Video: Swans' legend Ivor Allchurch scores a worldy at the 1958 World Cup!

I told you it was good...

No description needed. Just check this out.


How had I not seen this goal before now? Wow. Have you seen someone score a better goal for Wales? I haven't!

The year Swansea almost won the World Cup, but were thwarted by Pele

The Wales team of 1958 had a distinctly South West Walian feel to it, and did they ever do us proud...

The 1958 World Cup in Sweden has, for most Welsh fans, always been rooted in our memory - mostly because it's the last (and only) time we've qualified for a major tournament. Well, I say qualified... we benefited from Belgium refusing to play Israel in a playoff...and Uruguay refusing to accept a "charitable entry" into the competition, and were drawn as the next "lucky losers" to play Israel for a place in the finals. We subsequently went on to win 4-0 on aggregate and book our place in the competition outright, and the Welsh were on their way to the World Cup!

Three draws in the group saw us play (and beat) Hungary in a playoff match for a place in the quarter-finals, where we came up against a Brazil side, whose attack was spearheaded by a 17-year-old Pele - who was both the youngest player to ever play in a World Cup and, when he scored the winner against Wales in a hard-fought 1-0 win, became the youngest ever goalscorer too. I know what you're thinking though - why the title about Swansea almost winning the World Cup?

Well, in doing some research for a recent article for Campo Retro (link) I realised there was a distinctly Swansea look to the squad. Starting at the back, Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Kelsey was born in Llansamlet, but the links far from end there. Mel Charles is a player who shouldn't need any introduction to Swansea fans, while his brother John, well...despite not playing for the Swans first-team he's almost definitely the finest footballer to ever emerge from the SA postcode area.

Next up you've got Cliff Jones and Terry Medwin, both famously talented Swansea players who went on to play for Spurs. Ivor Allchurch and his brother Len also featured in the World Cup squad, while Colin Webster played over one-hundred and fifty games for the Swans despite being born in Cardiff. I'm sure we can forgive him that given he scored sixty-six league goals for us...

Eight players with a direct link to the Swans - seven of whom were born in the city. Not a bad contingent for a small seaside city (or town, as it was at the time) to produce, and when you consider how far they pushed the much more vaunted Brazilian team in the quarter-final I find it remarkable that less has been made over the years about Swansea's link to the only appearance the Wales national side has made at a major competition.

As I mentioned in the aforementioned article for Campo Retro, it seems at present the current Wales squad is as good as any I've seen in my lifetime, so hopefully we won't be waiting too long to see our dragons roar once again. With Bale scoring the crucial goal in the Champions League final, and Ramsey the winner in the FA Cup Final, we could be on the verge of another golden era in Welsh football. 

As a special treat check the site for the next blog, where I'll be posting a video of Ivor Allchurch scoring an absolute WORLDY of a goal against Hungary in the playoff match. And I do mean worldy.

Swansea agree Fabianski signing

Swans sign up Arsenal goalkeeper on a four-year deal

Well that's a good way to start a Thursday morning! Firstly, I woke up on time so for the first time this week my work preparation wasn't a semi-naked scramble around my house, and secondly we've just announced the signing of Lucasz Fabianski. 

This has been rumoured for quite a while, and while some are still clinging to the "FlappyHandsSki" tag personally I think he's a very good goalkeeper, and if pushed I'd say he's an improvement on either of the 'keepers we've been able to call on this season. I've become disillusioned with Vorm, while Tremmel seemingly went from hero to zero in the space of one season. Wherever he went on holiday last summer, you best be sure that destination is banned by the club for future holiday exploits, as he was a completely different stopper last season and seemed bereft of the confidence which made him such a steady pair of hands the season before.

That's why I expect Fabianski to come straight in as our number one goalkeeper. I'm actually fairly stunned we managed to pull this off - at times this season he kept Kojak Chesney out of the Arsenal team, and I'm sure we were far from the only option he had. With no European football to worry about though, it's more than possible the club have (understandably) pitched next season as a serious push into the top ten, and as with any player the possibility of playing week in week out is the biggest lure of all. 

He's agreed a four year deal and will join for free at the end of his current Arsenal contract this summer (though I have no idea how much we'll be paying him), and it's hard to see this as anything other than the end for one of our two preexisting goalkeepers. With Vorm supposedly the subject of interest from a couple of big clubs, selling him at a profit and bringing in Fabianski on a free could prove to be one of the outstanding bits of business anyone does this summer.

What's more, that's definitely a transfer steeped in the traditions of the Swansea way. Sell high, buy... well, don't buy. Sign for free! Well played chaps. Well played.

1984! Swansea players' every movement tracked 24hours!

Club employ new "Fitbit" wristbands to track players sleep patterns and more!

Well this is a bit 1984 isn't it! The Swans have today announced (link) that a few months ago they teamed up with FitBit to trial the UK launch of the Flex-Wireless Wristband Activity Tracker. Choosing Ashley Williams as the photo model for the article was brave though given the current speculation about his future!

The wristbands will track sleep patterns, distance traveled and more, and synchronises with apps and computers at the Swans HQ. With nutrition and proper rest now key in the recovery of modern footballers after injuries, being able to monitor the players away from the training ground is, while a bit weird, definitely to the benefit of the club. Club physio Richard Buchanan agrees:

“The backroom staff are always looking for ways that can help us gain a small one per cent advantages over our rivals in the way we prepare and recover players for matches and training sessions, while also attempting to minimise the risk of preventable injuries.
 

“Utilising the Fitbit devices has allowed us and the players themselves to monitor activity levels away from the training ground, together with sleep length and quality which are all key factors relating to injury prevention and the mental and physical capability to perform at their peak.”

A quick look on the FitBit website shows that there all sorts of ways the system can be utilised by the wearer. There are leagues online where you can track your fitness level and more, and I can easily imagine super-competitive footballers wanting to be known to be working harder than their team-mates. I've heard stories of managers posting ProZone stats to the wall of the training ground, so players knew who'd run the furthest, as a way of bolstering competition and this could well be something in a similar vein.

There'll certainly be no way of blagging a late start though - with the wristband tracking sleep patterns anyone caught having a lie-in will soon be rumbled!

The Ashley Williams quandry

Swansea should pay up...but only what we can afford

 

The last few days must have been pretty lively if you are Ashley Williams' agent. All these leaks to the press must be coming from somewhere, and his mobile phone has probably been in overdrive as he looks to get his man front and centre of the national news - and in fairness he's done a pretty good job of it. All the major papers are now reporting that, essentially, we should take £3million for him now as opposed to losing him for nothing next summer - but therein lies the problem with British football. That stratagem assumes the club needs to sell. Swansea City don't need three million pound right now, but we need Ashley Williams.

Why isn't his new contract sorted out already? I'm sure that at some point in the past few months, if we'd have offered him a good increase on his current salary, it would have been very hard to turn down. This is based on the suggestion (in various articles) that Ash is "frustrated at the lack of progress on his current contract" which, if true, indicates he was willing to sit down and sign something, had the offer been right. Obviously only Ash knows if that's true (and possibly the club), but I find it very hard to believe there wasn't a happy medium to be struck between what we can offer and what the "elite clubs" pay their players on a weekly basis as a matter of course.

We're never going to match the moneybag clubs, but it's not about that. As weird as it sounds, if we were to offer Ash £30kpw I don't think it would be one-hundred percent about money - he knows our wage structure, and he knows how the club is run. Importance to the club can thus be inferred from how much the club are willing to pay you on a weekly basis, and with more potential comings and goings in our defence this summer I'd argue retaining Ash should, at present, be our number one priority.

How much should we be paying him though? I'd say an absolute maximum of £35kpw, but given his importance to the team and how long he's been here, I don't think that's a grotesque amount. It would probably make him one of the top earners at the club, if not the top earner, but he's worth it in my opinion as the alternative - losing him - has the potential to do us more damage than giving him a much improved contract would. Who would replace him? With Chico an ever-increasing calamity I don't fancy a summer where both our main centre-backs from the past few seasons depart, and I can't help but get a bad feeling whenever there is talk of Ash departing.

Who is interested? Rumours abound, but the common names are Liverpool (obviously), Arsenal (obviously), Napoli (we played them this season you know), Lille (not so obvious!) and QPR (who will sign anyone willing to agree to a ridiculous five-year contract). All of these clubs are liable to pay far above where our upper limit will be, but I get the sense that, for Ash, if we'd have (by this point) stumped up what he felt was an offer which reflected the club's commitment to keeping him in SA1, then instead of currently talking about his potential suitors the club may well have been announcing a successful contract extension.

How much money that would constitute you can't say, but while there have been rumours surrounding Ash's future for a while it's only this past week that anything has emerged from his camp with regards to potential moves away from the Liberty. Up until now, indeed only a few weeks ago, Ash stated that signing on at the Swans was his preferred option, so what has gone wrong since then? Well, either we haven't put up enough cash (or Ash and his agent were demanding an unreasonable amount, which I can't imagine given their knowledge of the Swans), Ash's agent has turned his head with talk of more money, or Ash just fancies a new challenge, coupled with a massive payday.

Worryingly, given the buildup to this, I can't help but think this was a completely avoidable situation, and that this is currently a talking point because we've been reticent in giving him the amount of money he feels he needs to commit to the Swans for the foreseeable future. It's not been a secret his contract is slowly creeping to an end, and that it's come to this really disappoints me.

Whatever now happens with Ash, it's important the club learn from this. He's blatantly an integral figure at the club, Monk clearly wants him around next season, and if occasionally shifting the goalposts on your standard practice is of benefit to the club it's something which should be done. As for the talk of Ash holding us to ransom this summer by demanding he be sold if a bid of £3million arrives... well that is simply ludicrous.

We paid out almost that amount to end the 32RED sponsorship deal early, and that's the kind of money that, in my opinion, means little to nothing in the cash-heavy throes of modern Premier League-dom. Ash is worth more over the course of the season than we'd buy for £3million quid - I'm sure he knows that, and that's why I don't buy everything I've been reading in the press over the last fourty-eight hours. I still feel Ash wants to stay here, and if the club haven't already made a big effort in trying to keep him here it's well overdue.

Only time will tell where Ashley Williams will be playing his football next season. I for one hope it will be for Swansea City.

What Swansea fans can expect from Garry Monk

Getting back to The Swansea Way...

TSW's tactics guru Jon Trew on what may be different next year…and what may stay the same

Tactical nuance and formation

Swansea fans have become accustomed to the 4-2-3-1 formation. It's been engrained in our play since the days of Martinez, but as football evolves so should we. Through the different managers in Martinez, Sousa, Rodgers and Laudrup we played variations of the 4-2-3-1 with differing attacking ideas.  Martinez was the first to bring ‘the continental style of play’ to the club and the style was then evolved and moulded by the following managers. Rodgers to my recollection was the only one to test three at the back in the home game against Wolves (when we were winning 3-0 and then drew 4-4), although I do remember us having a go during the Colin Addison era...but that’s a different story...

Rodgers and Martinez have evolved their philosophy and style of play at the clubs they've ended up in charge of (Liverpool, Wigan and Everton). Martinez often favoured playing three at the back at Wigan and despite being relegated they played some entertaining football. Rodgers also at times last season dabbled with three at the back and adjusted his team each game. You could argue that towards the end of Laudrup’s tenure ‘The Swansea Way’ regressed, and the entertaining football of old was slowly being replaced by a slower counter attacking one.

Monk played a few different formations during the games as caretaker - most notably the 2-2 draw at Arsenal. Changing the Swansea system after so long with 4-2-3-1 being a foregone conclusion was always going to be a massive tactical risk, and to do it away at Arsenal whilst still a caretaker manager showed huge tactical confidence. Since then, rather than sticking with one formation for each game, Monk has adjusted his team and set the team up depending on the opposition. 

Garry Monk now has a full pre-season to put his ideas into practice on the training field and it wouldn’t surprise me if next season we saw a variation of the 4-2-3-1 to more of a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 or even a bold 3-4-3. Personally I prefer playing four at the back with attacking wing backs as it gives more going forward, and it's always easier to organise the defence with a flat back four. Playing three at the back would take a lot of tactical work and organisation by Monk but it could be something that we see introduced towards the end of the season.

Set pieces

During Monk’s short spell as caretaker manager we saw a change in approach to the attacking set pieces. We saw the return of the in swinging corner to trouble the keeper, coupled with a different set up of players in the box. Our players were placed in and around the six-yard box trying to disrupt the keeper, and it worked as these set pieces were more successful than they had been under Laudrup - it was refreshing to see something different, and to see Garry Monk bringing his own ideas to the table. 

Brendan Rodgers was famously very meticulous when planning corners - every player had a specific role whether it was placement, making a run or blocking a defensive player. I imagine a lot of work went into set pieces on the training field under Rodgers, and this is something we can look forward to seeing under Monk.

Throw ins

The last time I saw a long throw was down the Vetch. Right in front of the North bank, John  ‘The fastest postman in football’ WIlliams launched a poor looping effort into the mixer. We rarely see long throws in football at all these days. The Jon Challinor’s and Rory Delap’s of this world seem to have disappeared, but why? Let’s be fair, it’s an opportunity to get the ball immediately into the box and cause some trouble, and over the last few home games we saw Rangel and Shelvey attempting this. 

Bony was shouting to get the ball to him in the box, and again this is something different we can utilise which could be highly effective if used in the correct way. Bony’s ability to hold the ball up and shield from any defenders could upset the oppositions defence and allow other players to run on to a ball or receive a lay off from him. This tactic is also something I expect to be used more and more under Garry Monk.

Passion

Towards the end of Laudrup’s reign some of the players looked jaded - especially Ashley Williams to name just one. Then came Monk’s first game and the win over Cardiff City. I don’t think anyone needs reminding of the image of Williams running over and hugging Monk - the old guard are definitely behind Monk and will run through walls for him. It remains to be seen if the ‘newer’ players will back the new inexperienced manager though. Chico and Michu are clearly two passionate players but it’s rarely, if ever, channeled in the correct way. 

Michu, as talented as he is, is often very petulant on the field and this can have a negative effect on the team if he moans or complains too much. Chico too often gets too excited, and loses his head. I feel he's guilty of, at times, trying to impress the crowd rather than playing for the team. If the two Spaniards are to remain at Swansea we will see Monk attempting to channel this passion in the correct manner.

Bravery and predictability

Brendan Rodgers always spoke (as our manager) and speaks (as the Liverpool manager) about being brave with the ball. Dictating the play and not losing your head under pressure. Remember that goal Rangel effectively gave away against Man Utd at home? A silly pass led immediately to a goal. Rodgers always wanted Swansea to play our way out of danger and told us we had to be brave in front of the opposition and dictate play - this bravery to pass the ball out of dangerous situations with the tiki taka triangles was something that went missing under Laudrup. 

He preferred the team to go long or maybe clear the ball straight away which would mean the opposition would pick the ball up and have a go again. The team lost it’s ‘mojo’ and every attack was too predictable. When a certain player picked up the ball it was obvious what he would do, who would make a run, to where and what would happen. As mentioned previously, Monk has already brought some unpredictable factors into the Swansea game (set pieces, long throw ins, different formations), and this could be a major factor next season. 

Trust is a hugely important word bandied about by Rodgers, and this is something that Laudrup maybe did not have with his players. Garry Monk needs to trust the players to play under pressure, to be brave, and equally the players need to trust Monk with his ideas and see the benefit in mixing things up.

Tight defence and pressing

We conceded too many goals last season from individual errors either coming from midfield (see Jonjo Shelvey at home against Liverpool) or costly mistakes coming from any one of the back four. Monk, as an experienced defender, knows exactly what it takes to boss the defence and turn the team once more into a more coherent defensive unit. In previous articles I’ve spoken about Bony’s increase in defensive work rate, and how the team are now working as one when defending - not just defence/attack. The wingers now track back (Arsenal being an excellent example - the work rate of Routledge and De Guzman was outstanding), and Bony now defends from the front and closes down the defender with the ball. 

We now also become a 4-4-2 when the opposition defence is in possession of the ball. It has been very interesting to see the central attacker (mainly Pablo Hernandez) coming up alongside Bony to close the two central defenders down - this hurries the opposition and in turn can lead to mistakes or the opposition giving up possession by sending a long ball up the field. The final home game against Southampton could be a huge learning curve for Monk. Southampton were by far the best team I’ve seen at the Liberty when it comes to closing down and pressing the opposition. Again though, Monk needs to organise the team well, increase fitness levels and learn from previous mistakes.

Disbanding of cliques

This summer we could see the sinking of the Spanish Armarda. I personally wouldn’t be surprised to see Chico, Puzuelo, Michu and Canas leaving this summer. I would love to see Chico and Michu stay as I think Monk can have a positive influence on both and would get the best out of them, but if they were to leave it I’m confident Monk has players in mind that he could replace them with. Amat stepped up to the plate when he played in place of Chico during his suspension and on the rare occasion Bartley played, he did well. Chico has a huge amount of talent and he played under Pep Guardiola and Tito Villanova for Barcelona B. You must have something special to have played under them. If he stays then he must immediately improve his English as this I feel has held him back (Michu joined the same time and has no problems in communicating) and he must channel the passion I spoke about earlier.

Monk’s tenure so far has seen mixed results, but crucially they've been more positive than negative. There’s a lot to be excited about when looking at the changes that he has started to implement, and I fully expect these to continue into next season. The next few weeks and months are going to be extremely interesting as a Swansea fan - don’t judge the pre-season on the results. It’s 100% not about that. Monk will use it to galvanise the team, put across his new ideas, and raise fitness levels that he thought weren’t up to scratch under Laudrup. 

Most importantly though, it appears he's well aware of the need to oversee the continued evolution of ‘the Swansea way’.

You can follow Jon on twitter @jon_inspire - Also if you’re an aspiring football coaches please visit his website www.inspirefootballcoaching.com and check out the football events that Inspire organise (conferences and practical sessions).

The Swansea Way does a Chico

Wales' Best Sports Blog gets a makeover…

…and no I haven't as yet got my arse in gear and given the website a html once-over! Instead, after twelve years without a haircut of any sort, I deemed fit to let Mrs Swansea Way loose on my hair. 

My brief was 'no particular style…and a bit longer on top than it is on the sides' and considering she was has hardly ever cut men's hair I think she did a great job! When I put a photo up on Facebook, however, the first thing multiple people pointed out was the similarity between my new do and that of Swansea stylista Chico Flores. I can see why people would make the comparison - ponytailed beardy chap goes short, but there does seem a similarity - I bet his do cost more than mine though!

The Swansea Way

Not sure how I feel about 1980's George Michael playing centre back for the swans pic.twitter.com/GGbVRdl80P

— Engel Dangleton (@daiginge) March 31, 2014

George Michael/Chico Flores

Do you think there's a resemblance? I just hope nobody thinks that, like Chico, I resemble 1980's George Michael…

The Swansea way spreading to Nigeria...and beyond!

Youth football project in Nigeria gets backing from the Swans

Everyone loves a bit of a feelgood story, right? This has a bit of a "the last story on the news" feel to it, but there is a clear message - the Swans are expanding on a global basis. I've been unable to get many details at the time of writing (I'll endeavour to provide more information as I get it), but it appears that Naowa College in Abuja, Nigeria have teamed up with the Swans who will provide assistance with their youth football project.

This came to light thanks to Swansea vice-chairman Leigh Dineen, who retweeted the following tweet. Outstanding!

@HelenClarkUNDP Swansea City FC and Collins project Nigeria supporting youth football in Nigerian schools. pic.twitter.com/MZakHpknal

— uyi osawe (@swanseafcnaija) May 23, 2014

It's great to see the Swans expanding in this manner, and what's more Leigh indicated that we're also forging links in Calcutta (India), Khartoum (Sudan) and Sanaa (North Yemen). Exciting times! Good news perhaps, too, for the Swansea ex-pat army who seem to be growing in numbers in all corners of the globe. Do you follow the Swans from abroad? Get in touch with your far flung football stories! Where do you follow the Swans from?

Swansea say Michu & Bony are not for sale

Let's just hope our nerve isn't tested too much...

Swansea City are not a selling club. We have no need to be, as we have no debt and we're looking at our fourth season in the Premier League which, for a club our size, is financially massive. Ok, we've spent on infrastructure but that was needed, and ok we paid twelve million for Bony but I'm starting to get the impression there's a room somewhere under the Liberty Stadium full of cash which Huw Jenkins spends his Saturday nights rolling around in, a lá Scrooge McDuck in Duck Tales.

We received good fees for Sinclair, Graham, Allen, Rodgers... just those four saw us pocketing over thirty million so on top of the TV money it's hard to believe we aren't up there with the most solvent clubs in the country. Couple that with the club's aim of improving on last season's league finish and why would we sell? Money's no good if you've got a weaker squad and in Bony's case in particular it's impossible to argue we'd be better off without him. 

Sure we could sign a replacement but there's no guarantee whoever came in would replicate the form of the Ivorian, and any time you swap your main focal point it's a risk as there's sure to be an adjustment period. Bony's thirteen goals in his last nineteen games of the season show that once he was embedded in the team, he was able to perform far more effectively and I think continuity really gets the best out of players. I'm looking forward to his second season!

"I think we can hold on to him. He's a good guy but money talks. It would have to be an astronomical fee for him to leave though and we're not a selling club. We're not in any debt. We don't need to lose anyone so we're in a strong position." 

"He's a proper professional. He's not the sort of player to take it easy. Every single day he pushes himself and everyone around him. The more players you have in your squad, the better you're going to be." Garry Monk

Good stuff from Monk that. Not that it'll stop anyone trying, but rumours of an £18million bid from Liverpool are concerning given their habit of being willing to be bartered up. Andy Carroll? I'd say when you look at Bony's form this season, his age, and the aspirations of any club looking to sign him, he's easily a £25million player. Any club looking to sign him are doing so because they believe he's a 20 goal a season striker, and we have no need to sell - those two things combined mean that only the kind of offer which is impossible to reject will be sufficient to prize our star asset away. Will someone have the gumption and clout to seriously test our nerve? Let's hope not.

Michu then. To be honest I thought it was a bit unnecessary Monk coming out and saying he wasn't for sale, as given his injury problems this past season if I was an opposing manager I'd be staying well away from him. God knows what he's valued at at this moment in time, but while I'm far from his biggest fan he is a handy option to have, and if we're going 4-4-2 diamond next season with a view to him being kept around it's sensible to make some noise about retaining him I guess.

Monk has come out and said that, like with Bony, we're not looking to sell our best players:

“He has definitely not been put up for sale by anyone at this club, me, the chairman or anyone. Our only discussion about Michu is getting him back to fitness and making sure he's on the pitch for Swansea and scoring goals.

"He's a goalscorer, our top scorer two seasons ago, so that's not something you dismiss very lightly. We want him here at the club."

Again, a fairly clear message. I think we could cope with losing Michu but Bony would be a massive blow - let's just hope nobody fancies chucking the best part of thirty million pound our way this summer.

My god that is a weird sentence for a Swansea fan to type...

Win a pair of Nike Magista boots!

Those nice folk at MatchChat are at it again...

It seems like more of a regular occurrence, this competition malarkey! So far I've been able to give away a copy of the Robbie James biography, a blinding t-shirt from the people at Art of Football and I've also got some cool stuff coming up with Campo Retro. Right now though, it's about MatchChat. Not only content with providing me with a free commenting plugin for the website, they have also (in conjunction with JD Sports) managed to blag a brand new pair of Nike Magista boots to give away. 

All you've got to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer a stupidly easy question on this link, and then cross your fingers, toes and anything else you're nubile enough to cross in hope of being the lucky winner. Good luck!

Jonny Williams? Jordy Clasie? Now we're talking!

Today's transfer rumours are more exciting than yesterday's...

Yesterday's blog looked at the rumours linking us with Alex McCarthy of Reading and Stephen Kingsley of Falkirk, and while there's nothing wrong with either of those signings they weren't exactly the kind of names which get your average football fan salivating. Today however we've seen some different names being linked - notably those of Jordy Clasie and Jonny Williams.

Clasie has shot to fame in the last week after playing an absolutely world-class pass in to Robin Van Persie for Holland's equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Ecuador, and personally I think there's very little chance we'll land him. There are much bigger clubs interested in him by all accounts so until there's something more concrete I'll refrain from getting excited about that one - though it would be very easy to. Just check out this pass...

Now for Jonny Williams. He's had a couple of serious injury problems, and both were on Wales duty. Firstly he broke his leg playing for the U21's, and most recently he did his ankle ligaments whilst with the Wales team this past September. This resulted in him being coaxed back to fitness, and not long after signing a new contract around the turn of the year (which sees him tied to the club until 2018) he was loaned out to Ipswich in order for him to regain full match fitness.

He's been Palace's Young Player of the Year (in the season they won promotion to the PL), and has been praised so highly that the tag of "Joniesta" doesn't seem at all ironic. What's more - he's Welsh! The nationalist idealist traditionalist in me loves the idea of signing up all the best young Welsh talent, and Williams is a player I've always admired. I know he won't be cheap having just signed a new contract, but all that means is Palace will get a bit more money for him - if he wants the move and we put up the cash he'll come. Assuming he doesn't fancy a move to any other potential suitor, anyway.

How much would he cost? Probably not far off ten million, but I can't see him costing ten or more as he simply hasn't played enough top-level football. Couple that with the unlikelihood of him fitting into an increasingly Pulified Palace and there's definitely a possibility of us getting our man this summer. With the midfield diamond looking likely to come to the fore next season, a player of Williams' ilk could well be a very handy option.

Would you like to see Williams brought in? How much would he cost? How much should we pay? Get involved in the comment section below!

Should Swansea sell BOTH their goalkeepers?

With rumours of bids for Reading's McCarthy & Arsenal's Fabianski, is the writing on the wall for Vorm & Tremmel?

Skip back a few seasons ago and Michel Vorm was being held up as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership. After a stunning debut against Man City he went on to enjoy a fine first season, but few would currently rate Vorm as highly as they did during 2011/12. In my opinion he's proven himself to be a shot stopper, but not a lot more than that. A rich man's Dorus De Vries if you'll excuse a lazy Dutch comparison. Better than a Dutch Oven, anyway...

As for Tremmel, well last season I was his biggest fan and the stats backed it up. He had the best saves to shots ratio of any goalkeeper in the Premiership to have played a decent amount of game time (80%+), and I was calling for him to retain the no1 spot over Vorm. That was before this season, mind you. In as much as Vorm's limitations have become increasingly apparent, Tremmel's came to the fore with a vengeance. He's been, well, very ropey this season and hasn't looked confident at all - what happened you can't say but the crux of the matter is in my opinion both our goalkeepers were poor this season.

With Swansea now heavily rumoured with Reading's Alex McCarthy (of whom I know little about), and other rumours linking us with Lukas Fabianski, it's got me wondering whether we're actually looking to replace both our goalkeepers. Vorm has been the subject of rumours linking him to Arsenal in the past and most recently Brendan Rodgers has been linked with a move for the Dutchman - if the talk of a £5million bid is true that's too good to turn down in my opinion.

If Vorm was coming off the back of three consecutive solid seasons it'd be different but, well, he hasn't. £5million for an average keeper in the Premiership is money which, if well invested, could easily see us recruiting a goalkeeper of a similar mould and stature, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could actually get an improvement on our current no1 for that kind of money. But who would we be signing? Are McCarthy and Fabianski any better than what we currently have? Tremmel is getting on anyway so will need replacing soon, so that's one of the two potential incoming goalkeepers justified, but is Vorm any better than Fabianski? I don't think so, and if the Polish stopper can stay free from injury I'm actually of the opinion that we'd be better off with him between the sticks, as opposed to our current Dutch no1.

What about McCarthy? I don't know much but he's highly rated by Reading fans, and when I've asked fellow Swansea fans lots have mentioned a standout performance at the Liberty where, apparently, he saved everything. Either I wasn't there or I don't remember that one. Another option could be Asmir Begovic if Jack Butland looks likely to force his way into the first team, while David Marshall no doubt fancies returning to the Premiership but if I'm honest I'm less convinced by him than most seem. Easy to look like a good stopper when you've got that many shots flying at you!

So, should we sell both our goalkeepers? If the two replacements are McCarthy and Fabianski, I'd say we'd have an improved set of 'keepers next season. Couple that with a potential profit of a few million quid on a goalkeeper who's been both injured and dodgy in the last two seasons, and I think it'd be a decent bit of business in my opinion.

I guess that's a yes from me then...

Swansea transfer rumour roundup - Bony, Taylor, McCarthy?

The latest gossip that's doing the rounds...

Firstly, apologies for the lack of activity on the blog over the last week. I went up to Cardiff to the Wales Blog Awards on Thursday (and was named Best Sports Blog in Wales), it was my girlfriend's birthday on Friday... ya ya ya. Anyway, I'm back and in business, so what's been happening?

Well, not a lot to be honest. The main rumours are, understandably, surrounding Wilfried Bony, with a whole list of suitors emerging. Everton, Arsenal and others are all reputedly interested in "the £20million man" but to be honest I'd say his valuation should be even higher. I think given the more orthodox nature of his role, and his relative youth compared to Michu, his market value is even greater than the Spaniard's was last year and I'd say around £25million would be closer to the mark needed to pry him from us. Not that I expect any bid of that amount to arrive, mind you. It would be a real, real shame if he wasn't here next year.

Another new rumour is Neil Taylor to Southampton. With Luke Shaw looking increasingly likely to join Manchester United they'll need a replacement, and the worrying thing about this one is it makes so much sense - for both Southampton and Taylor. The Wales full-back has been devoid of regular football for over a season since coming back from injury, and with Shaw departing he could easily make the no1 left-back spot at Saints his own. Plus, given his lack of action this season Southampton would probably get him at a knock-down price. I don't want to see him leave, but I can understand it completely if he's had enough of sitting on the bench now.

While we're talking about left-backs, we're also apparently interested in Stephen Kingsley, a 19-year-old Falkirk product, so perhaps the writing really is on the wall for Tayls. We picked up Jay Fulton from the same club and he's already forced his way into the first team, and no doubt he was asked for an evaluation of his former team-mate as well as the usual scouting the club would have been doing. It'd probably only be a couple of hundred thousand, so if he's any good sign him up. I'm all for signing young British youngsters. 

Lastly for now, let's talk goalkeepers. We're heavily rumoured to be interested in a move for Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who if I'm honest I know little to nothing about. I'll remedy that if the talk becomes more concrete. What that would mean for Michel Vorm you can't say, but if the talk of a £5million bid from Liverpool has any truth to it I've no aversion to the move, as I've been less than impressed by the Dutchman for the entirety of this season. If McCarthy is any good, and we can make a tidy profit on Vorm, then sod it - let's see if we can get someone who can actually catch a high ball. 

I'll get a couple of stats pieces up later this week, and if you have any interest in the data/statistical side of things and you're in London/can be in London this weekend check out Dan from wearepremierleague.com's event in London. Well worth a look! link

Swansea City 2013/14 Game-By-Game Season Review

How did Swansea fare over the course of the season? An impromptu bout of insomnia gave me the opportunity to run my eye over the season's results

With 2013/14 now officially done and dusted, I thought it'd be interesting to relive things pretty much one game at a time, as there always moments that have slipped from memory - some which you wouldn't mind forgetting but others that at the time were brilliant, emotionally-charged moments, which have been lost amongst a fifty-four game season full of thrills, spills and more. 

Starting way back on the first of August, our season got underway with a 4-0 win over Malmo in the Europa League qualifying campaign, and at this point in time I remember thinking that the early European fixtures could well serve as an ideal way to relax into things. Getting off to a great start, a goal from Michu, a brace from Bony and a great strike from another debutant in Alejandro Pozuelo meant that fans left the match feeling enthused - easy this European lark, right?

A draw away in Sweden followed and we were into the Europa League proper, before our league campaign got under way at home against Manchester United, who were buoyed by having a new man in the dugout for the first time in around twenty-eight years. United ran out 4-1 winners, but Bony gave a sign of things to come by grabbing himself a consolation with a tidy finish. Next up were little-known Romanian team Petrolul Ploiesti and they were dispatched 5-1 at home, before the Swans started to show the inconsistency which would come to define their season. 

Losses away at Spurs (1-0) and in the away fixture at Petrolul (2-1 - which was enough to see us through to the group stages in Europe) preceded a fine 2-0 win away at WBA which featured a fine, fine goal by Ben Davies on the volley. That was a fine way to start September, and given our only losses to that point had been an away game in Europe and in games against Man Utd & Spurs, fans could have been forgiven for feeling confident. 

Next up was the Jonjo Shelvey-fuelled encounter with Liverpool at home which ended 2-2, and again it reinforced beliefs that perhaps we were in for a special season. When you consider that we followed that up with that 3-0 win away at Valencia, before demolishing Holloway's Crystal Palace 2-0 on their patch, it really was our best spell of the season looking back. I remember writing at the time that this could well have been the finest week in the history of Swansea City, and if I'm honest I'd subscribe to that way of thinking more now than I did then.

We finished September by being dumped out of the League Cup by Birmingham (3-1 at St Andrew's) and losing at the Emirates (2-1), and our form really started to suffer around this point. October saw us beat St Gallen 1-0 (although we played fairly awfully if memory serves correctly), before a 2-0 loss at Southampton came before a 4-0 home win over Sunderland in Poyet's first game in charge. I remember thinking that result was very flattering, and we did benefit from two own goals, and with our next result  the 1-1 draw at home to Russians Kuban Krasnodar I was starting to get concerned about the level of performance we were seeing from the Swans.

Ok, there were lots of games going on and we didn't/don't have the biggest squad in the world, but some of the performances we saw around this period, and in the latter stages of the Europa League group stage, can now be seen as indicative of the kind of results which saw Laudrup sacked later in the season. We finished October by drawing 0-0 at home to West Ham, before November started in just about the worst way possible - losing 1-0 away to the old enemy.

The loss to Cardiff really stung, and mostly because of the manner of the defeat. For some reason Vazquez was preferred to Bony, but what's more the players didn't seem to appreciate the importance of the game. Frustration levels were rising, and they weren't really helped by a meek performance away at Kuban (1-1) or the 3-3 home draw against Stoke where we went 2-0 down, fought back to 3-2 up before seeing Stoke equalise late on through a debatable penalty decision. Bloody Charlie Adam.

Before anyone opened the first window on their advent calendars though, there was still time for a 2-1 away win at Fulham - thanks to a great strike from Jonjo (a recurring theme of the season?) - and another lacklustre performance in Europe which saw us go down 1-0 to Valencia who we'd so thoroughly beaten a few weeks prior.

December saw us at our busiest. Eight games in one month - a month that includes Christmas - is a tall order and given January and February both featured seven games each it's no wonder we looked tired by the end of the season. December started predictably - losing 3-0 at Man City, before what I'd say was our best league performance of the season under Laudrup, winning 3-0 over Newcastle. Next up was a 1-1 draw at home to Hull (Danny Graham, of course) before we once again surrendered in Europe, 1-1 away at St Gallen - though somehow that was enough to see us through to the knockout phase of the competition.

You'd think with four games remaining in a calendar month there'd be something to write home about, but in all honesty we were pretty poor around the turn of the year. A 1-1 draw away at Norwich (although, granted, we would have won had it not been for a Gary Hooper wonder goal) and a 2-1 home loss to Everton came before a 1-0 away loss to Chelsea and a 1-1 draw away at Villa Park, so with three games against the Manchester clubs lined up in the New Year fans could have been forgiven some trepidation, but thankfully the beginning of 2014 wasn't too painful, and we'd have something to write home about after all.

January saw Wilfried Bony arrive in the Premier League. First up were Manchester City at the Liberty, and despite losing 3-2 there was one obvious reason to be cheerful - our big Ivorian centre-forward. Scorer of two goals, what was more impressive was the way he bullied a usually-imperious back line (indeed, one which would go on to win the league) and held off defenders for fun. This would become a hallmark of Bony's game, and if he's mocking defenders in this manner the chances are he'll be on the scoresheet soon enough.

I was actually in Thailand for Christmas and New Year, and watched all the games around this time in my father's bar there. What's more, the next game against Manchester United actually fell on my birthday (January 6th), thanks to the wonders of international time difference (the game was on the 5th of January GMT). A tense ninety minutes was finished superbly by a thumping Wilfried Bony header, giving us a 2-1 away win in the FA Cup which we sadly couldn't match in our next outing - again at Old Trafford though this time in the league. 

We went down 2-0 on the latter occasion, and next up were Spurs who promptly rolled into Swansea dispatching us 3-1, leaving us feeling like the win over Man Utd would have been a lot handier had it been in the league! Points win prizes and all that. Our FA Cup win over United gave us a chance to exercise our Birmingham-based cup demons which we promptly took, winning 2-1, but by now there was lots of talk of discontent in the Swansea camp and despite winning 2-0 over Fulham next time out, the manner of the 2-0 reverse to West Ham in the subsequent match saw Michael Laudrup removed from his post as Swansea manager.

Reading back through this it does seem like the move was perhaps harsh given the teams we'd lost against, but it was the level of performance that was really worrying. We were definitely performing worse than in our first two seasons in the Premiership, and given this season's squad is a lot more technically gifted than the one which Brendan had, for example, there's no reason we shouldn't have been able to at least match the high watermark we set in our first season amongst the elite.

The loss to West Ham was the first game of February, and once new boss Garry Monk had seen his charges dismiss a doomed Cardiff 3-0 at home it was another ten games before he tasted victory again. He had some bloody tough matches though, and the performance levels for the first seven or eight games of his tenure really were excellent.

First up was a credible 1-1 draw away at Stoke, before we went to Martinez's Everton in the FA Cup and lost 3-1 - though we did have an almost entirely changed team out on that day. We then put in three top performances in the space of a week (Napoli 0-0, Liverpool 4-3 and Napoli away 3-1), where we sadly didn't get a single win for our troubles.

That added to the pressure on fledgling manager Monk, but he never sounded unduly ruffled and despite only getting one point out of two home games against WBA & Crystal Palace at the beginning of March (from which I'd earmarked a maximum of six points!), and losing away at Everton again (3-2 in the league this time) I was still confident Monk was the man to be taking us forward. The Everton result was followed by a point at the Emirates, which in turn was proceeded by (finally) another win in the league - 3-0 over a Norwich side who might as well have not bothered turning up to any game after Christmas, given how badly they played both against us and in general from the turn of the year.

The three points against Norwich allayed most of our relegation fears, but as April got underway we still needed some more points before we could truly relax. We'd have to wait though - first of all we tamely went down 1-0 away at Hull before a Chico Flores-inspired defeat to Chelsea (also 1-0) at the Liberty left us gasping for points as we headed back to the North East to face Alan Pardew's renegade band of French Graham Carr signings.

Thankfully, Wilfried Bony continued his hot streak (he'd go on to score 13 goals in his last 19 games of the campaign) and grabbed himself a brilliantly taken brace to help the Swans to a 2-1 win, and Swansea had the points they needed in order to avoid relegation. This was followed by a thumping 4-1 win over Villa which was perhaps flattering, but you can only beat what's put in front of you and that's exactly what we did.

Southampton were our penultimate opponents this season, and in truth it was probably our flattest performance of the Monk era. A distinctly end of season feel saw us lose 1-0 to a complete fluke goal, so while our performance wasn't great it says something that, with the 4-4-2 diamond in place, we restricted Southampton without actually playing particularly well. If you're an optimist, that bodes well for the future.

Finally, the most recent result and our last match of the season came away at Sunderland. Once more Wilfried Bony stole the show in my opinion (despite Jonjo and Emnes impressing), and he bagged his 16th league goal of the season, and his 25th in all competitions. An impressive haul given his stop-start beginning to his league campaign, and you can't help but wonder how many more he'd have scored had he been included more often that not earlier in the season - fitness issues aside I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't have scored a couple more at least.

As I've typed this it made me think that perhaps the Laudrup sacking was even harsher than I previously thought, given the games we actually lost, but I still think it was more than justified. Our form had suffered for a full calendar year by the time he was removed, and when you consider the increase in performance level when Monk came in (even if it tailed off by the end of the season) it makes me think that Monk, or whoever had been appointed, would have been able to get a bit more out of this group of players than Laudrup was able to by the end of his tenure.

We can only hope that next season, our league form is far more consistent and we benefit from not having the extra games European competition always throws at you. With this squad, and far less football to be played, I'll be amazed if we don't finish next season with a significantly higher points total.

Especially if we hang onto Wilfried Bony, as is looking increasingly likely. Please stay, Wilf!!!

Podcast: The JackCast EP16 - TJC End Of Season Awards

Who won our coveted 'flop of the year award'? You'll have to listen to find out!

As glitzy as the Wales Blogger Awards was, it was obviously not as glitzy as the completely lavish secret ceremony myself, Steve and Matt enjoyed as we recorded our end of year The JackCast Awards episode. We discuss who impressed, who didn't (Alvaro), who was the most improved player, who wasn't (Alvaro), and if memory serves correctly aside from Bony I spent most of my time praising Wayne Routledge. 

See if you agree or disagree with our choices and get in touch by tweeting @TheJackCast, by commenting here or on the JackCast website, or by following any of us on Twitter!

Official Liberty Stadium Bar Q&A

Your chance to have your say on the Liberty's bar facilities

After the Aston Villa game I had a bit of a moan about how long it took to get served in the Riverside and concourse bars in the East Stand at half time (link), and what happened next really was a turnup for the books. I was promptly invited in to the Liberty Stadium (find out more about what happened here) to discuss the current problems, and how things could possibly be improved. 

The upshot of this was in conjunction with FMC (the catering company who run the food and drink facilities at the Liberty), Swansea fans are invited to put their questions directly to the powers that be, who will respond in order that fans can see they really are trying to address these issues, as well as possibly highlighting some reasons why they can't employ measures which would seem like obvious solutions to current frustrations.

Firstly, a word though.I went to the fans' forum at the Liberty earlier in the season, and it seemed a fair proportion of people had come down exclusively to have a rant at the board about how bad the ticketing system is. The club must surely be acutely aware of any issues with ticketing, as they are no doubt aware of problems with speedy bar service, and when we get opportunities like this to interact directly with the club - especially when it's driven by a reciprocal desire to improve the situation - it should be met with considered responses. Shouting and swearing will get us nowhere!

This really is a great opportunity to have a positive effect on one small part of our beloved club, and FMC are as keen as I am that a link is built between themselves and the fans, so that if there are issues in future they're sorted out sooner rather than later.

 

Remember, this is our chance to have an impact on something which I'm sure has frustrated quite a few people on occasion. The company monitor social media and the like to gauge customer satisfaction, but this is a way of directly interacting with the people who have the power to change things so don't be shy - get involved and put questions to them! I'll compile them into an email, which will then be responded to in due course. 

What are your experiences of the Liberty Stadium catering facilities? Get in touch in the comment section below, by tweeting @TheSwanseaWay or posting on our Facebook page, and as I say the questions which raise the best points will all find their way to FMC. Please, share this so everyone can have their say, and encourage others to do so too. We can make a difference here, and FMC are listening. Let's not waste this chance!

We'll only get better bar service if we explain what we feel needs doing. Let's be having you Jack Army!
 

The Swansea Way named Best Sports Blog

Swansea blog picks up gong for Best Sports Blog at the Wales Blog Awards

My awards. And my white russian

Yesterday at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff (Wales' only Championship city), The Swansea Way picked up the Best Sports Blog award and anyone who has spoken to me about it in the past week or so will know I genuinely wasn't expecting it. 

I was up against Girl On The River, an excellent blog about a lady's experiences rowing, and Run My Own Way, a great blog run by a chap who (unsurprisingly) runs a lot.  Given last year's winner was Forza Swansea, and Cardiff have just been relegated, I didn't fancy my chances at the awards ceremony and I was made up just to be shortlisted! As it turned out though, the judges rated my blog the best and I ended up having to give a speech to a room full of the who's who of Welsh blogging. Nerve wracking? I did at least manage to mention Cardiff going down in my speech...

Massive thanks again must go to anyone who has followed on Twitter or Facebook, commented on articles or shared my stuff in any other form - it really is hugely appreciated and hopefully it'll be better in years to come! Onwards and upwards, and all that :) 

Podcast: EPL Roundtable Season Review feat. Swansea, Man Utd & Liverpool

Listen to myself, Jim Fishlock & Jonathan Shrager give the lowdown on our clubs' seasons

With the season done and dusted, it seemed time to do a bit of a rundown on our season. This is probably worth listening to, as I remember going off on a number of tangents and it's probably one of my best "train of thought" rambles to date. Have a listen, and if you agree, disagree or simply wish to give me grief about my wandery musings, get in touch via Twitter, the comment section or our Facebook page!

Featuring @JimFish286, @TheSwanseaWay & @JonathanShrager

Sunderland 1 - 3 Swansea - Bony masterclass spoils Sunderland's party

South Walians triumph over Wearsiders thanks to goal and assist from powerful Ivorian

Bloody typical. I go with a midfield diamond as our formation, breaking the run of however many previews it is I've done with 4-2-3-1 as a given, and after discussing the match at length last night I'm not convinced we actually operated in a diamond - in as much as it probably wasn't our primary formation. We definitely drifted in and out of it (Leon Britton was on the left of a diamond when he came on off the bench for a good while) but on the whole it seemed Jay Fulton had been charged with replicating Leon's role alongside Jonjo in a typical Swansea system - and if his team mates hadn't been as reticent in passing to him as they had he probably would have influenced the game more. Understandable given his youth, and he showed enough to suggest he's going to be a good player.

Prior to the game, we'd all seen the lineup and I think it's safe to say that most Swansea fans were...interested to see how we performed. An almost completely changed eleven saw our back four consisting of Tiendalli, Amat, Bartley and Taylor, while Jay Fulton, Nathan Dyer and Marvin Emnes came in for Leon Britton and Jonathan De Guzman. Tremmel replaced Vorm in the final change, and if we're being honest the difference between the first few minutes against Sunderland and our last outing (at home to Southampton) was marked.

We veritably flew out of the blocks. Ok, Sunderland were safe for the first time this season and the party atmosphere definitely seemed to have had an effect on their players, but you can only play what's put in front of you and the Swans did just that. To great effect.

Only six minutes were on the clock when Nathan Dyer made a darting run around the back,and Wayne Routledge (occupying a central role at the time) threaded a lovely slide rule pass between the centre-back and right-back, which Dyer strode onto beautifully. The pass was perfect, as were Dyer's first touch and finish, with his right and left respectively, and he beautifully clipped the ball past Vito Mannone, who could do nothing given the quality of the goal. The static defending could have been helped, but it really was a great goal.

The Swans didn't let up though, and with the next real attack of note we were two-nil up. Shelvey fed Bony, who delayed before spotting Emnes and playing a cute pass with the outside of his right foot. The deftness of the buildup was, however, more than matched by Emnes' finish. Jinking to the right, he sold John O'Shea so far down the Wear he couldn't even see the Stadium of Light, before beautifully spinning back to the left with his first touch (leaving O'Shea stranded, I assume, somewhere near Castletown*), and finishing with aplomb past Mannone with his left foot, with only his second touch. Anything Dyer can do...

Both goals had an air of lethality and incisiveness which has often been lacking this season, which is good as at half time the possession statistics indicated Swansea had seen only 43% of the ball. It's what you do with it that counts though, and before Sunderland fought back into the game Shelvey almost capitalised on some horrific defending (directly in the aftermath of our second goal), but his shot was high and wide.

As mentioned, before half-time Sunderland definitely fought back into things, and this continued at the beginning of the second half. Prior to the game I'd pointed out that, statistically, Sunderland concede the highest proportion of their goals at home in the half hour after half time, but Swansea had only scored four in that time period all season. It almost seemed inevitable then that Sunderland would grab a goal back just after half time, and who else but Fabio Borini was on hand to head home Adam Johnson's corner.

The home fans went berserk, and for a few minutes the Swans were on the ropes. Tremmel saved from Johnson, but those statistics I mentioned in the previous paragraph exist for a reason - notably because Sunderland concede lots of goals after half time. And so it was. Bony received the ball on the edge of the area following a break down the left, and if there's been a cooler, more composed finish this season I haven't seen it. Three one to the Swans, and game over with Sunderland's revival firmly quelled.

The rest of the game (naturally) developed an end of season feel, and I'm sure that after Bony's goal (in the fifty-fourth minute) any Swansea fan in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the proceedings. We never really looked like we were in any real danger of Sunderland mounting another comeback challenge, and the Swans were good value for the three points. How much use there is in analysing the last game of the season against a distinctly distracted Sunderland side I don't know, but I think if Sunday proved anything it's just how vital Wilfried Bony has become to our system.

Scorer of one and the assist for Emnes' goal, on numerous occasions Bony challenged Sunderland defenders to come and try and muscle him off the ball, and not once do I remember them succeeding. His goal in the second half made it twenty five for the season - sixteen of which have now come in the league in just twenty-six starts. He's got twenty-five in fourty-nine games, nine of which have been off the bench - twenty five in fourty starts isn't bad for a player who lots were slating mid-way through the season, and who really wasn't a central figure up top until Michu's injury problems, and Alvaro's lack of ability, meant he was our striker by default.

Ok, Bony wasn't "Premier League fit" early on and he has said as much himself, given his lack of a proper pre-season, but there is now no doubting we've got an absolute gem on our hands, and one who is bound to court interest from all corners of the globe in the near future. Garry Monk today insisted Bony would be going nowhere this summer. Another season like this one, and even the old Huw trick of turning your phone off won't be enough to stop one of the truly elite clubs from snatching him away. Who knows though - if he scores thirty goals next season who knows where we'll end up!

Let's just hope we've got at least one more season of Big Wilf up top. Long live Wilf. In Wilf we trust.