"Wembley more important" says Laudrup, in possibly the most predictable headline of the year.
I'm aware there is an immediate discrepancy in my "Countdown to Wembley", however I'm probably not alone in having wanted a night to reflect on yesterday's performance. Michael Laudrup possibly wished he had a day to prepare before being grilled in the post-match press conference, however one plus is that with the game lost from early in the second half, he could at least start to plan his responses long before the sweetest final whistle he's no doubt heard in a long time.
"Always when you lose, you have to accept the criticism and I do that," Laudrup said. "We paid the ultimate price because 5-0 is a big result. I hope this is a one-off. I hope it has happened because of what is going to happen at the weekend but it is no excuse."
"What happens next Sunday is more important than what happened yesterday. That was one of only 38 games. Sunday is maybe one of the most important games in the history of the club."It's tempting just to "chalk this one down as a writeoff" and look forward to the cup final, however it's important the Swans continue to learn lessons from every setback we face. The manner of the capitulation was simply not good enough, with players earning thousands of pounds a week seemingly unwilling to work their hardest simply because they felt the game was lost. We heard at times last season, and this too, about how sometimes Swansea have to play to the fullest of their ability, and hope their illustrious counterparts play at less than 100%, to secure results, but that was most definitely not the case at Anfield.
There are many possible reasons why Michael Laudrup decided to rotate his squad so dramatically, but whatever they were, if this is the Swans second string, and we're serious about having a go at Europe (if we triumph in Wembley), then it's clear that the overall level of fringe players at the club needs to improve. The extra games will put extra pressure on players like Angel Rangel and Ashley Williams, who play a lot of football, and squad rotation may become a necessity next season, as opposed to the norm. It would be a shame if a European venture came at the expense of league performance, as it's been a while since, as Swans fans, we've had to accept a "backward step" as part of the long term plan for Swansea City.
This kind of performance may force Swansea's hand, and with a number of deals rumoured to be close to fruition once the summer transfer window arrives (Canas, for one) it may not be quite as dramatic as I'm making out, however it is an area that needs addressing.
One player who continues to stand out, though, and one who is probably the only outfield player to come out of Sunday's game with any credit, is Ben Davies. The youth product is enjoying a maiden season which has surpassed any I've seen from a Swansea youngster. I think prior to Ben, it would either be Jazz or before that (gulp!) Stuart Roberts or JJ "The Artist Formerly Known as Jason" Price. Not quite the same, is it?
If he keeps up his current level of performance, and learning curve, the sky is the limit for the player who only signed his first professional contract less than 12 months ago, and until penning a new deal was earning a rumoured £400 a week. If he's moved up from the Volkswagon Polo he was driving at the beginning of the season, there aren't many football fans who'd argue he hasn't earned it.
Phil Parkinson looking forward to the cup final:
“We’ve done well so far in this competition and we go to Wembley as massive underdogs, but you never know in football. We want to give a good account of ourselves and do the city of Bradford proud.
“There have been a few shocks this year, we have created a few ourselves. It’s been great for football at all levels and it has shown that upsets can be done, but we have got enormous respect for Swansea. We must accept that Swansea will have a lot of possession because they have 65 per cent of the ball against Premier League teams.
“We will have to play way above our normal level and hope that Swansea have a really bad day to bring the teams closer together. If that happens, then you never know.”This sounds worryingly like "we're going to park the bus" spread out over three paragraphs, with the token humility and "paying respect to higher league opposition" thrown in for good measure. We can say we know what it's like to play a Premier League club while languishing in the lower divisions, however we can't claim to know what it's like to have progressed to a major cup final while playing in the lowest professional league. What Phil Parkinson and his squad must be experiencing must be truly special, and if they secure a victory it truly will go down in history as one of the all-time cup stories.
On another note, fellow bloggers "HereIsTheCity" have gone with the headline;
"Rodgers should bin etiquette and go after Ashley Williams"
Now, given that Rodgers hasn't set the world alight since his move to Anfield, and that Joe Allen has fallen out of favour, it seems a strange sentiment, but one that has grown in its insistency as the season has progressed. Also, when you consider how Rodgers flaunted a supposed gentlemans agreement to sign Joe Allen (though I don't think anyone is complaining now) it's got me wondering whether "etiquette" is a central defender struggling to set the world alight at Anfield, or maybe an ironic nickname he's bestowed upon Jamie Carragher?
One thing is for sure, as with most of our players it would be hard for Williams' head not to be turned, and it remains to be seen if he'd turn down an offer from a bigger club to continue with Swansea, where he's becoming more and more of a fans favourite. A few blips early this season were quickly forgotten and he'd gone on to form a defensive unit of the finest calibre with Chico Flores.
It's a big loss to the Swans, but at least it looks like it'll be a big opportunity for Kyle Bartley to stake his claim for a place in the Swans starting XI until the end of the season (and beyond). He's been limited to games in the cup until now, and can't really argue with that given Ash & Chico's improving performances, but this is his chance now and he looks keen to take it. I've been impressed with Bartley, and he'll be looking to cement a first team berth starting, I'd imagine, at Wembley. Given the manner of the defeat at Anfield, I can only foresee a centre-back pairing of Ash & Bartley, as no doubt we'll be in for a physical encounter against Bradford.
With that, I along with most Swans fans I'm sure, am off to dream about Wembley...