The Great White Hopes

There’s probably only one set of fans that share the feelings of elation and pride in their club that are currently default settings for Swans supporters, but the reasons for that pride are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. The Swans continue to celebrate the scalping of Arsenal and bask in the worldwide compliments on the style of play at the Liberty whilst Darlington fans rejoice in a mammoth collective effort to keep their club alive for just that little bit longer as it struggles for its very existence.

It was a remarkable day yesterday for the Quakers as it looked for all the world like the club would pass from administration to liquidation but a very last ditch rescue package from the Darlington Football Club Rescue Group (DFCRG) brought a stay of execution until the end of January. For Darlington fans, many of whom contributed to that rescue package through donations to the Supporters Trust, the elation comes from knowing that they are still in there with a chance of surviving…and whilst there is still a breath in the club’s body then hope springs eternal.

Swansea City has, of course, been in Darlington’s situation more than once and for those that have borne witness to those struggles and actively took part in the various rescue attempts and resuscitation of the club the current heady Premier League days are a golden reward. If you can’t enjoy this time as a Swans fan then really, give it up now, because you’ll never get much better than what you’ve got right now!

And as the publicity surrounding our passing football passes fever pitch, every struggling club out there should sit up and take note for we are The Great White Hopes – the proof that you can come back from the brink and make it to the top.

From the very bottom of the League to spanking the arse of Arsenal in the top flight in less than a decade, and not a sugar daddy or oil sheikh in sight. It can be done. We are the living proof of it. And every club in the lower divisions can cling to that reality just as they used the rise of Wimbledon from obscurity to the top table as an example all those years ago.

You can see the template beginning to work again with Wrexham – at death’s door, tumbled out of the League, fought off nefarious owners and now prospering again thanks to the fans at the helm. I watched their F A Cup replay with Brighton last night, which they lost on the narrowest of narrow margins (a penalty shoot out), and they played their Championship opponents off the park at times; they have a livewire team sitting proudly at the top of the Blue Square and are looking good for a return to the Football League.

Who knows, if they follow the template laid down by The Great White Hopes, we may well be watching a Swansea v Wrexham Welsh derby in the Premier League in less than a decade. As for Darlo, survival in any form will do for them right now and I wish them the very best of luck in that fight.

Darlington F.C. still desperately need funds to survive; if you’d like to contribute a couple of quid then click the link HERE 

Vive La January Revolution

Brendan Rodgers has donned his very best beret and is currently overseeing a January transfer window revolution of Che Guevara proportions as he looks to reshape his squad for the rest of the Premier League season.

Three incoming players have already been signed and sealed, a fourth is due to be ratified after the weekend and now we have the first high profile departure with the news that David Cotterill has been paid off.

Okay, so two of the new players are firmly within the category of “Ones for the Future” but Rory Donnelly and Darnel Situ are both young and talented lads that have every chance of fulfilling their massive potential under Rodgers, one of the best in the business at developing young players.

The third confirmed capture, Gylfi Sigurdsson, has already given glimpses of what he can bring to the Swans party having completed a cameo in the FA Cup victory over Barnsley. Sigurdsson is very good on the ball, has an efficient set piece and, crucially, gets goals from midfield – something we have been lacking since the loss of Ferrie Bodde.

Personally, it doesn’t matter who else may or may not sign in the transfer window…Sigurdsson’s signature on a loan deal until the end of the season will be the best bit of business done as he gives us exactly what is missing from the current squad. He’s also got some experience behind, him having already played in the English leagues and starring in the German top flight last season so there’ll be no need for the kid gloves treatment…

…unlike that player due to sign after the weekend; Josh McEachran. There is no doubt that McEachran is a huge talent but it currently inhabits a slight frame that has seen very little first team action and whilst I can’t wait to see the deal fully ratified and the young lad spraying the ball around the Liberty pitch, I do fear that the expectations placed on his shoulders by some fans are way over the top. After all, this is a player that has, I believe, yet to complete back to back 90 minute appearances; he’s going to need a little bit of nursing at times and it will be a learning curve for him. That said, if the deal does finally go through he’ll have a manager that already understands him and whom he can trust, having worked with Rodgers at Chelsea previously,  and that’s half the battle for a young player trying to make the breakthrough at any level, much less the top level of the Premier League.

And that leaves me wondering where David Cotterill would be if he’d had Rodgers coaching him a few years earlier. There’s no denying that Cotterill has talent – he showed what he could do under Sousa and again in the attacking midfield role in Rodgers’ early days – but there’s seems to be an inherent lack of confidence in him which serves to undermine the lad and a poor performance against Leicester last January effectively finished him as a Swan.

A record signing when Sousa splashed out £600k, Cotterill still had 18 months left to run on a lucrative contract and the decision to pay him off will no doubt be a costly one. But we’ve reached the point where we simply have to start letting players go…I hesitate to use the word “deadwood” but we have players in the squad on good wages that are never, ever going to get a look in under Rodgers and we need to start clearing the decks so that we have room for the likes of McEachran and Sigurdsson.

It’s all part of the squad revolution that Rodgers is undertaking and with another fortnight plus of the transfer window still to go there could well be more comings and goings. Indeed, reports continue to swirl around linking the Swans with Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard with first cash and Stephen Dobbie going the other way and then Leroy Lita added into the package too.

Whilst I’d hesitate to lose Lita, Dobbie (in my opinion) has no future at Swansea under Rodgers – he’s way down an ever lengthening midfield list – and it makes sense to move him on. Of course, there’s a sentimental attachment for Dobbie on the fans’ part (I share it too) but Rodgers has stated clearly that he learnt his lesson at Reading about letting sentimentality get the better of his judgement and he won’t allow himself to make that mistake again. Whether Maynard arrives at the Liberty or not, I think Dobbie’s days are numbered and perhaps that’s for the best for the sake of his own career.

Whatever else happens this month, Rodgers’ Revolution of the Swansea City playing squad is gathering pace…let’s hope it leads to a long term occupation of the Premier League!

What a Start to 2012!

2011 was quite possibly the finest year Swansea City Football Club has ever experienced and the curve has continued upwards into 2012 – the club’s long awaited centenary year.

We are only five days into the new year but already there’s been plenty to cheer about. The party poppers were still going off as supporters celebrated the New Year when Darnel Situ confirmed via Twitter that he had joined Rory Donnelly in becoming a full fledged Swan. The French Under-19 captain has been training with the club since the autumn, unable to play due to the FIFA red tape that prevented an agreed transfer being ratified on deadline day. Although Situ is viewed in the same light as Donnelly – very much one for the future – he is very highly thought of and will provide some additional defensive cover this season and with Alan Tate expected back sooner rather than later we shouldn’t find ourselves in the deep trouble we were in not so long ago.

Next up in the good news stakes was the capture of the attacking midfielder we’ve all been craving, although the player that Brendan Rodgers turned to was a little unexpected to say the least. The name of Gylfi Sigurdsson had slipped totally under the radar with all the focus on Josh McEachran and John Goossens but the young Icelandic international – who played for Rodgers at Reading – was signed and sealed in a loan deal from german club Hoffenheim within a couple of days. Sigurdsson is a gifted creative player that excels at set-piece delivery and weighs in with a few goals from midfield…in other words, EXACTLY the type of player that is needed to truly make Rodgers’ masterplan work in the Premier League.

With some exciting squad developments already sorted it was time for the existing playing personnel to crank up the feelgood factor -and they duly obliged by delivering the long awaited first away win of the season. And it wasn’t just the result that had Swans fans purring, it was the manner in which it was achieved as the team tore apart an established Premier league in the shape of Aston Villa. Stephen Warnock in particular is still being nursed back to health after being ass-whipped to within an inch of his life by a rampant Nathan Dyer!

And then just when you thought life as a Swans fan couldn’t get any better, along comes a tweet like this from ashley Williams on Twitter: “I just wanna tell everyone that one of the best players I have ever played with the legend that is Ferrie Bodde is close to a return!!” I know we’ve been here before with the Evil Genius but it is a promising sign that has rehabilitation is on course and maybe, just maybe there will be a happy ending for Ferrie after all. The mere thought of Bodde swaggering imperiously through a Premier League game makes me more excited than Bayo Akinfenwa at an all-you-can-eat buffet for one!

Life is ever so sweet as a Swans fan at the moment – let’s all keep on enjoying the ride

Swans Storm the Villa for That Away Win

Stephen Warnock

2012 started with a bang in Birmingham for Swansea City Football Club as that elusive first win on the road was secured in style against a comprehensively outplayed Aston Villa.

An early goal from a flying winger in each half did all the damage and ensured the Swans secured their first top flight away victory since 1982…and began the club’s centenary year in fitting fashion.

As expected Brendan Rodgers rang the changes from the side that performed so well against Spurs 48 hours earlier, making seven changes in all. Caulker, Britton and Danny Graham were all restored to the starting line-up, Wayne Routledge replaced Scott Sinclair and there was a first Premier League start for Andrea Orlandi in the middle of the park.

In contrast, Villa relied on the same players that had secured a shock 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. And maybe those players thought that Swansea would be easy meat in comparison to Chelsea…if so, any over-confidence was fractured into pieces within the first 250 seconds as Villa committed the football equivalent of sticking their heads in a gas oven!

Trying to stroke the ball around in “Swansealona” fashion led to Villa’s downfall and it was Stephen Warnock turning the gas oven on as his woefully short attempted pass to his centre half was picked off by Nathan Dyer, the winger advancing before firing low into the bottom corner with the help of a very slight deflection. It was very much a case of Dyer with the opener after dire by Warnock!

A terrific start for Swansea could have got even better a few minutes later as Orlandi advanced with some menace and unleashed a shot from outside the box that flew just fractionally wide of Brad Guzan’s goal frame.

It wasn’t only Swansea’s offensive game that was fully functioning though, the defensive side of things was in working order too and anything Villa tried was dealt with in efficient fashion, reducing the home side to a string of corners that came to nothing.

For Stephen Warnock, that opening howler was just the start of his problems and Dyer was having an absolute field day against him. The diminutive wideman almost grabbed his second of the afternoon as he once more ran at the Villa rearguard but his cross-cum-shot drifted just wide.

Steve Caulker was cautioned after a foul on the hapless Warnock but there was nothing doing from the referee when Gabby Agbonlahor went down easily in the box under the close attention of Neil Taylor, although to be fair the Villa man made no real claim for a spot kick.

With Orlandi pulling the strings in midfield (yes, I really did type that!) and Dyer destroying all before him the Swans were by far the more dangerous of the two sides and really should have extended their lead on the half hour mark; Dyer again made a fool out of Warnock out wide and his cross picked out Danny Graham perfectly but the striker just couldn’t get a good enough contact on the ball and it was an easy take for Guzan.

Graham had another good chance after more flowing football on the counter attack led to Orlandi pulling the ball back from the by-line but Graham’s effort from about 10 yards went wide…possibly off the hand of a Villa defender.

The home fans were getting more and more frustrated by their side’s inability to create any real chances and Swansea’s ease at keeping the ball from their opponents almost at will just made things worse. Eventually James Collins decided he’d had enough and he became the second player to receive a yellow card after a crude foul on Routledge.

The Swans were looking very dangerous going forward and coping with anything Villa threw at them, comfortably dealing with the triple threat of N’zogbia, Agbonlahor and Bent and you got the feeling that the Swans didn’t want the first half to end to allow Alex McLeish the opportunity to change the pattern of the game.

As it transpired the Swans needn’t have worried as they caught their visitors cold at the start of the second half just as they did at the beginning of the game.

A poor kick from Guzan was intercepted by Taylor who in turn fed Routledge and he skipped around Carlos Cuellar with ease before laying the ball back to Graham. It summed up Graham’s luck in front of goal that his shot came back off the post but Routledge latched onto the loose ball and drove it with his “swinger of a left foot” through a crowd of three players and into the Villa net for his first Premier League goal in over a hundred matches.

It was a sweet moment for Routledge and he certainly took the opportunity well – but Danny Graham should receive huge credit for his part in the goal as his tremendous workrate forced the initial mistake from the Villa keeper.

Soon after Cuellar signalled to the bench that he “had a problem” (most likely his fear of Routledge doing to him what Dyer had done to his teammate Warnock in the first half) and he was replaced by Alan Hutton.

The Swans made a change of their own with Orlandi’s productive afternoon coming to an end on the hour mark, but not before he’d gone into the referee’s notebook for hacking down Stephen Ireland. Joe Allen replaced Orlandi and in truth a little bit of the Swans’ forward menace went off with the Spaniard.

Richard Dunne was the next one to incur the wrath of the officials, booked by referee Taylor after a clash with Dyer. The Villa centre half should have been booked for his initial foul on Dyer but the referee let him off…only to be forced into flashing the yellow after Dunne compounded his error by shoving Dyer to the ground as his frustration boiled over.

A two goal cushion and the removal of Orlandi meant that the Swans were starting to sit further back, confident that they could deal with whatever Villa threw their way and happy to utilise the pace and trickery of their two outstanding wingers on the break. Villa needed no second invitation and started to put the away goal under pressure and Ireland came close only to see his effort blocked for a corner.

It was Ireland’s last contribution to the game as he was withdrawn in favour of Marc Allbrighton and the young Irishman left the field to a chorus of boos – not for him but for his manager who, in shades of the Wolves away game, was forced to endure chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” as he tried altering his side to rescue at least a point.

However there was to be no Wolves-like comeback in this contest as the Swans kept their concentration and defended resolutely. And there were a couple of chances to kill the game completely that went begging too, Graham thwarted by Dunne as he broke clear and then Allen denied by Guzan after latching on to a delicious through ball, a slight shirt tug by Bannan hampering Allen’s efforts.

There was time for one scare in the Swansea goalmouth as Charles N’zogbia rattled the post in the fourth of five minutes of stoppage time but the Villa player’s vicious volley hit the inside of the post and somehow bounced straight back out instead of deflecting into the goal. Anything but a clean sheet would have been harsh on the Swans defence though and the referee’s whistle soon after confirmed the shut out and, more importantly, the all important away win we’ve all been waiting for.

Verdict: Two excellent goals, a ninth clean sheet, a first away win and finally, FINALLY a Premier League goal for Wayne Routledge…it couldn’t have gone much better for the Swans. Fulham’s win against Arsenal later in the evening pushed the Swans back down a place into 12th but with an eight point cushion and a massive goal difference advantage over the current occupiers of the relegation places the Swans have started the New Year in rude health. Keep playing the way we played against Villa in the second half of the season and Swansea City will be visiting the likes of Villa Park next season for sure.

Man of the Match: Andrea Orlandi had a very good opening hour considering his total lack of game time this season and once again Danny Graham put in a lung-busting shift and was unlucky not to add to his six goals this season. Another stand-out performer was Wayne Routledge and a massive weight will have been lifted from his shoulders with that long awaited first Premier League strike. But Man of the Match without a shadow of a doubt was Nathan Dyer, his early goal setting the Swans on their way to victory and his performance against Warnock in particular a study in cruelty against defenders!

Swans Are Hot for a Point!

Sinclair Scores!

Swansea City brought the curtain down on 2011 with a magnificent performance to claim a point in a pulsating game of football at the Liberty Stadium, puncturing Tottenham’s title challenge in the process.

Scott Sinclair’s late tap in was enough to claim a share of the spoils and was the least the Swans deserved after a storming second half fight back that had Harry Redknapp’s side reeling.

What a contrast to the previous Tuesday evening; a subdued and nervy crowd bemoaned a point against Queens Park Rangers but yesterday the Jack Army was in full voice, belting out Hymns & Arias with unbelievable gusto and this time a point was welcomed fervently – no doubt due to the standard of opposition and the manner in which the Swans claimed it.

Brendan Rodgers sprung a few selection surprises with the inclusion of Stephen Dobbie as the attacking midfielder supporting Luke Moore rather than Danny Graham or Leroy Lita as the lone striker. Nathan Dyer replaced Wayne Routledge on the wing, Gower replaced Kemy and there was no place for Leon Britton. Angel Rangel was passed fit but was confined to the bench, leaving Jazz Richards to continue deputising.

It made for a slightly unfamiliar feel but it certainly worked in the opening stages as the home side dominated the opening quarter of an hour. There was more forward momentum in that fifteen minute period than perhaps in the while of the previous two games and it could easily have brought a goal; Friedel had to palm out a long range effort from Nathan Dyer and then Sinclair was inches away with a shot from about 12 yards.

Slowly though, Spurs began to grow into the game and Modric registered their first effort at goal with an effort from 20 yards. Gareth Bale then forced some good defending from Jazz Richards but at the second time of asking the young Swans full-back slid into the Spurs man and found himself going into referee Phil Dowd’s notebook.

Spurs were putting on some pressure with Modric, van der Vaart and Adebayor prominent but they kept finding themselves thwarted by the offside flag. Swansea responded with some neat football of their own and Scott Sinclair’s shot went just agonisingly wide.

The pass and move stuff continued from both sides as the half progressed but the sweet stuff was spoiled by a moment of sourness as gareth Bale was quite rightly yellow carded by Dowd for cheating, his outrageous dive under a non challenge by Gower fooling nobody – least of all the referee.

That brought enthusiastic cheers from the home crowd but just a couple of minutes later those cheers were turned into groans as Spurs rather fortuitously took the lead. Spurs full back Assou-Ekotto literally turned Jazz Richards inside out and his pull back was first deflected into the path of van der Vaart and then deflected into the net as Ashley Williams tried blocking the Dutchman’s shot at goal. It was cruel on Swansea and an even more bitter blow as the goal came right on the stroke of half time.

The interval marked the end of Jazz Richards’ game; clearly the early yellow card had affected him and with the dangerous runners in the Spurs side Rodgers decided not to risk the red card and brought on Rangel. The change brought with it that extra attacking dimension to the Swans’ game but it was Tottenham that threatened to extend their lead with two outstanding chances in the first two minutes of the half.

Kaboul came barging up from centre half for the first, swapping passes with Adebayor before being thwarted at the last by Vorm. Less than sixty seconds later it was Adebayor coming close but his effort was wide after a strong run by Bale.

Joe Allen and Stephen Dobbie led the fightback however Spurs were looking secure at the back with Kaboul and Gallas standing strong and the twin beasts of Sandro and Parker shielding in front of them. Despite Tottenham holding the goal advantage the Swans could sense there was something in the game for them and both sets of fans could sense it too, leading to a terrific atmosphere in the stands as the two sets of supporters  traded vocal blows in the singing stakes.

Rodgers made his second significant change on the hour mark, sending on Kemy Agustien in place of Gower and the introduction of the big Dutchman saw the Swans start to dictate play. Sandro had to stop Dobbie pulling the trigger and then Kyle Walker was forced to surrender a corner to stop Sinclair. A ball over the top lifted some of the pressure for Spurs but Adebayor got the ball caught under his feet when a clean take would have seen him through on goal.

Back came Swansea and a neat piece of skill from Luke Moore ended with the striker’s shot being deflected for a corner. From the resulting flag kick Rangel came within a whisker of equalising with a vicious volley that seemed to take a deflection at the last second to keep it out. The home side were building a real head of steam and Rodgers played his last card, Moore’s decent game coming to a premature end as he made way for top scorer Danny Graham.

It didn’t take long for Graham to get into the action, first improvising a header as Sinclair cut inside and shot at goal and then narrowly missing out as Rangel volleyed across the box. But the striker’s presence proved crucial as the Swans finally grabbed the equaliser their persistence deserved with just under ten minutes left on the clock.

Having seen a shot cleared off the line and few moments before, Sinclair gobbled up the easy chance after Rangel’s deflected cross somehow eluded Friedel – possibly the big American put off by the presence of Graham.

Neither side seemed happy to settle for a point but the remaining moments of a quality encounter were played out without further additions to the scoreboard and as Phil Dowd blew to bring the end of football in 2011 a draw was probably the right result.

Verdict: What a match! Both sides were responsible for serving up a festive treat and it was certainly one for the purists as the ball was played around the field with pace and precision. That the Swans were able to live with, and then dominate, one of the best teams in the country – a side in with more than a shout for the title – speaks volumes for the progress made during a landmark calendar year for the club. And didn’t the crowd love every minute of it? Quite rightly so, for if you can’t enjoy days like that as a Swans fan then you really shouldn’t be depriving someone else of the seat!! A top performance, a precious point won and the Swans can look to 2012 with real optimism.

Man of the Match: Strong performances from Luke Moore and Joe Allen and another telling cameo from Kemy but, in my opinion, head and shoulders above everyone else was Ashley Williams. An almost super-human effort from the centre half and you’ve got to ask the question: if Gary Cahill is worth £7 million to Chelsea, how much is our Ash worth? Let’s hope we don’t find out in January!

Swans Face Massive Challenge Against Hot Spurs

Keep yer wig on ‘Arry

Swansea City aim to put a couple of poor results behind them and finish a momentous year off in winning style – but they’ll have to beat one of the best team’s in the country to do so as Tottenham arrive at the Liberty in top form and third in the Premier League.

The Swans aren’t in the best of form going into the game, without a win in three games and, perhaps more alarmingly, with very little forward momentum to their game. In contrast, Spurs are flying and have muscled their way into the title race and have perhaps the best player in the country right now at their disposal in the imposing shape of Gareth Bale.

Two games in 48 hours over the tail end of the festive period makes it very difficult to predict Brendan Rodgers’ side as he likes to make a number of changes over these games in a bid to keep players fresh.

At the back he’ll no doubt call upon Michel Vorm and Ashley Williams, and with Steve Caulker unable to face his parent club then there will certainly be a recall for club captain Gary Monk. There’s a bit of good news in the shape of a fit Neil Taylor but Angel Rangel will need to pass a fitness test to take part and it may well be prudent to give him the extra couple of days rest. Rangel’s deputy Jazz Richards certainly hasn’t let anyone down and he will slot in at right back should Rangel either fail his fitness test or be kept in reserve by Rodgers.

That back line will be up against the formidable talents of Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart; Adebayor has really settled in at Spurs and is enjoying his football once more, which is when he’s at his most dangerous, whilst Vorm’s international team mate van der Vaart has the subtle skills and finishing to trouble any defence in the land.

Midfield posing quite a quandry for Rodgers; it’s just not functioning properly at the moment which is why the side is struggling to get going and create any chances. Mark Gower has been in a battle with Kemy Agustien for a shirt over the last three games and has kept losing (subbed twice at half time and then left out completely against QPR) and it’s likely he’ll miss out again, denied a chance to play against his former club after Agustien’s Man of the Match performance against Rangers.

Dilemma 2 for Rodgers is whether or not to sacrifice one of Allen or Britton in an attempt to bring a touch more creativity to the middle of the park courtesy of Luke Moore. I don’t envy the gaffer this one given the quality of the opposition midfield…does Rodgers go the more defensive route to try and nullify the likes of Bale and Modric or does he try and stimulate some forward momentum by restoring Moore to the side and risking the aforementioned Spurs players making the very most of the extra freedom?

Out wide I fully expect Rodgers to stick with the stuttering Scott Sinclair and Wayne Routledge although I’d be leaving the former on the bench and bringing in Nathan Dyer, if only for his prodigious defensive work rate and ability to advance the whole of our play an extra 30 yards up the pitch.

Up front it will be Danny Graham for sure – which means Rodgers will rest him and play Lita instead, thus making me look a prize tit. Again. Graham had a superb game against QPR, putting in a real shift up front and at the back for set pieces, living off scraps and creating a terrific goal for himself and we’ll sure as Hell need more of the same again tomorrow.

Whoever does get the nod will be up against a miserly Spurs defence that has only conceded three times in the last six games. Marshalled by the massively experienced Brad Friedel in goal and the almost bionic Ledley King, the Spurs defence also profits from the burgeoning talent of Kyle Walker and the protective shield provided by Scott Parker just in front of them…it’ll certainly be a hard days’ work for our lone striker tomorrow.

My Side

• Vorm
• Richards
• Monk
• Williams
• Taylor
• Agustien
• Britton
• Allen
• Dyer
• Routledge
• Graham

My Prediction

Regular readers of “ATFV!” will recognise how much it pains me to say that Harry Redknapp has succeeded in putting together a fine football side…I absolutley despise Redknapp with a passion and hate how he operates at clubs but even I have to admit he’s assembled a team that can now challenge for the title. Where does that leave the Swans tomorrow? With a mountain to climb, that’s for sure (OH NO! I’m using Harry-isms now!!) But in a strange sort of way it will suit us tomorrow; the last three games the opposition has been focused on playing a high pressure game against us, stifling us and picking us off. Tonorrow will be different with Spurs coming to play football and that should give us the opportunity to play our natural game. Realistically it won’t be enough – our form isn’t great with a lack of confidence seemingly creeping in whilst Bale is in the form of his life and Spurs will take some stopping. Can we do it…YES. Will we do it…sadly NO…Swans 1 v Spurs 2

Swansea City v Tottenham Hotspur STAT ATTACK

• Gareth Bale scored twice for Spurs as they swept aside Norwich in their last game to go third in the Barclays Premier League
• Bale also covered the most ground for Spurs in that game with 4.98 miles
• Bale’s goals were his 6th and 7th of the Barclays Premier League season, from 46 shots at goal with 59% on target and a conversion rate of 15%
• Bale has also completed 51 dribbles, the 5th highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
• Younes Kaboul has the joint second best tackles won percentage in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index (for players who have attempted over 20 tackles) with 96% of tackles won
• Luka Modric completed 50 passes in his opponent’s half against Norwich, the highest of any player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance index in the last round of games
• Danny Graham scored a brilliant goal for Swansea in their 1-1 draw with QPR in their last outing
• Joe Allen covered the most ground for Swansea in that game with 7.06 miles as Swansea out ran QPR by 65.13 miles to 63.9 miles
• Swansea’s total of 65.13 miles was the highest posted by any team in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in the last round of games
• Allen was one of only three players to top 7 miles in the last round of games, and put in the second highest distance of any player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
• Michel Vorm made several good saves to keep QPR at bay, including a brilliant stop from Joey Barton’s long range effort. Vorm has now made 102 saves so far this season, the second highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, conceding just 22 goals, an average of 4.6 saves per goal conceded

Guest Article – Brendan’s Shopping List

Danny Cosker makes his Spitting Feathers debut with an in-dpeth look at the two players pretty much in Brendan Rodgers’ January shopping trolley…

The January transfer window is a mere two weeks away now. Football managers up and down the country have had sufficient time to analyze their squads and identify the areas that need improving.

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers can feel encouraged by what he’s seen so far, with his team sitting relatively comfortably in 12^th place in the Premier League. That said, he’s openly spoken about the need to add to the current group of players at his disposal to ensure survival this season.

Rodgers is looking at potentially bringing in 4-6 new faces in January and has already made his move for a couple of players he’s identified as the future of Swansea City.

Rodgers flew out to Northern Ireland on the 29^th November to watch a 19-year-old player making headlines in the Irish Carling Premiership – Rory Donnelly. He watched Donnelly play for Cliftonville in their 2-1 victory over Glentoran in the County Antrim Shield final and came away very impressed with the 6’2” striker. So much so, that Rodgers instructed Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins to make contact with Cliftonville to thrash out a deal that would bring Rory to the Liberty Stadium in January.

Speaking about what he saw, Rodgers said: “Rory is a boy who is a talent and with the January window coming up it was something we thought we may need to make an early decision on.”

Speculation began to mount about a potential transfer with a whole host of clubs showing their interest in the 19-year-old starlet, with a dozen scouts in Ireland to see the player in action. Brentford manager Uwe Rosler was also at the game on Tuesday night and tabled a bid straight after the match for Donnelly.

Everton sent their chief scout to watch the young striker in action and was left equally impressed and it is thought that the Toffees will also table a bid matching that of Swansea’s in the next few days.

In addition it is also thought that Chelsea, QPR, Sunderland, St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Burnley, Leeds, Peterborough and Birmingham were all on alert and monitoring events at Cliftonville.

But the only bids for Donnelly following the County Antrim Shield final were from Swansea and Brentford, with the Swans bid in the region of £100,000 accepted by Cliftonville.

Donnelly, who is playing part-time for Cliftonville, is keeping his feet firmly on the ground amidst the media frenzy surrounding him at the moment. Speaking about the attention, Rory said: “I’m not concentrating on all that talk.”

“I’m concentrating on my game and helping the team. Whenever the time comes to make a decision on my future, I’ll turn my thoughts to it then. We have great players here at the club who are teaching me a lot of things so all I can do is keep working hard.”

Rory’s team-mate at Cliftonville – Martin Donnelly –  has nothing but good things to say about his name-sake. “Rory is a different class,” said the former Crusaders winger. “He has everything. In the last few games he has been awesome and I hope he does go over (across the water) and do us proud. It will be a big loss for us but we’ll push on and Rory will get the chance he deserves.”

Donnelly is a quick, powerful and a technically gifted footballer. In his Carling Premiership goal-haul of 12 thus far, he’s scored off both feet with consummate ease and utilising his height to net some impressive headers. It appears that he is a raw talent and someone that can definitely flourish and improve under Brendan Rodgers.

Donnelly’s 12 league goals have come from only 8 starts for Cliftonville,  and his 17 goals in all competitions is made even more inpressive by the fact that the majority of them have off the bench in the last 20 minutes of games and it further backs-up his ability to change games and have an influence.

You want my opinion on a potential transfer to Swansea? I think the £100,000 figure will prove, in time, to be a very good piece of business.

Donnelly has undoubted talent and a keen, youthful eye for goal. He’s young, level-headed and has represented his country at under-21 level, the only thing that remains to be seen is if he is able to make the transition to the professional game. It will no doubt be a big shock for him, but I think he’ll relish living the dream as a professional player. With hard work, patience and a desire to improve, I see no reason why he couldn’t make an appearance for the first team towards the end of the season.

There have been many other names linked through the media to Swansea in the festive imprudence of December, some outrageous and some credible. The only name, however, that Brendan Rodgers has divulged is NEC Nijmegen midfielder – John Goossens.

The talented and versatile 23-year-old is nearing the end of his current contract with NEC and looks set to move on during the summer transfer window. The only question is, where will he go? Brendan Rodgers has bestowed interest in Goossens but denies that any deal has been done in response to reports that NEC chairman Carlos Aalbers asseverated that he’s agreed a fee for his star player with Swansea.

Carlos Aalbers has seen star players leave for free in the past, so he feels it to be a necessity that NEC receive a fee for Goossens and as such, is trying to thrash out a deal to move him in January. John Goossens and his agent appear to be content with the situation in Nijmegen and a lucrative summer move appears preferable.

If Carlos Aalbers wins this battle with player and agent, and gets his wish of a £600,000 January move for Goossens, Swansea and Feyenoord appear to be the front-runners for his signature.

What can Goossens bring to an already impressive Swansea midfield? Exactly the thing we are missing - GOALS. The 23 year old can play anywhere across the middle and as a second striker possessing incredible shot power and accuracy, with the majority of his goals coming from outside the box – something that Swansea haven’t managed this season in the Premier League.

He has two great feet and is considered a free-kick specialist with a range of around 40 yards.

Goossens grabbed a brace yesterday for Nijmegen, scoring a free-kick and a penalty to help his side to victory over VVV Venlo.

Should Swansea chase his signature? I think Goossens is Brendan Rodgers’ top target in January. He has all the attributes to play in a position sitting behind Danny Graham and can be a threat from virtually anywhere on the pitch. He has good ball retention and is very comfortable in possession – perfect for Swansea’s philosophy. John Goossens would be a special signing for the Swans.

I’m confident that both players will become Swansea City signings…but with Donnelly a signing for the future and Goossens by no means a guaranteed January capture, you would hope that Brendan Rodgers has half a dozen other targets lined up to help the current Swansea squad ensure Premier League survival this season.

What are your thoughts on the January transfer window? Are these two potential signings just what we need? Who would you sign? Why not add your comments below…

Swans Whistle a Happy Toon With a Precious Point

More like newcastle Brown Wail after a frustrating draw for the home side

The wait for that elusive first win on road goes on but Swansea City will gladly take the single point they carved out today at St James’ Park.

I said in yesterday’s preview that the Swans would have to “dog it out” to get anything and the boys in orange displayed more canine than Crufts to repel a Newcastle bombardment in general and Demba Ba in particular.

As predicted Luke Moore and Leroy Lita made way for the returning Joe Allen and Danny Graham whilst the home side were boosted by the inclusion of influential captain Coloccini, the combative Chieke Tiote and Leon Best.

There was raw emotion before kick off as Newcastle paid tribute to former player Gary Speed, first with a stirring rendition of Bread of Heaven by Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones and then a minute’s applause supplemented by fans in the East Stand holding up cards with Speed’s number 11 on them.

With the off-field tributes paid, Newcastle set about their on-field task with relish; right from the first whistle the men in black and white tore into their opponents, flooding forward and making sure they never allowed Swansea City the time and space to play their natural passing game.

It set the whole tone of the first period, Newcastle pressing forward and the Swans engaged in a determined reargaurd resistance…it was a siege if not of Alamo proportions then maybe of an Assault on Precinct 13 scale. The Swans briefly broke out in the early minutes with Joe Allen dragging a half decent opportunity wide but Newcastle were dominating possession and popping the ball about very nicely and that brought a rugged response from the visitors who were forced to give away a number of free kicks.

And the Magpies so nearly capitalised on one of those free kick situations in the 20th minute as Yohan Cabaye’s delivery was met by a diving Coloccini; luckily for the Swans the Argentine was a little too wide when he connected and his header struck the post.

If that was a let off for the Swans then there was a full blown escape a couple of minutes later as the extremely dangerous Ba manufactured an acrobatic effort from a Leon best knock-down only for the ball to strike the other post.

The Swans just couldn’t get out, their opponents pressing hard, and that left the wingers starved of the ball and Danny Graham ploughing a very lonely furrow up front. But the back four were standing strong and although the Magpies had the monopoly on possession it was never really “last ditch stuff” to keep them out.

In fact the closest they came was a couple of minutes from the interval but once again Michel Vorm demonstrated how important he is to our cause with a superb stop. Once more it was an acrobatic effort from Ba and it needed an instinctive save from the Dutch keeper.

There was one more scare for the Swans as Gutierrez let fly from distance but the first half finished with the scores level despite the disparity in chances and possession.

The Most Creative Player in Europe didn’t come out for the second half, Rodgers choosing to beef up his midfield with Kemy Agustien in place of Mark Gower. It didn’t take long for Agustien to make an impact – or rather recieve one – as he was caught with a naughty late challenge by the hyper aggressive Tiote.

The introduction of the Dutch midfielder seemed to have a profound effect on the game in general and the Swans in particular though as the contest started to become much more of an even affair; Newcastle were still pressing hard for a breakthrough but Swansea were starting to find their passing targets and bring Graham and Routledge into the game a bit more.

With Swansea’s extra forward impetus the Toon Army started to get a little frustrated and edgy – and that was all the encouragement the Swans needed. Vorm easily claimed a Gutierrez cross after good work initially from the Argentine winner and then Coloccini’s header was blocked by Caulker after another delicious delivery from a Cabaye corner.

It took an hour but the Swans claimed a flag kick of their own but Routledge’s delivery was easily claimed by the under-employed Tim Krul. The ball went straight back up the other end and Cabaye watched his ambitous effort from an acute angle hit the side netting.

Cabaye’s frustration was doubled a few seconds later as he became the first name into the referee’s pocket book for a late foul on Neil Taylor.

The Swans were growing in confidence the longer the game went but that confidence didn’t translate into any real solid chances or attempts on goal – rather into a couple of close calls, ifs, buts, and maybes perfectly typified by a top quality ball across the six yard box by Routledge that just evaded Danny Graham.

Back came Newcastle and Demba Ba was once again foiled by Vorm as he tried to loop a header over the Swansea keeper.

And then came the best chance of the game, and it fell to Swansea City. A neat passing move released Scott Sinclair on the edge of the six yard box but having brought the ball under control and fashioned the space to fire off a shot past the defender, Sinclair dragged the ball past the far post. It was to be his last contribution in the game as Nathan Dyer came on to replace him.

As well as being the best chance of the game it was also the last real chance too and the final 15 minutes were played out without further goalmouth incident other than a few routine collections by Vorm.

The final whistle went and some of the Toon Army showed their frustration with a few boos, no doubt disappointed that their side hadn’t put a newly promoted side with a poor awy record to the sword. The Swans fans, however, could look forward to the long journey home safe and secure in the knowledge that their side are one point closer to retaining their Premier League status.

Verdict: Clean sheets are a regular occurrence at the Liberty but we’ve leaked goals away from home so a ninth shut-out of the season today is very pleasing. So too is the point that came with it. Alright, we didn’t play the pretty and progressive football we are now renowned for but credit for that goes to Newcastle for the way they strangled us in the first half. It was also a good call by Rodgers to introduce Agustien at half-time and he must now be in contention for a start at Goodison Park. All in all, we didn’t do anywhere near enough to win the game but a pleasingly steely performance fully merited a point – and with none of the bottom three winning today can only be viewed as another good day in the Barclays Premier League.

Man of the Match: Starved of the ball for long periods as they were it is impossible to give the award to any of the forward players but Danny Graham worked extremely hard on his own up front. Any of the back four could lay claim to Man of the Match and Michel Vorm is once again right in the thick of the candidates…but I’m giving my Man of the Match award to Jazz Richards for once again standing tall in a hostile environment against a very tricky opponent in the shape of Jonas Gutierrez. Well done young man!

Swans Need Dog on the Tyne to Get That First Away Win

The Toon Army might have its knockers but there's passion there too

Swansea City will need to combine dogged determination with their normal fluent football if they want to beat Newcastle United in what promises to be a fascinating and absoring contest at St James’Park.

The Swans will be hoping to capitalise on their  host’s injuries and a dip in form to grab their first 3 point haul away from the Liberty.  Newcastle, on the other hand, will be hell bent on arresting a mini-slump that has seen them lose three of the last four matches to send them spiralling out of the top four.

The game promises to offer up a number of fascinating individual battles all over the park…not least of which the Double Dutch keeper contest between Michel Vorm and Tim Krul.

After the morale boosting win over Fulham last weekend, Brendan Rodgers has the welcome headache of selection dilemmas all over the park with all of the players that came in against the Cottagers playing their part in a big win plus the return from suspension of the in-form Joe Allen. Newcastle though will be desperately hoping that influential centre half Fabricio Coloccini is fit to return to bring back a bit of stability to a defence that had been performing so well until the loss of the big Argentinian and his partner Steven Taylor.

The Swans defence should be unchanged from last Saturday; Steven Caulker performed extremely well on his return and should once again keep captain Gary Monk out of the side. Ashley Williams will partner him and Jazz Richards and former Toon target Neil Taylor will make up the back four in front of the Penalty Killer himself, Michel Vorm.

Up against that defensive unit though will be a man that could rival Vorm for the title of “Bargain Signing of the Season”: Demba Ba. Only Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney have hit more Premier League goals than Ba in this calendar year and the free transfer signing has plundered 11 goals already season.

The real selection migraine for Rodgers will be in midfield where Luke Moore and former Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge performed admirably in place of Joe Allen and Nathan Dyer respectively. Allen is available once more after his Blackburn ban and you can throw Kemy Agustien into the mix too after his impressive substitute appearance against Fulham.

Routledge is likely to keep his place in front of Dyer but what Rodgers does about that attacking midfield slot is far harder to read; if I was to guess then I would say Allen will come straight back in alongside Britton and Gower…harsh on Luke Moore but away from home the manager might well go for the tougher tackling attributes of Allen.

There’s not much discussion needed for the remaining place in the middle of the park, Scott Sinclair a shoe-in for his usual spot on the wing after finally grabbing his goal from open play (albeit with a big helping hand, or foot, from Clint Dempsey).

For Newcastle there’s an outside chance of Cheick Tiote making the squad after injury but there will be no Dan Gosling after his dismissal against Norwich last week. The eye-catching Cabaye and the dangerous Gutierrez will pose problems as will Ryan Taylor, especially from set-pieces anywhere around the Swansea City box.

Up top there’s another difficult decision for Rodgers; Leroy Lita showed up very well once again and led the line with menace and aggression against Fulham. However, Danny Graham marked his return from injury with his 5th goal in his last eight games and the natural born Geordie will be busting a gut to be selected for this one. That superb strike in stoppage time against Fulham will probably swing it but it will certainly be harsh on Lita if he loses his starting place.

Whichever frontman Rodgers goes with, the task is made a little easier with the absence of Steven Taylor after he was ruled out for the season. Newcastle’s success this season has been built on the bedrock of Taylor and Coloccini at the back and their absence, coupled with a testing run of fixtures, has seen the Magpies fail to win in four, shipping 11 goals in the process.

But whatever back four Newcastle put out, Graham or Lita will still have to beat a top class keeper in the shape of Tim Krul – every inch a peer of our own Dutch delight Michel Vorm.

Find a way to beat Krul, hold our own in an intriguing midfield battle and stand strong at the back and a draw at the very least is there for the taking…sounds easy, doesn’t it?

My Side

• Vorm
• Richards
• Caulker
• Williams
• Taylor
• Gower
• Britton
• Agustien
• Sinclair
• Routledge
• Graham

My Prediction

Tomorrow represents a big test of character for this Swansea City side. The longer our winless run in the Premier League goes on, the more it will play on the minds of the players and St James’ Park is not the place for the faint hearted at the best of times. As mentioned above there are a number of intriguing battles all over the pitch, from the duel of the Dutch keepers to the combined threat of Ba and Ameobi against Ash and Caulker…but the crucial one for me is which of the two tackling pass masters in midfield comes out on top. Both Leon Britton and Johann Cabaye have been outstanding this season and their square up could go along way to deciding this one. Newcastle will view a home game against a promoted side yet to win an away game as the perfect fixture to get their season back on track…it’s up to Swansea City to stand tall and prove that to be incorrect and I think they’ll do that by grabbing a point. Newcastle 1 v Swansea City 1

Newcastle v Swansea City STAT ATTACK

• Newcastle’s injury crisis took a turn for the worst in their last outing as the Magpies lost 4-2 to Norwich making it one point from their last three games
• Yohan Cabaye once again topped the Newcastle distance charts with 6.25 miles covered in the Norwich game. Cabaye joined an elite group of players who have passed the 100 mile mark in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index so far this season
• Demba Ba scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season to remain neck and neck with Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero as the second highest goal scorers in the Barclays Premier League
• However, Ba’s goals have come from 33 attempts at goal, compared to Rooney’s 60 and Aguero’s 45
• Ba’s shooting accuracy is 66% on target, exactly the same as Rooney’s and superior to Agueros’ 47% and top scorer van Persie’s 61%
• Ryan Taylor delivered 11 crosses against Norwich. That was bettered only by Matt Jarvis of Wolves in last weekend’s games.
• Ryan Taylor has also had more shots on target than any other defender in the Premier League with 17, an accuracy rate of 61% on target from 28 shots
• Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham were on target as Swansea beat Fulham 2-0 in their last Premier League match
• Sinclair’s goal was his 4th of the season, and has come from 44 efforts at goal with 52% on target
• Graham’s strike was his 5th goal in 8 games, from 27 shots on goal this season with 63% on target
• Leon Britton covered the most distance for Swansea against Fulham with 6.23 miles
• Vorm made his second penalty save of the season in that game, and has made 86 saves so far this season. That’s the third highest total in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index behind Wayne Hennessey and Mark Schwarzer

The “ATFV!” Betting Column – Newcastle United

888sport’s betting expert Ed Nicholson continues the all new “ATFV!”  betting column by taking a look at the Swans and their next opponents, high-flying Newcastle United…

Swansea City make the long trip to Newcastle on Saturday to face Alan Pardew’s men on Tyneside. The Toon are without a win in their last four games, and have lost three of those four; the Jacks are good value at 7/2 to win at St James’ Park with 888sport.

Newcastle are one of Wayne Routledge’s former clubs and Swansea are unbeaten against the other two they’ve faced this month (Aston Villa and Fulham). Winger Routledge is 11/2 – an industry best price – to net against the Geordies at any time. 888sport  is also offering a special double on Routledge to score and Swansea to win at 16/1.

Swansea stopper Michel Vorm continued his eye-catching form last week with a clean sheet against Fulham at the Liberty Stadium. He’s currently holding the record for clean sheets in the Premier League this campaign – eight. The Swans are 3/1 to keep another clean sheet on Saturday.

Good to see Danny Graham finding his feet in this division; Graham has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances. 888sport go 12/5 for him to score at anytime.

The Editor’s Bet: It’s fair to say that I’m no expert but I’ve been enjoying these betting columns and I’ve caught the bug…and so I’m all signed up with 888sport and I’m all set for a flutter every week. I’ve been having a gander at all of the bets available on this game and there are a couple there that really stand out for me; Steven Caulker to score first at 50/1 is a tasty outsider, 2/1 for more goals to be scored in the first than the second half is attractive…but I’m going with decent odds of 14/1 on the Swans winning at half time but drawing at full time.If it comes in I’ll be updating this blog from a tropical beach from now on!

For all 888sport Swansea odds go to http://www.888sport.com/bet