Laudrup still undecided on who to pick alongside Ashley Williams.
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| Michael Laudrup. Dashing. |
We start today with the news that Michael Laudrup is, like most Swansea fans, still unsure over whether Garry Monk or Kyle Bartley is the right man to partner Ashley Williams in the heart of the Swansea defence come 4pm on Sunday. It's a debate that has been raging in South Wales since Chico's injury in the 4-1 drubbing of QPR.
Whether the Swans should start with the experience of Monk, who has done so much, and been such a great leader for the Swans down the years, or Bartley, whose physical presence could be crucial when dealing with the [literal] massive threat of James Hanson, has split opinion, and I'm not alone in saying I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make that decision.
Laudrup threw a selection surprise at Anfield, but we can be fairly sure in saying it will be what most Swansea fans would describe as a "first XI" - albeit with one or two differences depending on personal opinion - that takes to the pitch at Wembley. When asked by reporters whether he'd made a decision on who will partner Ash, Laudrup was typically coy, responding:
"It's a difficult decision for me. I think if you ask me about the team on Sunday, I am almost there in my mind — but it's not easy. I will tell the players when we have our tactical meeting on Sunday, which is normal."
For me, and you've probably already noticed I love a bit of nostalgia, I'd go with Monk. The man is a club legend, and has stood up to a lot of world class strikers over the last year and a half, so I think he's got it in him to contain whatever Bradford can throw at us. Sure, Hanson has been effective in and around the box but you better believe Laudrup has planned for that. They need the ball to do anything, and I fancy the Swans to display a masterclass in keep-ball from the word go- and why not? The Swans are famed for playing attractive passing football, but this season we've at times left ourselves open by committing men forward. A subtle nod to the Swansea of last year could see us draw the sting out of Bradford, and allow the Swans to build pressure, causing uncertainty in the Bradford backline.
A nice story from NewsWales.co.uk now about Kristian O'Leary. Back in 1996 O'Leary actually made his debut for the Swans against Bradford (football is full of these serendipitous facts), and while he remembers the day fondly the Swans lost 5-1. O'Leary had been with the youth team, but got the nod from (then manager) Jan Molby:
“It was some shock. Youth team players very rarely played for the senior team back then. It’s quite funny thinking back, because the physio doubled up as the kit man and I would help make the tea and coffee for the players during the journey to games.
“One day the physio told me to help him prepare things for the next game, but Jan Molby said I couldn’t do that as I was going to be with the First Team.
“I can still remember the feeling of running out for the first time in the kit – it’s something that stays with you forever.” Kristian O'Leary
O'Leary also recalls a right humdinger eleven years down the line, once again against the Bantams. Kristian equalised to make it 1-1, and Adebayo Akinfenwa got the Swans in front before O'Leary was sent off for, Dean Windass claimed, throwing a punch at the chunky striker. Windass scored the subsequent penalty, to equalise with minutes left and save a point for Bradford.
I'll finish up with a note about the media day at the Liberty. By all accounts it was the largest gathering of press-types since the stadium's completion. Now, I wasn't there, I'm not a proper journalist with a press badge and a dictaphone or anything (not yet, anyway), however I do find it fascinating, as it seems fair to correlate the amount of press interest with our global standing within the footballing community. The Swans have enjoyed two successful seasons in the Premier League, and in reaching the final of a major competition interest must surely have piqued (to a point), and even given inevitable fallout from people who only get involved once in a blue moon, these occasions do help expand the fan-base.
There's an article on WalesOnline about the interest in the Swans from South Korea (as I was writing about recently) and this will inevitably expand the longer Ki remains with the club, but it's no exaggeration to say there truly were reporters from all corners of the globe at the Liberty Stadium. When we first got promoted I maintained that in being the first Welsh club promoted to the Premier League, we would capture all the ex-pat bars, and casual fans dotted around the globe. Had the Swans faltered and fallen out of the PL, this may have waned, and the seemingly imminent arrival of Cardiff in the Premier League may have threatened our status as number one club in Wales, however given our continued success I can only see the Swans continuing to strengthen their foothold in the international marketplace.
Building a solid financial infrastructure has always been key to the Swans long-term planning, and it seems we have, through on-field successes, continued to aid this. Sales of club merchandise in general must be up, but it would be interesting to see how much of that is made up by overseas sales. With the continued improvement of the clubs training facilities, growing global exposure, money in the bank, AND a cup final on Sunday, this is a very interesting, and exciting, time to be a fan of Swansea City FC.