 | Blog | Gylfi Not Irreplaceable- But Not Trying To Directly Replace Him Is Smart
at 20:17 17 Aug 2017
So the dust has finally settled. In what seemed like the most painstaking saga in living memory, Gylfi Sigurdsson is an Everton player. A man the club were silently resigned to eventually losing has moved on and like so often in the past, the club must plan for life without their star player. |
| Blog | A New Hope At the Liberty?
at 17:17 28 Dec 2016
A feeling of déjà vu rose with the sun over Swansea this morning. Another manager out the door, another few days of links, speculation, supposed sightings of candidates spotted outside Rossi’s sampling the scampi. But for the first time in recent memory, there is hope in the air. |
| Blog | Guidolin and Conte- An Italian Managerial Head to Head
at 13:23 9 Sep 2016
A different league in a different country for two familiar foes; on Sunday Francesco Guidolin's Swansea host Antonio Conte's Chelsea side. So how does the head to head record look from their previous encounters in Italy? |
| Blog | The Mood: What's going on at Swansea City?
at 08:26 31 Aug 2016
There is nothing new or indeed out of the ordinary with a defeat being met by raucous displeasure among the Jack Army. There is nothing particularly new about a hyperbolic spread of opinion in where things should be going better, or if things really are that bad at all. But there is a strange feeling around Swansea City at the moment. |
| Blog | Go for it against Chelsea- History shows it isn't always a bad choice
at 08:34 9 Apr 2016
What do you do in a season that has very few highlights and lots of talking points? You discuss, debate and analyse until you are exhausted. This seems to be the modus operandi for the Swansea City faithful. One of the less enjoyable seasons seems to be drawing to a close, while Francesco Guidolin has seemingly masterminded survival while the ill fate of relegation seemed doomed to happen in January, the Italian has got the Swans to 37 points with 6 games remaining, losing only 3 times. Questions remain, nonetheless. |
| Blog | Perspective is Critical
at 18:02 1 Dec 2015
It says an awful lot for where the club is that a narrow defeat at Anfield yesterday was met with disappointment. It is understandable, the visitors came away hugely unlucky not to pick up a point after a debatable penalty converted by James Milner put Liverpool ahead, and they eventually held out for a 1-0 win. |
| Blog | Plans To Leave, Pals and Panther Crawls: The Up and Down Story of Bafé Gomis
at 20:57 31 Aug 2015
Thanks to the app 'Timehop', which allows one to roll back the years at their social media activity, earlier in the summer I was able to look back my reaction to the signing of Bafétimbi Gomis. What a year is has been concerning the big Frenchman ever since. I imagine I will look back in a year from now at the excitement I illustrated at the considerable coup bringing in Andre Ayew- But you would hope his tenure at the club will not be as up and down. |
| Blog | Strength in Depth Will Please Monk Most
at 20:28 26 Aug 2015
A 3-0 win at home to York City will hardly send shock waves around the football world. Yet, you can only beat what is in front of you, and with the next round of the Capital One Cup looming, a draw away to recently relegated Hull was the reward for a comfortable win against Russ Wilcox' men. |
| Blog | Montero- Can the flying winger stay grounded at Swansea?
at 15:01 17 Aug 2015
It could-and probably should be- one of Garry Monk's greatest achievements so far, that after a record breaking season he garnered enough respect from the squad and the pundits alike to enjoy a positive pre-season without any big name departures from the club. Not just this, but the usual speculation about star players leaving has not been an issue this time around. It is now a club that players want to join, and players want to stay at. |
| Blog | In Jack Cork, Monk May Have a New Main Man
at 06:52 24 Mar 2015
For anyone who attended the Aston Villa game on Saturday, it had all the hallmarks of a fantastic away day. The most important factor being that Garry Monk's men came away with a win, despite it not being a fantastic game. |
| Blog | Frustrating, but not entirely surprising
at 17:04 24 Jan 2015
Last week was a strange experience. Even the most hardened Swans fan would have to admit that the defeat last week was thoroughly deserved. It was not something a lot of the fans would be used to, but Garry Monk's side were blown away in a manner that I personally have never seen. Our only crime was perhaps the mentality, that sense that the game was a write off. They looked like they never believed a win was possible, and by the time it got to 4-0, the players looked shy, scared even, to lose the ball and possibly concede another. |
| Forum
Thread | Frustrating, but not entirely surprising
at 15:30 24 Jan 2015
Last week was a strange experience. Even the most hardened Swans fan would have to admit that the defeat last week was thoroughly deserved. It was not something a lot of the fans would be used to, but Garry Monk's side were blown away in a manner that I personally have never seen. Our only crime was perhaps the mentality, that sense that the game was a write off. They looked like they never believed a win was possible, and by the time it got to 4-0, the players looked shy, scared even, to lose the ball and possibly concede another.
So, with everyone at the club saying the team were keen to bounce back and get onto the next game, an F.A cup fourth round tie at Championship side Blackburn could be an ideal chance to put that into practice.
The good news was within the first 5 minutes was we were not a goal down, unlike the previous week. The bad news was the away side were a man down, the 7th red card for the visitors in all competitions so far. While some previous reds have been dubious, there were few complaints when Kyle Bartley, the last man took down speedy forward Josh King outside the box. A high defensive line is fine, but the back four seemed almost shocked at the idea of dealing with a reasonably fast striker. Almost as if they had not been briefed that this could be a factor in the game, So with the numerical disadvantage, keeping the ball was crucial for the Swans. But individual quality was also heavily important, which is exactly what Gylfi Sigurdsson provided. The Icelandic midfielder, who was out of the Chelsea game very much so, dropping deeper in center midfield hit a ferocious 30 yard strike into the top right corner of the net. 21 minutes in, 1-0 to the Swans.
I don't know about everyone else, but I know I thought 'keep it tight'. Tom Carroll was replaced for Federico Fernandez to restore a back four, Sigurdsson pushed back a little to partner Shelvey in midfield.... Yet, you wouldn't think it looking at the equaliser. Two minutes later, a ball into the box and knocked down, both Tiendalli and Amat failed to clear and a neatly executed finish from Chris Taylor led to an instant reply from the home side, in front of just 5000 fans at Ewood park.
The majority of the rest of the game almost seemed like a non-event really. Both teams struggled on the dire pitch, going mainly for intricate moves, rather than actual shots at goal, with both keepers having little to do. It seemed like the next goal (if any) would win. That proved to be the case with another ball into the Swansea area not being cleared and former Cardiff City man Rudy Gestede heading in the second for the home side.
From a fans point of view, what was the most frustrating thing was that the Swans had offered nothing all game, yet only looked reasonably threatening once they went behind. Ten men or not, bad pitch or not, it felt like a game between two Championship sides, without sounding disrespectful to Blackburn. Only when going behind, a nice little ball into the area from Sigurdsson which almost found Rangel, followed by a shot from Nelson Olivera, which barely troubled the Rovers keeper. Everything else that followed seemed unimportant really, firstly another former Bluebird Craig Conway hit a daisy cutter into Fabianski, who parried it in. The free transfer this summer, who has been a solid addition to the back five will once again be unhappy with a big mistake. To cap off a poor afternoon in general, Sigurdsson got himself sent off in added time for a scissors tackle born out of frustration at the team's performance in general.
The reason for this title is for-one-the nature for the cup in general, two, for the early red card and also just for the run we are on. I don't buy in for all the fans coming out with a sudden mistrust for Monk, especially after our fine first half to the season. A poor run was always on the cards, but currently the team seem devoid of motivation, almost writing off certain games, which is a cardinal sin in football. Before Southampton, Monk will need to address the problems of recent weeks. The departure of Bony, and the subsequent messiah complex shown by Bafetimbi Gomis (who offered very little towards his apparent Champions League scouts) is unhelpful. But this team still have undoubted quality, there is just a mentality issue currently. As a painfully optimistic fan, I say let's get the team focused and bring on Southampton next week.
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| Blog | Recent Weeks Have Left Us Wanting
at 14:26 20 Oct 2014
One major criticism I had from the Newcastle game a fortnight ago-and this was the first real complaint I had all season-was that the team lacked a bit of ambition. The way we played that day, in comparison to the visitors, it seemed like with the slightest upping of the gears and the 3 points would've almost certainly gone to the Swans. |
| Blog | Jacks on the Silver Screen
at 15:45 14 Sep 2014
Friday was a strange night. On the eve of undoubtedly Swansea's toughest game so far this season (which eventually proved to be the case, as the Blues secured a 4-2 victory) I went to see Swansea in a different way. I have yet to even see the highlights of the Chelsea game, yet I have seen a movie about them. How many fans of other clubs can say that?! |
| Blog | Time For The Monk Doubters to Get Behind the Team
at 18:03 13 Aug 2014
As a club, Swansea have never minded being written off by the rest of the football world. Its fun. For the last decade or so, it meant a smug feeling around the club for fans and players alike when promotion has been followed by promotion, which was followed by a European campaign and three successful seasons in highest tier of English (and Welsh) football. |
| Blog | There's No Place Like Home
at 07:45 29 Jul 2014
With just over two weeks to go before the season opens with a tough game away at Louis Van Gaal's Manchester United, pre-season seems to have been going well for Garry Monk's men. A solid 4-0 win at Home Park yesterday against Plymouth Argyle, with a potentially tricky home game coming up against Villareal, all after a seemingly positive tour of the US. Not to mention a blockbuster 20 minutes from substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson. Two goals and an assist yesterday, if he can save some of that talent for Old Trafford, he could make himself a hero once again to the Jack Army. |
| Blog | I Suppose Cats Do Like Doing Nothing
at 07:40 22 Jul 2014
No news is good news, I suppose? A week ago it looked a dead certainty that star striker, Wilfried Bony was Anfield-bound, as Liverpool look to splash out to compensate for losing teething superstar Luis Suarez by adding quality and quantity to their squad. Now, the focus very much remains on QPR striker Loic Remy, who has flown out to the States to discuss a move, taking the focus very much away from a move for the Ivorian. |
| Blog | Transfer gossip: Egos, replacements and Liberty returns
at 21:45 24 Jun 2014
It isn't the most shocking thing that as the group stages of the World Cup are almost over and people are slowly coming to the terrible realisation that from here there will be less and less games (sometimes even days off with NO football) that transfer gossip is on the increase. Summers without international tournaments usually mean the rumours are all we have to sustain our craving for the round ball kicking, from May until August. So let me be the giver of good news, as I must say, with all the usual 'who is going to leave' pessimism, it is refreshing to be linked with a variety of players. |
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