying to find another manager two years from now, when Liverpool ultimately steal him from us (in this scenario, Brendan Rodgers was sacked after his first season with The Reds. He is now the assistant manager of Dagenham & Redbridge).

We've all discussed loyalty, and it may seem a little pessimistic – even inappropriate – to discuss this on the day he's been appointed, but is Laudrup in it for the long run? Early indications seem to say... no, he's not.

It's hard to predict, but we'd be fools to believe that loyalty to a team - for players and managers alike – is anything more than a bonus these days. I guess, as long as he is able to keep the team playing as they are, or better, and continues to build on the work of the past three managers, we will be satisfied.

Whether this scenario is more than fiction, and whether he does a brilliant Brøndby or a sluggish Spartak Moscow with Swansea City will be revealed over the next few seasons. But for now Michael Laudrup has the full support of the Jack Army behind him.