Birmingham 3 - 1 Swansea - Back to earth with a Brum-p

Lee Clark's Blues prove too much for Swansea's second string

Well, that was rubbish wasn't it? Pre-match, Lee Clark's effusive comments about the Swans seemed, to me, of the type that would normally unsettle his charges, however he obviously knows better as tonight Birmingham rode off into the distance after a much improved second half performance which saw them claim the win, and advancement into the next round. 

Laudrup made ten changes to the side which drubbed Crystal Palace on the weekend, and by all accounts it showed. There'll probably be limited highlights on the League Cup show later, but it seems profligate finishing in the first half cost the Swans dear. Bony then Pozuelo hit the woodwork in quick succession, while apparently Roland Lamah also missed a gilt-edged opportunity when Doyle saved with his legs.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it's possible that with no game-time so far this season, starting Garry Monk was a big risk. I'm as big a fan as anyone, but Birmingham away in the League Cup is a high-tempo affair, and with pace not being one of Garry's strong-points he was always going to be up against it. Strange as it may sound, it's likely he'd be much more suited to a European match against St Gallen or the Russian team I can't remember, as you'd imagine we'd have a bit more time on the ball and wouldn't be pressed so high up the pitch. 

Birmingham went with two up top, and once they'd weathered the first half Swansea storm they quickly found their feet in the second half, with two goals in four minutes. Centre-back Dan Burn headed in after Swansea couldn't clear a corner, before Matt Green and Tom Adeyemi made sure of things. Wilfried Bony got a late consolation, but it didn't really matter. Out of the League Cup at the first possible opportunity...well at least it'll help the fixture list with European advancement a distinct possibility thanks to the humbling of Valencia. 

Positives? Err...no-one got injured? It seems that we ran the first half and missed a good number of opportunities before taking our foot off the gas in the second half. Against Palace we could have scored more, and it's important the squad learns to take chances whenever they occur. No mercy, no surrender! As I've not seen the match this is all mostly speculation, but one plus point is that the players who come back into the squad for this weekend's match with Arsenal will be looking to restore the pomp and swagger we'd started to become used to. 

I'll try to find some extended highlights to either put a fuller report up or link to, so until then I'll refrain from commenting further. That is, apart from to point out once again that we're still in the Europa League.

You never know...

Jenkins confident on Laudrup stay, Leon still hoping for an England call-up and a round up of the day's news.

Laudrup to pen contract extension?

First up today is the news that Huw Jenkins is confident he can persuade Michael Laudrup to sign a new extended contract. Laudrup currently has just over 12 months remaining on his current deal, and rumours are he's expected to add at least a 12 month extension: 

"I think he will be here and he's stated he would honour his contract. As far I'm aware it's not an issue, but I think Michael's agent has already commented that talks are on-going. Next summer his current two-year deal finishes and we've got a period of time to make sure we have more security on that.  

"It's something over the next few weeks we'll have to speed up a bit and talk a bit further." Huw Jenkins

Chris Coleman, meanwhile, has been in the press commenting on how, even if the Great Dane does have his head turned, the Swans will be alright.

"Hopefully they don't lose him, but I'm sure they'll get by. When a club does as well as Swansea City has done, you're going to pick out the best players, the manager...plus if they do lose Michael Laudrup - I hope they don't and I'm not saying they will - Swansea will be clever in who they appoint." 

"They've done it all along since they lost Roberto Martinez. They've always replaced one manager with another similar style." Chris Coleman

Surely it is only a matter of time before Swansea chance upon a manager who is genuinely more interested in building a club in his own visage, than in quickly working his way to one of the more "prestigious" jobs in world football? In picking Laudrup, who can look back at his career safe in the knowledge there is very little he's already achieved (as a player, anyway), the Swans may finally have found that man. He's remarked a few times that he wants the opportunity to mould a club, and that at Real, for example, you can finish 2nd and be sacked. With this current Swansea team seemingly capable of pushing on even further, and with no reason to doubt the new-found attractiveness of the club for new signings, there is reason to be confident that Laudrup will be here for at least another year. Whether he's still here for the extra year he's rumoured to be putting pen to paper on is another matter, so let's deal with that when it comes to it.

Leon still holding out hope of England call-up.

There aren't many players in the world who can say they finished a season as the most accurate passer on the entire continent, yet haven't played for their national team. The England team's failure throughout my lifetime seems to revolve around picking players for their reputations, as the top brass at the FA know the media would have a field day if certain big £100kpw+ names were left out in favour of players such as Leon. 

Leon Britton. Happy. 

“You never give up hope of playing for your country. All I have got to do is concentrate on playing well for Swansea and if something was to ever come up it would be a dream come true. 

"It is out of your hands really. Leon Osman has been playing in the Premier League since he came through the ranks, which is a lot longer than myself. I don’t know him but the England manager has shown he will pick someone whether he is 17, like ­Raheem ­Sterling of Liverpool, or 31 like Leon. 

“Last season Fabio Capello came down to see a game. ­Stuart Pearce watched a training session and said he was keeping an eye on me and a ­couple of other players. But I haven’t heard anything since.”     Leon Britton                                                        

The irony is that, in my opinion, by playing someone like Leon you would then be able to get away with a more frivolous team selection. Leon's discipline is so total that he gives the rest of the team the freedom to play, safe in the knowledge that if they're ever in trouble, then can ping the ball at Leon from any direction and the chances are he'll control it immediately before finding a team-mate with an accurate pass. That's not hyperbole, that's statistics. Players like Carrick know they're expected to hit Hollywood passes as well as "keeping the midfield ticking over", but in positioning Britton at the base of any midfield, I believe you make the sum of parts greater.

Ashley Williams to Liverpool, Arsenal & Spurs?

Now, I'm still yet to see any actual meaningful quotes regarding this however it does seem to be gathering pace. I've been told on Twitter and elsewhere that Arsenal have had a scout at Swansea games five times in recent weeks, and generally in the near past whenever we've heard someone is after one of our leading lights, it's ended up with that player saying goodbye to South Wales. This may be different though. 

Swansea have raised the bar. In winning the League Cup, we can no longer be considered a "plucky upstart club" who are liable to lose all of their top players given time - we've got European football next year and there is absolutely no reason to believe the squad won't be strengthened in the summer. Everything points to a bigger, better Swansea City next season,  and wish Ashley Williams both team and international captain, it would surely have to be a head-turning offer before he'd consider leaving. How many trophies have the aforementioned history-laden triumvirate won between them this season? Oh yeah, that's right...

A reason (if you don't already need one) to stay away from The Sun.

For clarification, I mean the newspaper. I'd be disappointed to have to explain why we should all stay away from the giant fiery ball in the sky, although the level of intellect displayed by those at the red-top would indicate this would probably be news to them. I'll set the scene shall I? Picture this folks: A major competition final at the home of the sport - two teams - one hailing from the basement division (a feat not matched for over 50 years prior) and one playing in their first cup final ever. 80,000 fans cheering their team on, on what is undoubtedly, for most at least, the biggest sporting day out in their association with the club. The game itself was almost surreal, but ended in a 5-0 win.

Now, I'd say, one of those aspects should be heavily involved in any headline used about the day. What should NOT be used, is a negative sentence making out Nathan Dyer to be well, someone prone to a strop. Maybe these football journalists are too used to playing at Wembley and having the chance to score a hat-trick, or maybe they deliberately avoided giving any credit to either team - either way, it is atrocious journalism. I am of course, talking about their back-page headline in the wake of the final:

"CAPITAL SWAN STROP"

Well done guys, you really earned your corn that day. I can't ever remember paying money for the Sun, so I can't say I'm overly-familiar with the intricacies of their policy, but that really does smack of some kind of agenda. Maybe that's the conspiracy theorist in me shining through, I don't know. Either way, I'd hope their South Wales circulation dips a little as they continue to mark themselves out as purveyors of absolute dirge. 

Some thoughts on the last few days

Swansea City - League Cup Champions

Drink that in, ladies and gentlemen. In Swansea City's 100 years of existence, at no point had a player, manager, fan or any other person connected with the club been able to say they had watched their team win a major trophy. If you are reading this, the chances are you witnessed the Swans humbling Bradford 5-0, and in doing so qualifying for the Europa League. This current Swansea side are soaring higher and further than any of their predecessors, and they're doing it in a manner which is seldom seen - through thorough planning and good honest hard work.

It's obviously been talked about at immense length in the media over the last few weeks, so I'll skip the hyperbole, but it's truly incredible how well the Swans have done since the current regime took charge. Immense credit must go to all who have helped mould the entity that is Swansea City into what it is today. Fiscally well run, 20% fan representation at board level, money in the bank and now the club's first major trophy (and impending European football) - it really is a story that is likely unsurpassed in modern football.

Swansea City celebrate their maiden major trophy win

With all of the mooted financial controls, it seems inevitable that the Swans will act as an unofficial blueprint for modern football clubs. Up and down the country, the people behind smaller clubs in League One or Two will rightly be thinking "If they can do it, why can't we?". All it's taken is sensible people in important positions, and a lot of hard work. If people love their football club enough, they'll put in the hours, and given patience and a plan of action you can get results. Continuity is key, and sadly it's becoming an increasingly rare commodity in professional football.

One of the more entrenched arguments is "there's always been money in the game" but to compare millionaire backers from times gone by - people who, generally, were pumping money into clubs as a labour of love, with billionaire foreign investors who ultimately, no matter what people say, expect a profit on their investment, is to deny the problem. Almost all of the clubs in our most illustrious league have backers who are fairly new to the game, and have financial motivation. The obvious comparison people draw is with Arsenal - who announced today they made a profit of over £10million in the last 6 months of last year - however given Arsene Wenger's continued refusal to spend any money, we don't really know if the board are as mean-fisted as their Welsh counterparts, however the end result is the same.

Football should be competitive no matter what level the game is played at, and over the last few years some fans, myself included, have become disillusioned with the modern game and its glamour, bling and glitz. In this age of superstar footballers, who earn more money before they are 20 than most of us will earn in our lifetimes, Swansea City stand up proudly as a bastion of sensibility. Long may it continue.

One Day 'Til Wembley...

Huw Jenkins looks back on how far the Swans have come since ousting Tony Petty.

Huw Jenkins greets Alan Tate & Garry Monk

‘It wasn’t like this when we played at the Vetch. At first [when Jenkins & Co took over] none of us were really directors, just a few people trying to stabilise the club. Don Keefe was an accountant, we had a solicitor, Steve Penny [still a director]. We just used whatever knowledge we had to keep the club going.’ 

‘I think the warmth created at the club when we were fighting for survival, plus the fact we are all fans, has helped us do what we have done since. The style worked for us - we choose managers who fit that mould, which in turn means we don’t have to go to huge expense by signing a different type of player every time we change manager.’  

‘We have learned from our experiences, we know you can’t always hold on to your manager or players — that’s a price of success. We are always looking at players and you assess other managers as well. We will always have a couple of ideas of what we might have to do. Looking at Michael, I personally think he will sign a new contract. I’m aware of what he is like as a person and if he is not comfortable  he will try something else.’ Huw Jenkins

Reasons to be cheerful indeed. Huw Jenkins has been quoted as saying he only took the post of chairman because "He was the only one dull enough to do it", but it can't possibly have worked out any better. The unassuming lifelong Swans fan from Skewen has steered the club right from day one - and what's more whenever there have been teething issues the club has always looked to address these immediately - despite protestations from some supporters who don't seem to understand that given the nature of the Swans' rise through the leagues, there will inevitably be problems while the behind-the-scenes aspects of the club catch up with our on-field exploits.

Fabrice Muamba.

A heart-warming story now, in that Fabrice Muamba will be presenting the Capital One Cup to the winning captain. Now I'm sure there's plenty that disagree, but I much prefer that than some royal family member who has no idea about either of the teams until they're fed titbits in the buildup to the ceremony. Muamba's story truly is amazing. He moved from then Zaire (now the DRC) at age 11 with his family to London, and ended up signing as an Arsenal scholar. He made his debut and played a handful of games before moving to Birmingham, on loan at first, but then it was made permanent for around £4.5million, before, two seasons later, moving on to Bolton in a deal worth around £5million.

The League Cup

On the 17th March 2012 Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a televised game for Bolton against Tottenham, and his heart stopped for, unbelievably, 78 minutes. He received countless shocks from a  defibrillator both on the pitch and in the ambulance, and, incredibly, by the 19th of March his heart was beating of it's own accord again, without medication. That is one strong guy. Sadly, after seeking medical advice, Muamba retired from professional football. He's featured in ITV's ACON coverage, and on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, but seems undecided on what to do next as of yet. One thing is for sure, he will undoubtedly get a fantastic reception from both Swansea and Bradford fans tomorrow at Wembley.

Lastly, another word on the centre-back debate that will rage until the team-sheet becomes public knowledge shortly before kick-off tomorrow. Both Kyle Bartley and Ashley Williams have been in the press talking about Bradford's aerial threat. Williams seems nonplussed:

"I have been hearing about set-pieces for about five years. From Roberto Martinez's time people said we couldn't defend them, then under Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers people carried on saying it and it's the same now. 

"I think it probably stems from the fact that we haven't got the biggest of teams, and I think this season we have conceded more goals from set-pieces. That's a fact, but it's nothing we're going to worry about." 

"Even Barcelona can concede against anyone at a set-pieces, but whoever plays, we will be confident. We have got a good squad and I don't think it's going to be a problem."

Kyle Bartley's comments, however, have slightly more of a "Pick me!" ring to them (only natural given the circumstances):

Garry Monk: Will he miss out?

"Being 6ft 5ins, my physique and stature would help a lot at the centre of defence with Ash. They will be a long ball team who focus on corners and free-kicks and hopefully my style of play will help a lot there. I went to Sheffield United and spent a lot of time there playing week-in, week-out in the Championship. 

"A lot of the teams there play that style of football, and even playing at Arsenal a lot of the opposition would go long because they didn't want to play us at a passing game. It is a style of play that I'm used to."

The more I think about it the more sense it makes to play Bartley, but Monk must surely still have enough in his tank to see Bradford off? All the noises coming out of the Liberty now seem to indicate it will be Bartley who gets the nod, and if that is the case I only hope Laudrup sees fit to give Garry Monk a few minutes, irrespective of the result, to enjoy playing in a major cup final. 

I stumbled across the BBC article from 2004, when we announced the signings of Monk, Kevin Austin and Adrian Forbes. Monk had previously struggled for appearances at Southampton before making his move to South Wales in search of first team football - and the honesty of his comments from almost a decade ago resonate deeply:

"I like to play football on the floor and so I had no qualms about coming here. I've not had a settled season yet in my career. I'm 25 now and need to be playing regular football. That's the only way you can improve." Garry Monk

Monk's story truly is one to show any aspiring young footballer. If you work hard enough, it seems almost anything is still possible in this topsy-turvy world of football. From League Two to League Cup Final...and beyond?

Bradford v Swansea Capital One Cup Final Preview & Analysis

                         

                   

Bradford City vs Swansea City

Capital One Cup Final

Sunday 24/02/13

16:00pm K.O.

Wembley

Referee: Kevin Friend

Match Preview, Statistics & Analysis

Bradford's cup hero James Hanson - does he have one
last display of heroics in him?

Bradford come into this game looking to continue a remarkable run of results which has seen them remove Arsenal, Wigan, and most recently Aston Villa from this competition. Their league form has suffered, however, and they've slid down the league since Christmas and currently occupy 11th position in League Two, although they have at least a game in hand over all of the clubs positioned above them. They seemed to turn a corner at Wycombe just before Valentine's Day, where they triumphed 3-0, but a 2-1 reverse at AFC Wimbledon followed leaving Bradford with the unwanted statistic of only winning once in 2013 thus far.

Swansea's results have been a bit all over the shop recently. A couple of impressive performances have been blurred by the mauling at the hands of Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, however given the fact that the team humbled was far from a full strength XI, that one game alone is unlikely to have damaged Swansea's confidence. One note for concern (possibly) is that if you look at the Swans' results over the last few months, we have failed to score in 6 of the last 8 games. No cause for concern just yet, but others are going to have to weigh in with more goals otherwise these missed opportunities will cost us easy points.

Prior Form

League Two Wimbledon  2-1 Bradford                  Sat 16 Feb
League Two Wycombe    0-3 Bradford                 Tue 12 Feb
League Two Bradford    0-1 Gillingham                 Sat 9  Feb
League Two Fleetwood   2-2 Bradford                 Sat 2  Feb
League Cup             Aston Villa   2-1 Bradford (agg 3-4) Tue 22 Jan



Premier League       Liverpool     5-0 Swansea               Sun 17 Feb
Premier League       Swansea     4-1 QPR                       Sat 9 Feb
Premier League       West Ham   1-0 Swansea                 Sat 2 Feb
Premier League       Sunderland   0-0 Swansea               Tue 29 Jan
League Cup              Swansea     0-0 Chelsea (agg 2-0) Wed 23 Jan



Odds: Bradford 15-2, Swansea 4-11, Draw 7-2

Team News

Bradford should have Rory McArdle back after a spell out with an ankle injury, but he'll be competing against Michael Nelson, Carl McHugh and Andrew Davies, who has also just returned to the team following an injury. Andy Gray is ineligible, but in Hanson & Nahki Wells Bradford have the clichéd "little and large" strikeforce which, while one of the oldest tactics in the game, when deployed successfully is a very effective tactic.

Jonathan De Guzman: Will he miss out?

Swansea, who of course confirmed that Chico Flores will miss the cup final through injury (check out the photos here of his ankle! Ouch!), so it's up to Laudrup to decide who will fill the crazy-Spaniard-shaped hole in the Swans defence. Monk & Bartley will both be hoping they get the nod, but who does remains to be seen. Aside from the still-recovering Neil Taylor, the Swans squad have a clean bill of health and other than the defensive dilemma, Laudrup's biggest headache will be who to leave out of midfield. Ki, Leon, De Guzman, Pablo, Routledge & Dyer can all legitimately claim they deserve a place in the side, however unless Laudrup does something drastic tactically (please no) then one of the six is likely to miss out.

Trivia - "Courtesy" of Opta, the BBC and various other sites:

• This will be the first match between Bradford and Swansea in a major cup competition.
• The Swans are unbeaten in their last four league encounters with the Bantams, all of which came in League One. However, three of those matches were drawn.
• Swansea have only won two of their last eight games in all competitions (D3 L3) and have failed to score in six of those games.
• Bradford's last win against Swansea was a 5-1 victory at Valley Parade in the third tier on 30 March 1996.

• The Bantams are the second side from the fourth tier of English football to reach the League Cup final. Rochdale also managed it in 1962, losing to Division Two Norwich over two legs, although that many top clubs declined to enter the League Cup at that time.
• Victory would see Bradford become the sixth club from outside the top flight to win the competition.
• Bradford have kept clean sheets in only two of their last 15 League Cup ties.
• Bradford have only won two of their last 11 games in all competitions, drawing two and losing seven.
• They have won nine consecutive penalty shootouts - an English record.

• The Swans have reached the final of the League Cup for the first time in their history. Prior to this season they had never gone beyond the fourth round of the competition.
• Michael Laudrup's men have won twice in eight league and cup games since booking their place in the final.
• Swansea's most recent defeat against League Two opposition was a 3-1 loss to Shrewsbury in the second round of the League Cup last season.
• They have kept clean sheets in their last three League Cup matches. They have gone 284 minutes since they last conceded in the competition.

Completely guessed lineups

Bradford City

 Duke

Darby             Nelson          McArdle         McHugh 

Hines                   G Jones(C)              Doyle               Reid

Wells                Hanson 

      Michu

Hernandez              Routledge               Dyer

Britton             Ki S-Y

Davies            Williams(C)   Monk        Rangel

   Vorm

   Swansea City

Analysis

The game is finally here. Well, almost. Fans of both Bradford & Swansea alike must be counting the hours now to what is undoubtedly the biggest game, in terms of grandeur at least, of their lifetimes. We've heard all the usual stories cup stories of how "that striker used to stack shelves until a year or two ago" but it's unheralded for that striker, and his team, to make it all the way to the final of one of the major trophies. The only other time a side plying it's trade in the fourth tier of league football managed to reach the League Cup final was in 1962, where Rochdale managed it but lost to Norwich over two legs.

The main talking point for Swansea, as mentioned earlier, is who should partner Ashley Williams at centre-back, with Laudrup admitting he's still undecided on the issue as I type this (Friday afternoon). Garry Monk has a wealth of experience, literally playing through the pain barrier for the Swans on countless occasions. Last time out at Wembley he openly admits the first emotion he felt when Scott Sinclair hit the fourth goal was relief, as he was losing feeling in his foot and didn't think he'd manage to play through extra-time. Monk deserves to start for so many reasons, but you can't discount the argument posed by those in the Kyle Bartley camp.

Bigger, stronger, and more mobile - Bartley possesses all the qualities you'd look for in someone who needs to oppose a 6'4" centre-forward (James Hanson - he of supermarket-shelf-stacking fame), and despite my predicted lineup I do think Bartley is the more sensible choice - but hey, I'm a romantic. I was gutted to hear Alan Tate has joined  Huddersfield on loan as I would have liked him to get off the bench and have a run around at some point, but that's one of many reasons I'm not a football manager. Nahki Wells, too, will likely find Kyle Bartley a tougher prospect than Garry Monk, but I think the elder of the two could still contain Bradford's threat up top.

Nahki Wells. 

In midfield whoever lines up for the Swans will be up against Gary Jones and Nathan Doyle. Depending on whether the Swans go with the "three wingers" option, or if Laudrup decides to name a more conservative midfield, will have a lot to do with how much pressure Bradford's engine room is put under. Out wide Zavon Hines and Kyle Reid both have the potential to create problems for Ben Davies and Angel Rangel, who will no doubt be looking to get forward at every opportunity to aid their teams quest for goals.

Up front for the Swans will surely be Michu - and he'll likely have Michael Nelson & Rory McArdle to deal with. Bradford seem a bit spoiled for choice at centre-back, so it should be interesting to see how they fare with one of the Premier League's leading scorers. It's impossible to predict but one thing is for sure, Michu will know exactly how strong the fourth division of league football is come the 90th minute.

Swansea need to take the sting out of this game early on. I'd like to see us play with Pablo Hernandez, Wayne Routldge and Nathan Dyer rotating behind Michu, but for the first 15 or 20 minutes I think we should retain as much possession as possible and try to drag Bradford out of position. They've played a lot of games this season already, and the Swansea players will be comparatively fresh when compared to their Yorkshire-based counterparts. The Swans should get the opportunity to showcase their neat passing on the expansive Wembley pitch, and unless Bradford can get some momentum early on it's likely they could spend large portions of the game chasing shadows.

For Bradford to have any chance they need to disrupt Swansea's rythym, as much of a cliché as that is. Set pieces and loose balls in the box have long been a problem for the Swans, and Bradford will know, and try to capitalise on, this. Hanson scored a dramatic late goal against Aston Villa so the Bradford players will have the belief necessary to carry them over the line if they have even the faintest whiff of victory - it is up to the Swansea players to extinguish any flicker of Bradford hope before it becomes a war of attrition.

It's a tough game to call, and due to popular request I'm no longer going to do predictions because I've got bad juju when it comes to these things, so I'll end by saying I think this will be a fantastic advert for the strength of British football - showing that traditionally unfashionable clubs can still derive successes from both the league and the cup. It's not all doom and gloom, and the more days like this, the better for football in general.

Oh, and the Swans could have qualified for Europe by Monday.

Iechyd Da.

Two Days 'til Wembley...

Laudrup still undecided on who to pick alongside Ashley Williams.

Michael Laudrup. Dashing. 

We start today with the news that Michael Laudrup is, like most Swansea fans, still unsure over whether Garry Monk or Kyle Bartley is the right man to partner Ashley Williams in the heart of the Swansea defence come 4pm on Sunday. It's a debate that has been raging in South Wales since Chico's injury in the 4-1 drubbing of QPR.

Whether the Swans should start with the experience of Monk, who has done so much, and been such a great leader for the Swans down the years, or Bartley, whose physical presence could be crucial when dealing with the [literal] massive threat of James Hanson, has split opinion, and I'm not alone in saying I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make that decision. 

Laudrup threw a selection surprise at Anfield, but we can be fairly sure in saying it will be what most Swansea fans would describe as a "first XI" - albeit with one or two differences depending on personal opinion - that takes to the pitch at Wembley. When asked by reporters whether he'd made a decision on who will partner Ash, Laudrup was typically coy, responding:

"It's a difficult decision for me. I think if you ask me about the team on Sunday, I am almost there in my mind — but it's not easy. I will tell the players when we have our tactical meeting on Sunday, which is normal."

For me, and you've probably already noticed I love a bit of nostalgia, I'd go with Monk. The man is a club legend, and has stood up to a lot of world class strikers over the last year and a half, so I think he's got it in him to contain whatever Bradford can throw at us. Sure, Hanson has been effective in and around the box but you better believe Laudrup has planned for that. They need the ball to do anything, and I fancy the Swans to display a masterclass in keep-ball from the word go- and why not? The Swans are famed for playing attractive passing football, but this season we've at times left ourselves open by committing men forward. A subtle nod to the Swansea of last year could see us draw the sting out of Bradford, and allow the Swans to build pressure, causing uncertainty in the Bradford backline.

A nice story from NewsWales.co.uk now about Kristian O'Leary.  Back in 1996 O'Leary actually made his debut for the Swans against Bradford (football is full of these serendipitous facts), and while he remembers the day fondly the Swans lost 5-1. O'Leary had been with the youth team, but got the nod from (then manager) Jan Molby:

“It was some shock. Youth team players very rarely played for the senior team back then. It’s quite funny thinking back, because the physio doubled up as the kit man and I would help make the tea and coffee for the players during the journey to games. 

“One day the physio told me to help him prepare things for the next game, but Jan Molby said I couldn’t do that as I was going to be with the First Team. 

“I can still remember the feeling of running out for the first time in the kit – it’s something that stays with you forever.” Kristian O'Leary

 O'Leary also recalls a right humdinger eleven years down the line, once again against the Bantams. Kristian equalised to make it 1-1, and Adebayo Akinfenwa got the Swans in front before O'Leary was sent off for, Dean Windass claimed, throwing a punch at the chunky striker. Windass scored the subsequent penalty, to equalise with minutes left and save a point for Bradford.

I'll finish up with a note about the media day at the Liberty. By all accounts it was the largest gathering of press-types since the stadium's completion. Now, I wasn't there, I'm not a proper journalist with a press badge and a dictaphone or anything (not yet, anyway), however I do find it fascinating, as it seems fair to correlate the amount of press interest with our global standing within the footballing community. The Swans have enjoyed two successful seasons in the Premier League, and in reaching the final of a major competition interest must surely have piqued (to a point), and even given inevitable fallout from people who only get involved once in a blue moon, these occasions do help expand the fan-base.

There's an article on WalesOnline about the interest in the Swans from South Korea (as I was writing about recently) and this will inevitably expand the longer Ki remains with the club, but it's no exaggeration to say there truly were reporters from all corners of the globe at the Liberty Stadium. When we first got promoted I maintained that in being the first Welsh club promoted to the Premier League, we would capture all the ex-pat bars, and casual fans dotted around the globe. Had the Swans faltered and fallen out of the PL, this may have waned, and the seemingly imminent arrival of Cardiff in the Premier League may have threatened our status as number one club in Wales, however given our continued success I can only see the Swans continuing to strengthen their foothold in the international marketplace.

Building a solid financial infrastructure has always been key to the Swans long-term planning, and it seems we have, through on-field successes, continued to aid this. Sales of club merchandise in general must be up, but it would be interesting to see how much of that is made up by overseas sales. With the continued improvement of the clubs training facilities, growing global exposure, money in the bank, AND a cup final on Sunday, this is a very interesting, and exciting, time to be a fan of Swansea City FC. 

Three Days 'til Wembley...

...and it's starting to get a bit "real" now, isn't it?

John Hartson

Let's start with John Hartson - who spoke with Talksport today about Swansea's chances of securing major silverware for the first time in their history. He thinks the drubbing we were on the end of at Anfield isn't necessarily a bad thing, claiming Swansea will have used this almost to their advantage by reminding the players just how hard they've had to work to reach the final (and to maintain their lofty Premier League status) and how hard they're going to have to work to overcome a Bradford side filled with players who will no doubt be more motivated for this game than for any other game of their careers.

                                                 Listen to the John Hartson interview on TalkSport

While we're talking about the final - Bradford's official site have released some early team news. Before beating Wycombe 3-0 on the 12th of February, Bradford hadn't actually won in the league since Boxing Day, and with lots of injuries mentioned, it's possible a prolonged cup run has had it's effect on the squad. Lots of their players won't be familiar names to Swansea fans, but Rory McArdle has been a regular in the side since signing from Aberdeen, and will be hoping he can overcome an ankle injury in time for Sunday's final. The centre-back returned to training on Tuesday but it remains to be seen whether he'll be fit in time.

Nahki Wells (Left)

Two names possibly more familiar to us are Nahki Wells & Zavon Hines. The latter came through the famed West Ham youth academy, spending time on loan at Coventry before signing for Burnley, but he never really got going, and with thirteen substitute appearances and no goals to his name he moved to Bournemouth on loan until the end of season. A move to Bradford followed and so far this season he's found the back of the net once in twenty-seven outings. Interestingly, he's scored six goals in ninety career appearances all in all, so he's not turning out to be the prolific striker some fancied him to be.

Nahki Wells, meanwhile,  has shown he has somewhat more of a knack to finding the back of the net. So far he's bagged eighteen goals in thirty-eight games this season, with three of those coming from six starts in the League Cup. Swansea will definitely have to watch out for the wee man from Bermuda, who is proving to be somewhat of a hit with Bradford fans. He started his career at a club with possibly the best moniker I've ever heard - The Dandy Town Hornets. They, of course, play in the Pembroke Parish, but play their league football in the Cingular Wireless Premier Division, and actually won the league last season. Wells scored 20 goals in 18 games for the Hornets, before a succession of moves let to him attending the Richmond International Academic & Soccer Academy in Leeds.

Shaun Goater. Intelligent chap.

Wells was actually offered a contract with Ajax at one point, but turned it down, and somehow, he signed for...wait for it... Carlisle United. I know, that's what I expected too. I did read he'd asked Shaun Goater for advice though, and he never struck me as the brightest spark, so that could explain it. He signed a contract with them on the 1st of January 2011, made three appearances, didn't score a goal, and was left out of the matchday squad for the Football League Trophy final against Brentford, and had to watch as his team-mates triumphed 1-0. His contract wasn't renewed at the end of the season, and he joined Bradford on a one year deal after a successful loan spell. It's quite poetic that after missing out on a Wembley trip two years ago, he's been rewarded for two season's hard work with Bradford with a much bigger opportunity, where he'll be able to literally show the world what he can do. If he was playing anyone else, I'd want him to score.

On a nice let's-find-something-to-link-the-Swans-and-Bradford note, anyone remember Gary Jones? I'd be lying if I said the Birkenhead-born midfielder left any impression on me, but I do remember him signing for us from Caernarfon. He only managed eight games for us, but his memories of how Swansea City used to be run show how much the club has changed:

Gary Jones. Looks quite like Karl
Pilkington.

"Jan Molby signed me many years ago now and I'm very grateful for them for giving me my first professional contract. I wasn't there that long - I got shipped out to Rochdale on loan. Alan Cork released me after Micky Adams' two weeks in charge. 

"It was disappointing but I'm grateful that they gave me my start in professional football. All things happen for a reason and obviously that's what happened. A lot of credit has got to go to them because of what they've achieved. They were in a position we are now so it just shows you what can be done with the right management, chairman and right backing. 

"Hopefully we can take a leaf out of their book so we can be where they are in a few years' time."          Gary Jones 

Three managers in a year - remember that? As I was saying recently, it really is nice to have that in the back of your mind as it helps keep the club grounded. More than ever, I think it's important the club retains staff where possible as the more ties the club has to the less illustrious past, the easier it will be to counter-act any "glamourisation" of Swansea City FC which is inevitable given their current standing. As Gary points out, it's amazing what you can do with right people at the helm.

Four Days 'til Wembley...

... so let's allow ourselves a quick trip down nostalgia lane.

First up today is a nice interview with James Thomas on the ITV website (complete with video), where he talks about his contribution to the Swans' continued upward rise, scoring a hat-trick on the final day of the 2002/2003 season . For anyone unaware of the historical importance of this match, the Swans needed to win on the final day of the season to guarantee their league status for the following season. Facing them was the minor task of overcoming Peter Taylor's Hull City side, who were still, at that point, in with a shout of claiming the old Third Division title. 

What happened that day will live long in Swansea folklore, as James Thomas recalls:

"I'll always remember the night before the game, you know, trying to sleep, worrying and the pressure of it. I think being a local boy, from Swansea, I'd have to face the supporters wherever I went, and that added to the pressure, but when you're out on the pitch it's just another game - the crowd were like a 12th man though, and it was the highlight of my career - a day I'll never forget" 

"If we'd gone down to the Conference, we may never have seen the Swans in the Premier League or in a major cup final, and it's been good for the city of Swansea as well. It does make me feel good, to have made some sort of contribution [to the Swans' success]. Now I've had to retire, it's nice to be remembered for something, and to have done something towards the success the Swans have had over the last 10 years." 

Even given Thomas' contribution on that torturous, but ultimately incredible, day it is easy to underestimate his contribution that season - and that too of a young Leon Britton (voted the PFA Fans Player of the Year that season). Thomas' goals, from a player who was always blighted by injury, were largely alone in their efforts to keep the Swans heads above water and without a goalscorer it's debatable whether the Swans would have still had the opportunity of securing league football for another season come the final day of the season.

A player who has his chance to cement his name in the annals of Swansea's history is Michu. Since joining the player has been described as all sorts, with "revelation" likely to be one of the words bandied about the most. It's got to the point where this word seems out-dated now given his continued plundering of opposition defences, but a big display from the Swansea number nine will help him forever live long in Swansea folklore. While the Swans are no doubt preparing for this game as any other, as a striker at the top of the Premiership scoring charts (and seemingly back in form) he must be confident of adding to his tally.

The man from Oviedo is particularly looking forward to running out to a full house at Wembley, where no doubt the noise generated by the Jack Army is going to be at least matched by that of the Bradford fans. The combination of plucky Premier League underdog and complete out-and-out-Roy-of-the-Rovers League Two underdog is a remarkable one, and one which is unlikely to be repeated again in my lifetime.

"I can't wait to run out at Wembley, one of the best stadiums in Europe, and hear the Jack Army getting behind us," Michu said to the official club website.  

"With over 33,000 Jacks singing that song, I think it will be an incredible moment and it could make the difference for us. Hopefully we will give them an incredible moment on Sunday, because they deserve all the success because they give us amazing support." 

Finally, another nod in a nostalgic direction, and Wyndham Evans (389 league games for the Swans) has been quoted as saying this Sunday's match with Bradford is the biggest game in Swansea's history. Alan Curtis and others have gone on record in the recent past saying that this Swansea side is the finest they've seen, and with the club's cup story possibly still a twist or two away from completion there may yet be a higher benchmark to be set. Not since 1927 has a Welsh club managed to get their patriotic mitts on what are viewed by many as "English trophies", and should the Swans be successful it's a safe bet the Jack Army will  have no shame in letting their opposition counterparts know about it for the entirety of next season.

"To see Ashley Williams or Garry Monk lift the trophy at Wembley would be my favourite ever footballing moment. They've had a fantastic 100-year history and to mark the centenary celebrations with a cup would be absolutely brilliant. That sums up what Swansea are all about. There's always been amazing sense of timing about this club. 

"A lot of the fans will still remember the games at The Vetch against the likes of Halifax and Grimsby — those memories will make this trip to Wembley even more special. It will be a brilliant day out for the fans. They sold the 33,000 tickets in no time and they could have sold twice as many quite easily. Because Swansea were down in the bottom divisions so recently, their fans really appreciate how lucky they are at the moment. The players appreciate what they have as well — players such as Leon Britton, Garry Monk and Alan Tate were at the club when they were in the fourth tier. Those players are becoming household names now, and this is another chance for them to become heroes. 

"Perhaps the most amazing thing is the fact that Swansea are there on merit. This isn't just a lucky cup run or a few upsets — they are one of the best teams in the Premier League and they deserve their place in the final. To win away at Liverpool and then to beat Chelsea, the European champions, over two legs is a magnificent achievement. This team is creating history, the greatest era in the club's history. 

"It's a bit surreal to think of Swansea playing at Wembley for a second time in two years. It will be a brilliant day on Sunday, and probably the best day in the club's history if they win."

When you have players like Wyndham Evans, who was involved in Swansea's only other foray into the upper echelons of the league system, saying this current side have gone further and higher than any before, then it's hard to argue with. Sure, there's some humility on their part involved but the Premier League is a different beast to the old First Division, and the Swans continued success at the highest level, while still maintaining an amazing ethos behind the scenes, truly is something we'll all remember for a long time. As a Swansea fan, I feel privileged to be able to witness all that has gone on, especially so (as Evans says) that I have the 2002/2003 season as a yardstick with which to compare any Swansea City successes to. Long may it continue, and hopefully we'll be celebrating an unprecedented first major trophy come 6pm on Sunday.

Fingers crossed.