Why Swansea should sign Gonzalo Jara

Ex-West Brom & Nottingham Forest defender showed his class at World Cup

I can't be the only one in love with all things Chile right now. Jorge Sampaoli's men showed that while Spain's style of tika-taka may well have regressed and imploded, there is more than one way to employ a possession based system and get results, and it took a penalty shootout to separate them from many people's favourites Brazil.

Chile, like the Swans throughout our rise to the Premiership, have shown that you can take supposedly inferior players and instill a system in them which, if adhered to correctly, can produce results. Their back three at the World Cup consisted of two midfielders who'd been relegated from their leagues (Francisco Silva of Osasuna & Gary Medel of Cardiff), and Gonzalo Jara of Nottingham Forest - who's been released on a free transfer by the Tricky Trees. 

This got me thinking - Jara is a versatile defender who can play at centre-back and in either fullback position - on a free transfer there are far worse players you could be signing. Ok, he missed the penalty which put Chile out of the World Cup but his overall performance (like that of his national teammates) at the tournament was excellent. He's joint seventh in terms of all time caps for Chile with sixty-nine, and I think the Chilean could definitely offer something for the Swans.

Still only twenty-eight, the right-footed defender could prove good cover for Angel Rangel, whose lack of pace sadly gets shown up more year on year, while the fact he's available on a free will definitely be a plus point for the Swans, who've just committed a big chunk of their available wage bill to Bafetimbi Gomis. Dwight Tiendalli hardly set the world alight last year, and the fact that Jara can play on either side of the defence means that if one of Ben Davies or Neil Taylor was to depart we'd have another able defender in place who could come in and deputise.

I don't know, maybe this is just me being a Chile fanboy, but I think this makes sense. Tidy defender, good experience playing in a national side who like to pass the ball, and he's available on a free. What's not to like?!

Should we sign Gonzalo Jara? Would the fact he spent last season playing in the Championship make it hard for him to adjust, or would his World Cup experience easily counteract that? Get involved in the comment section below!

Bony vs Gomis - A statistical comparison of "The B&B"

How does Swansea's new powerhouse compare to the existing one?

It was awfully tempting to go all wacky with this, and analyse things like "thigh circumference" and "likelihood to hold off opponent with one arm", but instead I've actually had a go at something a bit more scientific. Ish. (You'll see why there's an ish in a bit). 

Ted Knutson of Statsbomb has pioneered the use of player radars for displaying statistical performance, and I'm a big fan of this. The image below is my first effort at doing my own player radars, since I realised last night that years spent working on Microsoft Excel in offices hasn't actually been a complete waste of my time!

The control values column is why there's an ish. I just used values relative to representing these players' performance.

As you can see, there isn't actually too much between them. Gomis gives the ball away on average once more per game, but is dispossessed marginally less often. His shooting accuracy is excellent too, while his pass completion is better than I'd expected. In terms of being able to build a partnership, on paper it seems they're very similar but the rangy Gomis is quite different to Bony, who while he is excellent in the air spends most of his time cemented to the ground, unmovable by man or beast. 

I think even if our new signing doesn't set the world alight in his first season he's liable to bag himself ten goals, and the possibility of Bony & Gomis actually "clicking" really is something which will have Swansea fans salivating. Where that leaves Michu remains to be seen, but for now all eyes will be on Swansea's new strikeforce - Bony & Bafi - the B&B!

Huw Jenkins: Michu has NOT undergone medical at Napoli

Swansea chairman responds to growing rumours as to Spaniard's future

The growing speculation surrounding Michu's future was abated somewhat last night when it was confirmed by chairman Huw Jenkins that contrary to media reports the Spaniard has not undergone a medical at Napoli. Journalist Riath Al-Samarrai of the Daily Mail tweeted around eight o'clock last night that he'd spoken with Huw who confirmed this, but it hardly dampens the talk that he's the subject of interest from clubs in three countries.

If you're Michu you'd have to be happy with the way the clubs that've been interested have panned out. Initially it was West Ham and Crystal Palace but now? Atletico Madrid & Napoli seem the most likely destinations, with talk of the latter seeming to be gaining the most pace. Michu did score more goals in the Europa League than he did the Premier League this season, and with the Swans having played Napoli in the same competition it's possible that the Italian club have a slightly more generous valuation on the Spaniard than some of their British equivalents. 

Whether this is enough to see them tempt the Swans with a serious offer is another matter though. Some paper talk says that Napoli want a loan with an option to buy due to Michu's injury problems, but it's likely the Swans will want to make any deal a permanent one, given the arrival of Bafetimbi Gomis on undoubtedly big wages. 

Tottenham bid £8mil for Ben Davies? Pffft...and the rest!

New Spurs' boss Pochettino is reportedly interested in our young left back

An unsurprising bit of transfer gossip this. Since breaking into the first-team at the beginning of the season before last Ben Davies has seen his star rise considerably, and being completely honest I'm amazed there haven't been more teams looking at him. Had Ben been playing for another club he might well have courted attention before now, but either way in the last few days we've seen a marked interest in the media reports that Spurs are readying, or have already put in, a bid of around £8million. Given another young left-back (eighteen-year-old Luke Shaw) has just been sold for £30million to Manchester United, I think £8million is a trifle cheeky!

He's got two years' Premier League experience, a major cup win under his belt (more than can be said for most of the Spurs' squad), and still only twenty-one (he's not twenty-two until April next year) he's still got a lot of improving to do. That means that for me, a fee of £15million would be the starting point for any negotiations from Swansea's point of view. Ok, defensively he did show he's still a bit green around the gills this season but he's obviously a very talented player, and he's also indicated he's got an eye for goal - and let's be honest the last time Spurs bought a young Welsh left-back he ended up turning out alright!

Swansea are still, for now, in the fortunate position of having two good left-backs at their disposal. There have been justified gripes from Taylor's camp regarding first-team football, but despite this it's unlikely the Swans would be keen to sell either. I still believe there's more than enough football at Premier League level for two players of the same position to rotate enough to keep both happy, and the club are likely to play hardball on any negotiations for either player.

Hopefully this doesn't develop beyond an initial inquiry. We don't particularly need the money, we don't need to sell, and the Monk wants as many good players at his disposal in preparation for next season. Look somewhere else, Mauricio!

Swansea sign Bafi Gomis on four-year deal

Frenchman commits, saying: "It's because Swansea wanted me the most"

It's done! Swansea have completed the signature of free agent Bafetimbi Gomis, who has twelve French caps to his name and scored twenty-two goals for Lyon last season. Not bad for free! Well, not quite for free - rumours are rife as to how much he's to be paid. Personally I'd be amazed if we'd have gone much beyond £40kpw, but given the talk is we had an £8million bid accepted last summer we've essentially saved ourselves that, and it seems that a large signing on fee plus performance related bonuses are also part of the package.

Some typically sensationalist national newspapers are claiming this is a preemptive move ahead of Wilfried Bony moving on, but I'd be amazed if that's the plan the club have in place for this summer - especially considering it seems we're now keen to move Michu on. Bony, Gomis and Michu are all on big wages, and it makes sense that in this case three may well be a financial crowd. 

Gomis' comments on the official website seem to indicate he's been told he's going to play alongside Bony next season, which furthers both the theories that Michu may not be at the club next season, and that we're set to play two up front. It's a radical change but it's a challenge the player commonly known as "Bafi" is looking forward to:

“I’ve been really impressed speaking with the manager and the chairman over the last few days. They showed they really wanted me - and that’s one of the main reasons I chose Swansea ahead of the other interested clubs.  

“They’ve been trying for over a year to sign me. It didn’t quite happen back then, but they kept trying and I’m absolutely delighted to be here now. Although I’ve been aware of Swansea for a number of seasons, I’ve been following them a lot closer since the interest first materialised last year. It’s a proud club with strong philosophies. It is growing all the time and I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to be part of it. I watched a number of games last season and I think the style will suit me. It’s a collective, passing approach which I like. 

“I think the way the team play creates lots of chances for the striker and hopefully I can score plenty of goals. I do not see Wilfried Bony as competition, more of an association, because I know we can also play perfectly together. We can benefit each other and that will be strong for the team. 

“I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League, especially as it is the first time I have played my football outside France. I don’t think I will have a problem settling in. I’ve already been made to feel very welcome by everyone here over the last few days. They have been very kind to me. Now I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates and to help the team. I’ve heard that there is a good atmosphere in the group and in the stadium with the fans on match days.  

“I can’t wait to play my first home game here to feel that atmosphere for myself.’’  

http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/gomis-signs-quotes-1696982.aspx#8gwP0jIOtmuh4FeY.99

Welcome Bafi! We hope your time here is happy and goal-laden. I thought an interesting exercise would be to compare Wilf & Bafi statistically, so stay tuned for that later today. Until then!

AWOL: Swansea's supposedly "done & dusted" signing Bafetimbi Gomis

This was definitely supposed to be done by now...

It seems erring on the side of caution in terms of buying the hype that we'd already signed Bafetimbi Gomis has, for the moment, been wise. I'm not saying it's not happening - in fact with Michu looking more and more likely to depart it seems almost inevitable Gomis is coming in as a replacement for the Spaniard. But where is Gomis now?!

On Wednesday he was spotted around Swansea in the early afternoon, but I've not heard of anyone seeing him around yesterday or so far today. That obviously doesn't mean he's departed to talk to other clubs, but I just can't see the logic in a player like him agreeing to sign for the Swans without finding out what offer is on the table elsewhere. He's a free agent, he's manufactured a position where he can shop around so to take the first offer you get - from a club renowned for delighting in their stinginess, just doesn't add up to me. Maybe he's a Swansea fan on the quiet, who knows.

If it is the case that Gomis has left to shop around I do hope that we're learning from this, and that (as with Tom Ince) until someone has signed on the dotted line talk means nothing. In fairness to the club they've only intimated they're hopeful a deal will be done by the weekend, but with all the media speculation we've seen this week an announcement would have calmed things a bit - assuming the transfer is very much still up in the air. There has yet to be any report of Gomis going to talk to other clubs (despite this being rumoured prior to his arrival) other than my ponderings on here, and I am coming around to the idea of a "smashy smashy" front two of Wilf & Gomis. 

We just don't want all this media frenzy making Wilf feel like he's not our number one striker for this coming season though. Gomis would be on big wages, he's played for France, and in terms of a "big name" it's probably the biggest transfer in the history of the club. Wilf will be our number one choice up front though, of that you can be sure.

Michu to Qatar? Freeing up wages for Gomis?

Michu leaving could free up wages, explaining Bafetimbi Gomis' reportedly bumper deal

The idea that we could be looking to move Michu on to finance Bafetimbi Gomis' contract first occurred to me whilst enjoying a couple of pints courtesy of the BBC. No, they hadn't decided to pay me to write about the Swans - instead I'd been invited by a friend to be "part of a crowd in a pub" for a segment on Crimewatch, and I even got a starring role when my hand was required to nab my friend's iPhone. I resisted the urge to scrawl "SCFC" on my knuckles (not the kind of advertising you want for the club!) but I did have our lovely purple & yellow away shirt on. Represent!

As to the point of this article though, I think it's valid. The media are tripping over themselves to announce the signing of Gomis which, had it not been for Wilf's the summer before, would easily be the biggest in Swansea's history, and while talk of him earning seventy or eighty thousand a week is sure to be crazily wide of the mark I'd imagine he'll be on at least £35k a week - a serious, serious amount of money for the Swans to be committing to one player. That'd put him on a par with anyone currently at the club, and I doubt the Swans would sign someone to sit on the bench and agree to pay him that much money. Plus, if the deal is reported to be heavily related to his performance I doubt he'd agree to come in unless he had some kind of assurance as to how much first-team football he was due to be playing.

Nor do I believe that Gomis is coming in as a replacement for Bony. Bony is way, way too important to even be considering selling, and I think Gomis is most definitely coming in as a partner for him as opposed to a replacement. The more I think about it, the more the Frenchman seems a replacement for Michu - the Spaniard really struggled with injury last season, anything over £2million is a profit and we've already (arguably) got the best out of him. If any of the off-field frustrations stuff is true, then all these factors - plus the ability to save roughly what Gomis will be earning on the wage bill - mean that if sentiment was put aside it's pretty much a no-brainer. The hardest thing, I think, would be finding a buyer - and that's why this reported interest from Qatari champions Lekhwiya piqued my interest.

If Laudrup is there, that could be perfect for a player like Michu. He'd be a class above almost anything else in that league, he'd have his favourite manager to work for, and he probably wouldn't have to work his obviously knackered lower legs so hard. Plus, he could wander around in his "not quite a striker not quite a midfielder" position all he wants, and people would probably love it - if you haven't got Premier League standard opposition closing you down it'd be a lot easier to get away with.

This isn't me wishing Michu away - I very much hope he gets himself fit and challenges for a place next season. I can't help but think though that the way things have been going over the last week or so we could well have seen Michu pull on the Swansea shirt for the last time.

"Lump it to Wilf!" - How Swansea City could play next season...

The seemingly imminent arrival of Bafetimbi Gomis sees us having a potentially monster strike force - are we set to see less tika-taka and more "thumpy-smashy"?

What's in a formation? Well, quite a lot if you're Swansea City - notably the League One title in 2008, the promotion to the Premier League in 2010/11 and most of our subsequent success at football's top table. That's not to say there's only one way to skin a cat though (that's a horrible phrase isn't it?), and we've already seen a few dramatic tactical changes from Monk since he was appointed ahead of the Cardiff game last season.

Firstly we reverted straight back to 4-2-3-1 and Leon was installed in the engine-room once again. This had tika-taka lovers delighting and the thought of Wilfried Bony scoring goals like Jason Scotland did in League One and the Championship was both very appealing, and very real. He seems perfect for that system, but it's now debatable whether we'll be operating in that manner at all. 

With Gomis coming in at six foot, the possibility of him and Bony up top means our strike-force is absolutely huge. Despite our bids for Gomis last year I don't think the club view him as a replacement for an immediately departing Wilf, and the Monk has already made noises about playing with both together as opposed to Gomis being understudy to our Ivorian wrecking ball, and with Michu the subject of more and more rumours about his future I think we could well see him depart this summer. He's on around £34kpw, so him leaving could well essentially cancel out the undoubtedly biiiig wages offered to Gomis. 

Back to the formation, and it seems almost certain that - if Gomis does sign - we'll be operating with two up top next season. The obvious choice is then Garry Monk's Midfield Diamond. As long as we can vaguely keep the ball and give our forwards some decent service I think a bit of variety is good. Assuming we don't forget how to do the keep-ball stuff...

Swansea wait on Gomis signature

Rumours of an agreed transfer persist...

This was supposed to be done by now wasn't it? There's still no news on Gomis' impending arrival and you can't help but wonder if this is indeed going to turn into another Tom Ince-style saga. Is he off to talk to other clubs? The big French striker has been spotted in Swansea today at around 14:30 - whether that means he's not off to speak to any other team you can't say but if I'm being honest it seems this is nailed on to happen.

Rumours of the wages have been somewhat ridiculous. Some have reported he's to earn £16million over four years - what a load of donkey poop! That'd be over £80kpw, and there is simply no way the club will be paying that sort of money. It's been reported by the media more likely to know what they're talking about that it's a deal which would include a big signing on fee, plus lots of performance related bonuses. He's on a free so with no transfer fee involved that seems much more likely.

I'm still unsure on Gomis. If he's to play alongside Bony then that's a) a bloody huge strikeforce and b) better than him being lined up as a replacement because I think Wilf is in a different class to Gomis. The Frenchman has maxed out at sixteen league goals in France over five seasons - Bony managed that in his first season in the Premier League when he spent half the season simply getting fit. Please, please let Wilf still be here next season. Two goals in a fairly beleaguered campaign for the Ivory Coast will have done his reputation no harm, and I hope that his international exploits don't encourage any potential suitors to add a bit more to their potential bids.

With Swansea's front line next season now potentially including Michu, Bony & Gomis we've easily got enough goals in the team to stay up. Get some good competition going between them, and we could be in for a very interesting season indeed.

Gomis to sign?

French targetman in Swansea for talks

Well I wasn't expecting this if I'm honest. In the last half hour the media have gone haywire in a bid to be the first to report that Bafetimbi Gomis is signing for Swansea, and it all seems to be off the back of a medical he's reported to have completed at the club this afternoon..

Now, I learned a lesson back in January. Tom Ince was done and dusted I was told - the medical was done and wages were agreed - it was just a case of formalising details and away we went. Well, we all know how that one turned out so until I see Gomis pull on a Swansea shirt I'll be very open to debate as to whether he's going to sign permanently or not. Given he's been linked with numerous other Premier League clubs, and is/was set to talk to them as well as the Swans, I'd be very very surprised if, after speaking to probably the most stingy club on the planet, he decided to sign on the dotted line before finding out what he could have got elsewhere.

I'm sure there'll be all sorts of speculation in the press until this is sorted one way or another, but even though sources such as the BBC are reporting that it's about to be completed I'm holding back lest we once again get burned by a player looking for more money elsewhere. More on this later, I'm sure...

A problem called Michu

How will our mercurial Spaniard fit into Monk's new look Swansea?

With rumours circulating surrounding the future of Swansea's other main goal threat (Wilfried Bony), Michu's star seems to have been obscured somewhat and a player who was once talked about as a £25million target for Arsenal is now the subject of rumours of a different sort - West Ham are reported to be interested but given how much he struggled with injury last season it'd be remarkable, in my opinion, if anyone makes a move for him this summer. 

That means he's almost definitely going to be a Swansea City player next season, and the question still remains as to how to get the most from the languid, sometimes frustrating Spaniard. After scoring twice on his debut (always a good way to endear yourself to fans) his goalscoring form was pretty epic for the first six months of his Swansea career. He played thirty-five games in the Premier League that season, scoring eighteen goals - thirteen of which came in the first eighteen games. He then managed just five in the next seventeen games, and this coincided with Swansea's decline in form.

When Michu was banging in goals left, right (mainly left) and centre an overall decline in the zip in our passing and the intricacy with which we retained possession wasn't that noticeable, but when the goals dried up we looked very poor. After winning against Newcastle in the aftermath of the Carling Cup victory in February we only won once more in ten games (against Wigan), and coincidentally that was the only game he didn't feature in. That was a mad game though, so I wouldn't read too much into that - I mean come on, Shechter AND Tiendalli scored! 

I do think though that an inability to fit Michu into the previously existing tika-taka system meant that we lost focus a bit in terms of our footballing style, and given we'd already proven that by employing that style you could play with supposedly inferior players and get results I thought that was unwise. If a player doesn't fit in a system you can't just chuck him in the team and hope for the best, you need to develop a way of adapting the system or implementing a new one - as we've seen with Monk changing things up to get the best out of Bony. Laudrup did try to change things up a bit but this was limited to switching Michu between attacking midfield and centre-forward, and that simply wasn't sufficient. Michu is so…individual he needs to be catered for, and in the traditional 4-2-3-1 by allowing him to play his 'natural' game you lose so much in terms of midfield coherency and ball retention.

So, this season then. Michu didn't start particularly well in the league, but he did have more joy in Europe - albeit against generally ropey opposition. You can only play what's in front of you though, and four in seven in the early stages of the Europa League gave reason to believe he'd rediscover his form. 

Sadly though he only managed two in ten in the Premiership before he missed a spell through knee problems, before two partial comebacks saw him play seven further games without scoring any more goals. It seems that he's had more injury problems than we were aware of, and I do wonder how fit he was at the beginning of last season given the ongoing nature of the ankle and knee problems. It must be so hard for a manager - I'd hope if someone wasn't fit they wouldn't get in the team but if someone is saying they're fine what are you to do?

For me there simply wasn't enough of an adjustment to cater for Michu's style. Look at the success we'd had under Martinez, Sousa then Rodgers - it was all built around a strict adherence to a system, and every one of the eleven players delivering for ninety minutes. This is not a slight on Michu as I believe there are ways of getting the most from such a player in a possession-based system, but if you have someone essentially wandering around the midfield/final third at will the whole system falls apart.

I remember one instance this season where Michu had stood still near the halfway line out on the right wing, for some reason. The ball came across and Leon Britton was where he should be - just inside and slightly deeper. The ball came to Michu and because of his abstract positioning he had created an overload of opposition markers and he had to give the ball to Leon straight away. Leon was having none of it and passed it straight back. Michu gave it back first time again…and then Leon gave it straight back. To me that was Leon saying 'No way! You got yourself into this position you get yourself out of it! I'm right where I should be and it's not my fault if our midfield is out of shape'. Maybe I read too much into what was essentially four passes though.

So how to get the most out of Michu? Assuming and hoping he's fully fit for the beginning of next season, I think the employment of a 4-4-2 diamond at the tail end of last season was very much with a view to playing both Bony and Michu up top, as our midfield had simply stopped working by the end of Laudrup's reign, and if we can find a way of including two natural goalscorers AND getting our midfield retaining possession for fun we'll be laughing all the way to the top half of the table. 

The beauty of this is the ease with which you can switch into a 3-5-2 which is very similar to the 4-2-3-1 we traditionally employ (you can read more on this here - link). Leon drops in between the centre backs and all of a sudden you're retaining possession again. It seems such a natural option that I do really hope we're looking at this. Given the players at our disposal I think it's definitely amongst the best options and the best systems are always picked (or designed) to get the most out of the current players available. 

This would allow Bony to lumber about smashing the ball into the back of the net, and I'm sure if Michu got used to playing alongside our Ivorian man mountain he'd soon figure out a way to use it to his advantage - especially if he was stripped of the defensive responsibility that comes with the role you play at attacking midfield, or even striker, in the normal system he was being used in.

It seems a winner to me anyway. Michu won't be happy to be playing second fiddle to Bony, and I don't see the point in keeping him on the bench either. Find a way of getting the most out of both of our strikers next season and we will be in for a very exciting season indeed. Can you imagine if both got around twenty goals next season? That'd be us safe right away. If we get the system behind them right, the goals will sort themselves out.

Swansea 2014/15 home & away kits: Verdict?

This year's offering from Adidas gets a once-over

It's new kit time! Last year we had to endure a Catchphrase-style slow reveal of the kit, and it appears the club heard the murmurings from the fan base and this year it's been sorted a lot quicker. Well, about ten days quicker than last season anyway. At least we were excused the 'can you tell what it is yet?' part of the buildup…

Let's start with the home kit. It's obviously still got the Adidas stripes so that aspect is retained, while the main difference is the diamond surrounding the Goldenway/GWFX logo. Pretty retro… which I'm told is fashionable these days:

Swansea's home kit for the 2014/15 season

It's simplistic, and without the sponsor logo it would be a very plain design - though that's not to say it's unpleasant on the eye. Personally I quite like it, though the more I look at it the more 'stuck on' the sponsor looks. I'm sure I'll get past that though. Verdict 7.5/10.

On to the away kit then. This seems to have been greeted with a lot more acclaim than the home shirt, and Twitter has been full of fans praising the new look second strip. It's a bold black and red stripe look (I do like Red Stripe) which evokes memories of old Blackburn, Man City & Feyenoord shirts, and while I still think a "Welsh" away kit a la that of 2012/13 is s great permanent option for a second strip I'm more than happy with this effort. 

Swansea's away kit for the 2014/15 season

They've done the sponsor logo partially in relief (showing the colour of the shirt as the writing) on the away shirt as opposed to just black on the home shirt, while the sleeves and back are entirely black. I do really, really like this shirt, and will most definitely be purchasing one. I'm told vertical lines are slimming too, right?… Verdict 9/10

I can't wait to see the team run out for the first time in either kit - they'll be playing Chivas on July 16th as part of the American tour before facing Minnesota United, and then it's back to face Plymouth away on the 27th as our preparations get under way in earnest. Exeter, Bournemouth & Reading (all away) follow, before a home game against Villareal concludes our pre-season proceedings on August the 9th. 

I wonder which side Jonathan De Guzman will be playing for…

Tate: "Laudrup didn't tell me before taking captaincy off me"

Swansea stalwart reveals when relationship started to break down

Ouch. It appears for all Michael Laudrup's continental cool, tact appears to be something he's occasionally lacking. Maybe too much time with Bayram...

Today the Evening Post have a story where Alan Tate explains how his time under Laudrup started badly, and didn't really get any better:

"It was before the Everton game [in September 2012]. I didn't know that I wasn't going to be captain. He took the captaincy off me but didn't tell me, and things went from there really. I've been a Swansea player for 12 years, but sometimes a new manager comes in and you don't get on with him. He wasn't really my type of person." 

As for how he sees the future going, Tatey has pulled at Monk's heart strings a bit... 

"Garry and I have been together for a long time. It's different from when Roberto got the job. We were friends, but we weren't as close as me and Garry. We have been on holiday together, our kids were born at the same time, we used to live next to each other in Birchgrove. 

"It's going to be a bit strange now that he's the manager, but I will do whatever Garry wants, and we'll sit down in pre-season and have a chat." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Swansea-City-s-Alan-Tate-reveals-relationship/story-21267450-detail/story.html?#4f5fYBdCCqSPYs2V.99

I've said it before and I'll say it again: give Alan Tate a job for life. He clearly wants to end his career at the Swans, and I think at this point as long as he gets along with the manager he'd quite happily take on a squad role with no immediate probability of first team football. That's not to say he wouldn't have an impact - the effect players like Tate have in training can't be underestimated and along with the likes of Monk, Britton et al the more links with the club's past we can retain the better. He'll push people in training and reinforce the values of the club to young players coming through - players that love the club like Tate does are invaluable.

Tate will be almost thirty-three by the time his current contract ends. Whether he plays any first-team football for the Swans beyond that seems doubtful, but I firmly expect him to be around for a long time to come.

Swansea to continue GWFX sponsorship deal

Leigh Dineen hints at "biggest sponsorship deal in the club's history"

With news slow, this is all there is to talk about really! Worth discussing though I guess. After this seemed to be left right until the last minute last season, this year we've got on it early and the Swans have confirmed that for the next two seasons we'll continue with Goldenway (GWFX) as our main shirt sponsor.

Last year's deal was worth £2million for the one year, and with Leigh Dineen stating this is the "biggest sponsorship deal in the club's history" it makes you wonder how much this one is worth. 

"We are excited and delighted to extend our partnership with Goldenway for another two seasons and announce the biggest sponsorship deal in the club's history" Leigh Dineen

Short and sweet, Leigh. With GWFX a growing force in Asia and Ki returning to the Liberty off the back of a World Cup, there's definitely scope for some serious marketing in the Far East. We've already seen good growth there - billboards featuring the Swans occupied a massive space in a Korean mall and while my memory fails me I'm sure I've heard of other instances of "the Swansea way" spreading to an area which, five years ago, would have been completely unaware of this little corner of South Wales. It's important we utilise every opportunity we're given, and anywhere we can eke out a bit more cash through clever planning we should look to do just that.

Now we just have to wait to see how the kit looks...

Swansea to face Man Utd on opening day - AGAIN!

Swans will once again be the first to face a new United manager

Oh just sod off! The fixtures have been released for next season and guess what? Once again we've got a Manchester club! That now makes it three out of four Premier League campaigns we've started against one of the Manchester teams, and given we've conceded four goals in each of the prior games you'd hope we might be able to do a little better this time around.

We'll be away to Louis Van Gaal's new-look United on August the 16th, before much more winnable home games against Burnley and West Brom. Next up are tricky away games to Chelsea and Sunderland, interspersed with a home game against Southampton. The full fixture list can be found here: link

I for one can't wait for the new season to get underway - no matter who we're playing opening day. If Bony is fit we're always going to score goals, and unless Van Gaal immediately addresses a fracturable United defence we could well get a result. Until the World Cup is over and the Dutchman takes charge it's difficult to see how our opponents will line up, and until the Swans also conclude their own transfer business you can't begin to predict how our midfield will look. That makes analysing the game at this point impossible, but it does whet the appetite. 

I do like the idea of getting it out of the way early on though. Our last three games are Arsenal (A), Man City (H), Palace (A), so the more big teams we can see off early in the season the better. We'll need to be safe before playing Arsenal and points win prizes. Get safe early on, and then push on up the table. With no Europe to worry about this year I think we'll be just fine, though there's definitely something in the talk of "the magic fourty point mark" still as we are by no means automatically safe. This is a tough league and we need to get off to a good start lest we once again get dragged into a relegation quagmire - last season we definitely benefited from other teams being really, really poor and I don't want us to be relying on that once again.

Nevertheless, the fixture list being released is always truly the beginning of the new season for me. Once the World Cup is done and dusted preparations will begin to take shape, and I look forward to seeing who's brought in before we kick off at Old Trafford in two months time. 

Taylor could leave, Emnes close to signing, Pulis on Joniesta...

The latest from our favourite agent Jamie Moralee & more

Neil Taylor "could leave to get first team football"

More old news really! You could hardly blame Neil Taylor for feeling a bit left out, and this is nothing his agent hasn't said before. In fairness to Neil himself he's never said a single negative word about the club despite playing second fiddle to Ben Davies for the entire of last season, and it can't have been easy watching your younger understudy get all the minutes while you watch from the bench. Personally I think the amount of football you play at the top level should allow you to keep two left-backs happy (assuming they're both good enough to rotate into the team - which ours are), and as I've said on numerous occasions I'd be very disappointed if we couldn't guarantee him enough football for him to want to stay. His agent Jamie Moralee (him again) had this to say on his client's future:

"Neil is a player that needs to play regularly, if that could happen at Swansea it would be ideal,. None of my boys have ever been taken out of Swansea, it's a fantastic club that has made a lot of progress and that's who Neil wants to play for, but if he can't be guaranteed regular football, I can't see him sitting on the bench for another season.

"That would be a third season in that position. That's no good for any player and Neil is at his peak. Hopefully he will be given that opportunity at Swansea, but if not Neil may have to pursue other avenues to get some games.

"Swansea are fortunate in that they have two international left-backs, but Neil hasn't played enough football of late. We need to talk about things sooner rather than later." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Neil-Taylor-leave-Swansea-City-play-regularly/story-21246897-detail/story.html?#dwFF5ro0d2zDrEMq.99

Marvin Emnes deal close

This will make Matt Harrison (host of The Jackcast & Marvin Ennes Fan Club founder) very happy. Media in the North East first started reporting the story which has since gathered pace, and given the Monk's previous comments about Emnes (and how we may end up signing him) it's easy to believe a deal is in the offing.

In a truly outstanding bit of Swansea-style transfer wheeling, the fee is being reported at around £lmillion (£2.2million LESS than Middlesborough paid for him!), and while the fact they're letting him go on the cheap could set alarm bells ringing for that kind of money he's a bargain. I'll hold my hands up and say I wasn't that enthused when we resigned him on loan, but he's easily done enough to warrant signing for one million. Marvin, Wilf, Dwight, Leon, Wayne... our squad is going all Lock Stock!

Pulis says Joniesta is very much a Crystal Palace player

 

Unsurprisingly, Crystal Palace head honcho Tony Pulis has moved to quell speculation around the future of Jonny Williams. Or to point out that if anyone does want to buy him, they'll have to stump up...

"Jonny is a Crystal Palace player until deemed otherwise. He’s one player that there is always going to be speculation about that he could be going – you are never going to take that out of the game. If people want to talk about it, then they will talk about it, but Jonny comes back at the same time as the rest of the players.

“It is his responsibility to come back and do as well as he possibly can to get back in the team. He is a great lad and has got the potential – that is the word to use. He has got to fulfill that potential.”

http://hltco.org/2014/06/17/pulis-forget-speculation-jonny-williams-is-a-palace-player/

I'm still really hopeful of a deal being struck on this one. Williams' agent (Jamie Moralee - who else?) has said before that the Swans are interested in his client, though it appears no contact has been made yet. It's anyone's guess how much Crystal Pulis value him at, but I'd say if it's over seven or eight million that's ridiculous money for a player with scant top-level experience.

With rumours of interest in Jonny Williams continuing, and the Swans also linked with Man City (and ex-Swans academy youngster) Emyr Huws, we could well have a much more Welsh look to the Swansea midfield next season.

Bang tidy, that.

Bony scores at the World Cup, plus the latest transfer gossip

Big Wilf hit the back of the net vs Japan, despite ITV willing him to fail

Not everyone understands why Wilfried Bony is so good. I would have thought, however, that someone like Ian Wright would appreciate the finer art of strikery, but after watching him comment on the match I ended up muting the commentary, such were the ridiculous statements coming out of the ex-Arsenal man's mouth. Worse, his ex-teammate Lee Dixon seemed intent to agree with everything "Wrighty" (an ironic name given how wrong he was) said, in that Bony "hadn't done enough in the first half" and "hadn't held the ball up". 

Well, he hardly had the ball in the first half and when he did he did hold the ball up. Ok, he didn't make the most of two half chances, but the first decent chance he did get - in the second half - he buried. What more can you ask for? I got the sense that the ITV crew were simply disappointed that with Bony starting they couldn't wax lyrical about Drogba (a player they know a lot more about), and in fairness I bet they had loads of Didier-based montages which they didn't get to use. Ah, bless. 

Anyway, a Swansea player scoring a goal at the World Cup. Wow. The last time that happened was in 1958 when Ivor Allchurch stuffed a beautiful volley into the top corner at the Swedish World Cup vs Hungary - it's been fifty-six years since and while I've only been alive for half of that, it was a very proud moment to see one of our players making the difference on the biggest stage of all. Well in Wilf. Just don't get any ideas about moving on before next summer. 

All the latest transfer gossip

First up the latest on Jonny Williams. A few weeks ago his agent said he was aware of Swansea's interest (though no bid had been made), and it seems nothing has changed since then; aside from a host of other clubs making inquiries. I've just realised too, that his agent is our favourite - Jamie Moralee! Here's what agent Jimmy had to say regarding the latest movements on Jonny

"If Swansea are keen on him they haven't told me — and I'm his agent. I've spoken to six clubs about Jonny and Swansea wasn't one of them. You'd think Swansea would be a perfect match with the way they play, but I haven't spoken to them. At the end of the day, Jonny is still at Crystal Palace and we have to respect that. 

"One thing is for sure, Jonny needs to play football on a regular basis, whether that's at Crystal Palace or somewhere else, but I've had not contact with Huw Jenkins or Garry Monk." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Swansea-City-haven-t-enquired-Jonny-Williams-says/story-21241974-detail/story.html?#ixzz34mhrQA3j

I'd love to see us make a bid for Jonny Williams, but it all depends on the price. Young British footballers have a crazy pricing range - we got Jonjo for £5million so I can't see the Swans looking to spend much more than that, but I'm almost positive Palace will want closer to ten. I could of course be wrong, but he's highly rated and Palace will look to eke every penny out of this one that they can. If he moves, of course. 

Personally I'd be delighted if he signed, but again it's entirely dependent on the transfer fee. We'll see what happens with this one over the next few weeks, I guess.

The only other transfer news of note is the slow rumbling on of the Ashley Williams saga. Sunderland's bid of £4million is reported to have been rejected, but it seems they're set to come back in with another bid. I really can't see that one going anywhere - they simply aren't a step up for him and I don't think he'd fancy it, even if they did offer him mega wages. If he wants a move that bad, he'll be able to find a better club than Sunderland.

So, it's understandably quiet at the moment. I've still got my fingers crossed for a token South American signing off the back of a good World Cup though...

Swansea announce state of art ticketing system for 2014/15

Swans to use Ticketmaster system next season

Now this is very interesting. Off the back of the announcement explaining that the ticket office would be closed for expansion this summer, we've now had an announcement (link) that the Swans are doing away with the current system and from next season will be utilising Ticketmaster to organise ticket sales - a system already employed by Arsenal & Spurs, amongst others. 

The statement notes that "we've listened to fans concerns" - given the ferocity of the criticism the club have received surrounding ticketing it's perhaps unsurprising that they've opted to team up with a global name, but it's still very, very pleasing they've opted to go about it in this manner. I'm sure there were numerous other options to explore, but I'm very glad that for once we haven't done things "The Swansea Way" and have seemingly stumped up some cash in order to get a top-notch system in place. About time too!

When I went to the fans' forum organised by the trust back toward the beginning of last season (god that seems a long time ago) it seemed many had gone purely to berate the board about ticketing problems, but I still feel the manner in which frustrations have been vented has been very harsh. Yes there have been numerous issues but the people running the club are still very much learning on the job. This is now the longest we've spent in one division (four seasons) since 1995/96 when we brought an end to an eight year spell in the Old Old Division Three, which then became the Old Division Two (which is now League One - are you still with me?), and given there's been such constant evolution at the club it's very easy to believe a lot of work simply goes into meeting any new requirements the club faces as a result of it's incessant growth. 

Treading water must be hard enough, but after three solid seasons in the PL it seems we're now seeing the results of all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. We've got two new training bases, stadium expansion is rumoured to be commencing in January, we've now got a new ticketing system coming and there have been numerous other improvements - such as expanding the club shop - of which I'm sure there are more, however my memory fails me at this moment. And that's not even including any on-field stuff; signing Bony is looking like an absolutely genius bit of business and it seems Huw had a large hand in that. Well played Huwbert.

This is why I believe the manner of the criticism the club have received has been unduly harsh. Yes there have been numerous problems but I've always said that as long as the club are obviously addressing the issue at hand then why keep whinging? If they bring a new system in which subsequently fails then ok, have a moan, but it was pretty negative seeing our own fans taking it in turns to berate the board. I know it's really, really frustrating when tickets get messed up, but hopefully this will now be an issue of the past. 

The club have posted a list of the benefits fans can look forward to thanks to the new Ticketmaster system, which are as follows:

• Season cards for season ticket holders - with the aim of improving access control and doing away with the old style ticket stubs
• Enable better offers for our supporters by keeping a close eye on your individual ticketing profiles
• The ability for supporters to print their tickets off online to save time and queues at the ticket office on a matchday
• The opportunity for ticket exchange between supporters and for season ticket holders to sell their seats for individual game

It doesn't appear that was proofread as I'm pretty sure we already had plastic "credit card style" season tickets, but the rest seem good ideas! At the end of the day if it's a system good enough for Arsenal, who sell out their massive stadium on a regular basis, then it'll be more than sufficient for us. 

Has anyone used the Tottenham or Arsenal ticketing systems for away games? Are you an Arsenal or Spurs fan? Get in touch if you have first-hand experience of the ticketing system!

Ash wants to stay...Bony probably will stay... Good news!

This week finally saw some positive(ish) comments from two of our star's agents

It's been a bit quiet domestically this week - what with the World Cup starting and all that. Understandable really. For Swansea fans the World Cup this time around has a tad more interest, with Wilfried Bony, Michel Vorm, Jonathan De Guzman & Ki Sung-Yueng all seemingly set to play active roles in their countries' respective campaigns for international glory. De Guzman (who I know may not be back next season) has got off to a blinding start - granted he didn't play amazingly but still - it must be something to play the majority of a 5-1 win over the defending World and European Champions. Even if they did seem to improve once he was subbed off. Sorry Jono.

Moving on from a player who may well not be here next season, to two I believe most definitely will be we have Ashley Williams and Wilfried Bony. Starting with Ash, I had a bit of a moan the other day (link) about his agent's attempts to prise more money out of the Swans, because while I know it's his job to do that the club have been very good to Ashley Williams; I'd say as good as he's been for us. 

We've allowed him to develop into the player he's become, and while he's been very good for us no-one is bigger than the club, and any negotiations with the club you've been playing for for this length of time should be done with the utmost respect, I feel. That being said, the one swipe Ash's agent Jamie Moralee had at the club in his latest comments is regarding the lack of progress we've seen over a new contract, so it could be argued we haven't shown him the respect he deserves too. Six of one...

Here are Moralee's latest offerings in full:

"At the end of the day, we'll see what happens. A bid's come in from Sunderland, but I've got no control over who bids for my players and neither has the player. At the moment, Ash is in Sardinia, I'm in Brazil and Huw Jenkins is somewhere else. 

"It's up to Swansea to make him an offer because he doesn't want to leave. Just because a club has put a bid in, that's not to say Ash wants to leave — that's far from the truth. There's been a lot of interest in Ash and that was always going to be the case, particularly as he only has one year left on his contract. 

"How we've arrived at this situation, I don't know. If we'd talked about the contract in January we wouldn't be in this position. When players go into their last year it's dangerous. This is business, it's not personal. Hopefully we can get the situation put right for all parties. 

"Ash is fairly chilled about it as he has been for the last four or five transfer windows. Everything points to Ash wanting to stay. He's settled at Swansea, he's not far off 30 and not that far from a testimonial season, but he's got two kids and a third on the way.

"He has a family to support so the deal has to be right for Swansea and it has to be right for Ash. I'm sure a deal can be agreed." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Ashley-Williams-wants-stay-mdash-Swansea-City/story-21230752-detail/story.html?#Gl31vi8wdyxXKac6.99

It's the first time we've heard someone from Ash's camp backing up what the Monk had already said - that Ash wants to be here next season - and it's good to see. I took these comments as something of an olive branch, as until now everything (from Moralee's end anyway) seemed pretty non-commital. Hopefully this will be sorted out sooner rather than later, and Ash can get his head down to prepare for next season.

On to big Wilf, and while he's unlikely to get much World Cup gametime as long as Drogba & Traore stay fit he's not particularly short of plucky suitors from all corners of Europe. It's rumoured Dortmund are interested, and if I'm honest that's the only club I've seen linked with him who would possibly be a tempting offer. The others - of the ilk of West Ham and Newcastle - have effectively been laughed off by his agent, who echoed what I've been saying all summer. If it's not a top-six club in the UK, or a Champions League club abroad, there's no point in him moving. He's settled now, so unless it's a major step up he might as well keep banging in goals where he is. 

'They could have signed him for £10m,[Newcastle] but they said they weren`t sure if he was good enough, that he was only playing in Holland. I know Wilfried. I brought him over from Africa and I know what he can do. I used to be a player and coach myself. 

'I told them that he would score goals wherever he played but it was only Huw Jenkins who took the risk. Now he is worth £20m. Newcastle is a traditional, fantastic club but they are always the same with transfers. I was in contact with them a couple of years ago over Tomas Ujfalusi, who played for Atletico and Fiorentina, but it was a similar story.` 

'We have a certain strategy. Bony is in a totally different place to Newcastle and wants to move to a club with ambition. We have had no contact with Newcastle.` 

'The next step for Bony is a top-six team in England or a top team in Germany, Spain or France, or he will stay with Swansea.' Dalibor Lacina (Bony's agent)

http://www.swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=361141#ixzz34cZFBSxv

I'm not really worried about either Bony or Ash being here next season now. Ash has now publicly said he wants to stay (essentially anyway), while Bony...well, who would stump up the cash based on one season in a "top" league? Ironically you only have to look at his Spanish teammate Michu to see that a) teams are reluctant to spend big based on one season banging in the goals and b) that the goals may well dry up in the second season - for whatever reason. Hence a). I refer to this as "James Beattie syndrome", and I'm sure there have been many examples of players having a freak season before disappearing.

I don't think this will be the case with Bony at all, but I do believe it'll stop the kind of clubs who should be looking at him from making a bid before January, at least. If he stuffs goals in for the first half of next season we could well then face a struggle to keep hold of him, but until then we should be fine. Stump up or shut up. If someone bids twenty-five million for him this summer he'll probably go - but no-one will. Assuming he doesn't finish top-scorer at the World Cup, anyway.

For now then, all we've got to look forward to is protracted transfers news and Michel Vorm's token interview a day from wherever he is in Brazil. I'll endeavour to provide interesting content despite a lack of talking points - expect stats. Until then!

Solving the Liberty transport problem

With news of the expansion starting in January, it was also mentioned any development would need to include a "robust travel plan" - what could that include?

We've recently heard that the long-mooted expansion of the Liberty is due to get underway, but there remains an issue surrounding traffic management on matchdays. This is something that local councilors have already raised and, let's be honest, they're within their own rights to. Whenever the Swans are playing the Hafod, Plasmarl, and the Morfa retail park become completely gridlocked, and anyone who lives in the immediate vicinity must get pretty frustrated if they need to nip to the shop for a pint of milk any time between two o'clock and sixish. 

There's only so much that can be done to alleviate traffic congestion, but you do get the feeling that it could be managed a lot better than it currently is. Buses, for example. Now, I've got a long-standing problem with First Cymru anyway, but a perfect example of the lack of planning came last season after one of the home Europa League matches (I forget which). The match over with, I wandered over to the shiny bus stop which is supposed to house bendy buses only to find that, well, no buses were expected any time soon. My vague memory is that it would have been close to an hour wait until the next bus, and I, along with thousands of others, ended up walking back through the Hafod. Ok it was around ten o'clock, but with thousands of fans needing to get home it seemed a hefty oversight.

Not the end of the world, but surely some kind of linkup could be put in place between the bus company and the club/the Liberty Stadium? We've got a bus lane which skips the congested area before coming out right by the Liberty, yet it seems there's no allowance for the thousands upon thousands of extra travelers who could, and probably would, use the bus to get to the stadium if it was a more viable option. If fans knew that from, say, quarter to two there was a bus every ten minutes they'd be much more inclined to get one. I know there are buses to the stadium on matchday, but I'm almost positive that these run on normal timetables and given the influx of extra passengers there's definitely scope for more regular services tied in with home games.

There's also been a mention of the train depot in Landore, and whether it'd be possible to create a small train station at this site. It was mentioned in passing when the stadium was first under construction, but I have it on excellent authority that the figures involved make this a complete non-starter, sadly. It's worth noting that trains in Wales are subsidised to the tune of 10p per mile traveled - that explains how they can justify the trains I get to West Wales to see my other half, where I'm often the only passenger! It would be great if we could one day justify transforming the train depot into a little train station, but unless we win the Champions League a few years on the trot I can't see it happening.

Short of some genius car park solution, the only immediate solution I can see is if more buses are laid on from the city centre, and perhaps other areas of the city, and fans are encouraged to use them. Maybe there could be a token discount for fans with tickets? Who knows, but I'm sure there's something in it. If the buses are there, people will use them. Especially if they know it's only a ten or fifteen minute journey down the bus lane, and they're guaranteed not to be held up in traffic.

The proposed new road between the city centre & the Liberty Stadium

There is one possible shining light though. Work has already begun on the new "Morfa distributor road", which will run parallel to the River Tawe from New Cut Road in the city centre, all the way to the current Park & Ride site in Landore. Coupled with the ongoing regeneration work that's going on at the site of the old copperworks, it could be a while but this will definitely, definitely help take some of the strain away from the current popular routes to the Stadium. It's looking like four or five years (minimum) until this is all completed though, so for now I still think more buses are the best option.

Agree? Disagree? How do you find traffic on matchdays? Do you live in the local area? Any ideas and comments are more than appreciated.

VIDEO: Watch Swans' target Emyr Huws score TWO wondergoals!

Pick THOSE out!

 

...I said they were good! Following on from the last blog I found the videos of Emy Huws scoring two absolute belters whist on loan at Birmingham last season, and thought it'd be prudent to share them with the Jack Army, as undoubtedly there are some who didn't see these first time around. Enjoy!

Not bad eh? How about this one?

Considering last season was his first season playing first-team football at a decent level, to score two goals like that inside seventeen appearances for Birmingham is just mental. Looking at where Birmingham finished last season (staying up on goal difference) it seems that Huws' goals, combined with those of Macheda (who was also on loan from Man Utd last season - he's since joined Cardiff...) went a long way in keeping them up. 

Let's hope that next season Jonjo Shelvey will have some competition for goal of the season!

Swansea finally linked with ex-academy wonderkid Emyr Huws

Swansea, Leicester & Crystal Palace all linked with Man City midfielder, who seriously impressed on loan at Birmingham last year

This is a story I didn't originally put much credence in, given it originated in the Daily Star, but it's since been widely reported that Swansea could well be interested in a loan move for Emyr Huws, who they lost at the age of 15 to their more illustrious Premier League opponents Manchester City. 

Obviously, things were different back then - we'd just completed our first season in the Championship and with Martinez leaving, it was understandable that even though we were clearly a club on the up, he fancied switching to Man City, who were getting busy with signing most of the best players in the world. For a fifteen year old, that would be a hard opportunity to turn down. 

Since then, Huws has been slowly making waves behind the scenes at City. He's seriously highly rated, and while there's no suggestion he'll be able to leave permanently this summer it does seem extremely likely he'll be able to join a non-Champions League threatening Premier League club on loan this coming season. He's spent time on loan at Northampton in League Two (in 2012/13), and last season he really kicked on - making people stand up and notice him when he scored two absolute worldies on loan at Birmingham. I'll get the videos online later...

I'm massively enthused about this link to be honest, for so many reasons. Obviously, he's an ex-Swan so it's always nice to see a player coming back into the fold - even if it is only temporarily. Therein lies the beauty though - loan moves like this are brilliant as they reinforce the bond Huws must surely already feel with the club, and if he fails to break into the first team at Man City in future it's definitely the kind of thing which would stand us in good stead.

It's also good to see us linked with yet another Welshman. There has already been confirmation from Jonny Williams that we are interested in his services, and the possibility of having two more outstanding young Welsh players prowling around our midfield next season is something which has me drooling in anticipation.

I'm all for this. Huws is naturally progressing and playing Premier League football week in, week out is clearly the next step he needs to take. Let's hope it's with Swansea City.

Liberty Stadium expansion to begin in January

Club announce tentative timeline for extra seating to be installed

About bloody time! This has been on the cards for a while, and it seems that finally we've got a rough date for the stadium expansion. The first phase of a proposed 11,000 seat expansion, it will see around four to five thousand extra seats being added to the East Stand, and given how often the Liberty is sold out it's easy to believe we'll be able to fill at least most of any additional seats added in this first phase.

Huw Jenkins is glad it's finally getting underway:

"It is a very expensive, complicated and time-consuming process, but we are making good progress working through the planning conditions, finances and the tender process." 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Liberty-Stadium-expansion-come-robust-travel-plan/story-21210478-detail/story.html?#ixzz34JTRqSeU

Fingers crossed, at the commencement of the 2015./16 season, we'll have over twenty thousand Jacks cheering on the Swans - in the Premier League! 

The only potential concern is local residents' justified insistence on a travel and congestion plan for matchdays. In all honesty, the current situation is absolutely dire, and I'm sure I remember something about a rail link when the stadium was first announced. There has recently been talk of a new road along the Tawe and the council seem keen to get that going, so hopefully that'll do something to alleviate the current problems, but it is hard to see how a further five thousand seats could be added without causing more consternation for people trying to get to the game, as well as to the local residents who see their community gridlocked on matchdays.

I can imagine the club are working devilishly hard to address this and any other issue surrounding the expansion, and I'm confident that if they've deemed fit to mention a timeline in the press, they're fairly positive there won't be any holdups between now and January. That would hardly be "the Swansea way" of doing things, though!

Ash may move for free next summer? Tell us something new...

Latest papertalk from Ash's agent seems pretty unnecessary

 

It seems Ash's agent is determined to get every penny out of the Swans. I know that's his job, but did he really need to speak to the media to remind everyone that Ash can leave for free next summer? Everyone is acutely aware of that fact, and the laughable thing for me is these comments seem to have been made from the point of view of someone who thinks he's controlling things. Ash's agent, Jamie Moralee, seems to have now had a long history of dealing with the Swans, and to be honest I'm pretty sick of the sight of his name.

The first time you may have seen his name was when he scored a brace for Barry Town in their 3-2 FAW Premier Cup victory over the Swans way back when Jonny Hollins was in charge (thanks to Mark Pitman's excellent blog for flagging this up!). A journeyman striker, he'd ended up at Barry after spells at Colchester, Watford & Millwall (and he'd also go on to play for Newport County) and his double ensured Barry completed a famous victory over the Swans. These days I don't have to rely on nostalgic memories to conjure up his name, though, as he's Ash Williams' agent. And Neil Taylor's. And boy don't we know it.

Any time there's a speck of interest in either of these guys, he's all over it. I know that an agent is "always acting in the best interests of his client", but given agents make a percentage of any dealings, it's ultimately in their interest to keep speculation brewing, and to continuously renegotiate their client's contracts - using the speculation as an effective lever. I'm fed up of this, but it's part and parcel of the modern game and until there's a drastic overhaul in terms of how people are paid, and who is allowed to represent them, transfer dealings will continue to be orchestrated in this manner.

Something I think is quite telling is how this latest press release was handled. Did Moralee speak to the local press? Of course not - much better to speak directly to BBC so your comments get massive exposure, and are then regurgitated by all manner of second-rate football "news" sites. Why bother risking some objective coverage in the local press when you can create hundreds of headlines worldwide? Especially when "it's in the interest of your client"...

The danger in speaking to the local press would have been that, undoubtedly, it would have been pointed out that Moralee's main "threat" - that Ash will leave for free next summer in search of a bigger contract - is actually something the club are probably keener on than him leaving for a paltry sum this summer. That wouldn't have made for a sensationalist, transfer rumour inducing article though, would it? Much better to reference the "big clubs who can compete financially" who are circling, and to reiterate that Ash won't be short of suitors next summer. Here are his comments, for those who haven't seen them:

"Ash has only got one year left on his contract, so clubs will look at that. If a new contract is not agreed or they don't accept one of the bids. Swansea could risk losing him for nothing. Ash has to look for a contract that's right for him. He came to football relatively late and, as he's turning 30 this year, he needs a contract that can take him to 33 or 34.

"A bid has been made but nothing's been accepted or rejected yet - something has got to give. There are two or three clubs interested in Ash, and they must be confident in their ability to compete financially and be up there with Swansea in their offer for him. 

"If Ash's contract does run down, it won't just be Sunderland interested. That will alert a lot of big clubs. Swansea hold the aces with Ash because they can keep him and give him a new contract, or they can sell him.

"It's not Ash's problem that a club has made a bid for him. Ash has to look for a contract that's right for him. He came to football relatively late and, as he's turning 30 this year, he needs a contract that can take him to 33 or 34.

"He has to look out for himself and his family - football is like any other business."

I appreciate there's nothing too controversial there, but he doesn't seem to appreciate that, to the Swans, there is no point selling him this summer. Unless the amount we receive for him is an amount which will allow us to immediately purchase a replacement (Caulker?) then there is absolutely no point selling him - no point whatsoever. If you could pay £4million to guarantee one of your centre-backs would perform as Ash has done (on average) over the last few seasons, I think there aren't many Premier League clubs who would turn down that opportunity.

As for "football is like any other business", well... yeaaaah. Kind of. It's a business like any other business, but there are so many variables which don't come into play in most companies. For example, the Swans gave Ashley Williams a chance when other clubs clearly didn't feel he was up to it, and that was in League One. While Ash's performances have undoubtedly helped us to where we are today, it's been a two-way street and he's been given the platform he needed to improve. I remember when he first signed; any time he went up for a header I had to close my eyes! Judging by how far away from the ball he normally ended up, it's not too big an ask to imagine Ash was doing something similar!

I'm not insinuating Ash owes us anything, and I'm not saying the club owe him anything, but the Swans aren't just another club. We don't look to shaft people, and generally if you contribute you'll be rewarded. While I fully understand that agents are in place to maximise their client's profit, there should also be a degree of respect for the club, especially when it's (as in Ash's case) a club who have helped nurture the player to previously uncharted heights. 

I guess my point is that I don't think he should be looking to squeeze as much out of the Swans as he would out of Arsenal or Chelsea, say. If Moralee believes his client deserves the respect of the club he's negotiating with, he should reciprocate with the same level of respect. Trying to create speculation by giving soundbites to the national media is far from that.

Ash to Sunderland? Bony to Newcastle? Don't make me laugh...

Some people really have got too much time on their hands…

Close season can be a frustrating time for someone who writes about football (or tries to, anyway) on a daily basis. A lack of action to review or preview, plus the removal of undoubted talking points means that, more often than not, the summer devolves into a game of 'pin the highly-rated player to a debatably suitable club - complete with sensationalist headline'. You know the ones I mean - over the last few days I've read blogs and articles from West Ham and Newcastle fans looking at whether their club could be interested in the signature of Wilfried Bony. One article even said there's no chance they are in for him - in that case what was the point of writing it? Either the people writing these types of articles are just chasing views for their websites, or they are completely deluded. Or both, perhaps.

On to some news, then. Well, of sorts. It's heavily reported that Sunderland have become the first to test the waters around Ashley Williams, putting in a £4million bid. Laughable, in my opinion. I understand that in his current position that might be considered a 'going rate' for a centre-half of increasing years, but to the Swans that kind of money is of no benefit at this moment in time. We will be very lucky to find a replacement of the same calibre for even double that, and the money you receive for being in the PL (last place receive around £67million if my memory serves correct) means there's no point selling him. 

The more I think about it, the more I believe we won't let Ash move on this summer - even if he won't sign a new contract. If he wants a payday at a big club he can have it next summer - this season he'll still be contracted to the Swans and he'll be expected to help us retain our Premier League status for another year. In fairness, Monk has recently commented that all parties, including Ashley Williams, want to reach agreement over him being at the club next season, so this could just be another storm in a teacup. 

Whatever happens, unless we get offered an amount of money which would, give or take, allow us to sign a suitable replacement I think there's no chance Ash will move on this summer.