Man City vs Swansea - Match preview, team news, statistics & analysis

The Match

Manchester City are some away form away from waltzing the league. At home (where we've got to play them), they've won six of six this season, scoring twenty-six goals in the process and conceding only two - including 7-0 and 6-0 wins in their last two home league outings. Away from the Etihad, however, they've conspired to lose four of six, and draw another meaning they've only won once on the road. They'll surely be expecting to roll over the Swans, despite Pellegrini's comments in the press this week about their defence still needing work.

Swansea again suffered a loss in front of their own fans on Thursday night against Valencia, and they'll be up against it at the Etihad given City's home form. A couple of injuries picked up in the Europa League game won't have helped Laudrup's preparation, and without star forwards Michu and Bony it'll surely be up to Alvaro Vazquez to lead the line - it's a massive opportunity for him and if he can produce something special it could give him the confidence boost he needs to kick on and show what he can do on a regular basis.

Prior Form (Most recent at top)

Team News - provided by Physioroom.com's Ben Dinnery

Man City

The disappointing news for Swans supporters is that striker Sergio Aguero will be available after his planned withdrawal at half-time in the Champions League on Wednesday, manager Pellegrini confirmed post-match that his substitution was tactical & not because of any lingering injury problems. Jack Rodwell is back after more time in the treatment room but can only hope for a place on the bench while Nastasic (calf) has been ruled out for three weeks. Vincent Kompany returned to training & is fit, but the captain will not be risked. David Silva & Jovetic remain side-lined & hope to return for the UCL tie against Bayern Munich.

Swansea City

Swansea City have a mammoth task which after Thursday nights’ disappointing Europa League defeat to Valencia just got a little harder. Michael Laudrup will be without the services of Wilfried Bony (hamstring) who could be out for around a month, while this game will come too early for Michu. The Spanish star could be available for Newcastle United on Wednesday. Full-back Angel Rangel is expected to miss out with a recurrence of an ongoing calf problem but Wayne Routledge is close after recovering from a similar injury. Leon Britton (toe) should be available while captain Ashley Williams was rested midweek given his well-documented ankle troubles. Gary Monk (knee) the only long-term absentee. 

Completely guessed lineups

Statistics & Trivia

• Man City have won 14 and lost just one of their last 16 Barclays Premier League games at home (D1 L1).
• Swansea City have not won back to back Barclays Premier League matches since December 1st 2012.
• Swansea have scored just one goal in four Barclays Premier League games against Man City and none in their two meetings at the Etihad Stadium.
• All six of the goals in games between Man City and Swansea in the Premier League have been netted in the second half.
• Sergio Aguero has scored nine goals in his last seven Premier League appearances.
• Manchester City are the first side to score 26 goals in their opening six top-flight home games of a season since Sunderland (26) in 1935-36.
• Man City have conceded fewer goals in the first half of matches than any other team in the top flight this season (3).
• Man City have scored with 22% of their shots this season, the best conversion rate in the Premier League and also fired in the most shots on target (81). 
• Man City managed 15 shots on target in Swansea's first ever Premier League match in August 2011 which still remains the most shots on target the Swans have given up in a single game.
• City are the only team in any of the four English leagues to have a 100% home record.
• They have scored in 56 consecutive Premier League home games, 10 short of the record of 66 held by Manchester United.
• Among players with at least 40 Premier League goals, Sergio Aguero has the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the competition's history (119.5). 
• Swansea have won two, drawn two and lost two of their six league matches immediately following a midweek European match.

Straight from the horse's mouth

Neil Taylor acknowledges the scale of the task at hand, but insists the Swans are only concentrating on their own game:

"I think City away is the biggest challenge for anyone in this league with the way they play. They're expansive and they look like one of Pellegrini's teams so I think it's a difficult game for us.

"Spurs were under par against them last week, but with the players they've got like Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Negredo, they've got four or five front players who would get in any team in the Premier League.

"They're playing really well. Pellegrini's teams are all or nothing, and at the moment it's the former. They're getting goals and even if they concede a couple they're likely to outscore you, but we'll concentrate on ourselves."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9049842/?

Michael Laudrup has echoed Huw's recent comments about believing you can compete with the big sides:

"You can't play with fear in football. There is a lot of respect, you have respect for everybody, the ones on top and the bottom, but never fear. They are best home team in the league so we know it will be a tough afternoon, but we can only surprise there.

"Everybody expects City to win by some goals because they've done that against everybody, including Manchester United and Tottenham. I think we will go there to do the best we can to get something out of it, and whatever happens we will still present a competitive team."

http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2013/November/30/laudrup-positive-ahead-of-city-trip/?

Analysis

The more I think about this game, the more my head hurts. The wealth of talent available to Manuel Pellegrini makes it, on paper, a complete mismatch and a couple of comments I've seen in the week about how "we need to play to the best of our ability and hope City have an off day" are probably on the button.

Given some of the Swans recent performances, you could be forgiven for approaching this fixture with trepidation. I'm struggling to see how we can get anything out of this, but football is mad and you never know. Fingers crossed we'll defy the form book and pull off a famous victory.



I think "analysis" was a bit ambitious...

Swans once again left to rue officials' decision, but the performance wasn't good enough

It would be all too easy to blame the officials for dropped points, but the Swans' problems were once again evident against Valencia

Flat. That is a word that could accurately be used to describe the first seventy minutes of Swansea's performance last night, and if we're being honest the problems in evidence last night have been apparent for a while, and I'm starting to think there are aspects to our game which simply aren't working. 

Im firmly in the "don't forget where we've come from" camp, and I know that a 1-0 home loss to Valencia really is lightyears away from anything approaching a crisis point, however what is frustrating is we're clearly capable of performing to a higher standard than we have been for a while now. Yesterday's result only serves to emphasise that point.

Under Laudrup, we've definitely gone away from the tika-taka approach we've seen in SA1 over the last few years. Gone are the days when our central midfield trio are charged with dictating the pace of the game, and we now operate with only one "holding" midfielder alongside two more attacking minded players - the problem is we're not making the most of what this system should offer.

Previously, control of the centre of the park was key. With Joey Allen alongside Leon, for example, we knew that under serious pressure from any opposition we'd still be able to play our way up the field - but crucially we'd be able to do it by involving the attacking midfielder in neat triangles through the centre of the park. This hasn't been happening for a while now, as all too often the only option for Leon is a sideways or backwards pass. There's simply no forward option on too many an occasion, and this needs to be addressed before our form returns.

There are numerous reasons why this is happening, in my opinion. For a start, as mentioned, I think it's partly due to selection. Without a steady partner for Leon it's hard to build any kind of continuity, however I've said until I'm blue in the face that we could go a long way to addressing this by pairing Jose Canas with the Swansea stalwart. That would give a dependable, footballing base off which to build attacks, and anyone deployed ahead of that duo would receive plenty of ball into feet, which would then give our wingers more space by removing some of the creative pressure from the flanks. 

As for the wingers (and whether this is due to the aforementioned issue I can't say), I feel that while we have enjoyed success from the "inside forward" system, all too often it simply ends up crowding Bony, or whoever else is playing up top. If the wingers stuck on the touchline more often, it would stretch opposition defences and give more time and space to the central midfielders. In the second half against Valencia you could see that when Dyer, Lamah and Pablo (when he came on) stuck out on the touchline and received a pass to feet, it gave them a lot of options because the defence will always be scampering to cover in those positions.

Our two best chances (disallowed goal and clearance off the line) also came from crosses, which shows that when utilised correctly we can get joy out of the wings. It's just about finding the balance which works for the Swans. I feel bad criticising, but I'm not singling out anyone in particular and I don't think we're playing inherently badly, but as one tweet succinctly put it last night "we've improved technically under Laudrup but regressed tactically". There's definitely more to come from this squad, and when it comes it could lead to some really great things, because as I say we're not playing badly, we're just not playing as well as we could or perhaps should be.

As for last night, the problems mentioned above were out in full force. Leon struggled against a midfield which played with more cohesion than the home side's, and as such Valencia enjoyed large periods of the game without being seriously tested. Aside from the disallowed goal (I'll save that rant for another time) and the clearance off the line we rarely threatened, and Valencia spurned their own glorious chance to make it 2-0 late on when we were chasing a leveller. We can gesticulate and claim we deserved a point on the balance of play, which can definitely be argued, but we can also have no complaints about the loss as at the end of the day, Valencia took one of their chances. We had one harshly and incorrectly ruled out, but that counts for nothing come 90 minutes and we had enough time to get something out of the match.

Next up we've got Man City who are an even tougher opponent than the recently departed Spaniards. We're playing away at the Etihad, where City have been, frankly, imperious. The Liberty Stadium has seen the second most goals scored of any ground, with eleven for and eleven against the Swans. The Etihad is the only stadium which has seen more, with twenty-eight in total - of which twenty-six (TWENTY-SIX!) have been in favour of the hosts. They're "six and O" as an American would put it, which gives them an average of 4.3 goals per home game thus far.

It should be pretty easy, then...

Swansea vs Valencia - Match preview, team news, statistics & analysis

The Match

Swansea come into this match buoyed by the weekend's yearly away win over Fulham. They'll also likely draw confidence from the reverse fixture, where they managed a famous 3-0 victory at Valencia's Mastella. A second win in five days would see the squad's spirits lifted even higher, and with a frenetic fixture list looming a win, and the securing of progression to the next round in the Europa League, is just what the doctor ordered for Laudrup's charges.

Valencia are, fairly obviously, better than they let on when we visited them in September. Since then, they enjoyed a mini-revival of sorts before their form dipped again, and they currently find themselves 11th in the league. They'll be trying to ignore the fact that their away form in Europe leaves a lot to be desired (only three wins in their last 20), however a rousing 3-2 win over St Gallen last time out in this competition will help them believe they're capable of pulling off a result in South Wales. It's worth noting Valencia have already qualified for the next stage of the competition, though whether that will result in them taking it easy you can't say.

Prior Form (Most recent at top)

Team News 

For Swansea, the return to fitness of Pablo Hernandez will come as a welcome boost, though whether he's deployed against his former employers is another matter. Wayne Routledge is still struggling with a calf problem and seems set to miss out, while Michu (ankle) and Garry Monk (knee) remain sidelined. Leon Britton missed the Fulham game with a reported toe injury, but could return with control of the midfield crucial against the Swans' Spanish opposition.

Valencia will be without Ever Banega, who is being rested after a recurrence of a leg complaint. They'll also be without Adil Rami (who Swans fans no doubt hold dear after he was sent off early on in the reverse fixture), as he is training with AC Milan ahead of a transfer in January. As you do. 

Completely guessed lineups

Swansea

Michel Vorm
Dwight Tiendalli
Chico Flores
Ashley Williams
Neil Taylor
Leon Britton
Jose Canas
Jonjo Shelvey
Nathan Dyer
Roland Lamah
Wilfried Bony

Valencia

Diego Alves
Ricardo Costa
Jeremy Mathieu
Joao Pereira
Jose Andres Guardado
Sofiane Feghouli
Dani Parejo
Federico Cartabia
Helder Postiga
Sergio Canales
Pablo Piatti

Statistics & Trivia

• Swansea have lost only once in eight Europa League matches thus far (W4 D3).
• This weekend's win over Fulham was their first win in six in all competitions.
• Valencia have just three wins in their last twenty European away games.
• They have, however, won their last three games in the Europa League.
• Valencia average 55% possession, Swansea 59%.
• Swansea's average pass success this season is 86% - 4% better than Valencia's (82%).
• Swansea also play a higher percentage of short passes (85%) than Valencia (81%).
• Wilfried Bony is joint second top scorer in the Europa League with five goals already in the competition.
• Seven of Valencia's last eight matches have seen at least three goals scored.

Straight from the horse's mouth

Michel Vorm is, as usual, in the press talking about the upcoming match:

"That is why you want to be a professional football player – to play these kind of games. To qualify for the next round of the Europa League would be amazing, if you think about it.

"Three years ago I came here and didn't know what to expect. Now we are talking about playing Valencia at home to go to the next round.

"I think beating Fulham gives us a positive feeling going into that game and now the aim is to go through to the last 32."

http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2013/November/26/uefa-europa-league-preview-swansea-city-v-valencia/?

Michael Laudrup has repeated his desire to see Swansea claim top spot in the group:

"In Valencia, I think we played a great game, but we have to remember they played nearly 80 minutes with a player less. It would be nice to repeat it, but it won't be easy. 

"My players all realise that on Thursday it will be much more difficult to beat Valencia than it was in the first game. Even if it is a draw, we will still try to win this game because we want to be top of the group, so it doesn't change anything."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25128263?

Analysis

One team who've already qualified, and another who can qualify courtesy of drawing their two remaining group matches. Not, perhaps, a billing which would normally result in a festival of free-flowing football, however it's likely that with pride to play for we'll see a very competitive fixture indeed.

Valencia are still in need of a general upturn in form, as for a team of their size and stature to be sitting in eleventh position in the league simply isn't good enough. The Europa League will come as a welcome distraction, especially considering that since losing to the Swans they've gone on to win the next three group games. Victory in South Wales would go a long way in soothing the wounds inflicted by Laudrup's men at the Mastella, and would leave Valencia fans believing they can go far in this competition.

Swansea are still likely to play like a team with a point to prove. Multiple late, late levellers left the South Walians feeling a bit hard done by, and to be honest anything that fosters a bit of a "them against us" feeling in the squad is welcome in my eyes. The ghost of equalisers late seemed to be put to rest against Fulham, so let's hope there's no return to injury-time heartache this time out.

Swansea are likely to rotate, so it's anyone's guess who'll start in a couple of the forward positions. Michu's continued absence means Bony is likely to lead the line, while Routledge's injury means Nathan Dyer & Roland Lamah may continue out wide - though it's distinctly possible Pablo could make a comeback (although I'd say it's more likely to come off the bench). In midfield I'd imagine Leon & Shelvey will come in, while Canas may well retain his spot which would mean for the first time in god knows how long my favoured combination of defensive midfielders would line up alongside each other. With a dedicated attacking midfielder ahead of those two, I see us controlling the midfield against almost any side.

At the back I'd imagine fullbacks Angel Rangel & Ben Davies will be rested for Dwight Tiendalli and Neil Taylor. Both enjoyed an outstanding afternoon's work against Fulham and Laudrup will be keen to ensure they remain as fit as possible with a hectic fixture list coming up. I can't see either Ash or Chico being rested, but you never know...

It's not going to be easy for the Swans to get a result, but we've been threatening to turn a corner for a while and in the last few matches we've seen signs that Laudrup has found a formula which works, and that there's only some fine-tuning remaining before the wins start coming. Victory over Valencia is ideal preparation for this weekend's fixture - the small matter of Man City away. Gulp.

First though, we've got to overcome Valencia. I'm confident, as per usual, but Valencia have conceded two goals in each of their last three games, so I fancy Bony to grab himself a goal or two in another famous Swansea win. Keep a clean sheet, and that'll go a long way in securing the result. Fingers crossed.

Ahead of Valencia, what did we learn from the Fulham game?

Performance against Fulham gave plenty of positives to mull over

Heading into the game against Fulham, most Swansea fans would have been forgiven a modicum of confidence given our recent results at Craven Cottage. Whether or not the players felt the same way can't be said, however from the word go we operated like a team confident of a result, even if there were a few defensive lapses which gave cause for concern in the first half.

First though, let's look at the positives. Both the fullbacks (Rangel & Davies) enjoyed outstanding afternoons, supporting attacks but managing to get back and help out in defence whenever was necessary. Rangel in particular seems to enjoy playing against Fulham - but let's be honest up against Bryan Ruiz he wasn't likely to be hassled too much throughout the ninety minutes. Defensive fortitude isn't something I associate with the Costa Rican. Between Swansea's fullbacks, they managed 150 passes and 17 recoveries. Impressive indeed.

In the centre of defence I have to say I thought Chico put in a...rather unnerving display at times - especially in the first half. A sloppy header almost saw Darren Bent open the scoring, and I do think that he could do with a bit more discipline in his game. Valencia are sure to be a sterner test of his defensive mettle, so he'll need to be switched on from the off if we're to keep a clean sheet on Thursday night.

In midfield Canas was tidy enough, but if I'm honest I thought he was a little bit looser than I've seen him previously - I clearly don't know what I'm talking about though because he completed 76 passes at 93.4% accuracy, as well as making three tackles and nine recoveries. Very tidy indeed, especially when you consider 16 of his passes were classed as "long passes", so he wasn't just playing the short 5 yarders we'd expect of someone in his position.

Alongside him, Jonathan De Guzman managed to complete 91.4% of his passes (81 in total), but the difference in the two midfielders can be shown when it comes to the defensive side of their games - De Guzman made one tackle and six recoveries, Canas made three and nine. Whether you can read too much into that I can't say, given the different roles they're asked to perform for the team, however I have noticed in De Guzman a...shall we say "hesitancy" to make a tackle on occasion. He played well against Fulham however, and some thought he should have been MOTM, so I'm not interested in talking negatives at the moment.

Onto the wingers. Dyer and Lamah lined up out wide with Pozuelo in between, but in the first half (despite encouraging signs) they failed to unlock the Fulham defence. Lamah looked like he's playing with some more confidence, but his end product was poor on Saturday. You get the feeling he needs a bit of luck to go his way, and once one has gone in he could go on a run - his pace alone is such an asset I can easily see him knocking a few goals in once he's got a bit of steam up.

On the other flank, Nathan Dyer played well and had Swansea's best chance of the first half. Released by Pozuelo after good work from the Spaniard in claiming the ball back, his low effort across goal drew a fine save from Stekelenburg, and as mentioned in my match report it's really pleasing to see him hitting considered efforts with what seems like a natural instinct. When he arrived in SA1 his finishing was so poor I often closed my eyes when he was presented with a clear opportunity, but to see him hitting shots like that under pressure from defenders really is testament to the hard work that he and the coaching staff have put in over the last few years.

Alejandro Pozuelo. For me, a player we should be getting really, really excited about. I've been saying for a while I think that Michu's effect on the overall team game we play isn't necessarily a positive one, and that I'd prefer us to play with a more orthodox attacking midfielder - Alex Pozuelo could well be that player. With Michu the game is always a bit more fragmented, and we seem to rely on chances occurring from broken play - given how we've build our name on twenty or thirty pass moves, it had started to feel quite alien. Pozuelo allows us to build through the middle a lot more, due to the fact that he occupies a much more traditional area of the field than Michu, but I think with a more solid defensive midfield base we'd see this element of his game improve dramatically.

This can be tied in with my thoughts on Wilfried Bony. I consider it a minor miracle he's scored as many goals as he has given the lack of service he's received up until now (with a few exceptions), and the lack of ball into feet in decent positions for the Ivorian can be directly linked to a lack of creation from our attacking midfielder. Pozuelo has shown he has the ability to play cute one-twos with the striker ahead of him, it's just a case of waiting for the team to gel around this combination. I really do think the team would benefit from the steel a combination like Leon & Canas would bring (as opposed to Canas & De Guzman, for example), however three points is three points and I'm in danger of splitting hairs, as it were, if I continue to try to find faults in what was overall a quite impressive performance.

I couldn't complete this article without mentioning Jonjo Shelvey. On as a sub for Dyer on the hour mark, he showed for the ball relentlessly and looked to make things happen, so it was no surprise when, dancing past a tackle outside the penalty area, he managed to dig out a shot which rasped off his foot, leaving the Fulham stopped with no chance. A great effort by Jonjo, and that'll put him in with a great chance of starting against Valencia.

With the Spanish team rolling into town for this Thursday's match you can bet your bottom dollar they're keen to make a statement after being humiliated on their own patch a couple of months ago. That kind of thing won't sit well with a club of their stature, so they'll be looking to return the favour and complete an away win of their own which would leave the Swans needing a result away at St Gallen in the final group match (assuming they overcome Kuban Krasnodar in their own match this week).

Laudrup will be looking to make sure that's not necessary by claiming another famous win over illustrious European competition. Victory over Fulham was the ideal preparation, it just remains to be seen how heavily the squad is rotated come Thursday evening. Whichever side lines up though, you can be sure they'll have taken confidence from this weekend's exploits, and damn right too. Laudrup's vision is clear for all to see, and it finally looks like it's starting to click into place.

(Highlights & Match Report) Fulham 1 - 2 Swansea: We always win at Fulham...

Laudrup's men show superior cutting edge in South West London

Another day out in SW6, another away victory for the Swans. Swansea started the day only two points above Fulham, so despite the differing perceptions surrounding respective managers Jol & Laudrup a Fulham win would have seen the Londoners leapfrog the Swans, which would no doubt have put a different spin on both this piece and Sunday afternoon alike.

As it happened, I thought the Swans ultimately showed more quality than their opponents. Laudrup made a couple of changes to his side - Leon Britton is apparently nursing a slight toe injury so Jose Canas enjoyed his first league start for a while, while Lamah and Pozuelo retained their places further ahead in the Swansea midfield. Elsewhere, it was as you'd expect for Swansea City, and they set about frustrating Fulham by retaining the ball almost at will for large periods of the game.

The first half saw the Swans dominate, but Fulham enjoyed the better chances. Bent missed two great opportunities to score - glancing a header wide before later half-volleying against the post with Vorm beaten. He really should have done better and Chico Flores especially will have been glad to see the latter chance go begging, given his weak header had presented the Fulham striker with the opportunity.

A couple of Wilfried Bony headers aside, the Swans' best chance of the first half came when Alex Pozuelo nicked possession back and fed Nathan Dyer, who drew a great save from Fulham keeper Stekelenburg. It was a good effort from Dyer, running in on the right and hit low across goal, but Stekelenburg stuck his right foot out and parried it away - I love seeing Dyer hit placed shots as it's something he's had to work so hard on, so to see him doing it in tight situations with more instinct than laboured thought shows how far he's come since he first joined the club.

So, half time and 0-0, and despite playing the better football it would have been hard to argue Fulham hadn't enjoyed the better chances. With no changes being made by either manager at the break, the second half started in much the same manner as the first, with the Swans knocking the ball around well but struggling to create through the centre. Wilfried Bony was doing a good job with his back to goal, but I can't remember ever seeing anyone play him in on the keeper - which is mad considering he spends 90 minutes on the shoulder of the last defender looking for the quick pass. Feed the bull, and all that...

We did pile the pressure on in the buildup to the opening goal - Roland Lamah, Ben Davies and Jonathan De Guzman all had efforts on goal before Alex Pozuelo won a free kick out on the right. Some quick thinking saw him whip a delicious low ball in between the defence and the goalkeeper, and with Bony lurking Aaron Hughes stabbed the ball into his own net. 1-0 Swansea, and it had been coming.

Our lead didn't last long though. Pre-game I'd likened Scott Parker to a poor impersonation of Leon Britton, so it was always likely he'd step up and produce something. Fulham won a corner, and no-one picked him up as he stood midway between the six yard box and the edge of the penalty area. The corner was passed straight to him, and despite his curling effort almost definitely being intended as a cross it found it's way into the top corner. One all, but if Fulham are relying on scoring goals of that manner they're in trouble!

In between the two goals Jonjo Shelvey came on for Nathan Dyer, and I thought he made a massive difference. He wasn't afraid to take a touch through the middle of the park, and that's what we need - it allows the wingers to stick wide and provide width further up the field, and also creates chaos in the opposition ranks by committing men who are then easily beatable with quick one twos. Some neat passing saw Shelvey show for the ball, before a couple of neat touches and then bang! 2-1. An outstanding finish, and to dig it out with that much power from there... well - it was an excellent finish.

Laudrup made two further changes, with Tiendalli coming on for Lamah and Alvaro replacing fellow countryman Pozuelo. I thought both the players substituted played well - Alex is looking better and better while Lamah is showing he's a useful member of the squad, even if his end product is questionable at present. The game ended with the Swans showing some uncharacteristic gamesmanship, holding the ball in the corner and waiting for time to run out. After giving away so many late goals in recent weeks, it brought a chuckle to my face to see Bony sticking his arse out in the corner and holding off a couple of defenders, waiting for the referee's whistle. We're learning to do the little things that big teams take as granted, and not before time.

So, a first win in six and everything's rosy again. Don't look now, but (until this afternoon at least) we're only four points behind Manchester City...

Fulham v Swansea - Match preview, team news, statistics & analysis

The Match

Fulham need to turn things around, and quick. Nestling in the relegation zone (courtesy of having worse goal difference than our recent opponents Stoke), they've just appointed Rene Meulensteen (who spent 12 years working under Ferguson at Old Trafford) in a bid to improve their fortunes, which have seen them struggle so far this season. That being said, they've won the same amount of games as the Swans (three) and it perhaps shows how fickle the footballing world is that, only two points behind the Swans, their performance seems to be regarded as by far inferior. At home to a team who, like themselves are short on Premier League wins, they'll be confident of a result given their 3-0 win at the Liberty at the end of last season, and will be looking to avenge the overwhelmingly comprehensive home defeats of the past two seasons.

Swansea were denied a most remarkable comeback victory by a debatable penalty decision last time out against Stoke, so it's likely they'll be chomping at the bit, and play with an urgency born from the perceived injustice done unto them. As mentioned, Fulham are being billed as a side in need of an urgent upturn in form, but this is likely to give the Swans confidence, as will the aforementioned comprehensive wins at the Cottage. The South Walian side will be well supported, having sold out their 1700 seat ticket allocation, and you can have no doubt the travelling Jack Army will be in fine voice on what will hopefully be another fine day out in SW6.

Prior Form (Most recent at top)

Team News - provided by Physioroom.com's Ben Dinnery

In a rare sight this season Swansea manage a 3pm Saturday kick-off when they travel to Craven Cottage to take on an under-fire Fulham side who are  looking to secure only their second home league win of the campaign. The Lilywhites however will have to contend without influential Norwegian defensive lynch-pin Brede Hangeland as he continues to struggle with an ongoing nerve problem and winger Damien Duff who has failed to recover from an injury picked up in early November. Long-term casualties Matthew Briggs (hernia) and Hugo Rodallega (groin) remain out although the latter could return in three weeks.

Overall for Swansea the injury news is pretty good with no fresh concerns. Spanish talisman Michu is progressing well and could be back for the Newcastle game at the beginning of December while winger Pablo Hernandez (thigh) has returned to light training although this weekend is likely to come too soon. Given his recent troubles I’d suggest at least a week or two before we see him back in the Swansea squad. Gary Monk represents the other notable absentee this weekend, the defender having recently undergone knee surgery which is expected to keep him on the side-lines until the New Year.  

Completely guessed lineups

Statistics & Trivia

• Martin Jol's side have suffered three straight league defeats, conceding nine goals and scoring just once.
• Fulham have only earned four points at home this season, the joint worst record in the division along with Crystal Palace and West Ham.
• Only Aston Villa (9) have lost more Premier League home matches in 2013 than Fulham (8).
• They have conceded the opening goal in eight of their 11 league matches this season, more than any other side.
• Dimitar Berbatov has scored one Premier League goal in 855 minutes this season. In 2012-13, he averaged a goal every 190 minutes.
• Despite what's been regarded as a slow start, Swansea are only one point worse off than at the same stage last year.
• Swansea have only scored three first-half goals - only Cardiff (2) and Norwich (1) have fared worse.
• The Swans have an average ball possession of 58.5% in the Premier League this season, second only to Manchester City (59.5%).
• Wilfried Bony has scored 10 goals in 18 competitive appearances for Swansea this season, including three in his last two games.
• Bony is involved in a goal every 106.4 minutes in the Premier League - the 13th best figure in the league.
• Four of Fulham’s Premier League goals this season have come from substitutes; including both of Darren Bent’s strikes – no side have scored more by subs.
• Swansea have averaged a league-high 568 passes per game in the Premier League this season
• Eight of Swansea's twenty-three goals conceded this season have come in the last ten minutes of matches.
• Fulham have conceded the opening goal in 73% of their matches this season, and have conceded at least once in 80% of their home matches.

Straight from the horse's mouth

 Martin Jol thinks his side have perhaps received some overly-harsh criticism given prior performances:

“Swansea play in a very good way and that’s a way we would like to play in, and we did. I think over the last couple of years Swansea did extremely well. The nice thing is that over the two years we’ve got more points than them, so that’s very positive – people don’t notice that, but it’s true.

“We want to come back [to form] – we had a very good game where we scored four goals against Crystal Palace but after that, in the away games, we dropped and didn’t play with rhythm.

“We couldn’t get the ball in the final third and we looked a bit, not lethargic, but a little bit tired, and I now think we’ve got back to business and we trained well. Scotty Parker is not playing for the national team, Dimitar Berbatov was here, Darren Bent was here so I’ve had a lot of players [around over the international break] and we trained well so we are ready for Saturday.”

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/november/22/jols-swansea-preview?

 Ben Davies is wary of the threat posed by the Londoners:

"Everybody has seen the quality they have got in that team and they have shown they can cause any side in the Premier League problems on their day. They put a good performance in against us here last season and that shows we can't underestimate them.

"I don't know about them maybe being in a false position, they always seem to be there or thereabouts, but no-one considers them strugglers because of the quality in the side."

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/swansea-city/news/davies-predicts-fulham-survival_119522.html

Michael Laudrup is, despite comments about moving on, clearly looking to avenge Stoke's late leveller last time out at the Liberty:

"Managers always say every game is important, but some are more important than others. I look at the season in stages, and Fulham is the first of 12 we play in 43 days up to the FA Cup on January 4. I don't know if it is the most important or the second most important of those 12, but it is up there. 

"It is all about the result for us. There will be other big games, but this one is so big because of what happened with the late goal in our last game. We will never get those two points back even though we deserved them so much, so now we have to move on." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Michael-Laudrup-Fulham-clash-crucial-Swansea-City/story-20115890-detail/story.html#ixzz2lORdanda 

Analysis

As usual, I'm pretty confident. Given we haven't won in five you might say that my confidence is ill-founded, however we've shown enough in recent matches to believe a return to winning ways is imminent. Despite the late goals conceded, there's a distinct feeling that this Swansea side are close to finding a formula which works for them, and we've been creating chances more freely than early in the season.

Brede Hangeland is a massive loss for Fulham - and not just physically. The guy is a quality defender, but without him I fancy the Swans to create lots of chances against a defence which includes Senderos. I've seen him make too many mistakes to not expect him to be at the centre of things once again, and with Wilfried Bony finding form I fancy us to take this one.

Whether Laudrup retains Pozuelo remains to be seen. With Shelvey fresh after not featuring in the U21 squad during the international break he'll no doubt want to start, while Canas is no doubt hoping for a recall too. As per usual, I'd prefer to see Canas partner Leon but I doubt that'll happen, with Laudrup clearing preferring Jonathan De Guzman for Premier League games.

Fulham's forwards should be our main concern. Kasami scored a complete wonder-goal the last time things went well for Fulham, while Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz are always capable of producing a bit of magic. I don't, however, fancy Steve Sidwell to score another worldy. I really hope our midfield turns up and outplays their Fulham counterparts, as we should be able to outplay Sidwell & Parker. No offence meant, but if we're serious about the kind of football we play we need to be aiming to outplay a central midfield pairing like that. That's assuming they line up like that, of course...

So, keep Berbatov quiet (and he has been quiet this season) and secure the three points. Sadly, not as easy as it sounds...

Huw confirms interest in Tom Ince

Swans supremo Huw Jenkins admits he's likely to speak with Blackpool regarding Tom Ince

Seems there is something in this after all! Talking to the Daily Mail (urgh), Jenkins had this to say regarding the likelihood he'll be contacting Blackpool regarding the availability of Tom Ince:

"He is a very good young player and one we looked at in the summer - I would say it is likely that we will be talking to Blackpool again. I know their chairman, Karl Oyston, and when the time is right we will make contact and see what can be done."  

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9032706/?

It's now a waiting game to see if Ince actually fancies a move to South Wales, or whether we'll be gazumped by a suitor with deeper pockets. Let's hope he fancies football over fiscal flatulence. 

For a look at how he compares to Nathan Dyer & Wayne Routledge based on this season's performance, check out a piece I did the other day full of lovely statistics:

http://www.theswanseaway.co.uk/2013/11/a-profile-of-swans-target-thomas-ince.html

Would you like to see Tom Ince brought in? How much should we be looking to pay for him? Would you rather see someone else brought in? If so, who would you pick? Get involved using the new MatchChat tool directly below every piece!

Garry Monk burgled by scumbags

Swansea legend woke up from surgery on an injured knee only to be told his house had been broken into over the weekend

Shocking, just shocking. I'm not one for hero worship, but to me players like Garry Monk & Leon Britton are essentially the royal family. I couldn't give two hoots what happens to the toothy Germans in London (serendipitous timing means I should point out I'm not talking about the German national team), however you mess with players who've given as much to the Swans as either of those two and you've got me (and no doubt countless other members of the Jack Army) to deal with.

He's had watches, laptops and more stolen - including a kitbag with his number (16) on it, along with his initials and the Swansea crest. Anyone in Swansea will be aware of the Swans' branding, and to nick stuff from our club captain's house is akin to a Catholic stealing the Pope's hat from the Vatican. Not on on any level, and you can't claim you didn't know whose house you were at.

Now, I know some would say "but footballers earn loads - it's worse when it happens to someone with no money and few possessions" and I don't doubt that the implications can be a lot more serious than they may be in Monk's case, however it's just such a low thing to do, and this really has riled me. Premier League football, for which Monk & Co worked so hard for so long, has helped pump many millions of pounds into the local community so his contribution to the city can't be ignored too. He literally played through the pain barrier to make sure the Swans made it to the Premier League, and just a couple of years later he falls victim to scummy thieves out for themselves? So, so disappointing. 

The club have released an official statement regarding the burglary:

“Garry and his family are devastated. He has given everything to the club, the local community and the supporters for nearly a decade and doesn’t deserve this.  

“A lot of the items stolen were of great sentimental value and we would urge anyone who knows anything about the robbery to contact the police.’’  

http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/monk-robbed-1184041.aspx?#tAtuVVZEqWqDPoMQ.99

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting occurrence number 62130363685. Please, if you know someone who knows something, turn them in - or at the very least get them to return what they've stolen.

Bony has 10 in 13 starts, but how does he compare to other PL strikers?

Fans have been slow to warm to the iron-thighed Ivorian, can his stats help win people over?

First off (as any regular readers of the blog will know) I'm a massive fan of Wilfried Bony. For me, ten goals in thirteen starts is more than enough to warrant any striker retaining his spot in the team, but as I say it'd be interesting to see how "similar" players stack up statistically.

Bony has 4 Premier League goals in ten PL appearances (although he's only started five times). That gives him 533 minutes on the field of play, which works out to 133.25 minutes per goal. In all competitions his rate actually gets even better, with ten goals in eighteen appearances (thirteen starts) at a rate of a goal every 118.1 minutes. Not bad for a player some have accused of...well...just about everything negative you can shout at someone you're supposed to be supporting.

When compared with other strikers (and you include assists in the build up to goals), Bony is involved in a goal every 106.4 minutes (17th best in the league) - and honestly, the players with better figures than that are unsurprising in their stature. Directly above him are Giroud, Negredo, Lukaku & Sturridge, while the list is topped by others such as Podolski, the Ox, Suarez & Aguero. If you filter out players who've made minimal appearances (Podolski, Lamela, Oxlade-Chamberlain and, remarkably, Pablo), Wilfried Bony rises to 13th best in the PL. Not bad considering the competition, and the amount of stick he's been receiving.

Furthermore, Bony is dispossessed on average once a game, and gives it up through poor control on average twice per ninety minutes. When compared with Sturridge (2.9 & 2.5), Suarez (2.3 & 2.8) and Aguero (2.8 & 2.6), it really isn't that bad, and fans should get off his back if he attempts a flick which doesn't come off. He's got the ability, but if he's berated any time he tries anything other than to retain possession with a five yard pass he's unlikely to score many goals, such will be his reluctance to actually try to create something.

Ok, so I've plucked some random stats out and if I really wanted to make an argument for Bony to improve based on numbers I could probably have done so, however his statistics back up what I've been saying for a while - he's doing alright. Once properly "Premier League fit" and bedded into the side, he will score lots of goals. My main concern is he will get fed up of the vocal minority who clearly don't understand his game, and sling his hook in the summer - my gut instinct tells me that next season will be his break out season and I for one want him to spend it in SA1.

Wilfried Bony - understated, underrated and under-appreciated. I quite like that...

A profile of Swans target Thomas Ince

Tricky winger has been courting attention for a while, but how do his stats compare to the Swans' wingers?

We've been linked with Tom Ince before. In fairness though, pretty much everyone has been linked with him at some point, however it is now rumoured he fancies a move to the Swans over various other suitors. Given Cardiff had previously agreed terms with both the player and the club during the summer (as reportedly widely by the BBC and others) before Ince himself pulled the plug on the move, it would surprise me if only six months later he turned around and said "I want to move to the Swans" but stranger things have happened in football I guess.

A tricky left-footed winger, Ince started out at Liverpool (one of his dad Paul's previous clubs), but failed to break into the first team. A short spell on loan at Notts County followed, before Blackpool managed to snaffle him up in a deal which saw a nominal amount of compensation awarded to the Merseyside club. There was, however, a 35% sell-on fee added into the contract, so this explains the lofty price tag that's been attached. With just over six months to run on his contract Blackpool are looking to cash in, but they're aware that unless they get over £5million for him they're unlikely to receive much in the way of a financial boost.

Stats then. The stand out statistic that jumps out at you is that in ninety-five league appearances Ince has grabbed thirty-two goals. Very, very impressive for a winger, and not far off the level of goal-scoring Sinclair was maintaining at Championship level. Can he step it up? Let's hope so. In all competitions he's got 34 in 109, but as he's not 22 until January you'd expect him to be able to kick on again before too long. I'm wondering whether Ince does indeed possess a shade of Scott Sinclair about him - let's hope he sticks around and/or manages to step up a level if he does move to the Premiership, as opposed to taking a bumper contract at a major club and rotting in the reserves for a year.

Now, I know it's dangerous comparing stats of players playing in different leagues, but I thought "Sod it, it's the international break and I'm bored" so I'm doing it anyway. All stats are sourced from Whoscored.com and based on this season.

First up - dribbles. Ince makes 1.9 successful dribbles a game, whereas Wayne Routledge has made 0.8. Nathan Dyer, on the other hand, has made 1.8 which reflects what fans have thought of late, in that he's been the more aggressive, forward facing option amongst the Swansea wingers. Ince is, alarmingly, dispossessed 3.5 times a game - over triple either Routledge's 1 or Dyer's 1.1. I guess that, coupled with his high average dribble count, that means he's taking people on a lot. How successful he's been at it this season is something you'll have to ask a Blackpool fan, but six goals and two assists in twelve games (eleven starts) dwarfs the two goals no assists managed by Dyer, and the two assists no goals managed by Routledge.

As the saying goes, you've got to be in it to win it. Unsurprisingly, if you order the three aforementioned players by their average shots per game, it matches how they'd stack up if you went by their goal tally. Routledge shoots on average 0.8 times per game, Dyer 1.3 and Ince 2.9 - or 0,2 and 6 goals respectively. More shots, more goals. It also seems Ince has an eye for a pass, averaging 1.4 key passes a game (which really isn't bad considering the way these stats are compiled), a figure matched by Routledge with Dyer coming in just behind at 1.2. Like Dyer (2), Ince gives the ball away 2.1 times a game, with Routledge slightly better off at 1.7.

If you look at passes in general, Ince weighs in a fair bit lighter than either Dyer or Routledge. They complete 36.2 and 35.6 passes at 86.8% and 83.4% respectively, whereas Ince completes 26 passes per game, averaging 81.7% accuracy, but as I've said before I believe that pretty much any player coming in to the Swans' setup will see a rise in these kind of numbers. Ince also makes more long range passes. 1.6 crosses and 1.5 successful long balls per game beats Dyer & Routledge all ends up - Dyer makes 0.7 and 0.1, Routledge 0.5 and 1.1 respectively. Given Bony's penalty-area presence, that's a criminally small output from players who are supposed to provide the striker with ammunition.

Defensively, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge both have their strong points, whereas Ince...doesn't really. Dyer makes 1.6 tackles per game, which outweighs Routledge & Ince (both 0.7), and Routledge makes 1.5 interceptions per game - better than either the 0.7 averaged by Ince or the 0.4 Dyer accrues. Again, it's a different system he's playing in, and a different league, but it does make for interesting reading.

Now that I've had a look through some stats, I'm getting the feeling of a raw talent. Whether he's someone who'd fit in with how we do things here I can't personally say, but it appears the powers that be in SA1 hold him in high regard. If you're talking in general terms, however, he's young and British - a combination that's known to be looked fondly upon in these parts - and rightly so.

It seems all that remains to be seen is whether talks of a deal between Blackpool & the Swans are premature, or if they are indeed on the mark. Personally, I do think the money that was being talked about (around £7million or £8million) is too rich for our tastes. It's fairly openly acknowledged the only reason his fee is so high is because Blackpool want to maximise the profit, so the buying club may well have to drag out negotiations until deadline day in order to knock a million or two off the asking price.

This leaves Ince at a strange crossroads where unless something gives, Blackpool could face losing him on a free in the summer. That seems an unlikely eventuality if money is on the table though, so you never know - Huw could pull one of his super-duper deals out of the hat. It must be said though, that a loan with a view to a permanent deal seems much more likely, given our (justified) reluctance to spend serious money in January.

I'll finish this up with a video - see for yourselves what we could be getting. Would you like to see Ince brought in? If not, who else would you like to see strutting their stuff in SA1?

Swansea rumoured to be in for Tom Ince

If forum gossip is to believed, a deal which sees him join us in January may already have been agreed

Conflicting reports, people. If I'm honest, my head is telling me there's nothing in this but a few people seem to be of the belief that, contrary to reports in the Blackpool media, Tom Ince is willing to make the move to South Wales after all - a few months on from knocking back our beloved mates in blue and red up the road.

Whether or not you choose to believe this kind of thing depends on your glass-half-full attitude I'd imagine. It's all stemmed from forum chit-chat if truth be told, but that hardly disqualifies it from the realms of truth, as numerous stories have started out amongst fans before indeed being proven to be accurate. Personally, as much as I want this to be true I'm struggling to believe it.

The Swans have operated in a financially cautious way for so long now, that after our summer spending I simply cannot see us agreeing to pay £7million in January for anyone. When you couple that with the fact that Ince's contract is up this summer, it seems even more unlikely that Huw would stump up that kind of cash for a player who isn't yet proven at the top level. It's a lot of money to spend on a player who could, unless he sets the Premier League alight, end up being another squad rotation winger. 

Dyer cost £400k, Routledge £1.5million - ok, so Pablo cost £5million but if you look past his injury record the guy is a)class and b) has some serious pedigree. £7million for Ince shows the inflated nature of the British market perfectly, as well as highlighting how the current transfer window system can conspire to eke out a bit more cash from the buying club.

If it was a loan with a view to buy in the summer I'd understand it more, and who knows - it could well be. In the meantime, however, I'm off to look at his stats so far this season. Tom Ince - let's see your numbers...

Swansea players in international action - roundup & highlights

Who featured for their respective national sides this weekend?

Once again we're embroiled in the midst of an international break, and once again news and talking points of a Swansea City variety are limited. With that in mind, I thought I'd have a look at the Swansea players who have been in action for their various international sides. 

Wales 1 - 1 Finland

Ashley Williams, Neil Taylor, Ben Davies, Jazz Richards

It says something about Wales' adoption of a passing style that as well as the four players listed above there were another two ex-Swans in the starting lineup (Sam Ricketts & Joe Allen), as well as a further three on the bench (Jermain Easter, Owain Tudur-Jones & David Cotterill). Nine players in the squad with a Swansea connection can only be a good thing for both club and country.

As for last night's match, the Swansea City leanings continued. Wales seemed to be coasting to a 1-0 victory thanks to an Andy King header, but with the game deep into added time Finland capitalised on a loose header - sending forward Riku Riski through. He still had a lot to do, but got in front of the two men chasing him and finished well past Hennessey. Coleman will hope that sort of thing doesn't start to haunt his side like it has the Swans in recent times. 

Williams and Taylor had started the match, before late on Richards & Davies replaced Gunter & Taylor respectively. Hopefully we'll see more young Swansea players making the grade at international level. The future's bright, the future's white and all that.

South Korea 2 - 1 Switzerland

Ki Sung-Yueng

He might be out on loan, but he's still our player and I want it to stay that way. Delivered the corner which was headed in for Korea's equaliser on the 60 minute mark.

Senegal 1 - 1 Ivory Coast

Wilfried Bony

Travelled the best part of 2,000 miles, and didn't get off the bench. Harsh, considering he scored twice last weekend and is by some way the Swans' top scorer! Unlike the Swans & Wales, Ivory Coast themselves benefited from a 94th minute goal from Solomon Kalou, which tied the game up after Moussa Sow had put Senegal in front from the penalty spot.

Japan 2 - 2 Holland

Jonathan De Guzman

Not much to write home about here, to be honest. At one point Michel Vorm & Dwight Tiendalli both accompanied JDG on his forays abroad with the Dutch team, however they've both lost their places as form for the club has dropped off. De Guzman came on for one of Holland's goalscorers, Rafael Van Der Vaart, with the game already having delivered it's main course. Holland went two nil up before Japan got one back before half time, and then the hosts equalised in the 60th minute. De Guzman only entered the fray after 78 minutes, and it's unlikely he had much chance to influence goings on. It's worth watching the highlights, however, as Robben & Honda's goals are absolutely delightful - the latter in particular being a joy to watch if you like short sharp passes.

Bosnia Herzegovina U21s 1 - 6 Spain U21s

Jordi Amat

It appears the young Spaniards got off to a slow start before brushing aside their hosts. They went behind in the 15th minute, but were 3-1 up at half time thanks partially to an own goal and a stoppage time penalty. It shouldn't be underplayed how highly Amat is rated by the Spanish authorities - they've been called the best team in the history of football for a reason and if they rate Amat as one for the future perhaps we should be kinder on him. I've been critical in the past (only occasionally, mind) but there's obviously a good player there. I do feel though that he'd benefit from an extra stone of muscle, but at 21 he's got plenty of time to develop both physically and tactically.

If I've missed anyone out, please feel free to give me some grief...

Bony: "I want to score every week"

The Jack Army is with you, brother...

Fresh from scoring two goals which went a long way to turning around the match against Stoke, Wilfried Bony has been chatting with Skysports about how things have been going so far:

"I am just adjusting to the best league in the word. The challenge is to convince people because of the money the club paid for me - it has not been easy but I am getting there. 

"The manager trusts me and has a plan to use me to help me find my feet in the league, scoring twice in the league against Stoke City on Saturday was very good, I want to score every week for the club but I know that is difficult to do but I will try. 

"I believe in myself and hope to make my name in the League. I want to earn a starting place for the national team and prove myself in the World Cup in Brazil, but we need to close the game against Senegal [this weekend] and realise our dream." 

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9024797/swansea-star-wilfried-bony-adapting-to-premier-league?

I always try to analyse what players say to the press to see if we can infer some hidden meaning (whether the player meant it or not) and the fact that Bony has acknowledged it's "not been easy to convince the fans he's worth the money" possibly shows he's more than aware of the abuse he's been getting from the stands and online. Hopefully Sunday's brace will silence the doubters and give him some added time with which to continue adjusting and work on his overall fitness.

Hopefully it won't be long until "Bony" features on videprinters up and down the country on a weekly basis. I'm not a betting man, but I wouldn't bet against it. Just to remind us all of what he can do, let's have a look at a video of his goals last season.

Goals goals goals! More of the same please mate...

Jon Walters wants Chico punished - that's quite rich for a Stoke player...

Quite how someone playing for the Potters feels he's in a position to call for reprimands is beyond me...

In the aftermath of fluking a point thanks to a horrific refereeing decision, Jonathan Walters decided to take to the press to say that he thought Chico should be punished by the FA for his playacting.

Now, I'm not defending Chico. His theatrics are embarrassing, and it's clear Swansea fans are growing tired of it as after he received a yellow card for throwing himself to the ground in the Stoke game the East Stand actually applauded. That's the first time I can remember Swansea fans applauding one of their own being punished, but to be honest it was deserved.

There is, however, an element of pot kettle black involved here. Walters spent quite a bit of time on the ground in the recent matchup if I remember correctly, as did a number of his teammates, and their goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was guilty of both consistent time-wasting as well as a couple of shoves which were only punished with a yellow card. When you couple that with the style of "football" Stoke have played over the last few years, and the injuries they've inflicted during the same period, it really is a bit cheeky.

I can honestly say that whenever we played Stoke under Pulis I grew worried for the safety of our players. It seemed officials had become used to their "committed tackles" and rough-house tactics, and that to me was inexcusable. A foul is a foul, regardless of the team it was committed by. Hopefully Mark Hughes can pull them away from that kind of thing, but with a squad full of players deeply saturated in the Pulis way, I doubt it. Nathan Dyer is someone I remember getting a particularly rough time of it, and he was regularly "tackled" with such a lack of consideration for his safety that I considered it a miracle if he got out of the game without suffering a serious injury.

It gets even more ludicrous when you consider the only reason they got anything out of the match was because of a ridiculous penalty decision. Stoke gained a point thanks to the officials, and should be counting their chickens - not lashing out at what they perceive (rightly or wrongly) to be cheating on Chico's behalf. Whether he was baited into talking about the incident I can't say, but in my opinion he should look closer to home before accusing an opponent of bending the rules. 

Jonathan Walters - sit down, and shut up.

(Highlights) Swansea U21's 2 - 2 Ipswich U21's

Young Swans went up against their East Anglian opponents at Stebonheath Park

Shame that scissor kick didn't go in, eh?

The contrast in playing styles seemed fairly marked from the (albeit short) highlights compiled in the video above, but it's bringing a smile to my face seeing young players enjoying their football and looking to use clever angles to bring teammates into play. More of the same please lads!

The reason fans will take time to warm to Wilfried Bony

Most fans, myself included, simply don't know what to expect from a top-level striker over ninety minutes

So far this season, there has been a vocal minority (what other type of minority is there?) who have felt it prudent to lay into Wilfried Bony both during matches and at any other juncture they can get their point heard. What good people expect to achieve by screaming obscenities at him while he's trying to score goals for us I don't know, but it's still happening. Even after he scored twice against Stoke, some fans were still reportedly giving him grief, and that to me is simply mind-boggling.

I've been thinking for a while that maybe there's an underlying reason he's coming in for stick. The only other striker who has received this level of criticism from Swansea fans in recent times was Jason Scotland, and let's be honest, he did well for us. Frustrations about him "not running around enough" were in my eyes laughable, and similar accusations are now being levelled at Bony.

Here's my thinking. I'm 27, and spent my formative years watching the Swans battle it out at various levels of lower league football - however we spent most of the time playing poor football with little quality up front. Let's have a look at some of the strikers I grew up watching. Steve Torpey, Aiden Newhouse, Tony Bird, Walter Boyd, Tommy Mutton, John Williams, Steve Watkin, Mamady Sidibe, Kevin Nugent... the list goes on, but it goes on without really inspiring. Giovanni Savarese was a cut above the rest, and Lee Trundle was obviously...Lee Trundle, but if we're being honest apart from those two none of the strikers in the list above were particularly likely to wow fans with their goalscoring exploits, much less put on a masterful display of centre-forwardery. 

We can look back further. Since the Swans fall from grace in the early eighties, it's likely to have been much of the same. I can't speak from experience as I wasn't alive/in a position to witness many of these seasons, however it seems unlikely we had a top-level striker plying his trade in the number 9 or 10 shirt. This all leads me to the conclusion that for a good twenty years (or thereabouts), fans will have been used to watching their strikers spend more time chasing lost causes into the corner than pulling a rabbit out of a hat and stuffing one in from 30 yards.

This is exemplified by the criticisms of Bony and Scotland before him. "Run around more", "get into him", "move about some more" - these are all things I regularly hear shouted from the stands but I disagree completely. I've stated my tactical reasoning before - we have one striker and if he did spend 90 minutes chasing shadows we wouldn't have a focal point to build off when we do regain possession. I'm pretty sure we didn't spend £12million on a striker only for him to "run around a lot".

My point is though that, myself included, it's unlikely many Swansea fans know what a top level striker looks like in the flesh for ninety minutes. Do they charge around like a bull in a china shop for the entirety of every match? No doubt some do, but I'd wager more operate like Bony - cerebral, and capable of doing nothing for large swathes of the game before popping up with some important goals.

I don't know what Robin Van Persie does for ninety minutes. I never saw Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the flesh. I've no idea what fat Ronaldo used to for most of the match, but I'd wager all had a habit of simply biding their time before their opportunity arose. By playing in this manner, it also allows them to retain extra energy to deploy as and when needed. No point shooting your load too early. Ahem. 

Let's have a look at Bony's stats. He's started thirteen games and come off the bench five times, and he now has ten goals. Not bad eh? When you take into consideration that, in the Premier League, he's now got a goal every 133 minutes (8th best of any player) it appears criticism has been unfounded. He's clearly still gaining a degree of match fitness, and is still adjusting to his new team, but his performances so far give reason for us to believe we could have signed an absolute gem. Don't forget he missed most of our pre-season too - AND had to adjust from what is a bit of a joke league to arguably the best league in the world. For him to have racked up this many goals (albeit, four of his ten have come in the Europa League) deserves credit in my opinion - not abuse from the stands.

Much like Wilfried Bony is adapting to a new style of playing, we as fans are still adapting to top level football. It's not our fault if we're not used to seeing an actual quality centre-forward - but the least we can do is give him the time he needs to succeed.

(Highlights) Swansea 3 - 3 Stoke, plus what the players are saying about THAT penalty...

Selected quotes from the media regarding Robert Madley's mystifying and stupefying decision to award Stoke a penalty

I know I say that I don't like talking about this stuff a lot, and that's true, but if everyone else is...

Angel Rangel

“I am obviously disappointed by that decision but we can't talk much about the referees. We are always the ones who get fined but hopefully in this case it won't be the players who get punished but it will be the referee as we have done nothing wrong. When referees make mistakes they should be the ones to get punished.  

http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_0_22744_-.html#.UoD3_vmpWQw

Michael Laudrup

“In every game there are talking points over decisions, but when I saw it again, or even out there, there are seven Stoke players in the box and none were asking for a penalty, apart from Peter Crouch who was appealing for a corner, so there was only one man in the stadium who thought it was a penalty, and unfortunately that was the referee."  

http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_0_22744_-.html#.UoD3_vmpWQw

Ashley Williams

"It seemed like none of their players asked for a penalty, maybe one of them was appealing for a corner. It was a shock to everyone and I didn't see a handball from Wayne or Leon (Britton). I think both sides were surprised by the decision."  

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/swansea-city/news/williams-shocked-by-stoke-penalty_117249.html

Leon Britton

“I thought maybe he’d given the penalty against me on the line, even though I cleared it with my belly, then I saw the reaction of their players and I thought he had given a goal kick. Then I saw he had pointed to the spot even though not one player had appealed for a penalty. I haven’t seen the replay, but I honestly can’t see where it has come from to be honest. It is very frustrating, especially when a draw feels like a defeat even though we were 2-0 down.” 

 http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/lb-post-stoke-1166885.aspx?#m7P8BGBtVXfYFuRZ.99

To be honest, I could have gone on and on. There's little point though, other than to once again flag up that certain clubs just don't seem to get decisions going in their favour. I don't think you can use Swansea v Stoke as an example of big-club bias, however elsewhere there have been numerous recent incidents which seem to indicate that there is still a case to be made for this.

Hopefully we won't be talking about disputed penalties again for a long time.