Pablo & Davies available for the weekend, Ash still injured while Ki is ineligible to play against parent club

Swansea still sweating on fitness of skipper, but should have a number of players returning to the squad for Sunderland game this Saturday

We're almost through this long, drawn out international period. Well, there's still the small matter of Belgium vs Wales tonight, but with Neil Taylor likely to be the only current Swansea player on show (excluding Jazz Richards who's on loan at Huddersfield) we can be forgiven for casting our eyes forward to the weekend.

Pablo Hernandez has been sidelined since before we played Valencia with a hamstring injury, but has been in full training for a little while now and should be available, while Ben Davies is rumoured to have recovered from his own hamstring strain suffered at Southampton. If he's ok in training this week he may well be in the team on Saturday.

Elsewhere, De Guzman should have also recovered from his own injury problems by the weekend after picking up a groin strain which saw him ruled out of international duty for Holland, and Garry Monk is returning to training today after he injured his knee in the Capital One Cup defeat to Birmingham.

One player who looks set to continue watching from the sidelines though (for the time being at least) is Ashley Williams. The imperious Swansea skipper played through the pain barrier against Crystal Palace but we haven't seen him since, and despite not officially being ruled out it's unlikely the club will recall him to the team if there's any risk attached. Get well soon Ash, you're missed. Big time. 

With Sunderland looking to turn their season around, new manager Gus Poyet has already spoken of his determination to return from the Liberty with all three points. 

'It's a big contrast. We have a few problems. We have changed a manager and we have got a new group of players, but at 3pm, it's 11 v 11, one referee, two linesmen. It's about what you do in those two hours. 

'It doesn't matter what's happened before. Swansea are in a better balanced position, yes they are, it's true, but that doesn't mean that they are going to win. 

'We will go there to win. We need to win football games. We cannot go to places looking to get just one point.' Gus Poyet

http://www.swansea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=335461#ixzz2hmHhDyaP

Saturday's match against Sunderland has the potential to be a cracker. They need a win to turn their season around, while Swansea are looking for their first home win since we beat Newcastle in the aftermath of our Capital One Cup win - some eight home games ago.

A home win would boost the squad's confidence, and it's the first overtly "winnable" game we've had at the Liberty in the League this year. In the Europa League we've fared well - winning 4-0, 5-1 and 1-0, but in the league we've managed a draw and two losses - although our opponents in those games were Liverpool, Manchester United & Arsenal respectively.

I firmly believe if we were to deploy Leon Britton and Jose Canas at the base of a three-man midfield we'll out-pass any team in the league, and what's more we'll get more purchase through the middle of the park. Of late we've struggled to penetrate teams and Wilfried Bony has cut an isolated figure. Feed the bull, and he will score.

Whether Laudrup goes with such a formation is up for debate - if I was a betting man I'd wager he goes with Canas, Shelvey & Michu again - however this just hasn't looked efficient enough against quality opposition. While Sunderland aren't in the same weight-class as the teams who've visited South Wales so far, you can bet they'll be fired up for this one and will come flying out of the blocks. It's up to the Swans to get an early goal which would go a long way in dampening their enthusiastic attempts to impress their new manager.

One player who won't be featuring for Sunderland is Ki Sung-Yueng, on loan from the Swans and ineligible to play against his parent club. Speaking about how not playing on Saturday could affect his chances of selection for South Korea, Ki said it was "disappointing" he'd not be able to play against the Swans. I hope he means purely because it hinders his international chances!

“I can’t play against Swansea which is disappointing, but I hope the boys can play well. Hopefully I will be back in the team for the Newcastle game. I feel much better now after playing a few games.

“I think I’ll be stronger when we start again after the international games too. I’m pleased to be back in the Korea squad and I’m enjoying playing against some good teams.

“I haven’t been in the squad for a long time, so I’m trying my very best. We didn’t need to be very disappointed after Manchester United because we played well. The points will come for us if we play like that.” Ki Sung-Yueng

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ki-hoping-absence-swansea-wont-6186136? 

Personally I really hope Ki is back with us next year. He's got unfinished business, and sources at the club have indicated they expect the South Korean international to still be a Swansea City player next season. That being said, Gus Poyet likes to play good football and Ki is likely to have a lot more fun playing for the Uruguayan as opposed to fiery dictator Di Canio. I can't imagine Di Canio would have been too happy about the perceived "sideways passes" that people unfamiliar with possession football accuse Ki of making.

Hopefully Ki shows everyone what he can do this season. If he can smash in a few goals similar to the ones he scored for Celtic Swansea fans will be clamouring for him to return to SA1, as goals from midfield is something we've been lacking in recent times.

Ki Sung-Yueng to be Swansea City's stand out midfielder next year? You heard it here first.

Pablo Hernandez: "We can beat anyone"

Spanish winger looking forward to Europa League tie, and confident of a good showing at Spurs

Having played in European competition before, Pablo Hernandez is aware of what it takes to succeed at that level. He's previously made it to the quarter finals of the Europa League (coincidentally under Laudrup at Getafe), as well as scoring against Manchester United for Valencia in the group stages of the Champions League, so despite missing both legs of the Swans' European opener it's unlikely the winger will be fazed heading into tomorrow's game against Petrolul.

"I think I can help the team and help the other players having been in this competition before. I played in the Europa League for two years and two years in the Champions League. I am not the only one, there are others here who know what it is like, so it is up to those with experience to make sure we help others because it is important for us. 

"The most important thing is making sure we go to Romania with a good score, and if we can get to the groups anything is possible. It is an opportunity for us, but the most important thing is to first get through these two games and see where we can go. 

"We cannot forget the Premier League and we have a hard game in between these matches. After losing the first match we have another big team in Tottenham and it's not an easy start for us, but I think the team can go to Tottenham and win and show we can win away in the next two games. 

"We always play the same way, the same football. The team won't change their mentality for a new competition — we will stick to what we do.The most important thing is to have confidence in the team, the squad we have, the football we play and we can win a lot of games. 

"United wasn't good for us, but in the past we have shown we can hold our own against the big teams and can beat anyone. It was good to be back, but it was disappointing to lose...but it was the champions, a very good side, so we have to realise that. 

"We had confidence before the game but it wasn't possible to get the result and it was a hard score for us to take. Now we have an important match in Europe and our thoughts are only on this game.

"My injury is okay. It was disappointing to miss games but I can play now and I have confidence and want to help the team. We must make sure we have a good result from the first leg before going to Romania." Pablo Hernandez

Hernandez is right in saying that on our day we can beat anyone - except, possibly, Manchester United. Moyes seemed to have our number at Everton and to be honest I can see us continuing to struggle against an even better team going about under his instruction, but as long as we don't draw them in cup competitions we've only got to play them once more this season, so worrying about that too much is rather pointless.

More pressing is the game at the Liberty tomorrow. Pablo will be keen to start having been brought on at half time at half-time against United, and he'll be looking to get back to where he was around the time of the friendly against Reading. The winger looked very, very good in pre-season, and was linking excellently with Jonjo Shelvey, Wilfried Bony & Michu, so it'll be interesting to see how they'll get on together in competitive fixtures.

Hernandez isn't the only Swan with European experience. Ki has played for Celtic in the Europa League as well as featuring in a Champions League loss to Braga, while Wilfried Bony was previously the Europa League's top scorer whilst at Sparta Prague, hitting nine goals in the process. When he officially signed for the Swans he made it clear he's looking to do well in Europe this year:

“I believe it’s the right step for me; the perfect move. I had a lot of offers from all across the world, including England, France, Ukraine, Russia and the UAE, but I chose Swansea because it is a good club with a corresponding style, a great manager and, of course, playing in the Premier League. 

"I considered everything and Swansea came out on top. I had my best season last year at Vitesse with 36 goals in all competitions. It is going to be tougher in the Premier League to score goals, but I will try my best. Everything is possible. 

"Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy. The Europa League is my first focus - I enjoy playing in Europe and I'm used to it." Wilfried Bony

Let's hope that the growing level of experience in the squad is put to good use in Europe this year. Get past Petrolul Ploiesti and we'll be through to the group stages, and that's where the fun will really start.

Dyer, Routledge & Hernandez - A statistical comparison

With Laudrup's adoption of the "three wingers" formation this season, I thought it would be interesting to see how they fared when you take a look at their respective statistics. For a start, it's impressive that they all made 30+ appearances - Pablo with 27(+ 3 off the bench), Routledge with 30(+6) and Dyer with 25(+12). It's interesting that while Dyer was clearly fit for the entire of the campaign, he started the least games and seems to have been used as more of an impact sub. In fairness, his style of play is ideally suited to that, as his pace and close control are a nightmare for tiring defensive legs.

Routledge has kicked on again this season, and he has played in a central role before under Rodgers with varying degrees of success. The difference under Laudrup has been the rotation between the three wingers, and it's worked to great effect on many an occasion. I'm still of the belief that until we have some more defensive muscle (Canas?) it's risky playing that system against a high-class 4-4-2 however we did alright at Man Utd, so what do I know?

In the goals department, both Pablo and Dyer have 3 each while Routledge has 5, and as far as assists go Dyer and Routledge both have 4 while Pablo has 6. It seems fans have been quick to lambast Pablo but while his playing style does have a frustratingly lethargic style to it he is effective, and with an improved understanding of his role in the team, and a full pre-season behind him, I think he could be a much livelier player next year.

I looked at stats for "aerial duels won per game" but none of the three win any, it seems (one every five games?), so let's move on to passing stats. Given that, despite differing playing styles they're all expected to provide a similar contribution to the team, it's a fair comparison I think. Routledge plays on average 32.6 passes per game, Dyer plays 32.9 while Pablo weighs in with a whopping 43.3. When you consider his pass success rate is the same as Routledge's at 80.4% (although it's nowhere near Dyer's 86.8%) it again seems some of the criticism against the Spaniard has been unfair, especially when he plays 1.8 "key passes per game" - double the frequency of Dyer (0.9) and slightly more than Routledge (1.6).

Wayne Routledge. 

They all play on average one successful cross every other game (not the best for a trio of wingers...) however a look at successful long balls and again it's Hernandez who comes out on top - he plays 2.5 per game to Dyer's 0.5 and Routledge's 1.5. Dyer attempts the least dribbles per game with 0.7, with Routledge at 0.9 and Pablo attempting a nice even one per game. A pattern is definitely developing here. Routledge attempts 0.8 shots per game, Dyer 1.4 and Hernandez 1.6, so in front of goal the Spaniard is again the busier of the trio.

Ball retention next. I'm using statistics from "Whoscored.com" so forgive me if some of the terminology is a bit "whack" - the two terms they use for losing the ball are "turnovers" (losing the ball through poor control etc) and "dispossessed"(tackled without trying to dribble past the opponent).

Dyer is "turned over" 1.5 times per game, and dispossessed with the same regularity, while Routledge is only turned over 1.3 times per game, however he's mugged slightly more often at 1.7 times per game. Guess what? Pablo comes out on top again. He's dispossessed 0.8 times per game and only turned over 1.3 times. I'm the first to admit I've been critical of Pablo in the past, but it seems he must be doing a lot of things I'm not seeing, as you can't fake statistics like this over the course of a season.

In defense it's no real surprise that Nathan Dyer makes the most tackles, with 1.3 per game (compared to Routledge's 1.1 and Pablo's 0.9), however interceptions is another story. Clearly a footballing brain makes a difference, as Pablo makes 1.5 interceptions per game - over double Dyer's 0.7 and treble Routledge's 0.4. He makes the most clearances too (albeit marginally) with 0.6 per game (Dyer has 0.4 and Routledge 0.5) while all three are dribbled past with roughly the same frequency (0.6 times per game for Pablo & Routledge, and 0.4 for Dyer).

Pablo scores the equaliser against Chelsea

It seems there's a recurring theme throughout here. All three wingers have performed admirably this season, but it's impossible to ignore the fact that Pablo has received a rougher ride from fans than he possibly should have. With time on his side I'm sure he'll go on to win over all but the most embittered of fans, as he's clearly a class act.

Worth mentioning is Roland Lamah, who has looked tidy when we've seen him but hasn't really had a chance to make an impact. He should have a goal to his name but the linesman incorrectly ruled his effort against West Brom out, however his loan period runs until next summer so we've time to assess him yet.

With four options at wing already, it's unlikely we'll sign anyone to play in that position surely? If someone outstanding comes up, then maybe, but with decent cover out wide central midfield seems more of a priority.

How long until the transfer window opens?...

Swansea v Newcastle - Proof that just because you play the same system, it doesn't mean you play the same way.

Swansea show why they deserved maiden trophy victory.

Almost exactly a week after Swansea put the finishing touches to their Wembley demolition of Bradford City, they had, realistically, a much tougher obstacle to overcome in the form of a newly-resurgent Newcastle United. Much has been made of the Geordie's transfer policy of late, and Graham Carr in particular continues to spearhead a campaign which has so far produced gem after gem, and shows no sign of abating. 

Reading through some previews before the game, it was interesting to note that some Newcastle pundits and bloggers were predicting lineups with up to nine changes when compared with the XI that took to the field against Swansea in November. As it turned out there were indeed eight changes in personnel when compared with the counterpart fixture, but it was a case of different team, same result. A much changed, heavily French side took to the field against the Swans this time around, and from the word go they harried, harangued and pressed the Swansea players in a manner I haven't seen any other team achieve over the entirety of the ninety minutes.They were exceedingly physical at times, and sadly, I have to say I think some heavy challenges were the result of previous niggles going unpunished by young referee Craig Pawson. Taking charge of a Premier League game for the first time, Pawson's previous "big match" exploits came in the form of a Capital One Cup game between West Ham and Wigan, the League Two playoff final, and 12 Championship games, which to me doesn't sound like a particularly length or impressive CV. 

Yohan Cabaye. Suave. 

Normally, novice referee's are appointed to games where the top brass don't expect too many issues, but Newcastle are developing into a team who will, if allowed, push the boundaries of what is both acceptable, and safe. Tiote and, surprisingly for me at least, Cabaye, constantly niggled away at the Swansea midfield, leaving the foot in and nudging into people, culminating in Cabaye going straight through the back of Nathan Dyer (right in front of me) on the touchline. Dyer was facing the byline, doubtful knew that Cabaye was approaching, and the Frenchman clattered straight into him from behind at roughly knee level - poleaxing the diminutive winger but, miraculously, not seeming to cause major injury. Cabaye only received a yellow card for his sins, so was free to rejoin Tiote in the centre of the midfield. It should be noted that from where I sat it looked like Ben Davies got away with a shocking tackle too, but it was on the opposite side of the pitch from me so it was difficult to judge. He didn't pick up a card for that one, so it's possible he did, as he protested, take the ball first.

I don't want to take away from many aspects from Newcastle's game though. Their pressing was outstanding, and is, if you don't have a team littered with Rooney's and Aguero's, the most effective way of stifling a team who play like the Swans - however in the first half at least the Swans appeared to have all the answers to Newcastle's questions. Swansea's forward line of Michu, Pablo, Dyer and Routledge is currently rotating beautifully, even if, more often than not on this outing, the final pass eluded it's man. The Swansea full-backs, too, are enjoying more freedom of late. Ben Davies and, in particular I thought, Angel Rangel were outstanding. When Rangel loses possession there isn't a nanosecond before he's accelerating in an attempt to reclaim the ball - his work rate and passion for the cause is absolutely undoubted. He's clearly still enjoying himself in South Wales:

“Getting to 40 points with ten games to go is a fantastic achievement. The first target is always to stay in the league – which we haven’t mathematically achieved yet - and then it’s the top ten. It’s the 100th year of the club, and we’ve already won the first big trophy for Swansea, so to stay in the top ten, along with what we have already achieved, would be amazing, but we can’t relax – we want to see how far we can go.”  Angel Rangel 

Mostly token soundbites from Angel "He feeds who he wants" Rangel there, but all positive - looking to push on while still keeping our feet firmly grounded in the knowledge that, for a few few years at least, any top-ten finish would still be classed as "punching above our weight".

Rangel : “I thought we played well in the first 30 minutes, while they dominated more in the second half, but we took our chance and Luke did very well to finish it. Luke is a good pro and player. You can see in training that he is ready to play and take his chance. He came off the bench and he certainly did that.” 

It's fair to say that the Swans controlled the first half almost completely - lots of one-twos and neat interplay doing everything but providing the final pass as the Swans looked to open the scoring. Michu seemed to muscle a defender fairly and go through on goal, but referee Pawson adjudged him to have acted illegally so that one never happened, and then ten minutes later a few quick Swansea passes led to first, Ben Davies getting munched late and second, Swansea again breaking clean through on goal. Clearly no advantage there, so the referee called it back again. Ashley Williams had a chance in front of a seemingly open goal, but it bounced up awkwardly and his improvised volley was a scuffed affair, and the ball drifted agonisingly towards the net before being cleared by a Newcastle player on the line. Half time, and 0-0 was perhaps slightly harsh on Swansea who had fashioned a couple of decent chances whilst having to deal with intense Toon pressure throughout. 

Luke Moore. Happy camper.

The second half started and almost immediately Alan Pardew's men managed to get more of a stranglehold on the game. They had a decent twenty/twenty-five minute spell of possession but, in reality, the best they could muster was a couple of drives from distance (admittedly tasty with one cracking the woodwork after an excellent touch from Vorm) and a decent cross from the left which sadly (for Newcastle) no-one could connect with. And so, the scene was set for Luke Moore. Almost a year since his last league goal for the Swans (THAT goal against Manchester City) he again, essentially, repeated the feat. Drafted into the fray with less than ten minutes remaining, you'd expect it to be a fun experience as you'd be full of energy and able to completely tear around harassing a tiring defence - but in truth he didn't really do that, and I don't think anyone expected him to. He does, however, possess a decent first touch and seems to be developing a knack of scoring important goals - and this was no exception. Taking advantage of a defensive mix-up, Moore was simply in the right place at the right time, throwing a couple of dummies in for good measure before his shot was actually blocked, the subsequent deflection guiding the ball past the wrong-footed keeper and into the back of the net. 

The goal came with roughly five minutes remaining, and in truth it left Newcastle with no real hope. It came at a point when the Swans had taken control of the game back off Newcastle, and were in the ascendancy, knocking the ball around well and finding space, and Ki almost made an immediate impact off the bench - his header from a corner being cleared off the line. This was a game against two separate Newcastle teams. One who have a clearly excellent work ethic, an understanding of their roles within the team, and the footballing ability to back it all up, and one who, sadly, seemed to be intent on time-wasting from minute one. The goalkeeper Elliot was one of the main culprits, labouring over any action all game, and when Moussa Sissoko went down on 80 minutes Ashley Williams was clearly unhappy with what he deemed to be time-wasting, and the two squared up in a "I've got the best stare and the biggest chest" competition before being separated and given what was probably a fairly patronising talking to by the ref. 

Sissoko had gone down after bursting into the right channel before hooking a shot to the left of goal in what was, in reality, Newcastle's last real effort on goal. If Sissoko was play-acting in an attempt to gain unfair advantage, he got his just desserts minutes later when Moore's fumbled effort crept in. Not pretty, but nobody cared and the Swans can now reflect on having picked up 40 points with 10 league games still to play. 

Freudian Slip?

On a final note, has anyone else watched the full post-match press conference yet? Laudrup was fending off the usual mundane questions, but something he said made my ears prick up. When talking about how we've got the current top five teams in the league yet to play, he moved on to say:

"...we've got some difficult away games; Wigan, fighting for their lives, West Brom... they can still get into Europe - they have the same points we have." Michael Laudrup

I'm no psychologist, however I do know we finished damn near where West Brom finished last year, and see no reason why we shouldn't be aiming as high as our Midlands counterparts - especially given this season's exploits. We all know it's unlikely, and it would likely involve winning most of our remaining games, but it seems Michael Laudrup has one eye on a very lofty league finish indeed.

Pablo - "Swansea move best decision I've made"

Ex-Valencia winger Pablo Hernandez loving life in South Wales

This is the news that possibly (barring the acquisition of our manager) Swansea's most illustrious signing is very happy with his lot in SA1. When he first arrived, some fans took a small while to warm to the winger given that he doesn't always to appear to be working as hard as some of our other players when it comes to tracking back and regaining possession, but as the season has gone on, and as he has adapted to the Swansea system, he's gone from strength to strength. For me, I feel Pablo's trickery and guile in and around the box is in a class of it's own within the Swansea squad, and while he does lose possession looking for the killer pass more often than most of our other attacking midfielders he does often find his man, and of late his linkup play with Michu has been exquisite. The nutmeg through ball for Michu's goal, at Wembley, for example - tricky - but players at the top level try these things. 

Pablo Hernandez after completing his protracted transfer.

His goal against Chelsea to rescue a point at the beginning of November was a perfect demonstration of the level of the man. Cool, composed, he bought himself half a yard then passed the ball into the bottom corner - a truly top drawer finish. He's improved consistently since arriving, and seems to revel in playing as one of three rotating attacking midfielders, wandering across defensive lines toying with them. He did this to great effect against Bradford, and clearly enjoyed himself:

"It`s history for our club, our city and our fans.  It was brilliant seeing all the fans in the stand, all cheering and singing for us. Wembley is a historic stadium and known throughout the world, so it was brilliant to play there.  

"I`ve played at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge in the Champions League but this is different. This is a historic achievement for the club. It means everything to us. For me, the decision of coming to Swansea is the best of my career. 

"I didn`t think when I came here that it would be difficult to win a title - I only had to look at the quality players already here to know we had a chance. I enjoy playing here. I enjoy being around the players, the club and the fans."  Pablo Hernandez

If someone of Hernandez's calibre is waxing lyrical about the Swans, and is happy to stay here and push on, we really are doing something right. Having played in the Champions League for Valencia he knows just how good players are at the top level of world football, and clearly sees the Swans as being able to compete with all comers. One or two more signings of the same standard as Pablo and Swansea City could surprise a few people in the Europa League next year.