Loan watch: How do Ki's stats compare to the Swansea midfield's this season?

With our "Korean David Beckham" on loan at the Wearsiders, how has he been getting on?

I recently put together an article looking at how each of Swansea's central midfielders compares to the others statistically (link), and with Ki's loan spell drawing to a close and speculation surrounding his future I thought an interesting exercise would be to see how his statistics from his spell at Sunderland compare with Leon, Jose, Jonathan De Guzman & Jonjo Shelvey. 

Swansea's four midfielders so far this season (as of 25-02-14)

Ki's stats so far this season (as of 07-03-14)

As you can see his pass accuracy exceeds that of any of the Swansea midfielders, though he plays significantly fewer passes per game than all bar Jonjo. He loses possession as rarely as Swansea's safest feet - those of Jose Canas, but is dispossessed about as often as Jonathan De Guzman - who's mugged more often than any of the Swansea midfielders. This probably reflects the role Ki is playing for Sunderland - it's a kind of cross between the defensive and attacking midfield roles at the Swans - so while he's not necessarily getting assists and goals aplenty he's clearly imposing himself on games.

Defensively too he's faring pretty well when compared with Swansea's midfield, making 1.9 tackles per game which is as good as Leon (and better than any of the others), but he is only making 0.8 interceptions per game, on a par with Jonjo who nabs the ball less than any of his teammates. I think when you look at Ki's stats from last year (table below) you can clearly see he's being asked to play a more advanced role at Sunderland as his turnovers (losing the ball through poor control etc) have doubled to 0.8 while he's dispossessed over 50% more often (1.3 up from 0.8 times per game). 

The former could well be attributed to playing the ball in more advanced areas with numerous defenders in close proximity, while again for the latter if you're trying to take people on you're liable to be mugged more often. This is again demonstrated in the statistics, with Ki attempting one dribble per game - more than any of the Swansea midfield.

Swansea's midfield stats as of April 2012/13

The thing that's really impressive is the passing accuracy. It's no mean feat having an average pass accuracy higher than Leon Britton's, and to do that when you're clearly playing a more traditional central midfield role is very, very impressive. To me that just serves to emphasise why he should be brought back into the fold for next season. With De Guzman very liable to secure a bumper contract elsewhere off the back of the World Cup we'll be down one midfielder, and Monk's switch back to two deep midfielders - one of whom "goes" - should suit the Korean down to the ground. 

Overall it's pretty impressive stuff from the Korean, and I for one am very keen to see him pull on a Swansea shirt again. From a cold-hearted financial point of view too it makes great sense - the interest we saw from South Korea was mad but has completely disappeared since his departure - so if we can get a great midfielder who already knows how we play who doubles up as a cash cow that seems to make a lot of sense to me. 

Let's just hope he's not become too attached to Sunderland and it's fans, and that he fancies having another crack at life in SA1. I've got everything crossed that he comes back for another stint, and I'm sure I'm not alone. 

Ki's goal against Chelsea shows Swansea what they're missing

Cultured Korean is fast becoming a fan favourite on Wearside, but will he fancy returning to SA1?

In one of my least favourite pieces of transfer wheeling and dealing over the last few years, we let Korean international midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng join Sunderland on a season long loan. As various statistic based articles I put together towards the end of last season will attest to, I'm a massive fan of Ki and firmly believe he should be retained for next season - regardless of how much Sunderland may want to retain him.

Since Poyet took over from the tyrannical Paolo Di Canio at Sunderland, he's been effusive in his praise for the on-loan Swansea player and I'm sure I saw one quite describe him as "the best player at the club". Despite operating in a defensive role since moving south from Celtic, he's been moved forward in the last few matches with almost immediate results. He has the technique, vision and composure to be a massive success at attacking midfield, and Sunderland look set to reap the rewards of having the confidence to play him in a more advanced role.

I was bleating for all of last season that he should be played ahead of two defensive midfielders, but I seemed to be on my own with that one. Hopefully though, now that he's got a chance to make a name for himself further forward that'll see him return to SA1 both confident in, and noted for his prowess in the final third. As this video attests to, he's got a cannon with both feet and given the chance he can score goals.

One thing I am growing concerned about is whether Ki will want to stick around in SA1 come summertime. Rumours of a falling out with Laudrup remain unconfirmed, however it seems he fell dramatically out of favour last season, and with one year left on his contract (by the time his loan deal ends, anyway) a bid from Sunderland will no doubt tempt the Swansea powers that be. Huw indicated Ki would still be a Swansea player next season when questioned at a fans' event a few months ago, and I'm clinging to that as I feel that, long term, the man signed from Celtic could replace Leon Britton. In the meantime though, I'm quite happy to see him swanning forward and scoring from all over the shop.

Another factor will be the growing affection flowing between player and fans in the North East. Last night he went a LONG way in securing his status as a "fans favourite" by scoring the winner against Chelsea in the League Cup quarter final, in the 118th minute no less (see the video below - great finish). This came after another ex-Swan - Fabio Borini - had levelled things up in the 88th minute after Lee Cattermole's OG had put Chelsea in front. 

Feats like these endear players to local fanbases, and if we're not careful Ki might decide he doesn't fancy sticking around in South Wales after all. If that does indeed end up being the case, we'll have lost a very, very good football player indeed. 

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.

Ki loaned to Sunderland - what's all that about?!

Korean midfielder is deemed surplus to requirements despite impressing last season

Now, anyone who's a regular visitor to the site will know I'm a big fan of Ki Sung-Yueng. The midfielder impressed me massively throughout last season, despite playing the entirety of it out of position as a defensive midfielder - finishing as the Premier League's most accurate passer to boot.

Let's put that into perspective - when Leon Britton finished his first PL season with the same accolade the national media jumped all over it - comparing him to Xavi and Iniesta. When the same feat was achieved a year later by a player new to the Premier League, his team and what's more the position he found himself playing in, it was only flagged up by his most loyal of fans and those with an interest in statistics. 

Something I've been banging on about for a week or two now is how Swansea aren't running the midfield like they used to, and I firmly believe this is because a number of times so far this season we've lined up without one of Leon or Ki at the base of our midfield, and I think we suffer as a result. I'm not saying it's impossible for us to adapt to playing without one of the two, just that at present I'd still prefer to see one or the other anchoring out midfield. They operate unlike any of the other midfielders we have in the squad, and the selfless nature of their respective games allows the team around them to flourish.

The game against West Brom yesterday was easily the best we've performed without either of the two in the team, and I am pretty confident as our new look midfield gels we'll continue to see an improvement in terms of ball retention and our possession game, but I can't help but feel that Ki can legitimately feel quite hard done by. For his part, Laudrup has stated the Korean has a future at the Swans despite moving on loan to Sunderland, and we do have an option to recall him in January if necessary, so we may yet see Ki featuring for us before the end of the season. 

I for one hope we haven't seen the last of a player who we broke our transfer record to sign for £5.5million. Good luck Ki - show us what you can do!

Sunderland & Everton rumoured to be interested in taking Ki on loan

South Korean seems to have slipped down the pecking order at the Liberty

This is a really strange one if true. Last season Ki Sung-Yueng played as a defensive midfielder for the duration, and was blatantly being played out of position. Despite this, he performed admirably, as a couple of statistical blogs I put together showed (click here or here), and I felt at times he was receiving slightly harsher treatment than, say, Jonathan De Guzman.

Ki & Bartley appear to both be "board signings", as they have regularly taken second preference to players brought in by Laudrup, and I feel for Ki in particular as, lack of goals aside, I thought he couldn't have done much more than he managed to achieve last season. Most accurate passer in the Premier League - not bad for your first season in the biggest league in the world when you're being asked to play an unfamiliar role in a team who play a very specific type of football.

As for the ongoing rumours themselves - Sunderland & Everton? Why would we loan a quality player to teams who we could realistically expect to see occupying a similar league position to ourselves come the end of the season? Martinez would no doubt love to have the Korean in his squad, whereas with Sunderland maybe we feel bad that we took £5million off them for Danny Graham...

Personally, I think Ki is a player who has the potential to be a really, really good servant to Swansea City, and I think if he was given regular game-time with a bit more freedom he'd shine. Sadly, given the team lineups we've witnessed to date this season it doesn't appear he's going to get much of a look in, so while I wouldn't like to see him depart I'd much prefer it to be a loan than a permanent move. That being said, I'd imagine there'd be some kind of loan fee going on this late in the day, and we do love making money!

It's a double edged-sword really - would you rather loan him to a club who operate at the same level as yourselves, so that he comes back even more acclimatised to the Premier League, or a club where you know his performances will definitely not hinder your own team's? There's nothing worse than one of your players starring for another side and costing your own team a league position or two...

With transfer deadline day rapidly appearing on the horizon, I've no doubt we'll see bids for a few of our players. Let's hope that whatever happens, Ki gets to play a lot of football this season.

Leon v Ki - A statistical comparison

Swansea stalwart Leon Britton

With yesterday's blog looking at how Ki and Jonathan De Guzman fare when their stats are compared, it seems only fair (and a few people have asked me) to look at how Leon comes out when all is said and done. With Ki seemingly being asked to play like Leon, it should be very interesting to see how this pans out. I'll throw JDG's stats in at the end for good measure too, for ease of comparison. 

It's Leon, so let's start with passes. Famously Europe's most accurate passer last season, he's so far found himself usurped in the pass completion department by his lanky South Korean counterpart. Leon has completed 91% of his passes (1359/1493) compared to Ki's 92.5% (1438/1554), and the Korean again comes out on top when you look at key passes, playing 1 a game compared to Leon's 0.3. I think we'd all agree that from what we've seen of Ki this season, his game is naturally more expansive than how Leon has played for the last few years, so this is likely an unsurprising statistic to most. That Ki plays on average 55.5 passes a game compared to Leon's 53.3, however, may surprise some given that Leon is still regarded as the central cog around which the Swansea team rotates, and when you consider Ki plays 5.8 successful long passes a game compared to Leon's 1.8, it seems that when it comes to shifting the ball on quickly (and accurately) the Korean is at least a match for the Swans' legend.

£5million man Ki Sung-Yueng

A look at defence now. While Leon is hardly a tough-tackler, Ki has been at the receiving end of criticism from fans for, ahem, deciding not to tackle (I promised to keep the language on this website child friendly...), so it's interesting to see that, even if this is true, they make almost an identical amount of tackles per game (Leon with 1.3 and Ki with 1.2), however Leon does come out on top when you look at interceptions, averaging 2.1 per game, edging towards double the 1.2 Ki manages, and also makes more blocks - stopping 0.5 shots a game to Ki's 0.3. Interestingly, Leon get's dribbled past almost once a game (0.8) whereas Ki is clearly a tougher man to get past, averaging exactly half that, and Ki also makes more clearances, with 1.3 to Leon's 0.8, and given that the defensive role is new to Ki I'm surprised at the level of criticism he's received for supposed defensive failings.

The similarities continue; both midfielders attempt 0.4 dribbles a game, are dispossessed once a game (ish - Leon is 0.8 and Ki 0.9) and draw one foul a game, however Leon actually gives away possession twice as often - 0.8 times per game as opposed to Ki's 0.4. There is definitely an element of splitting hairs going on here; I get the feeling that if I was to compare, say, the central midfielders at another mid-table club (West Brom, Fulham etc) the statistics would vary a lot more from player to player, although I'd imagine on the whole the attacking statistics would be a little more impressive. Ki has two assists while Leon has none, and while the 1.4 shots per game attempted by the Korean isn't a huge amount it dwarfs the 0.3 attempted by the diminutive Londoner. That neither have managed a goal this term is no surprise.

I'm not alone in expecting Leon to pass regardless of the goalscoring opportunity that's presented itself, and slightly tenuously it gives me a chance to stick a quality video in.. I'll never forget the Playoff Semi-Final - Leon received the ball from a short corner, nipped past Marcus Tudgay and let fly with his left foot, leaving Lee Camp with no chance and putting the Swans 1-0 up. Epic stuff, that, but the excitement was definitely heightened because not one Swansea fan would have expected Leon to shoot from there - the little man himself was probably as surprised as anyone to see the ball end up in the top corner! The noise in that video is special...

As suggested in yesterday's blog, I don't really see these two players as having to compete for the same place, even though there's likely to be increased competition next year (press reports indicate we've agreed to sign Jose Canas, who operates as a defensive midfielder). With two defensive berths in the midfield against "bigger" teams (ie. Leon & Canas) and a dedicated attacking midfielder ahead of them (Ki or De Guzman) it would give us more balance than we've had of late (I still don't like Michu at attacking midfield as I feel it disrupts the normal rhythm). Against "lesser" teams, the three wingers formation should work a treat with a bit more practice/player recruitment, and I like the idea that we'll have two variations to our midfield, with interchangeable personnel. That kind of dynamism and fluidity could prove crucial when/if the fixtures pile up due to continued European involvement, and Laudrup has previously stated he'd like to have two players for every position.

There is, of course, the possibility that Canas is being lined up as a replacement for Leon. Let's not think about that eh...

Full stats for Leon Britton, Jonathan De Guzman & Ki Sung-Yueng

De Guzman vs Ki - a statistical comparison

With the Swans rumoured to have agreed a deal for Real Betis midfielder Jose Canas, it appears there will be increased competition in the Swansea midfield next year, and with De Guzman yet to sign permanently, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at some statistics to see what kind of effect Ki & JDG have had on the team.

Ki Sung-Yueng

It would be easy to just go with the obvious and leave it there. Ki still tops the Premier League charts in terms of passing accuracy, while JDG is the Swans' second top scorer, so you'd be forgiven for thinking that Ki is obviously a more defensive player while JDG has excelled in attack, and while both are partially true I feel there's more going on than meets the eye.

Of late, I've felt De Guzman's performances haven't been up to the standard he set earlier in the season, and some fans are questioning his work-rate - saying that he doesn't seem to harry the opposition as much as he should. While I can't say I feel that's true, I do think that De Guzman drifts around the field too much when playing alongside Leon (or whoever else) in a deeper midfield role, and that in turn creates problems in terms of defensive organisation.

When you play football like the Swans do, being heavily reliant on team shape to maintain a solid defensive footing, it's imperative that the defensive midfielders hold their position; Leon seemed to be dragged around the field an awful lot against Southampton and given how out of character it appeared it must have been to do with those around him distorting the team shape. When Michu plays attacking midfield as opposed to centre-forward I feel this exacerbates the problem, but I do feel that when Ki plays alongside Leon it gives the Swans a lot more balance.

At present, I still prefer a midfield trio of Leon, Ki, and JDG in front of them, but if there was only one "defensive" midfield berth to play for, should it go to Ki or De Guzman? With all stats only relating to PL games, first up let's look at ball retention. Ki  has completed 92.5% of his passes (1438/1554 - 6th in Europe in terms of passing accuracy) against De Guzman's 88.4% (1527/1727) and while JDG has played more passes in total he's also started nine more games than his Korean counterpart. Ki averages 55.5 passes completed a game to De Guzman's 54.4, so not much to choose from there, but it would seem that, given the smaller amount of starts enjoyed by the Korean, he's a little busier in terms of moving the ball around the field.

Jonathan De Guzman

De Guzman has clearly created more in attack, with six assists to Ki's two, and they average 1.6 and 1 "key pass(es)" [excuse the pun] respectively - in fairness to Ki though he's consistently been employed in a more defensive role than he'd previously been used to and I feel his natural game would see him play further forward which would in turn see him create more opportunities (as well as finally getting his first goal). A demonstration of this was when well placed (again) against Southampton, Ki opted to pass instead of shoot - as anyone who's watched Youtube videos of him can testify, the guy likes to shoot and has scored lots of goals, and I think his reluctance to shoot is due to the distinct awareness that to comply with his role in the team, he's to retain possession in situations whereby otherwise he would have had a pop.

Ki averages 5.9 successful long balls per game against JDG's 3.8, further drilling home the accuracy with which the Korean dispatches the ball. I love watching Ki play as everything seems to be done with an exaggerated movement in an effort to connect perfectly, and I think sometimes it's easy to mistake it for the Korean being ponderous - the stats show this isn't the case as he's only dispossessed 0.9 times per game (against De Guzman's 1.2) and attempts the same amount of dribbles as the man on loan from Villareal (0.4). Interestingly, the Dutchman wins the ball back twice as often, with 0.9 "turnovers" per game (as opposed to Ki's 0.4), but they attempt an almost identical amount of shots (Ki with 1.4, JDG with 1.5).

Ki manages over twice as many clearances per game (1.3 to 0.6), while they both complete the same amount of interceptions (1.2) and almost the same amount of tackles (Ki with 1.2 & JDG with 1.3). I think this is starting to show that some fans view that JDG is (marginally) more combative is possibly far from the mark, as it seems in terms of defensive contribution Ki  is just as effective. It obviously can't be ignored that with 5 goals and 6 assists, De Guzman has been massively more potent in attack when compared with Ki's 0 goals and 2 assists, but I do feel that if Ki had enjoyed a more attacking role throughout the season the figures would be a lot more even. As mentioned above, I get the distinct impression that Ki's natural game is more attacking than we're currently seeing, and I'm hoping the arrival of Canas remedies this, as I'd love to see him start banging them in from 30 yards.

Should we sign De Guzman permanently? Reports had previously put the price at £8million, but recently it seems that's been revised and £5million would be nearer the mark. Originally I thought that still sounded a lot, given that we're likely to have paid his wages all year and, possibly, a fee to take him on loan in the first place, but after speaking with a friend I came to the conclusion that if there was a midfielder of JDG's quality at a Premier League club who were getting relegated, and he'd scored 5 goals and got 6 assists that season, I'd be saying we should sign him up, especially if the asking price is only £5million. For a central midfielder who can clearly cut it in the Premier League, and is likely to kick on again next season, that seems a bit of a bargain, and with plenty of games to go round next year both Ki and JDG could enjoy lots of playing time in the CAM role - whether that happens though is another thing.

For now, I'd like to see Leon and Ki deep, with JDG ahead of them, but if we sign Canas (and he's as good as we hope) then at present I'd still like to see Ki given a run in the team in a creative attacking role. Sure, it'll take a while for him to get out of the "pass, pass, pass" train of thought but I think ultimately it'll be worth it. Check out the video above for a demonstration of what I mean. In a cop out similar to the one at the end of the Neil Taylor v Ben Davies comparison, I'm going to say that realistically they are both important members of the Swansea squad who we can expect to improve next year, and I'd love to see De Guzman sign permanently. For £5million, anyway...

Swansea announce pre-season tour of South Korea!

Swans look to maximise marketing opportunities in Asia

Ki: Helping to promote The Swansea Way

This is the news that during the close-season Swansea City will be embarking on a tour of South Korea, in the latest effort to expand the Swansea brand. Increased overseas interest is the result of a continued rise to prominence, and the signing of Ki Sung-Yeung, followed by the Capital One Cup win, will have further strengthened any foothold the Swans had gained on the other side of the world.

Michael Laudrup: “It’s massive for us and shows the progression of the club that we are probably going to play in the Far East. It’s a long way to go to play friendlies, but there is huge interest in the whole of Asia for the Premier League. It’s a great chance for us to promote the league out there.”

As reported previously, interest in Ki in South Korea is massive, with some fans labeling him "The Korean David Beckham". While that may seem a stretch for some, the possibilities afforded by having a player of Ki's international standing playing for the Swans should not be ignored. Before the Capital One Cup final there was obvious global interest in the Swans, but Korean news in particular were keen to find out how their leading light was getting on in South Wales. Before the final there was a South Korean film crew filming in locations such as Swansea Castle, Mumbles & Three Cliffs Bay and it's obvious that there is currently an appetite for all things Swansea City in this corner of the Far East, and it's unlikely to fade unless Ki moves on.

Ki has gone about his job quietly this season, and this is highlighted when you look at his passing statistics, which have largely gone unheralded. Last season Leon was held up as the epitome of "The Swansea Way" with the highest pass completion in the league - this year he sits seventh with 91.1% (1246/1368 passes completed), while his lanky South Korean team-mate occupies second spot - bettered only by Mikel Arteta - with a pass completion rate of 92.3% (1327/1437). Granted, his confidence in front of goal seems to have drained slightly but if you want to see examples of just how well he can strike a ball have a look at the video below. Ok, the standard of the league isn't the same but the boy really does have a cannon.

There are some belters in there, aren't there?

The impact gaining a foothold in South Korea could bring shouldn't be underestimated. Swansea are, due to geographic, economic (and other) reasons always likely to remain a small fish in a big pond, however clever marketing and continued exposure on the world stage could start to counteract that. Realistically, with Wales being a small country and the Swans potential fanbase limited in this respect, we can't expect to compete with certain "powerhouses" of the British game, at least not on home soil, so any extra income derived from an international fanbase will be welcomed with open arms. A quick look at some statistics tells me that not only is South Korea part of the G20, it also has the 15th highest GDP in the world and ranks 12th in terms of purchasing power, and with a population of 49 million there will be a lot more football fans there than there are in Wales. Now, I'm no mathematician, but I have a sneaky feeling that if we get our marketing right we could end up selling more replica shirts in Korea than we do in South Wales...

The announcement that we are looking to spend time in Korea over the close-season is the latest in a line of sensible business decisions from the Swans, but we've come to expect that haven't we? No doubt they'll be looking at other ways of maximising marketing opportunities in that corner of the globe, and I'm surely not alone in awaiting further developments with interest.

Whether many local Jacks will decide to make the trip to Korea with the small matter of Europa League qualifiers coming soon after is, however, a different matter...