Thursday 5 March 2015

Tottenham 3-2 Swansea - Player Ratings

Josh Kilmister gives us his verdict on last night's defeat at White Hart Lane





After back to back wins against United and Burnley, our run up to the game in North-London had been significantly more encouraging than Spurs’, who were coming to the end of a busy week – losing away in Europe and suffering Capital One Cup heartbreak at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday. Unfortunately for us, a full strength Tottenham side were out to make this past week somewhat worthwhile and they certainly did that. Not may complaints on our behalf; though I definitely wouldn’t say we were completely outplayed.

Starting XI (4-1-2-1-2)

Lukasz Fabianski – 7

Despite going in at half time at 1-1, the first half didn’t really produce any huge opportunities for either side. Mainly tested from long range, Fabianski dealt well with testing efforts from the Spurs midfield with relative ease and wasn’t at any serious fault for any of their three goals. The only notable error from the big Pole was his failure to deal with one of Tottenham’s many crosses – though that didn’t come to anything more than a corner.

Neil Taylor – 7

It’s tough to give our defenders the credit they deserve after conceding three goals, but for large parts of the game we were defensively sound; and Taylor was one of the more consistent players in the starting eleven. Given the lack of support in from the wings, Taylor did well to handle the width and pace of a strong Spurs side.

Federico Fernandez – 7

If some people weren’t convinced by the big Argentine after his first few games then I’m sure their minds have been changed after recent performances; his showing today was no different. Generally solid at the back and imposing in the air, Fernandez has grown – and continues to grow – into the side Garry Monk has his heart set on creating. Will be devastated to have been denied by a moment of brilliance from Hugo Lloris in the dying seconds, and could’ve done better with a volley early in the second half that was struck right at the French ‘keeper.

Ashley Williams – 7.5

Just about edging the ‘defender of the match’ award, Ashley Williams put in another superb performance against Spurs. Rocking a scrum-cap after picking up a cut to the head against Burnley (à la Michu, if you like) Ash showed that despite some Robbie Savage-fuelled speculation, he is still very much committed to leading the Swans. Given the duties of marking England whiz Harry Kane, the young forward didn’t really get a sniff – which is a compliment to our entire defence.

Kyle Naughton – 7

Making his not so long awaited return to White Hart Lane, Naughton will be glad to have been met by applause from the Spurs faithful. Like Taylor, Naughton’s almost went unnoticed but for the type of game it was, that’s more of a positive thing than it is negative. A wonder-goal in the return to his old stomping ground would’ve been the icing on the cake for him, but the chance he had was dragged painfully wide.

Jack Cork – 7.5

After spending years tracking and chasing Cork it’s starting to look like it was worth the wait. Sitting at the base of a diamond, he’s added something to the team that our defensive midfielders of the past have not – physicality, power and most importantly, grit. Again a contender for man of the match, Cork kept the ball with purpose and was ready to offload to Ki, Jonjo, or Gylfi when appropriate.

Ki Sung-Yueng – 7

A precise finish from a seemingly impossible angle through the legs of one of the best goalkeepers on the planet; man of the match, right? Wrong. That does sound a little, if not very harsh on Ki because in fairness he didn’t have a bad game at all, but he didn’t have the impact that he normally would like to have on a match played almost around him. Maybe my standards are a little too high.

Jonjo Shelvey – 8 (Man of the match)

When Shelvey got a four match ban for lashing out at Liverpool’s Emre Can earlier this season, I think it’s fair to say there were a few Swans fans who would’ve had a few choice words for the English international, with those fans including Garry Monk. Since then, Jonjo has shown us all what deep down, we already knew – there is an incredible player in there somewhere! While he isn’t completely raw there are certain aspects of his game that still need working on, but against Spurs he combined his attacking flair with his physicality and aggression to string together an exciting performance for the travelling Swans fans. While there was no twenty-five yard screamer, Shelvey did sting the palms of Hugo Lloris early in the second half and there were a few times he looked to make something out of nothing.

Gylfi Sigurdsson – 8

Replacing the ineligible Tom Carroll, the Iceman made his return from a short-term injury in time to face his former employers – and it was a performance that I’m sure he’ll remember for a while. Apart from getting on the score sheet to kick off what was an electrifying final five minutes, Sigurdsson came agonisingly close from a trademark free kick which eventually led to Ki’s equaliser. If the Swans are to make a last gasp push for seventh place, it’s imperative that Sigurdsson plays every game.

Wayne Routledge – 7

Routledge kept his place in a more central position originally alongside Gomis, and he did show on a few occasions why he was opted for over Montero. Some neat touches in and around the area along with his pace and energy added up to a decent performance, but his inability to stay onside let him down. With some work on his final product, Routledge could well be coming close to the return of the Routledge of September.

Bafetimbi Gomis – 6

Gomis will find himself on the back pages not only in South Wales but nationally, as headlines such as “The moment football held it’s breath” summing up the feelings of every decent human being with even half an eye on the game. Gomis seemed to faint on the edge of the centre circle after Spurs’ opener on just seven minutes, leaving Tottenham and Swansea players alike looking on with considerable uneasiness. 

It turns out that Gomis has a rare condition – inherited from his father – known as a vasovagal condition, which causes a drop in blood pressure which leads to feinting. The striker took to Twitter after the game to inform everyone of his health, and also thanked everyone for their wishes.

Almost three years on from Fabrice Muamba’s cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane, it’s understandable how the stadium would fall to such a deathly silence. Gomis was given a standing ovation when he departed on a stretcher, and while it was a natural reaction Spurs' fans deserve praise for their appropriate response.

Substitutes

Nelson Oliveira – 6.5 (for Gomis, 7)

Came on in difficult conditions and after just seven minutes was challenged to adapt to a team that was by no means built around him. Unless I’m missing something, he didn’t make too much of a contribution but it’d be unfair to judge him on this particular game. Gomis has declared himself fit, while there is close enough to a two-week break upon us so it is unlikely that the Portuguese international will start against Liverpool next time out.

Jefferson Montero – 7 (for Shelvey, 72)

Made a huge impact when he came on, contributed largely to Sigurdsson’s goal and will be hoping to regain his place in the squad against Liverpool in two weeks time. With Routledge’s finishing product letting him down, this could well be the case.

Summary

Honestly, I’ve got no complaints about this one. Spurs were the better team on the night and deserved to win the game, but at the same time we should have absolutely no shame in losing. Although it’s quite ironic that the same week some fans have criticised our entertainment factor is the same week we play well but lose, but at least there’s something to take from the game.

Our next match isn’t until March 14th – a Monday night game against Liverpool. With Brendan Rodgers’ men in fine form at the moment, it’ll be interesting to see whether they can keep up their momentum through the extended break.

You can follow Josh on Twitter @JoshKilmister

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Tottenham v Swansea - Monk: "No focus on points - just on Spurs"

Swansea manager revealed talk of a record points target is at the back of his mind with Spurs game close at hand


Despite reaching the fabled fourty-point mark earlier than ever before in our burgeoning Premier League history, Garry Monk has insisted that as soon as the final whistle went at Burnley attention turned to the next match, as opposed to the league table:

"The concern for me as manager is that we have a history of easing off when we have got to 40 points, but I have to maintain the players' focus. I have spoken a lot to the players since West Brom about that, and I think you've seen that the focus has been there in our last two performances. 
"We will win and lose in the next 11 games, but I want to win as many as possible. We are safe which is great, but I don't want to settle for that. I want to push and I think the players want more. That's certainly the way it looks on the training ground. 
"If you go back, the year we won the cup there was a lot of focus on that. It was quite natural that there would be a down period after that, but all people talked about in our first couple of seasons at this level was surviving. 
"When we got there, everyone was happy and it felt like job done, but there was no celebration that we had reached 40 points at Burnley. We came home, we were back in the next day and preparing for Spurs. 
"We have to keep pushing - the players know that." 
Source
Positive stuff from Monk there. Hopefully we'll be three points closer to a record points total come 10pm tonight.




Monk: "Tottenham striker should be in England squad, and we need to be ready for him"

Swansea boss spoke highly of Tottenham striker Harry Kane in the buildup to tonight's match



Speaking to the press ahead of Swansea's match at White Hart Lane tonight Garry Monk revealed his admiration for Harry Kane, stating that the Swans need to watch the 24-goal striker carefully lest they get caught out:

"He is a fantastic player - what a season he's had. I think he has taken confidence and belief from playing games and he is now enjoying being the main man at Spurs. He is the player all the fans look to and he seems to have taken that in his stride. 
"He can run behind or hold up the play, he can win aerial duels and he has the individual quality to beat players. He is an all-rounder, and that's the key to him I think. He is an entertainer and a handful, and he's someone we need to be ready for tonight."

Monk also revealed that, in his opinion, Kane should definitely be in the reckoning for the England setup:

"In my opinion he should definitely be in the England squad because of what he has contributed. 
"There's a lot of talent around, but I think he deserves that because of the way he has performed and the way he has carried himself." 
Source 

Tuesday 3 March 2015

Suspected fractured cheekbone for on-loan Swans youngster

Young left-back Stephen Kingsley, one of a trio of youngsters on loan at Yeovil, had to leave the field tonight on a stretcher with a suspected broken cheekbone



It's never nice to have to report injury news, but it appears Stephen Kingsley may have suffered a serious injury playing on loan for Yeovil against Walsall tonight.

Just six minutes in he reportedly collided with Walsall striker Tom Bradshaw and was knocked unconscious, needing lengthy treatment before having to be stretchered off. Caretaker-boss Terry Skiverton used the phrase "there were teeth on the pitch and everything", and early reports indicate Kingsley may have suffered a broken cheekbone.

Our thoughts are with him. Hopefully the injury isn't as bad as first feared, and that that he recovers soon.

Tottenham v Swansea - It might not be pretty but nobody will care

Having run Tottenham close at the Liberty, Swansea could well give Spurs a fright



Heading into tomorrow's match Tottenham & Swansea must be poles apart in terms of their confidence based on recent results. Spurs are without a win in five, whereas the Swans boast back to back victories and despite the London side having home advantage, Garry Monk's men will be quietly confident of springing an upset.

Spurs' developing cut-throatery under Pochettino has seemed to have waned over the last few weeks. At the risk of imbuing another Chelsea-style drubbing they don't seem to have the same zip and vigour in their pressing which, after an arduous season challenging on multiple fronts, is only natural.

Intensity in winning the ball back is a staple of Pochettino's system, and if we can restrict their ability to put pressure on our defenders by making sure our midfielders show for the ball, and are brave in offering themselves with opposition markers nearby, we could strike on the counter-attack.

Having previously predicted the Swans would "revert to type" against Burnley only for us, once again, to go with a narrower formation intended to restrict the opposition, it's difficult to predict how we'll line up tomorrow. Go narrow and we run the risk of Spurs' full-backs overlapping - which they'll surely do to greater effect than Burnley. Go wide and we may find ourselves overrun in the middle. It's a balancing act and Monk will no doubt have pondered this exact question after Burnley celebrations subsided.

Swansea have struggled against big powerful strikers in the past (Carroll...) but Kane should, in theory, be manageable. It is likely that we'll play our more defensive formation, and with Cork in particular excelling in the air since being brought in (winning 3.3 aerial duels per game - one more than nearest challenger Ashley Williams) we should be able to make it difficult for Spurs to build anything through the middle.

Don't forget it took a late Christian Eriksen strike to separate the sides back in December. We weren't outclassed, and Spurs' win sparked a seven-game unbeaten run, of which they won five. While they'll be hoping to once again kickstart their season with another victory over Garry Monk's side, we've shown in the last two games that we aren't going to go down without a fight. Not since Chelsea, anyway.

Will it be pretty? Probably not. But whoever wins, their fans won't care. I'm fancying a cheeky 2-1 away win to complete a famous hat-trick of victories heading into the international break, which would leave us just one point behind Tottenham.

We'll have played a game more, but the lowest position we could slip to even if we manage to lose would be tenth. With ten games left to play after tomorrow's match at White Hart Lane, that's a bloody lovely position to be in.



Tottenham v Swansea - Statistical Match Preview

We crunch the numbers so you don't have to...





Opta Stats


  • Spurs have won all three Barclays Premier League home games against Swansea, keeping a clean sheet in the last two.
  • Swansea have lost their last six against Tottenham in the PL and are winless in seven (D1 L6).
  • Harry Kane has scored 12 goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances.
  • No team has won more Premier League games from losing positions than Tottenham this season (5) in 2014-15.
  • No team has lost more top flight games from winning positions than Swansea City (4) this season.
  • Spurs have conceded the most penalties in the Premier League this season (7).
  • 40 points after 27 games equates to Swansea’s best ever return in a Premier League season.
  • Swansea City have failed to score a first half goal in their last five Premier League matches on the road.
  • The Swans have scored exactly one goal in seven of their last eight away from home.
  • Seven of Swansea’s last eight Premier League goals have arrived in the second half.





  • Swansea have scored just 31 goals in 27 league games so far this season - ten less than Tottenham Hotspur.
  • Spurs have, however, conceded two more goals than the Swans (36 as opposed to 34).
  • Rule out Wilfried Bony and Swansea's next four top scorers (Ki 5, Sigurdsson 4, Routledge & Dyer 3) have only managed one goal more than 14 league goals plundered by Harry Kane.
  • Gylfi Sigurdsson (8) has three more assists than any Tottenham player has managed.
  • Jefferson Montero (2.8) attempts more dribbles per game than any Spurs player. Lamela (2) comes closest.
  • Sigurdsson just edges Eriksen when it comes to key passes per game - 2.5 to the Dane's 2.4.




Tottenham v Swansea - Expert Team News & Availability Update

Injury guru Ben Dinnery on the latest team news ahead of tomorrow's clash Spurs



It's not very often that two teams at this stage in the season can boast such a rude bill of health, but that's where we are. For Spurs the only worry is Kyle Walker, who's due to be assessed ahead of tomorrow's match after picking up a knock against Chelsea.

For Swansea, Kyle Bartley remains out after tearing his meniscus while Tom Carroll is unavailable to face his parent club. Ex-Spur Gylfi Sigurdsson is in line to face his former club after recovering from his slight hamstring injury. Having trained he should be available, but may only make the bench with Monk spoiled for choice in central midfield.

Thanks to Ben Dinnery for all the latest team news. You can follow him on Twitter @BenDinnery, and check out his website premierinjuries.com




Monday 2 March 2015

What to do about Michu

Josh Kilmister on what the Swans could look to do with Michu when his current loan deal ends





After making his loan exit to Naples in the Summer, the name ‘Michu’ has gone very, very quiet both in South Wales and around the country - where only two years ago his name couldn’t have been spoken in a more positive tone. The post-Burnley episode of ‘The Jack Cast’ (link) saw his name mentioned for probably the first time since Napoli fans took to Twitter to vent their frustrations about their signing of the injury prone forward in the early stages of the season.

But despite all the negativity surrounding his attitude when he left, hearing his name again made me realise something – I really, really miss him.

That’s why it makes me so angry that a talent like him was allowed to fight through the pain barrier, instead of doing the sensible thing and taking a few months out. It was rumoured on his return from injury that he had been told that he would never be able to play Premier League football again, and unless there is a dramatic change in fortune for the Spaniard, this looks to be the case.

I’ve only really followed the Swans since our last season in League Two so maybe I don’t really have the right to say what I’m about to say [You are! - Ed], but I think a fully fit Michu was one of, if not the best finisher our club has ever seen. His debut season in the Premier League was something of real beauty, and his £2m price tag made it all the more dumbfounding.

Eighteen Premier League goals. Nine with his left foot, three with his right and six with his head. He really was the complete modern day forward. Everything from his never-say-die attitude towards his football to his famous celebration that become a favourite among the Swansea faithful was pretty damn near perfect for an entire season, and that was when it all went wrong.

The ligaments in his ankle gave in and the pressure put on him by Michael Laudrup didn’t help. Put that together with a fully fit Wilfried Bony breathing down his neck, Michu never really found the form that saw him take fifth in the Premier League top scorers table – outscoring the likes of Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge.

With the players we have in our side now, I see myself dreaming of what could have been had Michu stayed fit. Whether Garry Monk is a fan is debatable, but if there could have been a way to fit Bony, Sigurdsson and Michu into a fully functioning attack then I don’t think there would be many sides of our stature outscoring us.

Of course it’s never over until it’s over, but for Michu to make a Swansea return next season is something of an impossibility. While his injury stands in the way of him holding down a place in any decent side, I’m not sure his head will ever be at Swansea as much as it once was. We gave him a chance in the limelight and he took it, but the way he was managed under Laudrup is, in my opinion, as much to blame for his ankle injuries than his constant kicking of the electronic advertising boards whenever he scored.

He has made started just three games for Napoli this season, featuring for a total of just 229 minutes, so the chances of them making his loan deal permanent don’t look great. Rumours also emerged today claiming he'd left his flat in Italy and his car had been parked in the training ground for months. I can only assume that the Spaniard will return to Swansea in the summer to hold talks with Monk and Co. to see exactly where he stands, and there are a few options.


  • We could hold onto him for the remaining year of his contract and hope that at the very minimum he doesn’t cause an upset in the camp, and maybe make the odd appearance should his ankle allow him to do so.
  • We terminate his contract. As harsh as it sounds, this is definitely an option – a very expensive one at that. Michu is probably one of our higher earners, so the costs of axing his contract would be costly.
  • Lastly - and this is the most likely scenario; we could try and find him a new club. While it’s unlikely that Michu would cut it in the Premier League anymore, there might be a club similar to Real Vallecano (who we originally signed Michu from) that might be willing to gamble on him.


In an ideal world, we recoup the £2m we paid for the Spaniard and go our separate ways, but I think in this situation the interests of the player need to be in mind just as much as those of the club. Sure, he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to be here and maybe this is just me being a soft touch, but for someone who offered us so much – albeit for a shorter period than he would’ve liked – if only getting back half of what we paid for him means he can start afresh in Spain, then so be it.

The signing of Michu brought us to a whole new level in the Premier League. Had we not done that, then I think we’d be looking at a very different club today.

You can follow Josh on twitter @JoshKilmister



Podcast: The JackCast EP46 - Tottenham Preview

We speak with a Spurs fans and look at how the Swans may line up on Wednesday



On this episode Scott & Guto look ahead to Wednesday's game against Spurs, and are joined by Tottenham fan Kevin De Vries of the EPL Roundtable. Topics include prospective tactics, Tom Carroll's future and whether the Swans being within touching distance of Spurs at this point in the season is more of a compliment to Monk's side than it is worrying for Pochettino's.



Shelvey: "We could hear the Jack Army through the changing room ceiling!"

Swansea midfielder reveals the Swans travelling support made themselves known




They say the fans can be the difference, and Jonjo Shelvey clearly feels Swansea City had a helping hand, revealing Swansea's away support were clearly audible in the away dressing room - even at half time!


"It was great to see so many fans there on Saturday. We could hear them all throughout the game, and during half time because the dressing room was underneath the away end. It was a pleasure for us as players to hear them and it's great that we have so many supporters that travel and support us on the road. 
"Towards the end of games when you might be hanging on, you hear the fans and it gives you that extra push to see it out and Saturday's win was for them."

He also revealed their target pre-season had been to get to fourty points as quickly as possible, but was quick to set any limits on how far this side can go:

And Shelvey insists the squad won't stand still in their quest to push on towards another of this season's targets ahead of Wednesday's trip to Tottenham.

"It's a great achievement for us. That's what we set out to do at the start of the season and credit must go to Monks (Garry Monk) and the rest of the coaching staff for their efforts, but this doesn't mean we can take our foot off the gas. We want to finish as high as possible and hopefully we can push on towards 50 points now. 
"Burnley is a tough place to go and play football, but we knew that if we matched their work-rate and intensity then our quality would shine through. The pitch was bad, the ball was bobbling all over the place but thankfully we got the win and we can push on from here. 
"We were unfortunate not to get a result against Spurs when we played them at home, but if we go there with the same mentality and character that we showed against Burnley then there's no reason why we can't get something out of the game." 



7 Things Monk Has Done To Improve Swansea

As Monty Python would have said - "What has the Monk ever done for us?"


Since Garry Monk came in, it's been surprising to me how much he's had to win over a certain part of our fanbase. Why some thought he was doomed to failure I don't know, but I'm happy to say that we've now secured the "magic" fourty points (even though 37 is normally enough) in the quickest fashion in our history, and look set to build on that with a record points total at Premier League level.

To help anyone still harbouring ill-founded unease, I thought I'd point out some of the things that Monk (and others behind the scenes) have done which have been of benefit to Swansea City.

Kicked out the clique

Last summer we saw lots of departures. Michu, Chico, Canas, Pablo, Pozuelo & Vazquez all departed, and it's hard to argue that this season we haven't presented a better team unit. Togetherness is key in team sports, and having groups within groups isn't a good practice.

Oversaw key signings

While Huw obviously does a lot of the transfer work, I doubt Monk is completely excluded. With that in mind the signings of Sigurdsson, Montero, Fabianski, Carroll (loan), Fernandez & Cork can't be overlooked. All excellent bits of business, all done at good prices. All six of the signings listed above have worked out at least as well as we'd hoped, and if Gomis starts firing too it'll have proven to be a very good transfer window for the Swans.

Stopped goals leaking from full-back

Towards the end of last season, and the beginning of this, it was apparent we were leaking goals down the flanks - in particular down Ben Davies'/Neil Taylor's left-hand side. We don't any more. I can't claim I'm an expert at full-backery but the main thing I've noticed is improved discipline and shape, making sure the back four stay as a unit, and we're definitely a much better team in this regard.

Installed a "Plan B"

Despite some people's criticisms, the way we've played in the last few matches shows Monk has been working on an alternate set of tactics which makes us a lot more difficult to break down. Ten clean sheets isn't to be sniffed at (only 3 teams have equal or better records - Southampton [12], WBA [11] & Liverpool [10]), and given we're likely to become more efficient at utilising this system there's reason to be positive it'll stand us in good stead,

For what seems like forever people have bemoaned a lack of a plan B for when we're liable to be under the kosh. Now we have one, don't reject it just because it isn't pretty. It works.

Motivated the team

Towards the end of Laudrup's reign everything had become a little pedestrian. You can't say that of Monk's team though, as under our former centre-back we've seen our boys become a pressing and harrying machine. There might be a bit of fine-tuning needed - Gylfi could and perhaps should have had a break earlier than his enforced exclusion through suspension - but in general our work-rate is improved and I think that has a large hand in our continued success this season.

Worked with Jonjo Shelvey

You get the sense Laudrup would have loved Shelvey for his raking passes and goals from waaaay downtown. Monk has clearly taken on a more hands-on, perhaps patriarchal role with Jonjo though, and he's definitely benefiting. Of late he's looked a much more disciplined player, and if he keeps improving as he has done over the last six months then then England recognition shouldn't be a million miles away.

Retained Ki Sung-Yueng

The decision to loan Ki to Sunderland is now looking a stranger and stranger one. Easily one of, if not our player of the season, persuading the Korean to stick around and making him an integral part of the team was one of the best moves Monk has made in his short spell as manager. You can see Ki is enjoying his football, and with five goals in 23 Premier League starts he's currently the top scorer at the club (excluding Bony who's left for Man City).


As you can see, Monk has been busy. I've been very impressed with him so far, and as a rookie manager who's still improving there's reason to believe his managerial capabilities with grow exponentially alongside the club's.

Swansea's hierarchy have long spoken of the desire to create a "bootroom" atmosphere at the club, reminiscent of Bill Shankly's days at Liverpool. While it's still early days, Monk has got off to a good start.

Is there anything we've missed? Do you feel there's anything that has gone unnoticed which has helped us to our lofty league position? Get in touch using the comment section below



Swans for Europe? Even if not, show some solidarity for West Ham & Southampton...

With a number of unfashionable clubs still enjoying a lofty league position, Eric Imhof argues fans of the Premier League's potential European gatecrashers should stick together





As a Swansea supporter, you have to enjoy a win like that. How many times over the last four years have Swansea played an even game with an opponent, only to have one of those fateful bounces decide the outcome, leaving three points squandered? And how many times have Swansea kept a clean sheet in open play but let in the odd nicked corner? How many times has Swansea had a 50/50 decision go against them, changing the entire outlook of the match?

Well not on Saturday. The Swans did what so many teams have done to them in the past: tapped in a scrappy corner and edged out a tight, up-in-the-air win. The goal, which went down as an own goal but really was technically assisted by Gomis, whose header to Cork from Shelvey’s corner was superb, sank a determined (and endearing) Burnley side and moved the Swans up to 8th (8th!) in the Premier League with the quickest attainment of 40 points they’ve ever enjoyed. So much for a relegation battle.

In fact, the pundits (gotta’ love the pundits) are all doubling back to what they were only apprehensively hinting in December: Monk’s side might still have a shot at qualifying for the Europa League. In one of my favorite unintentional point-counterpoints from the weekend, The Guardian claims, “Now Europe is back on the horizon,” for the Swans, followed immediately by Monk’s rejoinder, “This is the problem, expectations.” Zing!

But with Monk’s tempered reasonableness aside, do the Swans really have a shot at 5th or 6th place? As it stands they are six points behind Southampton, and eight points behind 5th-place Liverpool - who, given their second-half resurgence, Swansea are unlikely to catch. With safety assured and all eyes to the future, the 47-point high-water mark is, with good reason, the most immediate carrot.

In the meantime, if you’ll allow me to veer off into making an entirely different but tangentially related point, I really hope that Southampton can maintain their footing. Even qualifying outright for Europa league would be a major achievement—and, more importantly, would blaze a trail for possible future inroads into the established Premier-League oligarchy: inroads that Swansea could well exploit.

Back in December (which seems like forever ago now), the table from 4th to 8th looked like this: 4. Southampton (33 pts), 5. Arsenal (33 pts), 6. West Ham (31 pts), 7. Spurs (31 pts), 8. Swansea (28 pts). Southampton was 3 points behind United in third, and a real shake-up near the top looked probable, with Liverpool in 10th with 25 points and Everton in 12th with 21. Contrast that scenario with the current 4th-8th: 4. United (50 pts), 5. Liverpool (48 pts), 6. Southampton (46 pts), 7. Spurs (44 pts), 8. Swansea (40 pts).

Things are looking a little more “normal,” which is to say, boring, as the erosion of form caused by a long arduous season is starting to show. Even if the title isn’t already spoken for, the race for the remaining spots will only be as exciting as the perennial battle between the same handful of clubs, whose grip on the top is best exemplified by the fact that they need not be named. As compelling as Liverpool’s turnaround (for the second straight year) has been, how compelling was the table in December, when it looked possible that Southampton AND West Ham would be crashing the fancy, ostentatious reception at the top of the top half?

As it’s probable (I’m never counting out the Swans, mind you) that Southampton have the best remaining shot of all of the “surprise” success stories this season, I think it's acceptable for fans of clubs like Swansea to root for them to unseat one of the big boys. For Swans fans that support should have been made quite easier to muster by Jonjo’s dagger on the 1st of February.

I, for one, hope that if the Swans don’t elbow their way any higher than their current (unbelievably fantastic) position in the remaining fixtures, that someone other than the usual suspects does. And yes, if it can’t be Southampton or the Swans, I’d even take West Ham. Yes, even West Ham.

You can follow Eric on Twitter @AustinJackArmy



Sunday 1 March 2015

Podcast: The JackCast EP45 - Swans winning ugly, and what to do about Michu?

New panellist Guto Llewelyn joins regulars Scott & Steve to discuss yesterday's win over Burnley, plus what the future may hold for Swansea's Spanish forward



On this weekend’s podcast Scott, Steve & new panellist Guto Llewelyn discuss the 1-0 win at Burnley, whether we’re likely to retain this formation going forward, who our “man of the match” was, plus we also briefly touch on the future of Swansea’s on-loan forward Michu, whose potential return to the club is now edging ever closer.



Follow us on Twitter @TheJackCast, or on our individual accounts @TheSwanseaWay, @StevenSOS1987 & @GutoLlewelyn


Burnley 0-1 Swansea - Key Stats & Facts

We crunched the numbers to find the most telling statistics from yesterday's win over Burnley





  • Only Bafetimbi Gomis (3) made it into the top five for shots attempted. Ashley Barnes (5), & Michael Kightly, Jason Shackell & Danny Ings (all 2) make up the rest of the top five.
  • David Jones (48) made more passes than any Swansea player. The rest of the top five is made up of all Swansea players though with Ash (47), Ki & Jonjo (46) & Fede Fernandez (45).
  • Burnley's Jason Shackell (86%) completed the highest percentage of his passes with Ki closesly behind on 85%. Ki did make 39 successful passes to Shackell's 32 though.
  • Swansea's pass completion percentage of 70% was 12% lower than their average this season. Burnley completed 68%, just shy of their 71% average.
  • Burnley managed 13 shots to Swansea's 8, including six on target as opposed to the Swans' 2.
  • Swansea made a remarkable 23 interceptions to Burnley's 5, with Neil Taylor, Jack Cork (both 5) & Fede Fernandez (4) particularly impressing.
  • Lukasz Fabianski made 6 saves to Tom Heaton's two, as well as making three successful claims. Heaton made none.
  • Only Danny Ings (7) lost possession more than Bafetimbi Gomis (6), but given their positions that's understandable. 
Data sourced from whoscored.com

Burnley 0-1 Swansea - Dare to change a winning formation?

Josh Kilmister on whether we should be looking to revert to type tactically, or whether our new-look system should stick around for a while yet





It’s six points out of a possible six with Garry Monk’s take on a midfield diamond, but should we be expecting a return to 4-2-3-1 anytime soon?

It’s been a pretty crazy seven days for Swans’ fans. After utilising every ounce of quality to overcome Premier League powerhouses Man United for the second time this season, many thought that might’ve been the end of our ‘Christmas tree’ formation. That wasn’t the case, as Garry Monk stuck to his guns and definitely caught some Swans fans by surprise. So with our game against Spurs just a few days away, should we be sticking with our Christmas tree, or reverting back to our famous 4-2-3-1?  

First of all, I can’t see there being any alterations to our defence. If there was to be a change, I’d assume it would be at right back - but would it be wise to prevent the former Spurs man from playing at his old stomping ground? If Naughton feels he can thrive in said conditions, I think he’s the better choice. Maybe Fernandez could be given a rest to give Amat some game time, but even that’s pretty unlikely.

As for the formation, I’m all for keeping it the same – though I think I’d probably switch it up a little in terms of who plays where. Oliveira looked up for it when he came on; but that doesn’t mean he should start over Bafe. It’s clear that he’s still lacking confidence - something that dropping him won’t fix at all – while I still think his defensive contributions from set pieces have been crucial since Bony’s departure. Believe it or not one of Bafe’s best attributes is his finishing, and there’s plenty of time left this season for him to prove that. Besides, I think this formation was thought up to give the Frenchman more support in the final third because despite his size, he isn’t strong enough to play the same role as Bony did for us.

One thing I would change is the player in support of the striker, where Routledge has been playing of late and where we have further options available. Don’t get me wrong, I thought Routs was superb against United and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him work so hard, but he still isn’t quite cutting it for me at the moment. When we’ve got Jeff Montero on the bench it’s difficult to see why we’re not opting for him over Wayne, because going forward at least, he is much, much better. You could also argue that Oliveira could partner Bafe up top as a sort of deep-lying striker, but the absence of a pacey forward might leave us with problems when trying to counter.

Tom Carroll stepped in to replace Gylfi against Burnley as Jonjo pushed further up the field, but he won’t be available on Wednesday as Spurs are his parent club. Should Gylfi be fit, I’d imagine Jonjo would drop back to partner Ki with the Iceman spearheading the diamond. If not then I think Fulton would get the nod over Leon, simply because we wouldn’t need two purely defensive minded midfielders on the field.

Spurs face Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final today, so that could potentially give us a slight edge over them, but that’s not to say they won’t be up for it.  They have some really outstanding players and on their day they can beat anyone, but the same can be said for us.

We currently sit eighth in the Premier League having reached that holy fourty-point mark earlier than we ever have before, so there’s no reason why we can’t be optimistic. If Garry Monk thinks this formation works, then he has my 100% backing. After all, he is a tactical genius.

You can follow Josh on twitter @JoshKilmister