Sunday 2 June 2013

A Swan in Seattle: First season triumph!

With the football over, it's our pleasure here at ForzaSwansea to keep you entertained over the summer with some passionate blog posts, like this one from American Swansea City fan JACOB CRISTOBAL. He sums up his first season following the club perfectly!




So, the 2012-13 Premier League season is over. Fergie went out on a high, the hierarchy among the London clubs stayed the same and QPR learned what happened when they embark on a poor man’s Man City spending spree.

But none of that mattered much to me as I was following the journey of Swansea City as they ventured through their second year in the Premier League! What did this American - probably barely qualified to have an opinion on football - learn?

First and foremost, the chatter I saw on my Twitter feed on Saturday mornings was of two things: first, everyone who flashed the crest of the Swans wanted them to pick up three points. That’s a given with any supporter of any club. Jubilation when it happened, frustration when it was anything else.

The second thing was that, much like last season, everyone was just happy to be there. No one has taken the journey for granted, especially since this May the club marked the ten year anniversary of that match against Hull City - of course everyone reading this knows what happened there.

Where the first year in the Prem was all about making sure they didn’t fall flat on their face and avoid being a “one and done,” the second year was showing everyone the first year was not a fluke.

Like everyone else, I fell in love with Michu so there’s not much else to say there that someone else hasn’t. What I wanted to happen and glad it did was that in following the club I got to know the rest of the squad - those that have been there throughout the journey and the fresh blood that Michael Laudrup brought with him.

Without a doubt, my other favourite player on the squad is Ben Davies. Talk about stepping up in a monumental way. I still think he should’ve been nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year over Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck and if Davies carries himself into the next season, he best be on the shortlist or there’s something fundamentally wrong in the voting system.

I just have to say that it’s been a lot of fun following this club, outside of my local Seattle Sounders FC. It wasn’t easy waking up at the crack of dawn every Saturday morning to fire up the computer to tune in, but man was it fun demolishing QPR on opening day, Davies silencing a winger like Nani, Rangel’s humanitarian side and - of course - winning at Wembley.

I think that last one is the highlight that no one in their wildest imagination saw coming this season. I know all I wanted was a finish in the top ten. We got that. Now they’re looking at the summer transfer window for purposes of having enough bodies for the Europa? Wow.
 
Then again, European competition, top ten finishes, and building a reputation as possibly the next hot/big thing most likely is the culmination of what chairman Huw Jenkins has in mind. Just like the fans I’ve gotten to know across social media and through this outlet, those that run the club are not taking any of this for granted. They’re doing what they can to tell everyone that they are very legit and are here to stay. We all know that the modern game is wide open to the “here take this giant sack of money and win” ideology - yet here are Swansea City, the plucky underdogs that are doing it right.

Interviews from Jenkins and Laudrup confirm that to me. Sure it worries me that the rising stock of the club and their players draw the bigger clubs to try and poach the players, but that’s sports for you. Happens everywhere, like it or not.

At the same time though, it is pretty cool that others are taking notice of what’s going on at Liberty Stadium. I can’t help but find a similarity with how the hometown club Seattle Sounders FC have done it as well. Just like the Swans, they are fairly new to the league, yet they’ve made a whole lot of noise in such a short history. I guess the only thing left is for the two clubs to strike a partnership, resulting in me giddy like a schoolgirl.

I don’t know what will happen next season other than I know it will be something worth remembering. It’s been a lot of fun following this club some 4,600 miles away and the people that have welcomed me into the fold have been some class folks and I hope to have a pint with them soon.

A decade ago, Swansea City were about to fall off the football cliff. Now they’re making plans for European competition. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for those who were at that match against Hull City to be here now. I’m sure there aren’t enough words to describe it, but put a gun to my head and I would say the word that embodies the season was: fun.

Now the club just needs to hurry up and unveil the new kits so I can buy them.

Monday 20 May 2013

Swansea City 2012/13: One to remember!

It's that time of year again - a time for reflection, a time for celebration and a time to prepare for two months with no football. Still, there are plenty of memories to take us through to August - memories of a superb season for Swansea City, possibly the best yet.

Super-Dane Michael Laudrup joined us last year as the club were looking to avoid second-season syndrome. Despite some hesitation with his shaky track record, Laudrup was instantly loved and the cliched alliteration was never mentioned again. I'm sure FourFourTwo ate their words...


FourFourTwo's accurate pre-season prediction...

The 5-0 drubbing of QPR on the opening day set the tone for an exciting ten months of football, where we saw victories against Arsenal, Chelsea and Brendan Rodgers, while scaring Man United and Man City a couple of times.

As well as seeing the rise of homegrown talent - namely Ben Davies - this exciting season has seen some new names cement themselves in the Landore walk of fame. Michu, Ki, de Guzman, Chico, Hernandez and Tiendalli (and Shechter) all made their own impact on South Wales, bringing goals (Michu), passion (Chico), hoards of new fans (Ki) and, at times, frustration (Shechter). Whatever impact they made, they have all contributed to an eventful season and we thank them for their efforts.


That day in Wembley

One of the most eventful days saw around 40,000 of us head to Wembley again for the mental 5-0 smashing of Bradford in the Capital One Cup final, giving the club some much needed silverware and a ticket to European football next season.

What will this summer bring? Hopefully not another new manager - one thing the club could do without is another managerial change as stability is going to be key to establishing Swansea as a long term Premier League club. Another thing we hope the summer doesn't bring is the greedy hands of big clubs looking to poach players away - Michu and Williams in particular, though some seem resigned to the fact that Vorm will probably head off.

What we hope the summer will bring is more players. Swansea need about five or six new players in various areas, either to replace those who leave or bulk up the squad for the tiring European experience. Mainly a proven striker or two - if there is an area to spend money on it is certainly a goalscorer!

Elsewhere, I'm happy to have completed my third season as a Swansea City blogger. It's been an eventful year for me, winning the Best Sports Blog at the Wales Blog Awards in September, before opening the blogging doors to a few talented and passionate writers who have helped keep the blog afloat during a busy few months for me. Check them out on the contributors page.


Me claiming the Best Sports Blog in Wales title in September

I expect a nice (if rainy) summer of rumour and speculation, with a little bit of heartache, but plenty of anticipation ahead of the Swans' third season in the Premier League, a European tour (qualification permitting) and a South Wales derby or two to top it off.

Check back soon for regular posts over the summer. Forza Swansea!

Friday 17 May 2013

Swansea City: Alec's Dream Team

Before the final game of the season, ALEC JOHNSON has been considering which players should get a run out. And he's not limited it to the current squad! Here is his Swansea City dream team, including some of the best ever players to pull on a white (/black/red/orange) shirt.




Looking ahead to the final match of the season, and considering who I would give a run out to with only a place or two at stake, our comfortable position in the table sparked thoughts of a dream team of our past running out at the Liberty against Fulham.

Before I take bullets for not including any of the early sixties heroes, my first match wasn’t until March 16th, 1979 against Gillingham, aged eight. We won 3-1 and I was instantly addicted. Since that day, I have kicked every ball, made every tackle and shanked every pass with the lads on the pitch, from the North bank, East stand and more recently South stand, plus many away ends up and down the country.

So, limiting myself to players that I have witnessed in my time, the squad listed below considers our current playing formation which I believe to be the most effective, also adding the contribution that they made to the club in a Swans shirt.

Goalkeeper
Michel Vorm – I firmly believe that he is the best keeper ever to play for this club. I actually don’t remember him ever being solely responsible for giving a goal away in his two seasons and we should retain him at all costs.

Defence
Angel Rangel – How well has he developed? The best £10k investment ever in my opinion and he continues to improve each season. I don’t believe there’s a right back challenge from anybody in the past thirty years.

Terry Phelan – Signed by Terry Yorath and sadly only with us for a season, Phelan was an incredible athlete who dominated the entire left flank through his pace and energy. His ability to get beyond the opposing right back and create options in the final third put him in the wing back category but let very little past him either.

Chico Flores – It’s incredible to think that we can find established players of this calibre out there for just £2m, Chico has turned into a complete centre half. The mistakes have dried up as have the karate kicks! Chico is good enough for any side in the country as he consistently dominates his opponent.

Ashley Williams – Ash completes the back four despite not having his best season in a Swans shirt. He started slowly giving away a few goals and at times has lacked the pace to prevent players ghosting in behind him. However, generally rock solid, consistent and committed he makes the best ever starting eleven by some distance ahead of what could be his final game for the club.

Midfield
Robbie James – A complete midfielder, Robbie could sit in front of the back four a la Leon Britton style, break up the play but he had the power to burst through the pack and create chances in the opposition half. He also had an incredible eye for goal and scored so many long-rangers, often in vital games. Also, a genuinely wonderful character off the pitch, sadly taken away from us fifteen years ago - I would make Robbie the club captain.

Alan Davies – The little man had the most incredible feet, he could do anything with a ball and pick the pass to change the game. Alan also deserves inclusion for that free kick at Ninian Park which he hit with the outside of his foot from thirty yards. One of the most gifted players ever to play at the Vetch.

Michu – Sitting in front of these two, Michu would have had the freedom to roam around the final third. We have only seen the best of Miguel when he is playing off a front man, he has the capacity to wander around into space anticipating the second ball and hurt the opposition. Besides his deadly finishing, he seldom gives the ball away which is rare for a player in the final third and finishes each game in a state of collapse due to his endless work rate.

Attack
Alan Curtis – For the younger brigade that never witnessed this genius with a ball at his feet, think of a Welsh Messi. Ok, not quite in that league but the same attributes - small but incredibly strong and quick feet, Curt could go inside or outside making him very unpredictable and deadly to mark.

Leighton James – The best crosser of a football ever to wear a Swans shirt, dazzling with both feet and very direct. He wasn’t the hardest worker on a pitch but with Phelan sitting behind him Leighton would be free to preserve energy and hurt teams in devastating fashion. Better on the pitch than with a microphone that’s for sure.

John Toshack – Big John was often only considered a manager of our club, but his impact as a player was almost as big. Before signing for us, he was considered one of the best strikers in Europe having won everything with Liverpool just a few years earlier. Purely from a playing perspective, it was a privilege to have Toshack in a Swans shirt just through his prime and in this team he would hit 20-plus goals a season.

The Bench 

Roger Freestone – Awesome shot stopper who controlled the penalty area in the air by reading the game perfectly from corners and free kicks.

Bob Latchford – Justifies his inclusion for that first season in 1981 - a predator with his feet or head, that played to score.

Jan Molby – A majestic player who played with his head up. Despite his size Jan dominated the midfield though his vision and awareness. The big man never gave a ball away in his time on the pitch at Swansea.

Nigel Stevenson – Speedie was always dominant and a genuine hard man of the back four, quiet yet motivating I don’t remember him ever having a bad game, and would recommend not to tell him if he ever did!

Chris Coleman – Cookie replaced Phelan and it was like for like in style if not size. Physically massive with a crisp left foot who often played in the middle when called on.

Nathan Dyer – His pace and energy terrifies defenders, bring him on after an hour after the Curt and Leighton have worn the full backs down.

Joe Allen – I believe Joe will get better and better, had a good few seasons with us and needs including for that Ninian Park celebration.


Having only missed a handful of home games in thirty years and despite not going away as often as I would like, I don’t believe there are any glaring omissions in this squad, but fire over your missile to @71_alec or feel free to add your comment below with your pitch on who and why.

Individually I believe every one of them would hold their own in any top four side, assembling them collectively would have put us right in among them.

Dare we dream!

Thursday 9 May 2013

Swansea City: Nine months later

In a sensible blog post full of frustration and optimism, ForzaSwansea blogger MATTHEW JACOB is using Swansea City's poor end of season form to reflect on how far the club has come in the last nine months.


I'll hold my hands up and admit that in August I was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Brendan Rodgers and three key players in Scott Sinclair, Joe Allen and Steven Caulker had left Swansea City in yet another summer shake up - a shake up that I was convinced would be one too many given the barriers the club had already overcome in the last five seasons. I truly believed that while we had chosen the right man to lead the team forward in Michael Laudrup, we were in for a tough season.

From that opening day crushing of QPR to our Capital One Cup triumph at Wembley, this season has exceeded all of my expectations and the playing squad have excelled.

Until now it seems.

With European football secured against all the odds we now seem to have not just taken our foot off the gas, but turned off the engine altogether. The last few performances, while not lacking in effort, have been well below par and below what we have come to expect from this group of players that are widely regarded as the best the club has ever had. It really does feel like a few of the players have rolled out the beach towels prematurely and accusations that the season ended at Wembley with that cup win. Is that an unfair assumption? From where I'm standing... maybe a little.

Alan Shearer said, after Newcastle's humiliating defeat at the hands of Sunderland, that supporters can accept defeat, but not a team that doesn't try. I believe that rings true of all football fans. Naturally we all crave the buzz of success whether you support Arsenal or Aldershot, but the very least we as supporters expect is that each man who pulls on club colours should give no less than 100%.

Swansea City is a club led by a footballing legend, in its centenary year, that has managed to overcome the odds to win its first major trophy and with it the opportunity of European football next season, and secure the club's Premier League status, so as supporters should we not be delighted with what the club has achieved? Of course we are, and to suggest otherwise would be ridiculous.

Yet the frustration felt by the fans is understandable - one win in eight games is quite frankly appalling form, and had we not done all the hard work early on in the year we could well be scrapping with the Wigans and Aston Villas to avoid being the final team through the relegation trapdoor, but we're not.

We've got the luxury of looking forward to another summer of Premier League football, the excitement of what talents our recently acquired European status might attract, and two derbies against our 'friends' from up the road. That's what's next for Swansea City.

I don't like losing as much as the next Jack, but surely a little bit of perspective is in order here? After all, were we not nominated as one of the favourites (yet again) to be relegated this season? While clubs like QPR were tipped for a top half finish? I wonder what would Rangers fans give to see their club where Swansea City stands now?

The players continue to come out and say they don't want to let this season fizzle out, that they are determined to fight for every win, and I believe them. Actions speak louder than words though and it's time to stand up and be counted.

The likes of Pablo Hernandez and Ki Seung Yeung could win a few people over with a couple of quality performances in our remaining four fixtures and a top half finish would round off what has been a quite superb campaign. They're not the only two who have been off the boil recently, so let's hope they can all finish with a flourish.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to check for cheap flights to Europe...

Saturday 4 May 2013

The Hatching of the Swan - a poem

Though I enjoy writing, I find poetry to be too far out of my comfort zone and, as a result, it is something I've rarely attempted. As my nan once told me "Chris, you are a shit poet".

However a Swansea City fan called Noel has emailed me with an inspiring poem focusing on the creation of the football club we all love.

So here, in a ForzaSwansea first, is a poem:


THE HATCHING OF THE SWAN
by Noel Stephen Evans

It was the 14th June in 1912.
Where they met, at the Royal Hotel.
The board of directors were gathered there.
With Mr J W Thorpe, there as well.

He was to be our first chairman.
The excitement was rife in the air.
A public meeting was called for.
Enthusiasm was for all to share. 

Discussions were heard so intently.
With all the notes taken down.
And everyone so proud to witness.
The birth, of our own Swansea Town. 

Our home was our beloved Vetch Field.
In the Sandfields, down by the sea.
Walter, our first ever manager.
Our boss, and our first goalie. 

The first match we drew against Cardiff.
1 - 1, with the old enemy.
And the hundred years that did follow.
To play them, seemed so fittingly. 

Our first ever goal at the Vetch Field.
Was scored by our own Billy Ball.
He also did score our first hat-trick. 
And our first, to get sent off and all.

That first year for us was amazing. 
As we finished, third in the league.
And also lifting the Welsh Cup.
In the final, we beat Pontypridd. 

So that's where our history all started.
We're so proud just being a Jack.
The seeds were laid, and the foundation set.
Where the Swan had come to hatch. 

And all that's gone before us.
With the tradition of our great club.
We've all got so much to be proud of.
In our team, that we all love.

Thursday 2 May 2013

Swansea City: Snubbed!

After the recent PFA Player of the Year announcements, ForzaSwansea's passionate American Swans fan, JACOB CRISTOBAL hits out at the exclusion of Michu and Ben Davies.


Recently Luis Suarez did a very Luis Suarez thing and bit Branislav Ivanovic. Before that was the weekend where we saw the shortlist for the PFA awards Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. I understand the uproar of Suarez being on the shortlist, but I also understand the fact that he has kept Liverpool afloat despite being a liability of embarrassing magnitude.

Looking at the other nominees, I understand Bale’s inclusion, Van Persie’s, Juan Mata’s, and yes - even Eden Hazard's! The one inclusion that boggled my mind along with a lot of others is Manchester United’s Michael Carrick. When I saw the shortlist on Saturday, I went, “Huh. No Michu - but Carrick is in? Really?” No, no tables were flipped in anger, it was just puzzling. I’m not saying that Michael Carrick shouldn’t be nominated - it’s hard to argue the fact that he was voted on by his fellow footballing peers.

Looking at the other candidates they all have one thing in common: goal scoring. I know it’s not the be all, end all tool of measurement for a player’s effectiveness and influence, but Michu is fourth on the list of top scorers this season, leading all midfielders in the Premier League. And you know what, he did the same thing in La Liga the season before that.

But at the end of the day, them's the breaks and while individual accolades are nice to put on the mantle, no one can take away how Michu has arrived onto the Premier League in stellar fashion, becoming the latest Swansea City hero.


Ben Davies - Better than Welbeck?

If Michu’s snub was baffling, then Ben Davies’ exclusion for PFA Young Player of the Year was ridiculous. If there’s one Swans player that has won my affection not named Michu, it is Ben Davies. A graduate from the youth squad, we all know what Davies has done since coming in for Neil Taylor in August.

His emergence and locking down of the left back position has been nothing short of amazing (ask Brendan Rodgers if he finally recovered Raheem Sterling) and if I may go completely homer for a minute, we here in Seattle have something of our own teenage riot turning heads with right back DeAndre Yedlin of the Sounders FC. I swear I am not picking on Manchester United but how and why is Danny Welbeck on the Young Player shortlist over Davies?

If you look at the EA Sports Player Performance Index, which the Premier League swears by, Davies is ranked #75, above Welbeck at #235 by the most lopsided leaps and bounds. Davies has played in more matches than Welbeck, has the same amount of goals and it only took him eight shots, whereas Welbeck had to take 39. I wonder how Welbeck would feel knowing a defender has a better shots-to-goal conversion than him? Here are a few other comparable stats between Davies and Welbeck.


  • Average Passes: Davies - 42.5 / Welbeck - 18.4
  • Pass Success %: Davies - 82.8 / Welbeck - 86.4
  • Average accurate/Total Long Balls per game: Davies - 2.1 / Welbeck - 0.3

Make of that what you will in terms of who is the better player, and really they picked the wrong player from Manchester United.

There’s another aspect with the PFA awards that I’m sure I can’t be the only one asking. Should players be eligible for multiple individual honours? With this year’s nominees, Bale and Hazard are in Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Should it be that if they’re nominated for let’s just call it the “senior” one, should they still be eligible for the YPOY? If you take them off that list, you then open it up for a combo of De Gea/Nastasic/Davies in there. That would make for a more appealing pool to choose the winner for YPOY and quell the majority of journalists screaming “___ was snubbed!”

Maybe that’s something the PFA should consider so the field is more open. Again, in the end this is just how these things play out. It’s always tough for these sort of individual accolades to be dwindled down any shortlist. There’s always going to be debate about who got in over someone else across message boards, news articles, social media, pubs and the like. So while being officially recognised by their footballing peers in the form of an individual honour eluded them this year, Michu and Ben Davies have nothing to be sad about.

I bet they would gladly prefer the love and recognition from the supporters any day of the week. And hey, there’s always next season right?

Saturday 27 April 2013

Chico's future with Swansea City

With the Premier League season drawing to a close, JULES PRICE takes a brief look at one of this season's most influential signings, Chico Flores, and where his future may lie.


We are all aware of the success of Swansea City’s second season in the league and winning the Capital One Cup. We are also aware of the impact the 2012 arrivals had on the team such as Michu, de Guzman and not forgetting the promotion of Ben Davies to the starting eleven.

However, another standout performer this season has been Chico Flores and, as Michael Laudrup begins planning for the next campaign, speculation around Chico and the other Swans players is already underway.

The Spanish defender could be a man in demand according to respected commentator Guillem Balague. During a recent event evening at the Liberty Stadium, Balague more than hinted that Chico could be the target for some of Europe's largest clubs, in particular Barcelona.

It is widely understood that Barcelona stalwart Carles Puyol could leave in the summer, and that would mean an enormous gap for the Catalan club to fill. Balague cutely suggested Chico could be the man as he looked over at him and smiled. Of course, Chico did play for the Barcelona B team when managed by a young Pep Guardiola.

More pleasing to hear was another hint from Balague that Chico is on the verge of Spanish call up to represent his national team.

It seems Swansea’s success is being closely monitored throughout Europe and with Guardiola apparently a fan of the central defender, there is a quiet suggestion that he could be a target for German giants Bayern Munich.

Should the transfer speculation of Chico become true and the possible departure of Ashley Williams to Liverpool or Arsenal, it could be a long hard-working summer for Michael Laudrup and his coaching staff.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Summer Starts Early!

With Swansea City's eventful season almost over, it's almost time for 'silly season' to begin - four months of excitement and uncertainty. But before the rumours start ALEC JOHNSON takes us through what we have and what we need in the summer transfer market.


What’s in store for us this summer? I believe far more stability and positive moves rather than counteractive managerial hunting. After two seasons in the top flight, a major cup and a European adventure ahead, we have become a safe, exciting proposition for developing footballers.

We have developed an identity as a well-run club playing attractive football, but interestingly we are now considered specialists in the Spanish market, in the same way that Newcastle are for French or Arsenal were for French or African talent. Yet I still remain surprised not to see a Danish player or two.

So, what do we need?

Defensively we are solid with depth across every position. Four proven centre-backs and four dependable full-back options gives us plenty of versatility. So I would not add to defence unless the bombshell of Ash leaving to a top four club is realised. Sadly this is highly possible and that opens up a like-for-like exchange with Alberto Botia or another mobile man mountain. It will also be interesting to see if Darnel Situ can finally step up - he is highly thought of and must be in his thirties by now, the length of time he’s been hanging around.

Midfield is an area where Laudrup tends to freshen things up by changing things game to game. The engine room is vital to our game with both the box-to-box nature and the creative artists requiring fresh legs to break with pace. Jonathan de Guzman is expected to find another club - he replaced Joe Allen and, in my eyes, did a better job, offering more in the final third and on set pieces.

The board will fight to keep de Guzman and his statement suggesting that he would love to stay is encouraging, but money talks and he will have lucrative alternatives. Even if Jonno chose the Swans, would we pay £7million for him? I’m not sure.

So who could fill the gap? Personally I would love to cherry pick from the relegated bunch which could include Seb Larsson? Ashley Westwood? Tarabbt (cue multiple boos)? Possibly Wigan’s Shaun Maloney or James McArthur? Jose Canas may be brought in to compete with Leon, but where does that leave injury plagued Kemy?

Out wide I expect an addition to provide another menace for tired legs, covering off-days for Dyer or Routledge. So far Lamah has proved nothing yet and Pablo is far more effective in a more central role. Laudrup has quoted on several occasions his desire to work with four wingers capable of both creating and scoring.


Iago Aspas: Perfect signing for the Swans?

In attack I expect two strikers to be recruited, plus Luke Moore offered a new deal. Rory should be retained to complete the pack of four chasing the goals. Iago Aspas seems to want to come to Swansea and I believe he will for a club record fee and will fit in perfectly. It’s been a long time since we had a smaller more nimble option.

The Lukaku merry go round is back in motion - we nearly snared him last summer but his demands were too big, however this year we have a 30% greater budget to play with. A cheeky bid for Steven Fletcher if Sunderland drop would be fantastic, but I expect us to chase value overseas, or cherry-pick from the Championship. And what about Glenn Murray at Crystal Palace or even Jordan Rhodes - these fellas are all about goals and we do create a few chances.

Here’s my top three to mull over that could add firepower up front for us:

  • Adam Szalai of Mainz is a big lad and superb finisher, previously with Real Madrid and of Hungarian nationality, in his mid-twenties. He never fulfilled his early potential but could blossom under Laudrup.

  • Wilfired Bony has been banging them in all season for Vitesse Arnhem, a current Ivory Coast international and at 25-years-old he is deserved of a go in a big league. 

  • Jonathan Soriano moved to Red Bull Salzburg for a few extra euros last summer. Why this lad hasn’t left the Barcelona fold and moved onto a big club in a major league surprises me, he’s got everything needed to succeed at a club like ours.

Adding one of these three plus Aspas takes into the category of top six challengers, it really does.

Closer to home, the under-25 home grown rule will affect decisions. Clearly Tiendalli was rated above Jazz last season but the decision is reversed for next season. The extra space in the squad is unlikely to be deemed important for another full back - a shame as Dwight has done very well.

Anybody coming in will fit the profile characteristics necessary at the club: a few years before their peak, great work ethic, comfortable on the ball in any area and the hunger to work hard.

In addition to the character profile we must consider how a blend of highly paid egotistical stars blend together. Adding the wrong individual can be hugely counter-productive if team selection doesn’t go their way. But I have faith in our board to assess the character assess anybody joining in ‘Fokker’ style.

We will continue to do it the Swansea way and, despite any whispers or speculation, I forecast a bunch of new players that we haven’t heard of and an even stronger season ahead.

Thursday 18 April 2013

Swansea City: Competition winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the ForzaSwansea blog competition to win a wonderful Swansea City caricature print from SwansFootball.

In the end the main prize went to a very deserving winner, Marie Pearson, who was in hospital receiving treatment for breast cancer at the time.

Afterwards she said: "I was so chuffed I won, it brought tears to my eyes."

Well done Marie!

Marie showing off her prize!

Meanwhile Tash Smith, Clive Mitchell and Sian Protheroe were the lucky runners-up who bagged an individual player print each.

Stay turned for more great blogs and competitions!

Friday 5 April 2013

Cardiff... it's been a while.

We've had several brilliant blog posts from some top contributors over the past month, but now ForzaSwansea editor CHRIS CARRA returns with a post of his own, discussing the likelihood of Swansea City's biggest rivals making the leap into the Premier League


There is no point hiding the fact that most Swansea City fans have been keeping a close eye on the Championship table recently and not for nostalgic reasons. It's about time we addressed the possibility of sharing the Premier League with another Welsh team next season.

We've seen how many times Cardiff have thrown away the opportunity to propel themselves to the top flight, usually in the most painful way - the play-offs. However this season it looks almost inevitable that they will finally be successful in their attempt.

With seven games to go, the Red Dragons are seven points clear at the top of the table and have a game in hand. The teams that can stop them all seem to be slipping up. This year seems to be the year Swansea City's greatest rivals will shake off the bluebottles label. But is it a bad thing?

Instantly I would say yes. It is ingrained in Swansea fans that we do not want Cardiff to succeed. They don't want Swansea to succeed. How many Cardiff fans were cheering us on in the play-off final? How many were willing us to beat Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea? None (or a very few odd ones). Yes, the rivalry between the clubs and the fans is historically mental.

However Cardiff being promoted would see the return of the South Wales derby which is certainly one to be celebrated, and is up there with the best 90 minute rivalries in the world - Italy vs. Brazil, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona and Shenzhen Xiangxue Eisiti vs. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical F.C. (I've discussed this before - it is an actual derby, albeit less media friendly as others).

It's been a while since the last one - we have to go back to February 6th, 2011 when Brendan Rodgers was still wooing us with David Brent-isms and Yves Ma-Kalambay was making an impact on the bench. Cardiff came down to the Liberty Stadium and won 1-0 in a match where they were hungrier for the win (though a few poor refereeing decisions helped their case). We were close to witnessing a South Wales derby in the play-off final later that season but thankfully that was an M4 bubble match that didn't happen.

And this time around the derby will be on the biggest stage - probably a Super Sunday 3D affair! The whole world will have the opportunity to watch, including the newer fans that Swansea have collected over the last few seasons.

Some may say Cardiff's promotion is good for Welsh football but I don't fully buy into it. Unless it's a team bursting with Welshmen it won't do that much good - not as good as Swansea's promotion anyway. Apart from Craig Bellamy, Cardiff don't have much Welsh talent to brag about and less to develop. Yes some of the younger reserve players may fall into the same category as Ashley Williams, Ben Davies, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor, but with only Bellamy in the first team it won't be groundbreaking move.

Ultimately if Cardiff do achieve promotion they deserve it. They've played well enough throughout the season and look to be making the step up as champions of the second tier. While no-one in Swansea will applaud, no one should really begrudge.

Besides, they will probably be relegated anyway.

---

Aus readers who fancy football tipping should have a look at TABs footy tipping website.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Ashley Williams: On his way out?

In this blog post, JULES PRICE takes a look at why Swansea City legend Ashley Williams may well be heading away from South Wales this summer. And we don't mean on holiday.


I’ve lost count of reports linking established Swansea City players with bigger clubs, especially on the back of the Swans' continued success in the Premier League. This season there has already been a lot of speculation over players being lured away from Swansea including Michu, Vorm and of course Laudrup himself, while loanee Jonathan De Guzman would create a genuine void should he return to his parent club Villareal.

But a major headache for the club would be the departure of captain Ashley Williams. While he denies seeking a move, maybe there are some telltale signs to suggest otherwise.

What career path has Williams followed so far? After a short spell as a youth player at West Brom, he joined non-league Hednesford Town before being snapped up by Stockport County. He was well respected at Stockport and club captain, and was given a farewell round of applause when he signed for the Swans during the 2007-2008 season.

Since then, Williams has been a stalwart in the heart of the Swansea defence, breaking many records along the way. He holds the record in the 2012/13 Premier League season for the most blocks. His player influence stats are nearly always the highest in the Swansea team, and he has one of the highest pass completion rates amongst his peers. The icing on the cake was lifting the Capital One Cup at Wembley in February.

However, I have seen a side to Ashley Williams this season that has not been so visible previously. At the start of the season, the club was surrounded by rumour that all was not well behind closed doors, with the chairman holding meetings to resolve disputes between the players and the new management team. This seemed to have an effect on Williams as some sloppy back passing from him cost Swansea dearly. His levels of concentration were clearly strained.

Credit to him, his season has got back on track. But another problem occurs. Is he satisfied with the quality and commitment he sees from some of his teammates, especially the newer recruits? At the end of the West Brom away game and the recent Arsenal game at the Liberty Stadium, Williams was livid with some of his teammates, but one player in particular has been at the wrong end of his disgruntlement – Pablo Hernandez.

I have observed him shouting, swearing and screaming at Hernandez like I have never seen before, with pure frustration and anger. Could this be too much for Williams? I suspect he has had and will continue to receive offers from now until the start of next season, from other clubs and the opportunity may finally be right for him.

At 28-years-old a move to a richer club would guarantee one large pay-day before retirement, the possibility of Champions League football, and the chance to play with players of even greater ability. Or will Williams see Swansea’s entry into next season’s Europa League as enough of a challenge, and it will suppress any other desire to leave the club?

His agent Jamie Moralee has reiterated Williams is likely to stay, but he has confirmed discussions would need to take place between all parties if a substantial offer is received. With Arsenal and Liverpool reportedly admirers of the Swansea defender, the Swans will be lucky to have him playing for them during the 2013/14 season.

Monday 1 April 2013

ForzaSwansea in March '13

March was a superb month for the blog, I hope you'll agree (or at least keep quiet if you don't)!

Since I made the decision to open the blog to a small team of contributors we have seen healthier numbers of interesting Swansea City articles.

As with all good sports websites (I think) the direction changes from time to time and it's refreshing to see more detailed, standalone articles profiling certain aspects of Swansea City, instead of match previews and reports which saturate the blog market (in a good way - it's good to have a lot of choice these days).

Over the past few weeks we've seen Jules Price take a look at the Liberty Stadium expansion plans and in another article he highlighted Swansea's 'other' summer signings. Jacob Cristobal made a very enthusiastic debut post outlining why he chose to support the Swans despite living over 4,500 miles away.

Alec Johnson also made his first contribution with a really solid piece looking at the past and present, before trying to define where it is the club are going in the future. Elsewhere in a piece that proved popular with many fans, Matthew Jacob profiled my favourite Swans player, Angel Rangel.

We have another couple lined up for April, before we look at the end of season drama (there is usually a little when it comes to Swansea) in May.

Remember, some of the ForzaSwansea writers have their own blogs and websites so be sure to check out the contributors page for the links.

Thanks as always for visiting,

Chris

---

Off to the Swansea Bay Beer Festival this week? Check out my review of last year's event on my food blog, SwanseaOnAPlate!

Saturday 23 March 2013

Swansea City: The ‘other’ summer signings

Although Michu has rightly claimed the title of the new Swansea City poster boy, he is not the only player who joined the club in the summer. As JULES PRICE explains, there are others worth celebrating.


To suggest Michu has been the signing of the season is an understatement. Not only is he one of the leading scorers in the Premier League, but he has demonstrated his versatility playing in different positions and, with the departure of Danny Graham, has taken on extra responsibility within the team.

However, he wasn’t the only signing that Swansea made before the 2012/13 season commenced.

New recruits Ki Sung-Yeung, Pablo Hernandez, Chico Flores, Jonathan De Guzman and Kyle Bartley have all enjoyed some success in South Wales. Let's take a look at three of these ‘other’ signings who sit in the shadow of Michu.

South Korean Ki Sung-Yueng had already enjoyed three successful seasons in British football with Scottish giants Celtic. Swansea signed the 24-year-old Korean international for a club record fee of around £6million. Little was known of the attacking midfielder, but it soon become apparent how useful this player is. He is a skillful player who has great vision to choose the right pass, many of which are forward moving and has the ability to use both feet.

For both Celtic and the South Korean national team, he has shown to be a valuable asset, scoring some spectacular goals from 25 yards plus. Although yet to score for the Swans, he has had the most shots blocked of any player in the Premier League this season. Ki’s willingness to help his team mates and his resourcefulness was typified by playing a full back role in the Capital One Cup Final game against Bradford at Wembley.

Pablo Hernandez is a 27-year-old player who was signed to compliment the wide players like Routledge and Dyer. Formerly a striker in his early days in Spain, Hernandez has been tipped to play for a big club with alleged interest coming from Manchester United and other top European sides. After some success at international level for Spain, making his debut against Austria in 2009, Hernandez’s career seemed to meander before Swansea signed him during the Summer of 2012.

He has the ability to round a player and has scored some memorable goals for the Swans. However, in more recent games against WBA and Arsenal, his pass completion has been poor, and he seems to try almost too hard to be precise with his pass. He played well against Bradford, showing some flashes of his true talent, whilst gaining an good understanding with Ben Davies.

Jonathan De Guzman has been signed on loan from the relegated Villarreal for a season, although both the player and Swansea are looking to make the deal a permanent one. This will depend on whether Villarreal are promoted back to La Liga. During the pre-season games at the Liberty Stadium, De Guzman could be seen marshaling his new team mates around the pitch, showing great zonal awareness, and demonstrating some true technical ability.

De Guzman has grown in statute, producing some wonderful free kicks, and is now the second leading goal scorer for the Swans with eight goals in total. Arguably his best game was in the Capital One Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where he proved to be the perfect foil for Michu helping to create the first goal.

Many media pundits will still argue that to be successful in the Premier League you have to spend serious money. I disagree! Yes, you need to sign new, better players to improve the squad, but more importantly a club needs to sign the RIGHT players and Swansea City have been justified in this approach.

Michu has been a revelation this season, and his recent League Managers Association Award has vindicated this, but the Swans are much more than that and, with two exciting players apparently lined up to join the squad this summer, may Swansea’s shrewd approach continue.

---

If you are after lovely, independent reviews of the fine eateries of Swansea remember to check out Chris's food blog - SwanseaOnAPlate!

Tuesday 19 March 2013

From Oldham to Old Trafford: The Rise of Angel Rangel‏

He's my favourite player. No, not Alan Tate - it's Angel Rangel. And MATTHEW JACOB, in his ForzaSwansea debut, profiles the Spanish defender who continues to dominate the wings of the Premier League.

---
By Matthew Jacob

Swansea City have been on an incredible journey in the last ten years, and many have played their part in the meteoric rise of the club. Were you to ask the Jack Army who they think has been a standout performer you may hear names such as Ashley Williams, Leon Britton, Scott Sinclair, Michu... only a few might immediately suggest Angel Rangel, but the Spanish full back has been a stalwart since his arrival from Terrassa in 2007.




I remember my initial reaction being one of incredulity - I mean, Angel Rangel?! Who is he?! I learned soon enough. For a mere £10,000 Rangel was brought to Swansea from the Segunda B outfit on a performance-based deal by Roberto Martinez, and quickly established himself as a first team regular as Swansea stormed to the League One title.

Rangel continued to perform well as Swansea's passing style drew admirers from all corners of the football world, culminating in a Wembley showpiece and promotion to the Premier League. An extraordinary rise then for a player plucked from obscurity in the lower echelons of Spanish football.

Rangel has had an exceptional six years at Swansea City, forging an excellent understanding with the likes of Nathan Dyer and more recently Pablo Hernandez. His rampaging overlapping runs from fullback cause havoc for opposition defences and allow the midfield even greater freedom when the Swans get into an attacking flow.

Defensively Rangel has proved himself time and again. The likes of Eden Hazard, Nani and Aaron Lennon have had little or no joy against the man from Catalonia, and his recently penned three-year deal is just reward for a string of high quality performances.

So what makes him so important to Swansea City?

First and foremost Angel Rangel is an intelligent footballer. In modern football it's as much about positional play and how the game is read that make good defenders great defenders. Rangel knows when to get tight to a tricky winger and knows when to stand his ground. As good in the air as he is with his feet Rangel has developed into one of the most highly rated fullbacks in British football.

When Rangel gets into attacking positions his ability to pick a pass and set up scoring opportunities for the forwards is another important commodity for the club. And that really is one of Rangel's greatest quality is that he's not 'just another defender' he's a winger, a fullback, a leader and a team player.

If I had to choose a Rangel moment in the last six years it would have to be his goal at Doncaster Rovers in the Championship. With the clock ticking down the Spaniard rescued a point for the Swans to keep their promotion push on track as he controlled a pass from Kemy Agustien before firing into the top corner on the volley to the joy of the travelling fans behind the goal.

Brendan Rodgers actually referred to that point as "the most important to date" at the time - a superb goal from an unlikely source, and he's chipped in with a few more since!

Rangel's influence extends beyond the pitch. The Spaniard, who recently referred to himself as 'feeling like a Welshman' is a model professional and a role model for the younger players, while recently he took to Twitter to request help from his followers to find a charity shelter where he and his wife could make food donations. The story spread and even attracted national press coverage.

Angel Rangel sums up everything that's good about Swansea City at the moment; hard work, pride, passion and belief. I'm looking forward to watching his rampaging runs for a few more years yet.

Sunday 17 March 2013

Are we there yet?

What is Swansea City's ultimate destination? Are we a 'big club' yet? What makes a 'big club'? In his first ForzaSwansea blog post Alec Johnson explores the past and possible future of the club that everyone just can't get enough of.


Are we there yet? The dreaded question for any parent on a long journey, but one we can also ask ourselves as Swansea City supporters, because we too are on quite a journey. But before we look ahead, let’s rewind and appreciate recent points in our history.

It has been well documented that we were rock bottom a decade ago - at least it was our rock bottom. Thankfully we didn’t suffer the ‘Luton’ or ‘Oxford’ syndrome, both of whom a generation previously had reached their Wembley cup finals, both winners of a major cup. Neither club has recovered to reach similar heights after losing their league status.

For Swansea, that fateful day against Hull could have delivered an entirely different direction for our club and we danced with the devils of non-league. Would we have returned? I believe so. I have considered a few reasons why but thankfully we will never know the answer to that question. One thing for sure is that we wouldn’t be parading cups around our city on a bus full of international stars.

Size counts for nothing in this ruthless game where the worst teams fall through the trap door. Though comparisons can be drawn between the clubs, we are a much bigger club than both Luton and Oxford, boasting far greater fan bases and population - 750,000 people live within a 45 minute drive of Swansea, a huge catchment area.

More importantly, our club are in the safest set of hands in the entire football pyramid, and have been since 2001, two years before our judgement day. Huw Jenkins and Martin Morgan in particular have built this club with their hands dirty and through their heart and soul for the city and its supporters, not themselves.

The board in the winter of 2003 recognised two things that could be done to affect the journey and change the destination -  bringing in players and fans. They did both by running several cheap ticket schemes that doubled the attendances from 3500 to 6000 and beyond, the extra revenue generated was reinvested in Martinez, Britton and Tate, among others.

History and survival has been well documented since. So acknowledging the past will always have our board and long term supporters appreciate the present and future. Accepting where we are in the pecking order of football hierarchy can bring perspective to what we have achieved when planning the next steps.

So many managers become victims of their own success but thankfully our board see the hill in front of them and have one eye, not two, on the mountain beyond it. If this was ‘bet in-play’ would we cash in now? Have we peaked? How far can we develop our club? Are we now considered a big club? Are we there yet?

The Future

We were promoted in style, also in hope not belief that Premier League status could be retained. Belief has now turned into expectation, as I predict a minimum five year run at this level. If there was a check list of items necessary to develop in this league, I believe we tick every box and we can now set our targets even higher beyond the hill and towards that mountain.

We remain debt free, profitable, focused on developing a young squad under long contracts, under a manager committed for the next season at least. Our profile grows month on month and the board have the investment priorities in the right order.

It’s all about the Liberty, the team and new training facilities absorbing the cash surplus, what we can afford and pausing what we cannot. There is not another club in the Premier League that ticks every box, this leaves us in an enviable position where we can prosper and become a ‘big club’ - this has to be the goal. There is no actual definition of a big club but the most common factor considered is attendances.

Clubs like Norwich, Sunderland and West Brom punch well above their weight but this is down to a prolonged time in the top flight. A top flight stay breeds a generation of fans and it becomes a habit.

Most remain through relegation and tough times therefore securing greater revenue at lower levels and the probability of a promotion. This is in the minds of the Swansea board as they embark on the investment for stadium expansion - the interest is not the revenue as there is enough of that swilling around. It’s the bums on seats for the future of the club.

Adding to this the fact that ‘we’re all going on a European tour’, again the few million yield on this adventure is of secondary importance, the raised profile attracts both players and fans, embedding our proud name in the media every Thursday across Europe. Iron the banner Mrs J, me and the fella are off to Latvia!

So, are we there yet?

I don’t think so, but we do need to understand where we sit in the order of things. We will not be competing for the Champions League, firing our manager for not winning the league, booing our players off the pitch for not winning 5-0 or chanting ‘sack the board’.

Let’s not forget our values as a club as we become more successful, our recent history is now our best history but I believe there is more to come, lots more. The first ever top flight south-Wales derby perhaps? Let’s hope not! A serious crack at Europe, an FA cup and a decade in the best league in the world sounds like a great destination for me.

But let’s not forget, ‘we are Swansea, and we know who we are’.

Friday 15 March 2013

Fortress Liberty: Expansion

In his debut ForzaSwansea blog post JULES PRICE takes a brief, sensible look at the exciting new plans for the desperately needed expansion of the Liberty Stadium.


It was in 2005 that Swansea City and the Ospreys moved to the Liberty Stadium, which was a typical off-the-shelf packaged modern complex, based on plans similar to Sunderland’s ground, the Stadium of Light.

With an initial capacity of 20,500, this has organically grown to 20,750 with better use of space, but now the club has announced a three-stage plan to expand the stadium, increasing the capacity to an eventual 32,000 seats. Having the second lowest stadium capacity in the Premier League after QPR’s Loftus Road, Swansea City are now anxious to take advantage of its growing popularity among local and global supporters.


An artist's impression of what the front elevation may look like.


However, the club has brought forward the first stage of its ambitious expansion programme, as the current media facilities at the stadium are not compliant for the new Sky TV/BT Sports agreement commencing in August 2013. The initial phase will involve the creation of a fourth tier in the West Stand, which will house a new media centre.

This also provides the Swans with an opportunity to house a new spectator area on the newly created level, and replace the existing media area with spectator seats. Externally, the fourth tier will not be visible, and the perfect bowl shape is still retained.


Seating inside the stadium.

A further 5000 seats are expected to be added to the East Stand in time for the 2014/15 Season, and should the Swans continue to enjoy success on the pitch, a decision will be made to increase the capacity to an eventual 32,000.

This steady, calculated approach typifies how Swansea City have conducted its business under the guidance of Huw Jenkins. The Swans will be keen to avoid the mistake made by Wolves where an ambitious expansion programme to increase their Molineux Stadium was started, only for the club to be relegated to the Championship and subsequently struggle to fill the new seating areas.


Thoughts from Chris:

The stadium desperately needs more seating. In this age where Swansea have significantly increased their support in the city and beyond (not in Cardiff) there is a constant battle for tickets. The infuriating Jack Army membership scheme starts to play its part, tickets are sold for stupid prices, fans try to get tickets in the away end... it's not what football should be about.

How refreshing it would be to just wander down to the stadium on match day and pick up a couple of tickets half hour before kick-off.

As Jules mentions, if Swansea are relegated then support may wane (though it shouldn't if everyone is the Swansea supporter they say they are...) and the half-full stadium may make Swans matches seem like Osprey's matches!

Still, it's worth the gamble. Swansea don't look likely to be relegation material in the near future and now is the time to encourage new supporters who can actually pop along to a match without having to scavenge for a ticket weeks ahead of the game.


Sunday 10 March 2013

A Swan in Seattle

In bed, through one bloodshot eye - that's how Seattle-based Swansea City fan JACOB CRISTOBAL watches his newly-adopted team. In his debut ForzaSwansea blog post, he explains how he fell in love with a club that play the beautiful game over 4,500 miles away.


There's something special about watching Swansea City, and the overall narrative of who they are and what they're trying to accomplish.

Most fans of the game here in the US tend to start off with finding a favourite in England's top flight before branching out to finding favourites in other places, including our own domestic league, Major League Soccer.

I was going through the motions of picking a Premier League side. Most of my friends already had their allegiances with someone of the "Big Four" and, while I was close to following suit, I wanted to expand my horizons.

My personal preference is to go for the new and in Swansea City's case they were the newest of new. Their first time ever being in the Premier League as well as being the first Welsh club to do so definitely struck a chord with my way of thinking and throughout the 2011/12 season I kept an eye on what they were doing.

The confirmation of picking and following them didn't really come until the summer of 2012. No, this wasn't like LeBron James' The Decision, though one of my friends tried to make a campaign for me to swear allegiance to Chelsea.

Looking at where Swansea City finished in their maiden voyage was very impressive and truth be told there are a couple aspects about Swansea City that I just like and, most likely, only by my logic make sense. They are:
  • The Swanselona nickname - having been dazzled over the years by FC Barcelona, this is a no-brainer.
  • Their crest is a beautiful design of simplicity and echoes something you'd see out of the DHARMA Initiative (yes, that's a reference to the series LOST).
  • Their nickname, the Swans - where sports typically go for aggressive nicknames, you have the swan. How can you not like that?
  •  
Living on the west coast of the US, I'm in the unique position of catching Swansea City matches from the comforts of bed, through an Internet stream and with one bloodshot eye. When kick-off happens over in the Premier League, most of the time it's 7am here in Seattle. So you can already imagine the process when those lunch time kick-offs happen and it's 4am here.

Sometimes the Swans are on TV and in those cases I have to endure Steve McManaman's attempts to use words to form sentences to make a point about who knows what! Then again, this is how it is following practically any European league match live. I would never complain about it because without the marvels of technology, discovering Swansea City and getting to know some of the fans would not be possible.

Chris asked me where Swansea City lie in terms of how American fans view them - I would say they are of two outlooks.

First they could be seen as a mid-table team who will make a little bit of noise, but ultimately lie in the middle of the pack. Something akin to your Stoke City and Fulhams of the world. Not competing for the Premier League title, but not trying to pull off a great escape from relegation.

The other outlook is that with their immediate success and feel good story of winning the League Cup and possible advancements in European competition, Swansea City could become an alternative for those looking for a Premier League team to root for that aren't part of the old, established giants.

I'm not saying the Swans themselves are going to be Premier League giants any time soon, but they are building a great case to attract more people to not just how they play and the stars they have, but how the club is managed and most importantly the fair and good people that support the club.

And that is one of the biggest aspects about Swansea City that I've come to like over the journey so far - the people. Those that I've interacted with over social media have welcomed me with virtual open arms and I've noticed that not one of them has ever felt the club was entitled to any of the success. Yes, the want is a great burning desire, but those that I've talked to know what's happening before them is special and they are just enjoying and appreciating the ride.

As the saying goes, the rest is history.

No one is going to be able to say where Swansea City will go next but the ride they're taking fans on, both old and new, has been a blast. It's roughly 4,600 miles between Seattle and Swansea and while I hope to one day close that distance and attend a match at the Liberty Stadium, near or far this guy says thank you and let the good times roll.

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Changes to ForzaSwansea.com!

I am changing the name of the blog to ForzaCardiff.com. Announcement over.

...yes, I'm joking. But I didn't drag you here just to make a stupid joke.

Regular readers may have noticed that over the past few months my Swansea City blogging activity has been a lot less frequent than in previous years. The reason for this is simply that my workload has increased and other writing commitments are eating into my time.

A few weeks back this began to frustrate the hell out of me because - as you will know - I love the blog. However, with limited time, I am not giving it the attention it deserves.

So I've made the decision to open the doors to a small team of hand-selected contributors - all passionate, witty Swansea City experts who I am hoping will provide a couple of superb, exclusive blog posts a month.

In my new role ForzaSwansea editor I will still be writing as often as before, but under this new regime you should see more frequent and varied posts. I have created a contributors page where you can meet the new ForzaSwansea team.

I'm also open to new writers and guest posts (providing you are genuine Swansea City fans - i.e. no agencies), so if you have an original article idea and think you have what it takes to write for this award-winning website, leave a message on the contact form.

Stay tuned - new posts coming very soon!

Chris

Monday 25 February 2013

From Landore to London: Swansea City Champions!

Once again we came, we saw and we conquered Wembley!

Swansea City are champions of the Capital One Cup 2013 - quite a feat for Michael Laudrup's first season in charge!




Around 30,000 Swans fans made their way from South Wales along the M4 to London for their second Wembley final in three seasons. After a frosty early start, the beer (on my bus anyway) was cracked open at around 8am, along with chants, singing and a hefty case of sausage sandwiches!

We made it to Harrow at around 11:30am and continued drinking in the warmth of The Moon on the Hill, which was rammed with Swans fans. Maybe a little too rammed, so we eventually moved to the slightly more manageable one a few streets away - The Junction. The atmosphere was superb - I can't imagine the Bradford-designated pubs were as loud as our ones!

I made my way to Wembley via tube and arrived at 3pm and found my seat which had a great view. Only as I sat down I realised how cold it was... any energy I had left was knocked out by the icy chill that swept the stadium. I knew I should have bought a half/half scarf...

The interesting opening ceremony was atmospheric as you would expect, as were the fireworks and dramatic music. And the flags left on the seats were also a nice touch.

With the long build-up over, the main event - the 90 minutes of football - was actually a bit of an anti-climax for me. Not the five goals or Swansea winning, but the actual feel of the match. It felt more like the first round of the cup, only at Wembley.

Unfortunately this was down to Bradford not really turning up. Unlike their fans - who were superb throughout, out-singing Swansea at times and celebrating until the end - the actual team seemed burned out and/or overawed by the situation. Probably the case of one massive game too many. Even though I wanted Swansea to win, a couple of nerve-wracking Bradford chances - similar to the play-off final vs. Reading - would have made for a little more excitement. But it felt a little bland.

Still, 10,000/1 at the start of the cup, Bradford surpassed the expectation of their fans to get to the final, but it was always going to be Swansea City's day and the team thoroughly deserved to lift the cup.

From what I remember, Swansea dominated possession and territory, outplaying Bradford in every aspect. Take nothing away from Swansea though, who would have probably beat any opposition yesterday, such was the quality of football they played.

The goalscorers were a little unexpected. At no point did I have Dyer to be on a hat-trick - I don't think many would have. It's a shame he didn't get his third goal. It's undecided whether de Guzman should have surrendered the ball to him for the penalty, but de Guzman was in his right to want a goal on a plate at the final and therefore was probably right to take the kick.

Ashley Williams lifting the trophy with Garry Monk was another nice touch of the day - both men deserved it for their service to the club.

We shuffled out of the stadium and found the way to the mini-bus that would take us back to Swansea. Five hours later we arrived - knackered, hungry, cold but happy! A great day and one which may not be topped for some time!

Europe, here we come!

---

Check back soon for an important announcement about the future of ForzaSwansea.com.

Wednesday 20 February 2013

The Wembley Preview


Remember this?

My view last time - slightly closer to the halfway line this time around!

Well it's time to relive it once again. We're off to Wembley!

For most of us it means cracking open a lovely can of beer at 7am while sailing down the M4 on a bus that smells like anticipation and (if you go with the bus company I do) a little bit of urine.

There will be plenty of beer and plenty of anticipation on Sunday. Hopefully more excitement than nerves like the last time the Swans were at the stadium. While the 5-0 hammering by Liverpool last weekend wasn't ideal preparation for Wembley, rest assured there is nothing to worry about on Sunday.

While a heavy defeat isn't cause for celebration, it does clear the air. It gives the team - the whole squad - a shake up. One thing Swansea City definitely won't do now is swagger into the final and slip-up by being too casual.

In theory, Swansea should win comfortably on Sunday. Despite no obvious striker (excluding Michu), the Premier League team should wrap this historic cup final up in the first half - again, in theory. But, as we know, the cup loves an upset and things rarely go the way we plan.

Remember, Bradford are not in the final because they have been poor in this competition. They beat other Premier League opposition (including Arsenal) to claim their Wembley spot and won't have any fears about being up against Swansea. Their fans believe, their players believe, the Dalai Lama believes, and sometimes a little belief goes a long way.

But against a mid-table League Two side, this is only Swansea's game to lose.

Michael Laudrup played a second string side against Liverpool, ensuring some of his top players were rested (some may say unnecessarily), so his strongest eleven will be out on Sunday. Laudrup is taking this cup very seriously. Let's face it, his time at Swansea is likely to be short, and he knows that if he is to go down as a Swansea City legend in such a brief time-slot, a cup final win will be the way to do it.

Tremmel will have to start in goals. Not just because he has been this cup's designated keeper, but because his overall form has increased dramatically, with some fans insisting his performances have been better than Vorm's in recent weeks.

Unfortunately, the consistent, fiery ponytail of Chico Flores won't be fit in time for the final. So, more than likely, lining up with Ashley Williams and wearing the captain's armband will be Garry Monk. He's by no means a Chico Flores, but he is the club captain and his cool head will be vital. We all know what he can do at Wembley. Most of us are still confident that, had Monk not put his body on the line for the club against Reading, Swansea would not be in the Premier League today.

Either side of the centre two will undoubtedly be Angel Rangel and Ben Davies. It will be a big occasion for Davies, but he's handled himself well in the past year in Taylor's absence and will cope with the pressure and whatever Bradford can throw at him.

Onto the usual headache in Swansea City's game-plan - the midfield. Starting with the wings, I'd go for Pablo Hernandez and Wayne Routledge. Nathan Dyer hasn't been as electrifying as he has in the past, but will be a superb little sub, should Swansea need him in the second half.

Leon Britton is first for me in the middle, and is probably your first choice too, despite Laudrup occasionally overlooking him. De Guzman and Ki would make up the other two for me.

This leaves little option up front apart from Michu. This isn't particularly a problem - he can score against Arsenal, he can score against Chelsea so he should be able to score against Bradford.

Despite Bradford giving it their all I can't see any other result than a Swansea City win in normal time. It won't be an easy 90 minutes but Swansea will win 3-1 (though I do see Bradford netting the first goal).

It's odd, Swansea being outright favourite... there's something a little unsettling about it. Or is that just me? It's probably just me. Swansea will win.

Let's get ready to make history - see you in Wembley!

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Beware: The Curse of Swansea City

Danny Graham is the central figure in the current 'I want to leave Swansea City' rumours. Though nothing is confirmed, he's clearly not happy starting behind Michu every week and it looks like he wants out.

In Laudrup's defence, Graham hasn't particularly wowed recently.
In Graham's defence, he is a footballer who wants to play football (we assume).

Can we blame him? If he really wants to play, maybe Swansea isn't the best bet for him at the moment. Then again he may just want to go for the money, like so many others have done in recent years. But be warned Graham - bad things tend to happen to those who leave Swansea, especially for the money.

To commemorate this event, and the closing of the transfer window, I'm dedicating a blog post to look at some victims of the satisfying curse:

Scott Sinclair
This is the best one for me. Greed and nothing more led him away from Swansea City. Sinclair clearly had visions off knocking the likes of David Silva to the bench and cementing himself as one of Man City's starting wingers. However he was the only one in the whole country who could not see he would be a reserve player and nothing more. For a man who spent much of his career hopping clubs, he clearly made a massive mistake - but he'll receive no sympathy from us.

Joe Allen
Local-boy-makes-good Joe Allen was one of the key figures in Swansea's midfield last season. However, he was very quick to follow Brendan Rodgers out of South Wales to Liverpool. Unfortunately for Allen he hasn't really shone under Rodgers the second time around and has seen more of the bench than he probably wanted to. And, with Rodgers on the hunt for new midfielders, will he have much of a chance to impress at Liverpool in the future?

Darren Pratley
There was plenty of hoo-hah (finally managed to use that phrase) surrounding Pratley's departure but he officially left the club for Bolton on a free transfer, immediately after Swansea reached the Premier League. He now plays regularly for the Championship club which sit in an uninspiring 16th position. After his amazing halfway-line goal against Nottingham Forest, getting relegated with Bolton must have been a little anti-climactic.

Dorus de Vries
If there was ever a case of why you shouldn't leave Swansea for reasons of greed, The Cautionary Tale of Dorus de Vries is one people should tell their grandchildren. The highly-respected goalkeeper was adorned by Swans fans for many a season, including his awesome promotion-winning final season. On his departure, De Vries said: "Wolves are going into a third season in the top division and ... the difference for me is that while Swansea will hope to maintain their Premier League status, Wolves will expect to survive."

While Swansea are now 9th in the Premier League, Wolves are currently 18th in the Championship, and de Vries is a reserve player. While we can't hate him, we can chuckle at the fact that he may be sitting on the bench for a League One team next season.

Brendan Rodgers (not a player, but still...)
Rodgers ditched a place where he was loved, to join a bigger club where he was initially hated. Fans have warmed slightly to him - from hatred to indifference - but with Liverpool off the mark and Swansea heading for another Wembley final, Rodgers must have some regrets now. Not that he would admit it. Okay? Okay.

Alan Tate
Just joking - Tate's loan move to Leeds was the right decision for everyone involved and he is welcome back at any time.

Out of all these players, can we really be that bitter? The answer is no. They all helped Swansea get to where they are today in one way or another, and their exit made room for an even better successor to come in. Still, there should be no guilt in smiling at their misfortune.


This post was kindly sponsored by XLSMedical.co.uk

Thursday 24 January 2013

Swansea City: Historic semi-final and a boy with a ball

Another trip to Wembley looms after Swansea City hung on to a 2-0 aggregate victory over Chelsea at the Liberty stadium last night. The game certainly had its share of drama, but the important thing is a cup final is now just a month away and a trophy is just 90 minutes from that.

Swansea performed very well over two legs - first nicking a good win at Stamford Bridge, then playing their away game at home, with deep defending and exciting counter attacks, absorbing Chelsea's limited pressure.

Ashley Williams and Chico Flores were both outstanding and deserved to share man of the match (though Williams took the award himself). Gerhard Tremmel showed why he has made first choice keeper throughout this cup. Leon Britton was rapant as usual, despite the golf ball sized lump on his head after an accidental elbow. Wayne Routledge was, again, brilliant - he has really found his stride and has been consistent for so many games. Overall there were no underachievers last night.

But, annoyingly, most of the post-game chatter wasn't about Swansea's historical feat of a Wembley league cup final. Instead talk was shadowed by #ballboygate. And it seems this blog post will be overshadowed by it too...

Firstly, I don't believe Hazard should have kicked the ball boy, no matter how frustrated he was. But looking into it, 'ball boy' (whose real name is Charlie Morgan) is not an innocent child as we all first thought. He is 17 - and he actively planned to time waste. Check his Twitter account for the full confession.

I feel a little sympathy for Hazard, despite him being a diver himself. It wasn't the 'Hazard kicks a child' scenario we all thought at first, but more 'a 22-year-old kicks a 17-year-old for interfering with the game.'

The ref had no choice but to red card him, but I can see why Hazard was frustrated. Ultimately, ball boys aren't there to interfere with games, they're there to assist - no matter what the team, no matter what the competition. I may take stick for saying that, but it's what I believe.

I'm not complaining as such - Swansea had an easier ride after Hazard was sent off - but the truth is Swansea didn't need time wasting from an adolescent to see them through. They were doing a fine job of making their way to Wembley by playing good football. 

The only other things of note in the match, I felt, were a few of the Swans' chances were wasted. Many was the time that players (notably Ki and Hernandez) had an opportunity to uncork a shot at the target but hesitated and/or passed. Sometimes a shot is worth taking, even if it is way off target. It's not always easy to pass it in, like in the Championship days (remember those)?

Onto Wembley next month for a certain cup win against minnows Bradford! Not so fast - Bradford aren't in the final for no reason. It'll be a tough game, but the Swans certainly have to fancy their chances now. Favourites going into a final - who'd have thought it!?

Thursday 3 January 2013

Swansea City: one week, three competitions

It's been a busy few weeks of footballing action for Swansea City over Christmas, so what better way for the team to rest and recuperate than with a... well, another grueling week of football.

The Swans are about to embark on a week which will see three intense games, against three quality sides in three different competitions. Naturally all three are big games, but which should Michael Laudrup make priority?

Arsenal
First up is the FA Cup match against Arsenal on Sunday. This jumps out at me (and probably to 99% of you) as the one game, if any, that doesn't particularly matter.

Don't get me wrong - it would be nice to see Swansea progress and win the FA Cup, but with a demanding league and another cup run in progress, this is the last thing on anyone's mind this week.

I don't see Laudrup throwing David Cornell in goals, or feeding Kurtis March or young Henry Jones (that's a good old fashioned name) to Arsene's lions, but he may replace some of the key players with the fringe men. You'd hope he would.

Prediction: Swansea lose


Chelsea
Next we have Chelsea on Wednesday in the Capital One Cup semi-final. Despite being a cup match, this is important. A semi-final is the furthest Swansea have ever come in the competition and, with another Wembley trip in view, the Chelsea game should be taken very seriously.

Swansea have the goods to emerge victorious at the end of two legs and certainly have the advantage playing at the Liberty Stadium in the second leg. We all know how unlucky the Swans were not to take all three points against Chelsea last season (after the annoying last minute equaliser), and drew 1-1 with them again earlier in this season.

With a team who are now stronger and more able to score goals (apart from when facing Villa...), and providing they are able to keep themselves in the tie at the end of the first leg (ideally a win, draw or no more than one goal deficit), there is absolutely no reason why Swansea can't book a place in the final!

Prediction: Swansea draw


Everton
Finally Swansea will play Everton the following Saturday. The Premier League is the overall priority this year, but let's be realistic - are Swansea likely to be playing in the Championship next season? Not with the likes of QPR, Reading, Wigan, Southampton, and Aston Villa already battling it out for a spot in the doomed three. That's not to say Swansea are safe, but survival is much more certain this time around. I'd say a few points could afford to be dropped on Saturday.

However, a strong team will be needed if Swansea are to come away with anything against in-form Everton.

Prediction: Swansea draw


What the @ForzaSwansea Tweeters say:


Premier league, it's all about money these days and that's where the money is.

Going to have to say points in the league everytime, but a trip to Wembley in a major final would be nice.

Chelsea two legs for me... we will not go down this season and have never won anything worth winning... need to win in this cycle!


Chelsea is the one I'd like us to win, beat them 1-0 over 2 legs!! Great chance to win a trophy.


Chelsea - lets go and win something. 

Chelsea for me. Our best ever chance of a major cup final.


What do you think? Cup final? Points? Another Arsenal scalp? Leave your opinions below!