| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... 19:14 - Mar 31 with 9348 views | Jackfath |
You're the manager.
Where would you wish to strengthen the squad?
Which players who you've seen first hand this season would you like to sign for us?
Any other realistic targets you think would add to the squad?
Who would you let go?
For me, I'd like to sign Bolasi, he had another good game Saturday and I was impressed with his performance. Also Barkley from Everton.
I think those two have been the best I've seen down here this season so far, although I may have forgotten some other performances. |  |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:05 - Apr 2 with 1314 views | Clinton |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 09:56 - Apr 2 by JackSomething |
While I would agree that our wingers tend to lack end product, there is a growing opinion that crosses are one of the least effective ways to try and score a goal.
The average completed crosses percentage in the Premier League has hovered consistently around 23%. Very few wingers have a good percentage of crosses finding a teammate, no matter how much money you spend. Stewart Downing (total transfer fees: £35m+) averages around 20%.
So having players who have pace and can beat a man, meaning they're more likely to get in behind a defence and create chances for themselves, or pass to others rather than cross, is good for us. I agree we need another winger, but don't think their crossing ability will be their key strength. |
With Wilf in the box we need a guy who can cross. Crosses are meat and drink for him. See all the headed goals from accurate crosses last season. |  |
| If you can fill the unforgiving minute.
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:11 - Apr 2 with 1303 views | JackSomething |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:05 - Apr 2 by Clinton |
With Wilf in the box we need a guy who can cross. Crosses are meat and drink for him. See all the headed goals from accurate crosses last season. |
All our wingers can cross. People think they can't because a high percentage don't find a Swans player, but that's the same across the whole of football. As I said above, almost 80% of crosses in the league don't find a teammate. As a result, people tend to remember the poor crosses that don't beat the first man etc...
It doesn't help that we've usually only got Bony to aim for in amongst 2/3 defenders. Were there that many goals from crosses last season? I don't remember many off the top of my head. |  |
| You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help. |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:14 - Apr 2 with 1292 views | Clinton |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:11 - Apr 2 by JackSomething |
All our wingers can cross. People think they can't because a high percentage don't find a Swans player, but that's the same across the whole of football. As I said above, almost 80% of crosses in the league don't find a teammate. As a result, people tend to remember the poor crosses that don't beat the first man etc...
It doesn't help that we've usually only got Bony to aim for in amongst 2/3 defenders. Were there that many goals from crosses last season? I don't remember many off the top of my head. |
I meant all Bony's goals in the Dutch league last season. Not clear from my previous post. | |
| If you can fill the unforgiving minute.
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:21 - Apr 2 with 1286 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:11 - Apr 2 by JackSomething |
All our wingers can cross. People think they can't because a high percentage don't find a Swans player, but that's the same across the whole of football. As I said above, almost 80% of crosses in the league don't find a teammate. As a result, people tend to remember the poor crosses that don't beat the first man etc...
It doesn't help that we've usually only got Bony to aim for in amongst 2/3 defenders. Were there that many goals from crosses last season? I don't remember many off the top of my head. |
Ok, at a basic level, yes all our wingers can cross. What we need is someone who can cross the ball well. As I said (and I'll chuck in my own vague stats), 99% of our crosses hit the first defender or go 20 foot over the heads of everyone. We do not possess a single player who can consistently cross a ball and hit the danger area in the box. |  |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:24 - Apr 2 with 1283 views | JackSomething |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:14 - Apr 2 by Clinton |
I meant all Bony's goals in the Dutch league last season. Not clear from my previous post. |
Ahh, right. I remember watching those videos on Youtube. He can certainly score with his head, as his goal against Arsenal showed and I'd love to see us finding him more often.
I just tend to agree with those who say crossing is a relatively low percentage approach to scoring goals. Look at Man United this season. A lot of our goals to me seem to come from passing moves or from getting in from behind the defence.
For an example see our second and third goals against Norwich. One slick passing move in the centre of the pitch (thankfully Bony isn't just a target man, he's can hold the ball up and pass well) and one counter-attacking goal, again through the middle of the pitch. Our first goal came from a cross, but indirectly, as the cross itself didn't find a Swansea player.
I'd love to have a winger with a great cross, but I'd rather he have the attributes of a Dyer or Routledge than be a great crosser.
Out of interest, I went looking for an example of a great crosser and found an article from last April which listed the players who had the highest cross percentage in the league last season. Rickie Lambert was the best in the league, JDG was second and Routledge was fourth. Genuinely surprising. | |
| You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help. |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:28 - Apr 2 with 1267 views | JackSomething |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:21 - Apr 2 by caerleon_jack |
Ok, at a basic level, yes all our wingers can cross. What we need is someone who can cross the ball well. As I said (and I'll chuck in my own vague stats), 99% of our crosses hit the first defender or go 20 foot over the heads of everyone. We do not possess a single player who can consistently cross a ball and hit the danger area in the box. |
See my post above. Last season we had two of the four best crossers in the league. I'm not making up vague stats, I'm looking at sites like OPTA. It's all there online if you want to look for it.
It's a simple fact that if a defence is organised and does their job, they'll deal with most crosses, partly because of almost always having more players in the box than the attacking team and the advantage of the goalkeeper being an extra barrier. Set pieces are a different area altogether.
Here's the article I found by the way:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2303835/Premier-League-crosser
It's from the Mail, but using stats from OPTA. [Post edited 2 Apr 2014 10:29]
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| You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help. |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:52 - Apr 2 with 1239 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:28 - Apr 2 by JackSomething |
See my post above. Last season we had two of the four best crossers in the league. I'm not making up vague stats, I'm looking at sites like OPTA. It's all there online if you want to look for it.
It's a simple fact that if a defence is organised and does their job, they'll deal with most crosses, partly because of almost always having more players in the box than the attacking team and the advantage of the goalkeeper being an extra barrier. Set pieces are a different area altogether.
Here's the article I found by the way:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2303835/Premier-League-crosser
It's from the Mail, but using stats from OPTA. [Post edited 2 Apr 2014 10:29]
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My point is that we do not put in enough crosses that have to be dealt with by a defence. When you look at most crosses played in the PL (and especially by us) they are aimless. The crosser does not look at his options, he just plays a ball in. The Utd game against Fulham is an excellent point on wasted crosses. It can't be your only gameplan, granted, and there is more to Bony's game than being a target man for crosses. However...
There was a stat a couple of seasons ago about Gower being one of the most creative players in Europe because he'd created x amount of goal scoring opportunities. de Guzman and Routledge might well have been in that top 4 last season, but when you have a guy like Bony up front (and not forgetting Michu, if he can get back to form) it's criminal that we cannot exploit one of his great strengths. If JdG and Routs were that good, Bony would have scored a truck load more this season. | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 11:01 - Apr 2 with 1222 views | JackSomething |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 10:52 - Apr 2 by caerleon_jack |
My point is that we do not put in enough crosses that have to be dealt with by a defence. When you look at most crosses played in the PL (and especially by us) they are aimless. The crosser does not look at his options, he just plays a ball in. The Utd game against Fulham is an excellent point on wasted crosses. It can't be your only gameplan, granted, and there is more to Bony's game than being a target man for crosses. However...
There was a stat a couple of seasons ago about Gower being one of the most creative players in Europe because he'd created x amount of goal scoring opportunities. de Guzman and Routledge might well have been in that top 4 last season, but when you have a guy like Bony up front (and not forgetting Michu, if he can get back to form) it's criminal that we cannot exploit one of his great strengths. If JdG and Routs were that good, Bony would have scored a truck load more this season. |
One of those that it's unlikely to be proved either way I suppose. What I will say is that if we do suddenly start sending in loads of accurate crosses that lead to goals, I will be very very happy to be eat humble pie on this issue. | |
| You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help. |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 11:36 - Apr 2 with 1190 views | DafyddHuw |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 09:43 - Apr 2 by caerleon_jack |
Ricky Van Dogsdick is the answer. |
Dunno if you meant this as a joke or not, but this is a good shout. He's a good player in the wrong setup. Perfect for us. |  | | |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 11:48 - Apr 2 with 1183 views | midswan |
" If JdG and Routs were that good, Bony would have scored a truck load more this season. "
More ? maybe in the Dutch league but the Prem? doubt it..Look at Carrol at the appy Ammers...even with Father Downing on the wing don't exactly get lots of goals from crosses. |  | | |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 12:30 - Apr 2 with 1153 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 11:36 - Apr 2 by DafyddHuw |
Dunno if you meant this as a joke or not, but this is a good shout. He's a good player in the wrong setup. Perfect for us. |
Certainly not a joke. Said it earlier in this thread and on a previous one. The guy is very talented, has a good track record in Holland and Portugal. Now with a team that doesn't suit him at all. | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 12:37 - Apr 2 with 1152 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 11:48 - Apr 2 by midswan |
" If JdG and Routs were that good, Bony would have scored a truck load more this season. "
More ? maybe in the Dutch league but the Prem? doubt it..Look at Carrol at the appy Ammers...even with Father Downing on the wing don't exactly get lots of goals from crosses. |
West Ham might play with wingers, but they don't play them as wingers. Long ball to Carroll in middle of park to head on or hold until someone can join him. If they played traditional wing play then
a) the West Ham fans would probably get off Sam's back a bit, and
b) Carroll would score more.
West Ham are a bizarre side with plenty of creative players, signed and played by a manager that wants to strangle any sense of creativity out of them. | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 12:38 - Apr 2 with 1150 views | caerleon_jack |
Excellent. And...? | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 13:14 - Apr 2 with 1121 views | Chief |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 07:41 - Apr 2 by Dr_Winston |
Why wouldn't they? It's not as if Tan will give a sh*t what the fans think. Make an offer he wants to accept and he'll be ours.
Frankly I'm not overly convinced that any of them would be good enough to improve on what we already have so it's a moot point at best in any case. |
Tans got enough money not to have to sell players to us, not like we'll be bidding silly amounts for them.
Cardiff selling players to us simply won't happen |  |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 14:00 - Apr 2 with 1091 views | snork44 |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 13:14 - Apr 2 by Chief |
Tans got enough money not to have to sell players to us, not like we'll be bidding silly amounts for them.
Cardiff selling players to us simply won't happen |
You said we would be a direct rival to Cardiff ! How would we be a direct rival to them if they are more than likely going to be in the championship next season and us barring a major calamity will be in the Premier League next season! Unless you envisage either us going down this season or Cardiff having a rise in form that even Lazarus would have been amazed of and surviving against the odds, but knowing the scum as one poster on here compared them to cockroaches, they may go against all expectations and stay up! |  |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 14:12 - Apr 2 with 1080 views | caerleon_jack |
Tan does indeed have enough money that he doesn't have to sell players, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't want more money. If he is offered a sum of money that represents a profit on a player then he will take it, whether it is from us, a rival Championship club or anyone, a profit is a profit. You cannot for one minute suggest that Tan cares about his club's history or rivalries. It is purely a business to him. | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 14:59 - Apr 2 with 1058 views | midswan |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 12:38 - Apr 2 by caerleon_jack |
Excellent. And...? |
the point being the manager sees him as a consistent player playing well which is basically all I am saying.Always need to look forward and improve but to me (and by the sound of it,the manager also ) left wing looks fine. | | | |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 15:10 - Apr 2 with 1051 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 14:59 - Apr 2 by midswan |
the point being the manager sees him as a consistent player playing well which is basically all I am saying.Always need to look forward and improve but to me (and by the sound of it,the manager also ) left wing looks fine. |
Mate, at no point have I (or anyone else) suggested we need to replace Routs or that he is not doing a good job. I think everyone would agree though that we cannot play him and Dyer for 90 minutes week in week out. Pablo has shown that he is far more effective 'in the hole' than out wide, and neither Pozeulo or JdG (who might not be with us next season) is a true wide man. The only other first team option at the moment is Lamah, and he goes from the sublime to the rediculous. Of the options we do have, Lamah is the only one who is left-footed, so naturally if we are looking for a new option on the wing, I've previously suggested we might need someone left footed who can provide balance. But whether we look at someone left or right footed, we need someone who can compete with Dyer/Routs/Pablo, someone who can come off the bench with 20 minutes to go and unlock a defence, someone who gives a slightly different approach. It doesn't mean getting rid of the good ones we've got though | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 16:51 - Apr 2 with 1020 views | Dr_Winston |
If you've got a player as good in the air as Wilf is, you'd be foolish not to at least retain the option of making full use of it, whether the stats agree with you or not. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 17:03 - Apr 2 with 1003 views | midswan |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 15:10 - Apr 2 by caerleon_jack |
Mate, at no point have I (or anyone else) suggested we need to replace Routs or that he is not doing a good job. I think everyone would agree though that we cannot play him and Dyer for 90 minutes week in week out. Pablo has shown that he is far more effective 'in the hole' than out wide, and neither Pozeulo or JdG (who might not be with us next season) is a true wide man. The only other first team option at the moment is Lamah, and he goes from the sublime to the rediculous. Of the options we do have, Lamah is the only one who is left-footed, so naturally if we are looking for a new option on the wing, I've previously suggested we might need someone left footed who can provide balance. But whether we look at someone left or right footed, we need someone who can compete with Dyer/Routs/Pablo, someone who can come off the bench with 20 minutes to go and unlock a defence, someone who gives a slightly different approach. It doesn't mean getting rid of the good ones we've got though |
fully agree with that. As you say Pablo has shown himself far better as a '10' player and JDG is not a wide man so another 'proper' winger would add options/cover etc.
The trouble being I suppose do we look for someone 'better' as first choice with the fee's and wages that comes with or someone as cover ? If a cover player just how good would /could he be and selling him the move under that scenario?
Still,who'd be a manager ? Oh yeah GM ...! | | | |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 17:29 - Apr 2 with 995 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 16:51 - Apr 2 by Dr_Winston |
If you've got a player as good in the air as Wilf is, you'd be foolish not to at least retain the option of making full use of it, whether the stats agree with you or not. |
Exactly. | |
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 17:52 - Apr 2 with 982 views | paulv2k4 |
Right back, share with Rangel, perhaps Jazz can fight for it.
Midfield, find a young Leon, as he can't play forever.
Why are people so dismissive of Routledge? (people keep mentioning left winger). I have found Routledge to be a better player than Dyer this year and last but I think I'm in a minority. Unless you mean competition for him?
A winger, who can score, wouldn't go a miss though.
Find another young striker, personally I want Donnelly given the chance.
P.S. OP, Barkley, you must be having a laugh. | | | |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 17:58 - Apr 2 with 976 views | Jokeren1943 |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 16:51 - Apr 2 by Dr_Winston |
If you've got a player as good in the air as Wilf is, you'd be foolish not to at least retain the option of making full use of it, whether the stats agree with you or not. |
Does it have to be a wing. Can't it be a back with an exellent crossing/passing (into the box).
But would be perfect to both Bony and Michu.
But I think we need to go abit more on the outside (on the wings) as we did last year. We play to much into the box from the center of the field. [Post edited 2 Apr 2014 18:01]
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| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 18:04 - Apr 2 with 969 views | caerleon_jack |
| Assuming we will be safe for another season...... on 17:52 - Apr 2 by paulv2k4 |
Right back, share with Rangel, perhaps Jazz can fight for it.
Midfield, find a young Leon, as he can't play forever.
Why are people so dismissive of Routledge? (people keep mentioning left winger). I have found Routledge to be a better player than Dyer this year and last but I think I'm in a minority. Unless you mean competition for him?
A winger, who can score, wouldn't go a miss though.
Find another young striker, personally I want Donnelly given the chance.
P.S. OP, Barkley, you must be having a laugh. |
Again, nobody is being dismissive of Routledge.
Also, Jazz should be one of the first out of the door in the summer. No where near Premier League standard. | |
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