Wilfried Bony splits fanbase much like Jason Scotland did...

With a growing number of fans appearing unhappy with the performance levels of our record signing, just what is it they're complaining about?

There's a reason I started this website. I grew sick and tired of reading the same arguments played out time and time again on all the other main websites/forums populated by the Jack Army, as all too often I found myself become both frustrated and involved in heated debates regarding certain Swansea players. Jason Scotland was a prime example of this. Despite scoring hatfuls of goals whenever he was selected, some people just couldn't get past the fact that he didn't spend ninety minutes chasing shadows and as such, he "clearly wasn't working hard enough".

Now, there's a very good reason an ideal Swansea City centre-forward doesn't spend ninety minutes chasing anything that moves. In case anyone hasn't noticed, we play with one striker. I know, shocking, right? For large swathes of last season it could also be argued we actually played without a recognised striker, given Michu's preference for a deeper role and his tendency to wander. 

When you operate in the manner the Swans do, it's vitally important we have an outlet who maintains a central position throughout the game. By doing this, he allows the team to rotate around him while constantly being available for a pass, and the team can stretch play to maximise the benefits of this style. The problem is it's been so long since we had a striker capable of playing this role (going back to Scotland, in fact) that I think we've forgotten how to get the most out of a quality lone striker, and what we're seeing is as much an adjustment from the team as it is an acclimatisation on Bony's part. If Bony was consistently hitting the corners, he wouldn't be in the middle to supply the finish. Simple.

Some of the comments on fans' forums are absolutely ludicrous. Were they even watching the game? Some were saying "Bony was isolated" in the first half - he was constantly surrounded by Michu, Routledge and got knows who else, and the effect was he had absolutely no space to operate in and plenty of opposition defenders nearby to close him down. Another said he "gets knocked off the ball too easily" - err...WHAT!? I'm sorry, you clearly haven't been watching the same games as me, as Bony looks to be the strongest player I've ever seen pull on the white shirt of Swansea City, and possibly the strongest player I've ever seen! Once he sticks his arse out, he's not losing the ball. End of.

Someone else coyly remarked that if Bony spent 90 minutes running around like Adrian Forbes, then fans would have taken to him instantly. Probably true, but would you rather have Forbesy or Bony up front for you in the Premier League? The guy scored a ridiculous amount of goals for Vitesse last season, Laudrup rates him enough to start him in the Premier League and we've spent £12million on him. What's the point of getting on his back this early in his Swans' career? Watch the Valencia highlights again and look at his flick in the buildup to one of the goals - it's an exquisite first touch and anyone who's accused him of lacking just that is wrong, in my opinion.

Don't forget, he's jumped to a higher league, and missed a large part of our pre-season due to his late arrival. The official site published a statistical analysis of his performance against Sunderland which confirmed what I thought - pretty much every ball that was played into him stuck, and that's such a novel thing to be able to say about a Swansea City centre-forward after a few years of, if we're being honest, makeweights. I was as big a fan of Danny Graham as anyone else, but Bony is a difference class of striker. 

We have seen far from the best of Wilfried Bony, but he's still our top scorer. Give him time, and he will reward us with goal, after goal, after goal. Of that I'm sure. 

Craig Bellamy: "Swansea have educated us all. Swansea have lit the light"

In an emotional interview discussing the Welsh team's result, Bellamy shows how highly Swans are regarded.

In the aftermath of Wales again coming from behind to snatch a 2-1 win over Scotland, a clearly very emotional Craig Bellamy was interviewed, and gave a clear indication that Swansea have proven to be a strong influence on the football of the national side. 

Craig Bellamy: I used to think he was a
how's-your-father, however it turns out
he gives millions to charity. Top chap.

It's long been stated (and long been ignored) that to build a successful national team you need two things; a core of players who know each other very well, and an established playing style. Toshack started to develop this kind of policy, however Robbie Savage and his media bloodhounds soon put paid to that, but in fairness Gary Speed was doing an outstanding job. Four wins out of five is a far cry from the Wales we've become used to in recent times, and the squad did seem to have turned a corner. 

The continuation of blooding young players will ultimately pay dividends for Wales. You only have to look at Greece, who won the European Championship in 2004, to realise that you don't need a squad full of world-beaters to beat the best players in the world, you just need the best squad. That being said, I wouldn't kick Gareth Bale out of the squad, he's alright like. 

The adoption of a Swansea-esque playing style will ultimately benefit the national team, as players coming into the squad will know what they are expected to do, however Bellamy namedropping both the Swans, and former Swansea defender Chris Coleman like this must irk some Cardiff fans.  

"Swansea have educated us all. Swansea have lit the light,"

"We had an incredible human being [Gary Speed] who came into our national squad as manager and wanted to emphasise that. 

"Cookie [Chris Coleman] is trying to do the same as well and trying to deliver the same philosophy We've gone this way with our football in the last few years. 

"We were left a legacy by an incredible human being and we've followed that through, which makes me even more proud that… we represent him [Speed] every time we play. 

"I'm not emotional. I'm just proud." Craig Bellamy

Sounds just a little emotional, if you ask me.

Discussing Scotland's opener Bellamy indicated there's still work to be done on the training ground;

"Another set piece which we need to do something about - that's eight set pieces now we've conceded in this group; We can't do that, and I said at half time, 'if we lose, we lose'. 

"The philosophy of the football is playing football and keeping the ball. I can take a loss. I can walk off, as long as my head's held high and I'm passing the ball like that, I'll lose. If that's not good enough, then it's not good enough."

I don't think it can be emphasised enough just how impressed I am by the acceptance of this philosophy by the Wales set-up. For so long it's seemed archaic, resistant to change and indicative of everything that's wrong with "old boy networks" and "the top brass" - but it seems Gary Speed's tenure has left a legacy which has revitalised Wales, even if there was an understandable dip in performance levels following his tragic death.

Gareth Bale, or, as he's come to be known recently,
"Tottenham Hotspur".

The 15 year old Swansea fan in me simply likes the fact that a Cardiff-born Cardiff player saw fit to say "Swansea lit the light", but in truth it resonates more deeply than that. Swansea have lit the light, and Bellamy isn't alone in waxing lyrical about the Swans. Ferguson went on record as saying that Swansea are his "team of the season" (with Michu being his bargain of the season to boot) and Laudrup was recently voted "most impressive manager" by the League Manager's Association, so the superlatives have been flowing fairly freely of late.

The Swans must, of course, guard against complacency in the run in. All but mathematically safe from relegation and with European football secured, some teams would ease up down the final run-in, but with transfers expected and Laudrup on record as wanting to trim his squad, most of the Swansea squad are playing for their futures. There's probably a handful of players (Ash, Chico, Taylor, Davies, Britton, Ki, Michu, Routledge, Hernandez, Dyer) who can consider themselves safe but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw one or two shock departures.

Next up are Spurs, and with (international players aside) both squads enjoying an extended rest & recuperation period it's likely we're going to see an electric ninety minutes of football.

One final note is that Gareth Bale aggravated an ankle injury against Scotland and failed to reappear for the second half. If he fancies giving it a go for Wales against Croatia, I've no objection to him picking up a little harmless niggle which rules him out of the Swans game whatsoever...