Ash Williams deletes Twitter account after taking abuse from fans

Why oh why do some fans feel the need to abuse our own players?

Not too long ago Nathan Dyer removed himself from the Twittersphere, and now Ash has gone too. Well done to anyone who felt it appropriate to hurl abuse at our captain, it clearly worked and now he's gone. 

Don't think I attach too much importance to Swansea players maintaining a presence on social networks - personally I couldn't give a flying...two hoots whether any player, coach, manager or board member wants to communicate with fans directly, but I do think it serves as an excellent interface which allows fans the opportunity to interact with their heroes and idols much more directly than was previously possible.

When compared with times gone by, footballers earn proportionally so much more than the fans who pay to see them play that I feel anything which bridges the gap between the two worlds is more than welcome. That's why it's been so disappointing to witness Ashley Williams in particular come in for all kinds of abuse on Twitter, especially in the aftermath of the Cardiff game. Alright, I didn't manage to get a ticket, but from watching on TV it looked like he was one of our best performers. Why people would abuse him after that I don't know - and that's before you factor in a) how good he's been for us since signing and b) that he's been one of a few players who've come out and openly stated our level of performance hasn't been good enough.

To me however, the big concern is the negative effect this kind of thing has on the players who ply their trade for our club. I've stated before on a number of occasions that I'm firmly of the belief that non-constructive criticism achieves absolutely nothing positive, and only serves to demoralise those targeted. What's more, the club have spent so long building continuity and a family atmosphere at the club that it beggars belief some would jeopardise that (or, potentially, a player's happiness) purely so they can have a childish - and probably badly spelled - rant.

The players aren't alone in bearing the brunt of fans' frustrations. Leigh Dineen took some abuse recently (and has done so on a number of occasions) and I find that kind of thing possibly even more baffling than ranting at the players themselves. Leigh and the rest of the board have worked tirelessly since taking charge, and deserve all the credit they get/have been given in recent times. It's very much a case of "careful what you wish for" - I'd imagine critics would rather we were run like Newcastle, Sunderland, Fulham or any other bastion of good financial planning and stability. No? Thought not.

While social media allows fans to interact with people who would previously have been beyond contact, it doesn't mean those same people are beyond taking abuse personally - and why shouldn't they? Anyone who accuses Ash of giving less than 100% during his time at Swansea City is dreaming, as the guy is a warrior who has only just returned to action after playing through the pain barrier at Crystal Palace, exacerbating the injury he was carrying. Whether he should have done that (or been allowed to) is another story. For him to then receive endless abuse regarding his performance and god knows what else is, to me, unacceptable.

I'm sure most level-headed fans feel the same way about this, and if you're reading this it's probably a case of preaching to the choir. I'd also wager that the fans berating players on Twitter were of the same ilk as those berating Bony within minutes of him making his debut. You can't please some people, but we can try to make them see that abuse will bring nothing but division in the ranks and a loss of morale. 

With the psychological aspect of sports performance increasingly coming to the fore, we should recognise that the role of the supporter is just that - to support. There's a time and a place for criticism, and generally it doesn't involve getting in a player's face on Twitter.

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.

Ashley Williams possibly out for another few weeks...

Chris Coleman reveals Swansea & Wales skipper isn't yet close to a first-team return

It seems Ash playing through the pain barrier at Crystal Palace really is biting us in the posterior, as he now looks set to miss out on the next couple of matches. 

“We scanned him and it was clear he could not play - how quickly the injury settles down, I don't know, but from my point of view, as long as the players arrive here early, we can see if there's a chance of them playing or not. 

“Michael Laudrup said he had him on the bench at Southampton just as a number, and looking at the injury I can see that he was never going to play, but it was good to have him here and take a look for ourselves. I am not sure when he will be back, but I am not sure he will be back for the next two or three games after this international camp.” Chris Coleman

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Ashley-Williams-weeks-says-Coleman/story-19917343-detail/story.html#ixzz2hKwDOH2H 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/swansea-city-captain-ashley-williams-6169149?

A couple of questions. Why was he allowed to play if the problem had the potential to become this serious? With all due respect to Crystal Palace, if you were to rest your main centre-back for any game it would probably have been that one, and it's dealt us a harsh blow as we've really, really missed him in the last few games. I'd argue that (if he was selected) the Birmingham game would have gone down differently and I'd say the same about the Southampton game. Ben Davies has been out of position for two goals in the last two weeks and Ash's organisational skills can't be underestimated, while the second Southampton goal... well, Ash would have been having none of that. BANG! Get it clear. Job done.

Secondly, what's with that quip by Coleman that Laudrup had said he was on the bench at Saints "to make up the numbers"?! It could be, I suppose, a bit of mind games by Laudrup aimed at reinforcing Ash's fragile state (and that he should be excused from playing in the international games), however if it's true what was the point? Is his presence that beneficial that it was worth sacrificing a place on the bench? I'd like to see youngsters given a chance on the bench more, and it must be disheartening if no-one from the development squad is deemed worthy of a place over an unfit Ash - even if he is our captain.

Hopefully it was the former and not the latter, and we'll start to see players being promoted from the youth set-up regularly, but in the meantime Swansea fans will surely have their fingers crossed Ash gets back to fitness as soon as possible. After all, there's only three matches to get out of the way before the first ever top-flight South Wales derby.

Not that I'm looking forward to it, or anything.

Michu & Ash rumoured to be on Wenger's radar

Swans' skipper and Spanish striker expected to be the subject of a desperate bid from Arsenal, but will we or should we sell?

Cometh the hour, cometh the panic emanating from the Emirates. Arsene Wenger's continued reluctance to spend what most clubs would consider a fair transfer fee seems set to see the Swans resolve tested, as all signs point to a serious, serious bid for one or both of Ashley Williams or Michu, but regardless of any inflated transfer fee we'd receive is there any benefit to selling players this close to the end of the transfer window? 

Given the Swans are continuing to prove their reputation as canny negotiators in the transfer market is more than justifiable, it's hard not to have doubts that selling players this late in the day could leave us in something of a sticky situation. Take Michu for example; Laudrup has been on record for weeks, as has Huw, stating that even though we spent £12million on Wilfried Bony we're still in the market for another striker, so the idea of selling a player who is likely to play a fair amount of games at centre-forward this season really doesn't seem to make sense.

That being said, every player has their price and rumour has it £25million is the price needed before the Swans would accept a bid for a player who only cost £2million barely 12 months ago. That would represent, by my maths, a profit of 1250%. Given the Swans pride in how they operate a financially responsible football club, it's hard to look at that and argue it doesn't make sense. For me, £25million is the kind of fee which I would have to accept as sufficient to prise any of our players away - it's a stupendous sum which could, for example, be put to good use on stadium expansion, improved training facilities or any other number of off-field projects, as well as obviously having a fair whack left over with which to seek a replacement. After all, we've already signed a £12million striker this summer so any replacement would, I'd imagine, be likely to fall more in the "up to £5million" bracket.

As for Ashley Williams, that's a prospect I'm more concerned about. The Swans' skipper is, to me, integral at the moment, and with Chico Flores I think we could see a partnership develop which would rival any in the Premier League. Finding a solid centre-half who would slot into a Premiership team which play the way Swansea do is surely a bigger ask than finding a young eager centre-forward, and in selling Ash we'd be relying more on the quality of our existing centre-backs Jordi Amat and Garry Monk (along with the aforementioned Flores) than on the likelihood of finding a quality first-team replacement. Never say never - you don't know who the Swans have been tapping up, but finding a player to replace Ash is a massive, massive task. 

It remains to be seen if and when a bid arrives for either or both of the Swansea players, and I've got fingers, toes and everything else crossed that nothing ever comes of this, but with Wenger reported to have made a £10million bid for Yohan Cabaye it seems his transfer scramble is starting in earnest. Prior to the Villa defeat he'd tried to appease fans (and journalists) by saying "Don't worry - we will be signing players" and The Mirror have gone as far as to suggest that a deal is in place for Ashley Williams which Wenger simply has to rubber-stamp, but as yet he's been reluctant given the transfer fee involved. Then again, an article in the same publication from four days ago states that Arsenal have so far offered only £6million - around half what the Swans would expect - but this doesn't tally with what Huw Jenkins said yesterday; that the Swans have "received no phone calls about any of their players". 

It remains to be seen what the Swans would do if presented with a mega-money bid, but you can bet they'll maximise any fee whenever they're letting a player leave who, ideally, would be sticking around for some time yet. Michu and Ash fall firmly in that category, and I can't help but shake the feeling that the Swans' resolve will be seriously tested in the next few days. 

Wet weather can't dampen Ash's enthusiasm

Skipper claims 2013/14 is his best pre-season yet as squad look to carry good form into league opener

Some of Swansea's new signings could have been forgiven for thinking the whole "Welsh weather" thing was perhaps something of a cruel in-joke, given the balmy conditions we've enjoyed over the last few weeks. With the temperatures nudging 30 degrees and a plethora of beaches to choose from post-training, players arriving from Spain must have thought they'd discovered a home from home, while the sun will no doubt have helped endear SA1 to Jonjo Shelvey and Wilfried Bony too. 

As any seasoned South Walian knew though, the glorious sunshine couldn't last. The last few days have seen the kind of weather we're more accustomed to in these parts, but it clearly hasn't dampened spirits in the Swansea camp as evidenced by Ashley Williams' positive take on the club's pre-season campaign:

"I am excited. I think pre-season's gone really well and you're almost scared to admit that you think we're going to be good this season. We've progressed every year and I've never had a pre-season this good before. We've scored a lot of goals and haven't conceded many. Things are going well so I am excited — but I don't want to say that and jinx it." 

"It was really good. We're proud to be in European competition and in a way it was the perfect night for us. It is something we can celebrate, four goals scored, a clean sheet, and on top of that a good performance. We want to go as far as we can in the competition, we've said that all along. 

"Maybe in the season it's going to catch up with us. I've never been involved in Europe before, but sometimes it looks that way with other teams. We planned for that game, we wanted to win it and we did. 

"It's nice to come into the Liberty and see the Europa League signs on the door. I never thought we'd make a Euro competition so it's something to be proud of. 

"I thought they played really well. Jordi next to me had a good game and I'm a big fan of Jonjo's. You can also see what Wilfried brings to the team. He's a great focal point for us attacking-wise. I'm sure that when he gets up to speed and knows Michu's game, those two are going to be a threat.  

"Not since Jason Scotland in the Championship have we had a physical presence up there, someone we can play the ball to and it sticks. He can certainly do that. But also he's got great feet and can play."  

When asked what he thought new Manchester United manager David Moyes would have made of the performance (he was in attendance for the Malmo game), Williams was quick to point out the squad are only concerned with how they feel they've played:

"I hope he's impressed with the performance we put on. I know we feel that we played well and that's all we can worry about. I felt like we dominated the game so we didn't really give them a chance to impose themselves on the game. 

"I haven't seen this sort of competition before at Swansea. There's a lot of players looking for places, but I'm sure we're going to need them as the season goes on." Ashley Williams

Early signs have been positive indeed, but the litmus test will surely come when Manchester United roll into town. A positive result against the champions will go a long way in instilling confidence throughout the side, and could well see us build up a head of steam as we take on what is, without doubt, a daunting opening set of fixtures that includes Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool & Arsenal before the end of September.

Britton claims current crop of players best Swansea squad he's seen

I think anyone who has only seen the Swans post-1983 would agree with you in a flash there, Leon.

"This is the best Swansea squad I have ever seen. We now have genuine depth with two players for every position. That means everybody has to be at the top of their game or they will be out of the side. It was a great performance against Malmo. 

"It's so exciting to be playing [Man Utd] with a new manager after so long. That's going to make it some occasion." Leon Britton

Laudrup pleased with squad depth

Last but not least on a day when it seems everyone is in the press talking about how happy they are, our esteemed manager has been chatting with the Evening Post, saying that while he's not immediately concerned about tired legs, squad rotation will definitely be a factor when games start piling up in the middle of the season:

"I don't look at resting players, we have only played one game. But if I am talking about the depth of the squad, we have to use all the players. I showed last season I would do that, I changed a lot of players in December and January - I have a lot of possibilities so even if I change four or five we will still have a very competitive team. 

"Even without the Europa League, we need that depth. In August you can play the same team more or less in every game, but then suddenly you need the others. You get to the middle of the season and there are a lot of cup games; and that's without the Europa League." Michael Laudrup

As I showed in a recent blog (here) the strength in depth we've acquired in the last few years is rather remarkable. We've gone from plucky team-ethic newcomers to, it would seem, a team brimming with Premier League quality in just over two years, and most of it has been done fairly under the radar. Kudos must go again to our board, as well as the managers (and other movers and shakers behind the scenes - a begrudging not in the direction of Bayram Tutumlu included) who made some of the transfers happen.

One thing is for sure; we're venturing into unknown waters for Swansea City football club, and it seems everyone is intent on enjoying it. Long may it continue. 

Garry Monk hands captain's armband to Ashley Williams

Ex-Southampton centre-back will continue as club captain, with Ash becoming matchday captain

News broke yesterday that Swansea stalwart Garry Monk has handed the armband on to his younger central-defensive counterpart due to his view that the regular matchday skipper should be nailed on to start every week; and by Monk's own admission he's been in and out of the side over the last season or two. 

The decision can't have come lightly, and it's an idea which will have been bouncing around inside his head for a while now. As most will know, Monk has been club club captain for almost a decade, but in recent times when he hasn't been selected to play Williams would instead take the armband, but from now on the captain of Wales will also be the permanent matchday captain of the Swans too:

Monk, Williams & Dwight Tiendalli challenge for the ball

"I just feel it's the right time now - it is a difficult decision. It's probably been one of my proudest things - if not the proudest thing - I've had to do with Swansea City. I know we've had promotions and cups, but it's definitely up there to have captained this club for so long. It's been a real honour.Continue reading the main story“"If the manager thinks I'm wrong then I'll have to listen to the manager won't I? But that's my gut feeling anyway. I'm still going to be club captain but - this is how I personally look at it, I haven't spoken to the manager or Ash himself - I just feel from my experience as captain, that should be the person [Ash]. 

"The continuity should be there, someone that's been there week in week out, which has been Ashley. Obviously when I've not played he wears the captain's armband; I just feel that should continue even when I am playing. It's a decision from myself, things won't change, apart from the armband. 

"Off the pitch I'll be the same, even on the pitch when I'm playing I'll still be a leader and it's just a case of I think Ash deserves to lead the team out week after week. My duties as club captain won't change. I'll still be doing the stuff off the pitch with the boys and in the community representing the club. 

"I proved last season and the season before, I haven't played as regularly as I would have liked, but I've still contributed a number of games and when I've played I think I've done pretty well - That's all I can ask of myself, make sure that I'm fit, ready, look after myself and when called upon to do it right. I've done that so far, so I can't have any complaints with myself. 

"If I couldn't compete at this level, if I was slacking off and feeling physically not right then I'd hold my hand up, I'm honest enough to do that, but I think I've proved the last couple of seasons in the Premiership that when I've played, I've more than competed with some of the top strikers. 

"I probably feel even stronger this pre-season, I feel sharp, I've looked after myself through the summer and I feel fit." Garry Monk

It says something about the man that he's been captain now for about 8 years under five different managers - there aren't many players who could enjoy that kind of longevity, and Monk will go down in history as one of, if not Swansea's most successful captain ever. Despite giving up the matchday armband, it looks like Garry will be hanging around SA1 for some time yet, and boy he's earned the right.

Ben Davies: "Ash is worth £10million", Amat explains why he signed & the Swans to drop interest in Wilfried Bony?

First up today is Ben Davies chipping in with his tuppence worth on the protracted rumour surrounding Ashley Williams' future. It's been reported for months that Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in signing the Welsh captain, however it seems neither club are even remotely interested in meeting the Swans' valuation, believed to be around the £10million mark.

Davies alongside skipper Ashley Williams

When you're a club the size of Arsenal or Liverpool (or any other club with CL aspirations, for that matter), you have to expect to be paying these kinds of prices for established Premier League players. Ash just finished his second PL season, drawing plaudits from all corners while helping his team to (another) improved league finish, along with their first ever major silverware.

He helped secure Europa League football for next season, so to me if Arsene Wenger wants Ash, he wants him because he believes he can compete in the Champions League and he'll have to pay the going rate to do that. Name another established first-choice Premier League centre-back who you'd back to compete in the CL, who you could pick up for less than £10million? I don't think that's an exorbitant fee, and Ben Davies clearly agrees:

"Last season I would say Ash was one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, I cannot think of many who were better than him. The job he did was incredible.. 

"A price of £10m or more to sign him is completel justified. You see some of the money that gets spent in this league on players who are unproven in the Premier League. I think £10m is more than a fair price. 

"Ash gave me a lot of confidence on the pitch and the transition from Swansea to playing for Wales was made a lot easier as I played with him every week. He is a great player and a great captain, he is always there to talk to, and if you have to say something he is happy to take it." Ben Davies

Jordi Amat - "Swansea style the reason I signed"

The latest in an ever expanding procession of Conquistadors to make their way to SA1, Amat adds to an already healthy Spanish contingent, and acknowledges that with numerous countrymen already at the club making the switch to the Liberty was an easy decision to make:

This picture of Amat was worth including
purely for the kit he's wearing. Epic.

"I think I can settle into the club straightaway, especially as we have Spanish players here already. I know Pablo Hernandez and Michu already, while Chico and Angel Rangel are very important players here. I also played against Jose Canas last season in La Liga, so I know a lot about him, but it's not just that, or the fact Michael Laudrup is manager, it is the way in which the club play. The style here is perfect for me — it is the way I play. 

"I am very happy to join Swansea. One of my dreams has been to play in the Premier League, and I can do that here. I am very grateful to the chairman and Michael Laudrup for giving me this opportunity and showing a lot of faith in me. My target now is to repay their faith and do everything I can to help the team. 

"I watched Swansea last season — what the club achieved was incredible. To finish in the top half of the Premier League and win a trophy is a massive achievement. In Spain, Swansea are very famous now. They talk a lot about the club and how they have become a successful team in the Premier League with an attractive style of play. 

"The club has a great set-up — the stadium is lovely and I know it's full every game, and I can't wait to run out in front of the supporters for the first time."      Jordi Amat

When Jose Canas came out with similar comments regarding the Swans, it was greeted (outside SA1 at least) with a small amount of mirth, given that the more hirsute of the two recently arrived Spaniards claimed Swansea were "the most famous team in Spain". While I don't think we could go that far, it's unlikely there's any kind of corroborated charm offensive being utilised by the Swans in terms of pitching the club to Spanish players, so it's likely they're not just making this up, and we are developing more of a following in Spain. Nothing wrong with that, and it'll only be of benefit to the club both financially, through increased shirt and merchandise sales, and in terms of how easy it is to attract players to the club in future.

Swansea to drop interest in Wilfried Bony?

With Huw Jenkins having gone on record as expecting to hear something regarding the Swans' bid for the Ivorian before the weekend was over, it seems the Swans' chief is losing patience with his current club, Vitesse Arnhem. It's believed the Swans have tabled a bid worth around £10million plus add-ons, and when the Swans put that kind of money on the line I can't imagine they'd be willing to hang around too long waiting for an answer. Huw knows that he can't, and won't be drawn into a bidding war, and while I don't feel we can rule out this deal being completed just yet it's more than possible we're now looking at other options in terms of a new striker.

Nacer Chadli. Tricky.

There've been two names which have appeared in the last 48 hours. First, Christian Benitez (once of Birmingham - remember him?) - the Ecuadorian has excelled for Club America in Mexico over the last couple of seasons and has reportedly drawn interest from Tottenham, amongst others. I'd say it'd be very hard to draw any conclusions on a striker's efficiency by comparing the Mexican league to the Premier League, but if the club feel he's worth a bid they know a lot more than I do.

The other name which has been linked with the Swans in the last few hours is that of FC Twente striker Nacer Chadli. The 25-year-old Belgian scored 16 goals in 32 games (in all competitions) last season, and from what I'm reading he's very much in the Scott Sinclair mould - a tricky forward who operates on the left hand side, but is actually right footed. He's only 23, and would apparently cost slightly less than Bony at around £8.5million, however given Bony's scoring record it's hard not to feel like we're accepting second best if we miss out now. That being said, Chadli has been featuring for the Belgian side and given the wealth of talent they have in attack it's clear that the powers that be rate him highly.

One issue may be the reported interest of Aston Villa. With fellow countryman Christian Benteke enjoying such a prolific breakthrough season in the Midlands, it's possible Chadli will decide to opt for the Villains over the Swans. With information on Chadli scant, the best I can do is link a video from youtube:

The guy has clearly got technique in abundance and I've no doubt he'd be a good addition to the squad, but he definitely seems like more of a winger than an out and out striker. Is there anything in this one? We'll have to just wait and see...

Huw insists Arsenal have made no contact over Ash, while Michu (unsurprisingly) wants us to sign a striker

Huw: "No Arsenal bid for Ash"

Ashley Williams. "You what??"

With the increasing speculation surrounding Ashley Williams's future, it seems it's now only a matter of time before a bid is made. Huw confirmed yesterday that there had been no contact from Arsenal regarding a transfer, so if they do want to speak with him they had better put some money on the table first. As mentioned before, the Swans are likely to value their captain at around £12million, but Arsenal are likely to start a lot lower than that, and it may well be that £10mil ends up being enough.

I'm still unconvinced that we'll be able to replace such a vital component in the team without suffering a loss of form. Ash has been here so long now, and made such an impact during games, that it's almost impossible to replicate what he does for the Swans - and his statistics bear testament to this; he made the most interceptions and clearances of any player in the PL this season. That kind of impact on a game is very hard to replicate, although Chico seems to be doing his best, so it's possible if Ash does leave we could sign someone more "Monk-esque" and go back to having one organiser and one bruiser.

One motivating factor for Arsenal may be that in recent times Thomas Vermaelen has found himself on the bench at the expense of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny - the Belgian needs to be playing first team football so unless he's given assurances about his role in the squad he may well be off, at which point the signing of Williams becomes even more important...and may add a little onto the price tag.

Liverpool were reported as being interested, however with Kolo Toure set to complete a move to Anfield that seems to rule out Ash teaming up with Rodgers again, so it looks like it's Arsenal or bust. Whether a bid materialises we'll have to wait and see, but a friend has pointed out this bears more than a passing resemblance to Gary Cahill's proposed move to Arsenal. Wenger didn't stump up then, and ended up missing out. Will he this time? I wouldn't bet on it.

Michu wants a strike partner for next year

This is the (old) news that Michu prefers playing in a "second-striker" position, as opposed to up front on his own. Why he feels the need to keep reiterating this I don't know, as everyone is more than aware he prefers playing in a deeper role (even if some of us think he's more effective up front), however it does seem likely he'll get his wish with a number of potential candidates mooted. Romelu Lukaku, Iago Aspas, Arouna Kone & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all been linked with the Swans of late, so it seems we've now moved on from shopping at the footballing equivalent of Lidl to the reduced section at Waitrose. Why pay top dollar when if you sniff around you can pick up top quality goods at a knock down price? Wigan in particular have a number of players worth looking at, and you'd better believe we'll have scouts knocking around the North-West seeing who's worth a cheeky bid during the close season.

"I don't know if I will score more than 22 goals next season. You never know but I hope so. It's difficult to score that many goals but I think the club will sign new strikers in the summer. 

"My team-mates next year will score, so there won't be too much pressure. I prefer to play behind the striker but, if the gaffer asks me to play anywhere, I'll play there." Miguel Michu

There is a tactical consideration regarding the signing of a new striker, however. For large swathes of this season, Michu has led the line, with three midfielders behind him (be it two CM's and a winger, or three CM's), but on occasion he has dropped back to play in the advanced midfield role. Now, while I do think Michu is effective in attack in this position I think the overall effect he has on the midfield is a disruptive one - disturbing the normal crisp rhythm the Swans engine room operates with. I think this is largely due to the lack of a physical element to the Swans' central midfield options - with Michu at the head of a midfield three any two of Ki, Leon and JDG always seemed a bit lightweight to me and liable to be over-run by a physical, organised midfield, and this is in exacerbated by Michu's tendency to wander.

The Swans' system is based on the players adhering to positional guidelines strictly, and if one player drifts it then throws the whole midfield out of whack, which has happened on numerous occasions this season. Hopefully, with the signing of a dedicated defensive midfielder it'll mean we can play with a striker and Michu, in what is starting to become something more akin to a 4-4-1-1 formation. I'm not averse to this at all, it's just I feel with the players currently at our disposal there were numerous occasions we'd have been better off playing three central midfielders in an attempt to maintain midfield supremacy. 

Who we'll bring in remains to be seen, but the names mentioned are exciting in that they seem to indicate the level of player that we'll be looking at. It doesn't make sense to jump into the market too soon as players may yet become available, but Laudrup no doubt already has a long list of targets which the board will be vetting and inquiring about. With the Swans' boss stating that, if all current players were retained, he'd like to bring in 6 or 7 players, it looks like we're in for a busy summer in South Wales. Get your bargaining hat on Huw, you're up!

Leon Britton - "Swans must retain Ashley Williams"

So, the season has drawn to a close. Over the next few months journalists, bloggers and reporters will be sniffing around for stories as the lack of competitive action impacts upon the amount of content available to fill column inches, but for now at least there's an abundance of post-season analysis and comment available for our perusal.

First up is Leon's interview where he stated his belief that the Swans should pull out all the stops in a bid to retain Ashley Williams services for next season.

"It is vitally important that we keep someone like Ashley. He has been fantastic since he joined us and he is the captain now. He has been absolutely brilliant, and it's no surprise he has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal.

"It is a testament to the player because he has been outstanding, but hopefully we can keep hold of him. We would all love him to stay and we will see what the summer holds but hopefully come the start of August he will still be here."

"I think it is important we spread the games around the squad. We have seen this season with the likes of Newcastle and Stoke - two teams who have done well in the Europa League - that you can struggle a bit in the league.

"It can take its toll, but I am sure the management and staff have plans in place to bring players in."  Leon Britton

People have been using Newcastle as an example of what can happen if you try and compete in Europe with a fairly thin squad. They finished last season with 65 points - a massive twenty four more than they accrued this term. Granted, there were other factors involved in their dismal form this year but ultimately it seems the extra games really affected their league performance. Given that Newcastle enjoyed some success in the Europa League and actually had a crack at it, their experiences are likely to be more comparable to Swansea's impending Euro adventure than Stoke's the year before, where Pulis didn't really take it seriously and put out a second team against Valencia (the Potters unsurprisingly went down 2-0).

Laudrup has stated that if (and that's a big if) the Swans retain their entire squad (minus players he wants to ship out) he'd like to sign six or seven players for next season. He's also hinted that some of his transfer targets would "get fans excited" so it seems we may be in for a surprise or two over the close season. As for Ashley Williams, would he go? Liverpool seem set to sign Kolo Toure on a free, which would seemingly make Anfield an unlikely destination for the Swansea captain, however with Arsenal consistently rumoured to be interested you feel a bid is now imminent. Would he go? It would be hard, if not impossible for him to turn down such a move, but you never know. 

As I mentioned in a previous blog here, it's not always sensible to cash in. Ok, the Swans could probably get £10mil, maybe a bit more, but we don't necessarily need it and selling Ash would rip the heart out of the defence, the team and the dressing room. He's been exceptional since signing for us and has come on so far; I remember when he was still rough around the edges - any time he came for a header I winced because generally he'd fly past the man and miss the ball, but I think playing alongside Garry Monk has made Williams into the defender he is. He now has a greater appreciation of how to read the game and despite the incessant abuse he doles out to Monk you feel he appreciates how much playing alongside him has helped his game. 

If he wants to go, then obviously we can't stop him. That's the one thing no-one knows and you won't find many Swansea fans who'd begrudge him his chance at playing for an established Champions League club. If and when he does move on, it's going to be one hell of a task replacing him, and the Swans are probably already keeping tabs on options in case he does up sticks. Leon clearly agrees that selling Ash would leave a massive void and it's always questionable whether you can fill such a void without suffering on the pitch. So far though the Swans higher-ups have performed miracles in terms of player recruitment and I don't expect that to stop now. Onwards and upwards, eh!

Swansea braced for offers, but at least Michu is happy where he is...

Over the last few days Goal.com again led the way with the "news" that Arsenal representatives have met with those of Ashley Williams, for a second round of talks regarding the possibility of the burly centre-back switching South Wales for North London. Aside from the fact that meeting with representatives of another club would be a breach of Ashley's contract, without any proof I'm choosing to file this in the folder marked "yet more rubbish from Goal.com".

Ashley Williams in action against Arsenal

That's not to say the Swans aren't going to receive an offer. When stories refuse to go away there's generally
something in them, and despite the prospect of European football in SA1 next year it is nigh on impossible for a player like Ashley Williams to turn down a move to such a big club. When I say "player like Ashley Williams", I don't simply mean a player at a "smaller" club, I mean a player who's done it the hard way and played his way up from non-league football. Unlike so many young players these days who play for a big club before being discarded, Ash has never had the chance to play for one of football's giants, and few would begrudge him a move if he so desired.

Arsenal are notoriously stingy, but they'll have met their match in Huw. Losing an essential first-team player like Ash will cost Arsenal, and if they want to take him Huw will definitely play hardball. It seems Arsenal value him at £8mil but the Swans will definitely look to get significantly more than that. I'd say £12mil is a fair fee given current inflated market values. If Arsenal are buying a centre-back, they're buying a centre-back to compete in the Champions League, so I don't see why they shouldn't be paying more than £10mil...

Alan Curtis thinks a number of Swansea players may be the subject of bids from Premier League rivals, as the team's increased level of performance enhances the reputations of the players within it:

"I guess the vultures are going to be lurking above us. The fact that the players have done so well means they are attracting the interest of some of the bigger clubs. It's just a fact of life now. 

"Irrespective of where we're going to finish, we're still perceived as a small club in terms of the Premiership. We've lost managers, we've lost players - we obviously want them to stay but if it happens then we'll just have to deal with it as we normally do. 

"There are obviously bigger clubs than us. If it was up to the players they would stay because they enjoy their football, they love the way we play the game, but, obviously, if you get some of the real big clubs, then obviously it's going to be difficult for the player to turn it down and for the club to refuse them the right to play for those clubs."  Alan Curtis

One player who it seems we don't have to worry about is top-scorer Michu. The Spaniard clearly enjoys playing for the Swans, and came out recently to say that he's very happy in South Wales:

"I've seen articles on the internet, but I'm very happy here. I only think about playing next Sunday against Fulham. I'm happy on the pitch and in this team.   

"Swansea fans do not need to worry. I'm very interested [in having the opportunity] to play in Europe. I am very happy at the club and I want to say thank you to everyone at the club because we have all enjoyed this season." Miguel Michu

Another player who's been heavily linked with a move is goalkeeper Michel Vorm. After injury earlier in the season he saw Gerhard Tremmel come in and perform admirably, but after a few indifferent performances when he made his return he's now back to his best, and has put in some good displays lately. That being said, if the Swans were to receive an offer in the region of £8-10million I'm sure they'd consider it. One factor could be a rumoured sell-on clause in Vorm's contract, which would see a chunk of any transfer fee go to his previous club Utrecht. If he were to move on Tremmel is a capable replacement, and the funds received should allow us to find a seriously tidy replacement.

All  this speculation is superfluous however, as before any transfer wheelings and dealings there's the small matter of Fulham at home. I thankfully managed to get a ticket from the batch released by the Swans yesterday, so I'll be in the North Stand by the away fans for the first time. I'm hoping Ki gets a start, but I also really hope Rory Donnelly gets a cheeky 20 minutes at the end. He's scored a lot of goals for the U21's in the last few months and a little run-out in front of the home fans would do wonders for his confidence going into the close season.

Wait and see I guess, and at least until Saturday we don't have to worry about any of our players leaving...

Ashley Williams rumours intensify - is selling him the sensible choice?

The increasing rumours around the future of Ashley Williams got me thinking about whether it's always worth cashing in, as seems the norm in modern football. Ash is 29 soon, and has had two solid seasons in the Premier League - more than holding his own and evidently attracting admirers along the way. There have been rumours for a while of interest from other clubs, but at the moment the strongest noises are that bids from Liverpool (predictably) and Arsenal are more than probable. This, to me, leaves the Swans with a choice of two gambles.

"I wish they did this in a vest"

One - you give him an improved contract. Ashley Williams could, if he took a move to a club of that ilk, expect to earn £40kpw. The Swans simply can't match that, but for a first choice, starting XI player at his peak I wouldn't mind seeing a contract of £30k offered. I know it's a lot, and I'm not advocating this to become a benchmark for Swans high earners, but Ash has been exceptional for us and his loss would be massive. Is he worth it? A friend said "I'm not in a position to make that call" and to be honest I'm glad I'm not either. Personally, I like Ashley Williams a lot and I don't see the point in selling. We've got European football next year, and I'd love to see Ash & Chico continue to forge a bond at centre-half.

Two - you cash in. Williams is, in terms of market value, about as valuable as he's ever likely to get. He's a good age for a centre-back, has proven himself in a competitive league and as yet hasn't moved to a big club (where the prospect of failure/being found out is ever-present), so if the Swans were to sell they would definitely be able to get a quite frankly ridiculous price. You have to consider that if a club like Liverpool or Arsenal are trying to buy one of our players, why shouldn't we be asking top dollar? For me rumours of an £8million bid are way below what I'd expect. Knowing Huw, he'd open negotiations very high, and I'd expect at least £12million if Ash was to move on this summer. The problem with this scenario is there is no guarantee we'll be able to find a suitable replacement in time. Bartley had looked tidy when he's played, but with Monk preferred during Chico's recent absence there must now be question marks over his future involvement.

Whether Ash does move on or not, he's been a fantastic servant to the club and no-one can begrudge him a move to a "big" club. He knows what it's like to play non-league football, and the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in world football may prove too hard to resist, and that's fair enough quite frankly. Will he go? I think only he knows that, and if he wants to stay I'm sure the Swans won't have a problem with that. 

Swans agree pre-contract with Canas (rumoured), Taylor inching closer to return & Williams on Norwich result

Good afternoon all. This was supposed to be a nice early Monday morning post to give you all something to read, but, well, I've got a week off work and I've been enjoying doing a whole load of nothing, so you'll have to forgive a touch of tardiness. Bit of a slow news day (in terms of official announcements), so first up is... 

Swansea City agree pre-contract with Jose Canas

As yet, there has been no official word from the club regarding Jose Canas, however the Mirror last night broke the story that Jose has agreed a pre-contract with the Swans, rejecting offers from WBA and others that were rumoured to be worth twice what the Swans had offered. I did some digging and put together an in-depth profile of Canas earlier this year (blog available here), and if this news is true then it'll bring a massive smile to my face; and not just because the Premier League needs more players with good hair. 

Canas battling with Cesc Fabregas.

Canas looks like he possesses all the attributes required to be a very good player for Swansea City, but with a couple of months left on his contract it's unlikely we'll know anything more regarding his signature until Betis know where they're likely to be finishing in the league. They're currently chasing European football, so they won't want the disruption which could be caused by the announcement of one of their leading lights leaving; indeed given Betis' position in La Liga it's even possible that if he does sign for the Swans, it's possible he could play his former employers in the Europa League next season! 

Stranger things have happened, but all in all if these rumours are true it's excellent news for the Swans. One signing down, and no doubt more to come...

Neil Taylor set to feature for U21 side away at Brentford

Following appearances for the Swans' development side away at Bristol City and home to Colchester United, Neil Taylor could possibly play his first full ninety minutes today since breaking and dislocating his ankle at the beginning of the season. His comeback has surprised everyone, given the severity of the injury, and it's testament to both the player and the staff around him that he's managed to get himself back in contention in record time. 

Taylor in action for Swansea

The game is being held at Brentford's "Jersey Training Ground" (exotic...) and even with free admission it's likely there won't be many people in attendance, which will probably suit Neil as he looks to keep his head down and continue to work hard in pursuit of a first-team return. It's more than possible he'll be fit and available before the end of the season now, so a good showing here could see him come into the reckoning for the Southampton game on the 20th. Whether Laudrup thinks he's ready remains to be seen, but no doubt Neil will be chomping at the bit to make a competitive appearance before the season is over.

Good luck to the Swans U21 side, too. They've won the last two games on the bounce, so hopefully O'Leary's boys can keep up the good form as they look to finish the season on a high. I can't find any news on Kenji Gorre, and he's not included in the squad for today, so it's possible his trial period has finished; as soon as I find news on that you'll all be the first to know. [As it turned out, the game had finished by the time I'd finished typing this blog. The Swans went down 2-1 to Brentford, with the Swansea goal coming from Rory Donnelly. No info available on how long Taylor managed].

Ash refutes suggestions of Swansea "taking it easy" in wake of cup win

In the wake of the Norwich game, Ashley Williams was pressed by journos as to whether he felt his side are struggling to maintain their level of performance, now that they've already secured European football for next summer. Ash was quick to shout this theory down, and realistically for good reason; robbed of a point at WBA by a ridiculous decision, the Swans then lost to Arsenal and Spurs. Oh no! Losing to two Champions League chasing clubs can hardly be considered to be "taking your foot off the gas", but that is exactly what the Swans had been accused of in some quarters of late and Williams will have been glad the Swans secured a result, if only to stop the theory growing any further.

"I'm not too fussed what people say. When you win a cup, that's the obvious thing that people look at, but we don't feel like that. We're just working hard, we're having a bit of a wobble with the three losses and we've stopped that today but it's nothing to do with feeling like the season's over. I don't think so anyway - I don't get that impression or feel like that. 

"When you have three losses, you just need to get a point - or three - to stop it and on a different day we could have won the game today. Also, at 2-1 down, facing your fourth-straight loss, I think we showed great character and hopefully we can use this today and really kick on now towards a strong finish, which is what I think we deserve for the season we've had so far." 

Williams celebrates Luke Moore's equaliser at
Carrow Road. Check out the evils on the guy
in the baseball cap!

When asked about Michu's miss in the 90th minute;

"We're never going to complain about Michu, he's scored some important goals and a good goal again today. He's unlucky that he didn't put that one away. If he did we would have got the win and gone home happy, but as I said he scored one and we're happy with that. 

"He's got goals, that's what he's all about, and I think he's performing well. He looks good when he plays with Luke, I like the pair of them together. I'm sure he's got more goals in him." 

"He's done brilliantly every time he's played. He's been unlucky in my eyes not to play more games, I think there are games where he can feel aggrieved not to have started, but he's kept his head down and played good again today."          Ashley Williams 

Luke Moore is proving an unlikely talisman with three goals in four games, and surely that warrants an extended run in the team. His link and hold-up play have been excellent but it takes a while to get up to speed, and it'd be interesting to see how he did with some games under his belt and a higher level of player around him (given that the last time he had such a run in the team we'd just been promoted from League One). You can't argue with results. and the ex-WBA man is currently delivering, so deserves his place in the team.

One recurring issue though is the Swans defence of set pieces. Now that the Swans have stopped the rot it's easy to agree with Ash that there was no reason to panic, but three losses on the bounce (regardless of opposition) generally leave most football fans thinking illogical thoughts, and with some catastrophic defending again on display when Norwich put balls into the Swans' penalty area it's clear there's work to be done. Hopefully Laudrup can use the mini-break before the Southampton game on the 20th to address this...

He won't be the first to try.

Swansea 0 - 2 Arsenal - Outgunned and outthought

Well that was a bit rubbish wasn't it?

I'll be honest, what with the rugby on directly after this game, I'm finding it hard to focus on the negatives from yesterday, but the manner of the Swansea performance was both strange and bemusing. But for the first fifteen minutes the Swans looked like they could have played for a week and not scored, such was the abstract manner of the performance. 

Angel Rangel goes close early on

Before the game all the sounds coming out of the Arsenal camp were of the "the season starts here" variety, and who can blame them? Chasing European football in a season which will, once again for the North London side, end trophy-less, a win in South Wales was of the utmost importance if Arsenal are serious about closing the gap on the teams above them.

As mentioned, the Swans started brightly and some good interplay down the right ended with Angel Rangel going clean through on goal, but the former Terrassa man was under pressure from Monreal and the advancing Fabianski, and between them they did enough to put Rangel off and his poked effort drifted agonisingly wide of the Arsenal keeper's left upright. Next to go close was Michu - a few quick passes and a nice pivot by the languid centre forward ended with the ball being dragged again to the left of Fabianski. Given his exploits this season you'd expect Michu to do better, and it seems he's currently going through a bit of a barren patch - he's only scored in one of his last 10 PL matches, and that was against QPR (although granted he scored twice). He needs to score soon even if it's just for his own confidence. 

Arsenal threatened regularly - in particular through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The young forward harassed Angel Rangel and the pace the young Gunner possesses was always going to be a problem for the Swans right-back - who, let's be honest. isn't the quickest off the mark. The Ox managed to get shots off twice in the first half, and both times he rattled the woodwork. The first was simply a cheeky cut inside Angel on his right before he unleashed a drive which cracked against the crossbar, while the second saw him drift across almost the entire Swans defence before repeating the trick.

One thing I noticed (but not everyone has agreed) was that Dyer and Pablo continued to tuck inside despite the Swans operating with three central midfielders. With the "Three winger" formation it's obviously important for the attacking players to link and switch, but I found the Swans were increasingly narrow as the first half wore on - and it was up to the full-backs to create any width (which they attempted to do admirably). After 18 minutes the Swans had 73% possession, but at about this point the tide turned and the Swans dropped deeper and deeper, with Michu taking up some really, really random positions. If you're playing one up top, and you're under the cosh, you need an outlet - it doesn't help if your outlet has decided to wander back to defensive midfield.

Swansea's central midfield three were, while generally neat and tidy, guilty of giving the ball away uncharacteristically easily, and Arsenal pressed the Swans further and further back into their own half to the point where the half time whistle will have been a relief to some. Anybody hoping for a different story in the second half would have been disappointed. I know that to compete with Arsenal is still, given the Swans recent past, an admirable effort and as one friend put it "I liked that we didn't play well but we didn't look outclassed" however I wasn't so sure. Arsenal's midweek exploits cannot be ignored and it's inexcusable that they looked like the team who wanted it more. The Swans had more time to prepare and should have been the more aggressive over ninety minutes - especially at home. 

The second half unfolded in much the same manner as the first, with Arsenal continuing to put the Swans under more and more pressure - the perfect illustration of this came in roughly the sixtieth minute when Vorm attempted to play a simple pass to Rangel, however only succeeded in putting the ball out for Arsenal throw pretty much at the corner flag. Uncharacteristic from the Swans, but credit must go to Arsenal for forcing the Swans into making mistakes.

The opener came in the 74th minute. The Swans cleared a dangerous ball and it fell to Nathan Dyer - on his own up against three Arsenal defenders. He was mugged (possibly a foul but in truth Arsenal were always going to score at some point) and the ball eventually fell to Monreal who hit a slightly scuffed effort across Vorm, which the keeper failed to get to. From the replays it looked like Vorm could have done slightly better, however he was unsighted so it's possible he didn't see it until late. Either way, the ball found the net and from that point there was only going to be one winner.

And so it was that late on, Pablo Hernandez managed to tackle himself (he's been poor for a number of weeks and I would much rather have seen Routledge start in his place) and Arsenal broke upfield with men over. Garry Monk was never going to be able to do anything about a marauding red and white wave, and a good run by Aaron Ramsey (booo) followed by a fine pass led to Gervinho taking a touch before coolly finishing past Vorm. Whilst talking to a couple of Arsenal fans pre-game, I was going through some tweets and I had a giggle at "RT this if you're one of the 7 billion footballers better than Gervinho. #*%!££". While I didn't retweet it, I still felt a small karmic tug as he ran off celebrating.

Arsenal's two goalscorers 

Over 90 minutes I thought Arsenal were the deserved winners, and considering recent form I think you could safely say that Swansea just didn't turn up yesterday. Hopefully this will prove the catalyst for the Swans as they aim to improve recent results which have seen them pick up less points than QPR since the beginning of the year. It would, however, be harsh not to mention Ashley Williams. In a sea of mediocrity he stood out once again as a leader of men, making crucial interception after crucial interception, not once looking ruffled and consistently bailing the Swans out of trouble. I really, really hope he doesn't leave at the end of the season, and in fairness there've been some good soundbites from him in recent weeks, so hopefully we won't have to deal with that. Fingers crossed eh. 

All in all it wasn't that great a day at the office for Swansea City, but I won't be alone in saying that I ended the day with a massive grin on my face due to the national rugby team. Some solace, however Laudrup will no doubt be doing some tinkering this week in a bid to improve Swansea's recent league form. With some massive games coming up, he now has the international break to get his ideas across before Tottenham come to town. One thing is for sure, if we play like we did against Arsenal, Gareth Bale will have an absolute field day. Let's hope that's not the case...

Vorm says Arsenal are scared of the Swans...

Brave, and possibly foolhardy words from the Swansea keeper

Arsenal bowed out of the Champions League despite an
impressive 2-0 away win at Bayern Munich.

Before Arsenal travelled to Munich to play Bayern, Arsene Wenger hinted that the upcoming match against Swansea is actually the bigger game. Whether he'd have said that if they hadn't failed so dramatically first time around against the Germans is another matter, however the fact remains he clearly had one eye on the Swansea match as he rotated his squad heavily for the second leg of the Champions League game with a view to keeping players fresh for their trip to South Wales. One thing to note is that in 2013 Bayern had only conceded four goals in ten matches prior to the Gunners' arrival, so a 2-0 win, only losing on away goals, was impressive from an Arsenal team which has been heavily criticised of late.. 

Arsene Wenger “Swansea is a massive game this weekend and qualifying for the Champions League is massive. We want to be in there and I don’t envisage anything else. That’s why it was so difficult for us to lose at Tottenham.  

“It means more because it was Tottenham, but it was the impact for us in the league which was the worry for me. Every player wants to play in the Champions League. You want to play at the top level and the Champions League is the top.”

If Arsenal fail to secure Champions League football for next season then the growing unease within the Arsenal camp will surely rise to previously unseen levels. The constant departure of the club's best players cannot be ignored if the players brought in to replace them fail to at least maintain the standard of the squad. In recent years Song, Fabregas, Van Persie, Flamini, Ashley Cole *shudder*, Thierry Henry and Samir Nasri have all moved on, and other than the emergence of Song, and Van Persie's breakthough [read: managed to stay fit] season, the players that have been brought in to replace them haven't improved the squad. Fans must hope that with Walcott starting to look a very decent finisher, and Jack Wilshire clearly an outstanding talent, a few good signings and Arsenal will once again have a squad capable of challenging for major honours.

One Swans player clearly not in awe of the current Arsenal squad is keeper Michel Vorm. Whether Vorm thought he'd try a bit of the old mind games is up for debate, however I don't really like players coming out with this stuff before matches. Why bother? There's massive potential for egg on your face and in my opinion it's completely unnecessary. Every team in the Premier League now knows that Swansea are, on their day, capable of competing with anyone and Swansea's performances against Arsenal, in particular, emphasise that point.

Michel Vorm: “A lot of teams are fighting for those top four places – but I don’t think Arsenal are going to make it this time around. They don’t like to play against us because they know what we are capable of. If we play to our best we can beat anybody. 

“Arsenal is a game that suits us as we aren’t afraid of anybody. It’s more that they are afraid of us because they know how well we can play. And they also know they can’t lose games now as there are a lot of good teams around them.”

Now, I know Vorm was probably baited by a journalist in order to get that quote ["Are Swansea afraid of Arsenal?"] however with the media the way it is they were always going to have a field day with that. Just give it the old "They're a good team, we'll treat this game like any other" and get back to the training field!

Michu wants to find the Loch Ness Monster!

Really. 

“I want to visit Scotland. I want to be the one to find the Loch Ness Monster. I can do it.” 

“I have no time at the moment - but I want to know Wales and Manchester and London. And Loch Ness.”  Michu

As long as he keeps banging goals in, he can do whatever he wants...

Swans trio called up to Wales squad

Ben Davies, Ashley Williams and Jazz Richards have been called up to the Wales squad, and all will have been fairly automatic choices for Chris Coleman's side, having performed superbly over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully Jazz will get a game, as he's been doing well for Crystal Palace whilst on loan (see my report on his loan so far here) and it'll add further confidence to a player who could be useful for the Swans in the future. Ash recovered almost immediately from a couple of errors in his very first few games and has gone on to have an outstanding season, receiving praise from all quarters to the extent where he's now being linked with Arsenal and Liverpool. It seems like he wants to stay, so here's hoping. 

Ben Davies has been the surprise package this season and he goes from strength to strength. Still only nineteen, Davies has adapted remarkably well to life in the Premier League and (until Neil Taylor is fit at least) he can surely consider himself Wales' first choice left back. Quite a debut season, and it's not over yet. Good luck to all the Wales players involved in the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Scotland and Croatia, but more importantly just don't get injured!