A win tomorrow for Swansea City and the club that was bottom of the Football League a decade ago will sit proudly at the top of the Premier League – the number one club in the country albeit for just a few hours.
To achieve that proud distinction the Swans will have to take three points in the early kick off against a rough and robust West Ham side that will pose a stern test for Michael Laudrup’s new look side.
Both teams have been boosted by significant new arrivals with the Swans finally confirming South Korean Ki Sung-yeung as the club’s record signing after completing a £5 million purchase from Celtic and the Irons sealing a £10 million deal for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis. But while Jarvis goes straight into the West Ham squad Ki will sit things out as his transfer was not completed in time.
The Swans will go into the game brimming with confidence after last week’s demolition of Queens Park Rangers and any sort of repeat of the counter attacking football that ripped Rangers apart in the second half of that match will have the live Sky Sports audience purring in appreciation.
Ki Sung-yeung may not be available but there could be a debut for another of Laudrup’s new signings if a change is enforced in the back four, Kyle Bartley on standby to replace Chico Flores should the Spaniard fail a late fitness test. Laudrup does have Swans stalwarts Alan Tate and Gary Monk waiting in the wings but it’s more likely that the young recruit from Arsenal will be given the nod should Chico fail to make it.
Elsewhere in the back line it will be business as usual with Michel Vorm playing behind Ashley Williams, Angel Rangel and the continually impressive Neil Taylor.
In midfield Leon Britton will get the chance to face his old club in a Premier League fixture (and who would have thought that when the diminutive midfielder joined our fight for our League lives all those years ago?) and he’ll line up alongside the star of Loftus Road Michu and probably Jonathan De Guzman – although Kemy Augustien once again staked his claim for a starting berth with an influential substitute showing at QPR.
With no deal yet secured for either Pablo Hernandez or Thomas Ince the wingers pick themselves…and so they should really as both Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge played significant roles against Rangers, the former scoring twice and the latter creating three of the five goals. Contract rebel Scott Sinclair is still at the club as negotiations with Man City continue and his goal against QPR may see him come into the equation but it would be harsh to drop either Dyer or Routledge for SS21 – not that that ever stopped Brendan Rodgers!
Focal point of the attack will once again be Danny Graham and after drawing a blank last week whilst his colleagues got five between them will leave the former Watford frontman itching to get on the scoresheet.
For the Hammers it will be close to the team that won in slightly controversial circumstances at Aston Villa last week; former Bolton stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen replaced Rob Green between the Hammers sticks in the summer and he’ll be hoping to fare better against the Swans than his predecessor did last week. In front of him will be former Cardiff defender James Collins, New Zealander Winston Reid, George McCartney and experienced Ivory Coast defender Guy Demel; it’s a solid if not spectacular back line and the collective ability to deal with the movement and sheer pace of the Swans attack could prove crucial.
Further forward lies the Hammers real strength with a robust midfield that also contains the main goal threat in the shape of the prolific Kevin Nolan. The former Bolton and Newcastle midfielder will probably be flanked by long serving Mark Noble and the powerful Mo Diame, a summer signing from Wigan. The big question mark will be on who lines up in the front three…Carlton Cole is a likely starter “up top” with Ricardo Vaz Te on one side of him and then a straight choice between the two Matts on the other side, either cultured Matt Taylor or the dangerous new boy Matt Jarvis.
My Side
- Vorm
- Angel
- Chico
- Williams
- Taylor
- Dyer
- Britton
- Augustien
- Michu
- Routledge
- Graham
My View
Last week’s brilliant win against Queens Park Rangers was a massive confidence booster and seems to have dispelled any doubts about the Laudrup revolution…but…just as in the Stuttgart game the week before the Swans were not too clever in the first half. Often sloppy in possession, De Guzman in particular, and a little uncertain defensively it could have been a very different result had Mark Hughes’ side taken one of their chances. Having said that our attacking prowess was there for all to see, even in that first half and with a bit more luck the Swans could have tripled their lead before half time.
If the Swans can start the match with the sort of performance levels that were demonstrated after the break in that Rangers game then West Ham will find it very hard to live with us and the prospect of a narrow playing pairing of Dyer and Routledge running directly at the pedestrian James Collins has me slavering in anticipation.
Hammers fans though will be just as excited at the prospect of Kevin Nolan finding the gaps in our midfield and the possibility of Matt Jarvis tormenting a Swans side just as he did for Wolves at the Liberty in that quite mental 4-4 draw earlier this year.
The game will be a real contrast in styles with Laudrup’s “passing with purpose” style aiming to carve open the Hammers with pace and precision and Big Sam’s functional but effective side looking to bully their opponents out of their stride and make the most of the openness the home side will play with. It should certainly be an intriguing contest and an entertaining one…if the home side scores first.
My Prediction
Last week’s win has suddenly raised expectation and the prize of Premier League leadership (if only until 5pm) will add to the pressure. But Michael Laudrup comes across as a level headed and thoroughly professional individual and I’m sure he’ll have banished any over confidence in his squad. And having said all that I’m going to demonstrate by confidence by predicting a 2-0 win for the Swans…home advantage and our superior fire power should see us triumph but the loss of Chico could throw a spanner in the works. Disagree with me? Then put your own prediction below in the comments section…
Spitting Feathers 