Dare to change a winning formula?

On a day dedicated to those who gave their lives at war, the heavens opened and a Swans side without Dyer, Routledge, Fernandez or Shelvey leapfrogged Arsenal in the Premier League table

Josh Kilmister on a fantastic day out at the Liberty Stadium

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Ki Sung-Yueng - imperious in the Swansea midfield against Arsenal

Come three o’clock I’m sure I wasn’t the only Swans fan scratching my head looking at our starting eleven, with Shelvey out through suspension and Fernandez (calf), Dyer and Routledge (both groin) out through injury. Having four of our key players missing would lead some to say we had a dilemma on our hands, but no! Loanee Tom Carroll stepped in for Shelvey, facing his parent club’s North London Rivals, former Gunner Kyle Bartley took his chance to step up over Jordi Amat (who watched on from the bench) while Marvin Emnes and Jefferson Montero took to the wings in what looked a strangely solid Swansea side.

Montero has shown glimpses of what he can do in previous games, but today I feel he really made the game (and the position) his own. Callum Chambers will be having nightmares for weeks after Jeff made a mockery of the fifteen million pound full-back time and time again. Montero pulled all sorts out of his locker to embarrass the England defender including an exquisite flick and an extra-ordinary back heel. His hard work paid dividends too, earning himself the ‘Man of The Match’ award and assisting Bafe Gomis’ winning goal late on in the game.

Before Gomis came on for Bony, Under 21 star Modou Barrow came on to make his Premier League debut, and boy did he make an impact! Within seconds of replacing Marvin Emnes, - who showed Monk that he too can challenge for a place on the wing - Barrow showed the Liberty crowd what he was capable of with a series of step-overs to get passed Kieran Gibbs. Just minutes later, Arsenal were caught on the break as the Swans’ youngster blitzed through the Gunners’ midfield, only to be taken down twenty-five yards outside the area. Step up, Mr. Gylfi Sigurdsson. After assuring my younger brother that “Gylfi doesn’t miss free kicks” the Icelandic playmaker proved me right, pulling off what Gary Lineker described as a “fabulously struck, perfectly placed free kick” into Szczesny’s top right-hand corner; unstoppable.

After going a goal down to an Arsenal side that perhaps didn’t look as good as they should with the players they have, Monk praised our squad for their “inner belief” and modest as ever, played down any suggestions that it was his substitutions that changed the game. The full-time score would run counter to this however, as Gomis came on to score his first Premier League goal to keep the three points in South Wales. A superb headed effort from an equally impressive Montero cross left the big Pole in Arsenal’s goal motionless as ‘Hymns and Arias’ echoed around the Liberty yet again.

As picked up on in pieces I’ve previously written, our defence is getting better by the game; even Taylor was excellent today! Kyle Bartley grabbed his chance with two hands and used his height excellently when defending set pieces, outmuscling Arsenal captain and World Cup winner Per Mertesaker from every corner. After picking up an early knock it looked likely that Williams might’ve been taken off, but as he has done for years he battled through, using his experience to fight off Arsenal’s late attacks. The Swans captain spoke to the press after the game:

“We’re over the moon. There’s nothing better than feeling tired and covered in bumps and bruises but getting the points.” Ashley Williams

With the international break coming up, Williams amongst others will have to put their bumps and bruises behind them in time for next week’s games, and then for our trip to The Etihad to face Manchester City on the 22nd. Garry Monk has said that he hopes to have Routledge, Dyer and Fernandez back for selection, along with Shelvey who will be back from suspension. I’ve got my ticket, and I can’t wait to see whether Monk will stick with the team who shot down the Gunners, or revert back to our usual starting eleven.

What would you do?

Thanks to Josh as usual for his contribution - give him a follow on Twitter @JoshKilmister. Personally I think you'd be hard pushed to displace anyone who played yesterday, though I'd probably bring Leon back in for Tom Carroll, assuming he's deemed match fit. Would you change anything from the team that beat Arsenal? Get in touch using the comment section below.

Swansea 2 - 1 Arsenal - Supersubs make the difference for the Swans

Swansea boss's substitutions prove to be just the ticket for Swansea City, who came back from a goal down to claim victory over the Gunners

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At the final whistle today Ashley Williams lay flat on his back, gasping for breath and looking straight up into the night sky. Such were his exertions today. More than perhaps anyone else Williams embodied the fight, passion and desire which saw Swansea come from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1, and walking shakily from the field as the crowd applauded his efforts he could rest easy, knowing he couldn't physically have done more to aid his team's cause.

The first half can best be summed up as I described it over a pint of Doombar at half-time (a hastily served pint of Doombar at that - good work Riverside bar staff!) - that it had resembled, if you'll excuse the cliché, a sparring match. Both sides had probed and pressed, and while I felt at half-time we'd enjoyed the better of it I'd imagine there were plenty of Arsenal fans saying the same thing. Emnes hit our best chance of the half straight at Szczesny, while Fabianski kept out Welbeck at the other end, and the Swans had a chance to reset and go again. 

Remarkably, Swansea are still yet to go in at half-time trailing this season - a mad stat I was unaware of until today - and that really shows how hard we are becoming to beat. Having said that, Arsenal's goal did seem to have an air of inevitability about it, as at the time they'd built a fair head of steam. Welbeck pulled the ball back for Sanchez, who slotted home - a good goal on the counter, but the Swans weren't done yet. 

The heavens had opened just before the Arsenal goal and rain was pounding down on the players, but it was debutant Modou Barrow - on for the ever-solid Marvin Emnes - who was to make an impact on proceedings. Bursting through the middle he was brought down by Gibbs, and Sigurdsson had a dead-ball opportunity about 25 yards from goal in a central position. Boy did he make the most of it. Curling an effort up and over the wall Szczesny never stood a chance, and the ball whistled into the top corner. 1-1, and all of a sudden Arsenal were rocking.

Next up, enter Bafetimbi Gomis. On from the bench I'll happily admit I had some doubts as to whether it'd prove to be a wise move - such is my love for Wilf - but he'd soon leave me with no doubts whatsoever. Barely a minute had passed before Montero - excellent throughout - stood the ball up in the middle of the box, and Gomis rose highest, heading the ball back across Szczesney and into the bottom corner. The Liberty went absolutely mental, and Gomis' celebrations were manic. He most definitely enjoyed that one. 

As the game wore on Arsenal pressed harder and higher in a bid to get back on level terms, but time and again they were denied by stoic defending from the Swansea backline. Leon Britton got a rousing ovation from the Liberty Stadium crowd when he made his long-awaited return from injury coming off the bench, and it was fitting that, in sticking his head in with an Arsenal foot raised high in the ninety-fourth minute, the free-kick that was awarded essentially handed Swansea the match. 

I'd like to single out Kyle Bartley & Ashley Williams for individual praise. As Monk said in his post-match interview, this victory was all about the team effort - however I feel our two centre-backs were absolutely exemplary, and I can't remember either putting a foot wrong all match. Twice Ash went down injured after putting his body on the line, while Bartley was absolutely outstanding. Ok, he didn't have much competition in the air up against Sanchez, Welbeck et al but he was sensible in possession, solid in the tackle, without showing the "over-zealousness" which he's displayed in the past. Keep that up and Fernandez & Amat will be hard-pushed to displace him.

At the final whistle as mentioned Ash lay gasping for air, and he wasn't alone. Ki had sunk to his knees exhausted, and I could single out every one of the team today for individual praise. That would be superfluous though. Swansea were excellent today and on the balance of play, I think you'd be hard pressed to argue we didn't deserve our win. Next up is Man City away, but it's two weeks until then so let's revel in this victory - just for the one night at least. 

I hope Garry Monk & Co are doing the same. They've earned it.

#FLASHBACKFOUR – Swansea v Arsenal

Nathan Lewis gives us his weekly rundown on the last four fixtures against our upcoming opponent

If you look at the match previews for Sunday’s game, there is a slight theme. It seems internet pundits are backing Arsenal to “restart” their season against a “faltering” Swansea team. No thanks. After 10 games, we’re higher than Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs, and two points off the top four. You’re alright.

Let’s take a look at how we’ve fared against Arsenal in the last couple of years, with this week’s #FlashbackFour:

16th January 2013

FA Cup Third Round Replay

Arsenal 1-0 Swansea

After an incredibly entertaining third round match back at the Liberty that boasted three goals in in six minutes, the replay at the Emirates stadium was a much more sedate affair. In a match eventually settled by a low Jack Wilshere drive four minutes from time, Arsene Wenger’s side dominated for large spells. It seemed as if the Swans had just too many games in such a short spell, with midweek legs of the semi-final against Chelsea bookending this FA Cup replay. Looking back, it is hard to argue that Arsenal deserved anything less than three points, given that they had pinned us back into our own half for large chunks of the match, forcing 26 attempts on goal. It was only a clinical edge that Arsenal were missing (makes a change..!), with Olivier Giroud huffing and puffing in front of goal. There really wasn’t much to shout about from a Swans perspective, and the Capital One Cup success will no doubt ease any painful memories we have of this trip to London.  

16th March 2013

Premier League

Swansea 0-2 Arsenal

In all but one of our last six games against the Gunners, half-time has been reached without a goal being scored. This one was no different, with Michu looking the most likely to trouble the scoresheet for the Swans, who were pursuing a league double over Arsenal. For the second time in three months however, Arsenal looked easily the more likely to score, although this time probably not with the ease they had in the FA Cup replay. The Gunners started the second-half brightly, Nacho Monreal pouncing to fire a deflected shot past the outstretched Michel Vorm. There wasn’t much of the game left, and Swansea struggled to work their way back into the match, and Gervinho finished the match off with a decent finish.

28th September 2013

Premier League

Swansea 1-2 Arsenal

Many will remember this match for an impressive performance from teenager Serge Gnabry, but looking back it’s hard not to blame the erratic defending of Chico, or the inability of Swansea to put away chances, for this home defeat. Gnabry certainly showed signs of why he was so highly rated at Arsenal, jinking through our midfield and defence a number of times, but that man Chico finds himself way out of position for both Arsenal goals. For the first, he attempted to rush out for the ball, missed and allowed Arsenal to pass it into the gap, allowing Gnabry to slot home. For the second, Arsenal put together a sweet passing move which embarrassed a number of defenders, not just the ponytailed Spaniard. It could have been a much greater result for the Swans however, with multiple chances being wasted, not helped by the fact Bony was a late substitute. The difference in quality up top was startling and nearly helped rescue a point. Our consolation goal came from Ben Davies seemingly having enough of his wasteful teammates, exchanging a one-two with Wilf, and volleying home. A memorable goal in yet another loss against the Gunners.

25th March 2014

Premier League

Arsenal 2-2 Swansea

Finally a point and some sort of result for the Swans against Arsenal in our recap of past matches. A sign of how far Garry Monk’s men had come during his short reign as manager was that despite only earning a point through an entertaining Flamini own gal, the Swans felt they could have nicked all three points. Having surged past the Arsenal defence, and running clear on goal, the Swans were justifiably angry with Lee Probert for blowing up early, and potentially saving Arsenal from an embarrassing loss. Despite this, a point was clearly a decent result. Having taken the lead through an excellent Bony header, the Swans stayed in control for a long period, before two Arsenal goals in two minutes exposed a slightly frail defence, and gave the London side the lead. The Swans were not disheartened however, and fought hard to equalise, their persistence eventually paying off and forcing Flamini’s own goal.

Games Played: 4

Wins: 0

Draws: 1

Losses: 3

Goals scored: 3

Goals Conceded: 7

Our record against Wenger’s Arsenal is clearly not a great one in recent years then, with just one point from the available twelve. It’s worth remembering however, that we have beaten them twice since we were promoted to the top division, and there is certainly scope for us to pull off an impressive win. Arsenal’s frailties have been well published over the years and the idea of Wilf running at Nacho Monreal at centre-back is certainly one that excites. Hopefully our so far remarkable defensive record can stand the test of Sanchez, Welbeck & co.

My prediction: Swansea 0-1 Arsenal

Thanks to Nathan for his contribution as always - give him a follow on Twitter @NathDavidLewis

Fabianski one of the signings of the season?

Josh Kilmister is a big fan of our new goalkeeper. So much so, in fact, that he thinks Lukasz Fabianski might be one of the signings of the season

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Opinions on Michel Vorm were split amongst Swans fans this past summer, with some saying he isn’t quite as good as his first couple of seasons in South-Wales would have had us believe. I’ll be the first to say that Vorm didn’t do us many favours last season at all. I can count on one hand the amount of times he kept us in a game, and more worryingly I would struggle to count the times he lost us games on two.

When we signed Fabianski on a free, people wondered if after being Arsenal’s second choice ‘keeper for so long he could actually be a solid, consistent goalkeeper in the Premier League. Fabianski pretty much won Arsenal their first piece of silverware in nine years last season, making two saves in the FA Cup Semi-Final penalty shoot-out against Wigan, and he also went on to start the final against Hull, winning the game 3-2 after extra time. He also managed to save World Cup winner Thomas Muller’s penalty in a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich, so the absence of Michel ‘The Penalty Killer’ Vorm isn’t too much of a problem for us.

So far this season, Fabianski has been outstanding between the posts this season, and that’s proven by his average match rating of 7.18/10. The 6’3” Pole has also been given two ‘man of the match’ awards by the football stats site, as well as being given ‘no significant weaknesses’. To put this in perspective, over the course of last season Vorm was given an average match rating of 6.50/10 with no ‘man of the match’ awards. (All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com)

Don’t get me wrong, Vorm is a great goalkeeper. His shot stopping was second-to-none, and you’ll struggle to find a ‘keeper with better agility, but he wasn’t helping us. One thing Fabianski brings to our defence is confidence that when a ball comes into the box, it’s going to leave the box before going in the net. Vorm is three inches shorter than Fabianski and struggled with any sort of aerial threat, and it didn’t take long for teams to catch on to that. Vorm was often praised for his composure on the ball when needed, but in all honesty I think we’ve looked more comfortable in that aspect with Fabianski behind the defence.

Vorm will always be appreciated for what he gave us in our first few seasons in the league, but he just isn’t as good as the‘big Pole in our goal’, and he’s certainly not as good as Hugo Lloris. I hope for his sake that he gets given a chance at Spurs, but something tells me his chances are slim.

Getting Fabianski on a free transfer was a shrewd piece of business on our behalf, especially with Vorm being part of the deal to bring Gylfi Sigurdsson to The Liberty. For me, if Sigurdsson is being talked about as one of the signings of the season, then Fabianski has to be too.

Thanks to Josh for this excellent piece which I thoroughly agree with. I'm a big fan of Fabianski & I think he'll go on to be a big player for us. Give Josh a follow on Twitter @JoshKilmister

You can't please everybody...

Josh Kilmister on why criticisms of Monk are unwarranted

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Ten games in and we’re sitting with relative comfort in the top six of the Premier League, yet that doesn’t seem to be enough to please everybody.

A well fought goalless draw against Everton very much split the Swans fans, with some saying it was genius management by Garry Monk and others claiming that he’s changed our style of football. I think anyone with any common sense would, or should be more than happy with the result at Goodison last weekend; especially considering the circumstances in the last twenty-five minutes of the match.

Our fourth (yes, fourth!) red card of the season saw Jonjo Shelvey sent on his way after two ridiculous yellow cards, and for once I’m not talking about the ref! A first yellow for kicking the ball away is frustrating at the least, especially when a player like Jonjo does it as it’s no secret that he’s prone to picking up a caution - he’s already faced a one match ban this season after picking up five yellow cards! Shelvey then went on to pick up a second yellow in a tackle typical of the London born midfielder.

Understandably, Shelvey’s actions got him plenty of criticism over Twitter, some even saying that he’s a weak link in our squad. Honestly, I don’t think anyone can call Jonjo a weak link. Maybe he’s a little hot-headed, and maybe he likes to get stuck in but as to whether he's ‘the new Chico Flores’... as much as I think Chico was an excellent defender when he wanted to be, Jonjo doesn’t have the arrogance to claim that title just yet.

Jonjo’s suspension will presumably see Tom Carroll step in to replace him against Arsenal on Sunday and I’m really looking forward to it. Like many players who we’ve got in on loan in recent years, Carroll has come under criticism without being given a real chance to prove himself. From what I’ve seen of him, both for us and in some games for Spurs, I’ve got no doubt that he’s good enough to be one of the first names on our team sheet every week. I’m sure he’ll show us what he can do in The Liberty on Sunday. (The game is live on Sky Sports 1 from 3:30 for those without a ticket)

Someone who’s been spoken of a lot since the beginning of the season is of course Leon Britton, even more so now that people seem to be worried that we aren’t getting as much possession as we’re used to - because possession wins games, right? When Leon comes back there will be games in which he will fit into our team perfectly and we’ll be better for it, but I can almost guarantee that Leon will not be in the Starting XI every weekend. In games where we may struggle to keep control of the ball in midfield, Leon will be Garry Monk’s go-to man, be that at the start of the game or off the bench, where I think we will see Britts make more of an impact.

Amongst the various complaints on Twitter, there were some who saw the Everton game as proof of how our defence has improved under Monk. Fede Fernandez had his critics from the second he stepped foot on Premier League soil, but that now seems to have changed. Fernandez and Ashley Williams have formed a solid partnership in the back since the equally impressive Jordi Amat lost his place through injury, and there’s no doubt that they’ll only get better. It’s no secret that the Premier League can be tough to adapt to, but Fede seems to have made the transition from Italy remarkably well, even if Ash has to use what he calls ‘Spanglish’ to communicate with him!

So for anyone planning on writing to Garry Monk with any suggestions, I wouldn’t recommend it. This season has the potential to be our best in the top-flight so far, and with January fast approaching I can only imagine that the gaffer has a few tricks up his sleeve!

Thanks as usual to Josh - give him a follow on Twitter @JoshKilmister. I'd definitely agree - we're well placed to capitalise on the points we've already picked up, and critics of Monk need to remember that he's still learning on the job. What're your thoughts? Get involved in the comment section below.

Statistics never lie…Or do they?

Warren Smith returns to look at whether the Swans really have been getting a raw deal of it from match officials

After the most recent game against Everton where the team once again felt hard-done by following yet another unfortunate sending off, I immediately began working through the statistics of fouls in the Premier League. As a biased Swansea fan, in each game I increasingly feel a greater sense of injustice due to some missed calls and seemingly biased refereeing. Unfortunately, the simple statistical ratio of cards to fouls did not really help my cause… on the surface.

As you can see in the table above (statistics courtesy of whoscored.com), when sorted by the number of fouls per yellow card ratio, we fall near the bottom. Our overall number of fouls lies in the top 8. We also have nearly a 1-to-1 fouls to fouled ratio, which makes sense considering most teams have learned that fouling a beautifully aesthetic display of passing can disrupt its progression of play. Therefore, why have I walked away each game seeing our team fall victim to another red card without ever seeing the same of another team? It is rather telling when you see that for every 5 yellow cards we receive a red, which is easily the highest ratio. These results offer many separate suggestions. 

First, as Eric mentioned in the article about Shelvey, maybe our players are being too reckless after receiving a yellow card. Shelvey certainly put himself in the hole early by making the dumb decision to kick away the ball after the foul. While I agree with Eric that the second yellow card may have been a little harsh, there was no reason to be in this position in the first place. Bony certainly made some poor decisions that led to his sending off against Southampton. However, can you blame these players for playing so physically? When you are constantly being physically tormented out of your style of play, the natural decision is to play physical back. Bony and Shelvey are both more physical specimens that want to put a tackle in to protect the rest of the team. So why are they then brandished with yellows each game, and other more physical players on other teams are able to escape this same fate?

This leads to my second point - that I believe Swansea are truly living up to Monk’s words. Monk has integrity for the game. While this integrity may lose Swansea some points here and there, it makes me even more proud to be a fan. Monk claimed in a press conference that he fines his players for flopping. On multiple occasions against Everton I saw moments where our players could have taken advantage of an opportunity to slightly deceive the ref due to poor challenges by the opposing team. Montero had an opportunity in the box where the defender stuck a leg out and caught the end of his foot. 

Montero could have made a meal of this challenge, but instead maintained his balance and continued playing. Dyer was also roughly challenged, but he maintained his composure. Sigurdsson is well-renowned for his lack of flopping under intense physical pressure. I would say that these statistics are somewhat skewed because our players do not lie writhing along the ground after a simple ankle-to-ankle contact. The truth of the matter is that until referees stop rewarding such Oscar winning performances, many players will continue taking advantage of the situation. Meanwhile, Monk wants to uphold the beauty and integrity of the game, which I certainly support. Plus who knows? Maybe it will start a trend…

Finally, I must end by making the same point as many writers have before me; that there is a desperate need for the addition of technology. As much as we can hound the refs for poor decisions, we must understand that their job is nearly impossible. First, humans are emotional, so there is no surprise that a crowd can get in their heads. Look at the statistics again. There is a huge difference between the ratio of yellow cards to away fouls and those to home fouls. Secondly, the game goes extremely fast making it nearly impossible for the ref to always make the correct call. I made my second appearance as a Swansea contributor on the podcast Premier Punditry last night, and the Everton contributor made a fair point about the handball earlier in the game. 

He explained that while from our point of view it was fairly obvious it was a handball, but from one camera angle at which the referee was stationed it appeared to go off of the player’s hip. The linesman had a similar poor angle as well. We can argue that the referee should be situated better to make that call, but we must understand how quickly this game is moving. Each year, players get bigger and faster and the speed of the game continues to increase, so we must finally make the move to use the technology at our disposal. I firmly do believe the BPL refs are some of the best in the world and yet even they seem to have trouble making the right calls, so I think it is about time for the league to make the switch.

Thanks to Warren for this piece - it's hard to argue with the introduction of technology and it's something I'm firmly in favour of. Would you like to see referees aided by a video-ref in real time? Use the comment section below to get involved! Give Warren a follow on Twitter @WarrenSmith21

Is Jonjo Shelvey turning into the new Chico?

Eric Imhof returns to look at why Jonjo needs to keep his head, lest he become the victim of criticism a lá Chico Flores

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Jonjo Shelvey leaves the field following his red card at Goodison Park

I remember a time when a red card was a news-worthy occurrence: a moment as pivotal as it was rare. But this season, the question before each match is which Swan will see a sending-off, since at this point an ejection is something of a foregone conclusion. It’s not just that the refereeing is inconsistent—or that the apparent bias towards the smaller Welsh side is becoming trite (more on this later)—but that at times some players have demonstrated a frivolous lack of concentration. Enter Jonjo Shelvey.

Now, I personally don’t think either one of the yellows against Jonjo earlier today were technically warranted, meaning the referee could have made the call not to show cards at either offense and he would still have been fair in his decision-making. I saw at least two instances in other games (one of them in La Liga) of players kicking the ball after a foul, and no card was necessary; another player simply kicked the ball back to the spot and play resumed. And yet, why put the referee in such a position in the first place? If you’re Shelvey, you know full-well that calls are not going your way this season, so what are you thinking by taking the risk?

I wasn’t alone, judging by twitter reactions during the game, in being reminded of a certain Chico Flores - who I was glad to see rid of (and I’m also not alone there), precisely because of his similar indulgence in silly and unnecessary theatrics. Like Chico, Shelvey can be great in flashes—and he certainly buys in to the club ethos in terms of hustle—but also like Chico, he can put his teammates in untenable situations. Yes, a defiant point away from the Liberty, especially against a strong team like Everton, is nothing to sneeze at. But wouldn’t it have been better not to have to dig in with ten men, when Swansea were showing signs of growing into the game in the second half and maybe, just maybe, might’ve snuck out of Liverpool with three pleasantly unexpected points?

The Arsenal game next weekend, once relegated to just one in a string of tough tests in a grueling November, will now take on new importance: without Shelvey, and without really any expectation of a win, Monk just might get an answer to the question of whether the Swans are better with a different lineup in midfield. Does anyone out there honestly think that Shelvey has done enough to win a starting spot, when Fulton is coming into his own, and Monk has Routledge, Ki, Siggy, Dyer, and Montero all eager to impress? And I didn’t even mention Leon, who's due back from injury in a week or two.

And still other options abound. ESPN’s Swans blogger Max Hicks keeps lobbying for Bony up front in the midfield, with Gomis up top as striker - which features both of their strengths: the former playing with his back to goal, the latter facing it - and I for one don’t see any good reason not to try such a thing at home against the Gooners. What if it worked?

One caveat: going back to the calls against the Swans this season, I will put an asterisk next to the “Is Shelvey the new Chico?” question because, as a defensive-minded player myself, I honestly don’t see anything wrong with what Jonjo did for the second yellow. He saw a player running, and made a run in front of his path, and used his body to shield that player from the ball. He didn’t grab or tackle him (in fact, replays show McCarthy running into Shelvey’s back, grabbing him, flailing, and then immediately appealing for a foul), and he didn’t do anything extraneously aggressive—which is what I thought yellow cards were to be shown for. 

If he had done this on the touchline with the ball rolling out, wouldn’t everyone call that good (if not text-book) defending? Now, I would not complain at all with calling what Shelvey did a foul, even though it looked perfectly legal to me, because some refs call that and some don’t, and it’s a close call, especially in real time - but why is every foul automatically a yellow card these days?

Monk said in a recent interview that it seems like any time one of his players has a yellow, the next foul is always another yellow, no matter if it’s warranted. I can see some merit in this grievance, and the near-consensus during the game was that he pulled Bony and Siggy for that very reason, especially considering the low likelihood of going forward with ten men.

Although as I question the every-foul-is-a-yellow trend, I think back to the match: flash forward a few minutes from the sending-off, and I watched McCarthy lunge at Neil Taylor with studs showing, hacking him down near the penalty box, without even the thought of a card from the ref. I know that my Swans bias blurs my vision, but what’s the deal?

With that said, Monk was right to voice concern over Jonjo’s decision making. Given the circumstances, no Swan should be giving the ref any chances whatsoever of dealing out cards for extra-curricular activities. At the moment, it's hard enough for Swansea to keep all eleven men on the field without another Chico Flores in the squad.

Thanks to Eric for this latest piece - give him a follow on Twitter @AustinJackArmy. Personally I think it's a little harsh to compare Jonjo with Chico, though I can definitely see why he's drawing this comparison. What're your thoughts?