Swansea waiting on Tom Ince deadline

Protracted transfer saga seems to be drawing to a close

Tom Ince likes a road trip eh? Since speaking to the Swans he's been in talks with Stoke, Hull, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, which for a player whose main priority must surely be putting himself in the shop window,seems a strange way of going about it. OK, his name has been in the press a lot of late as a result (indeed I'm writing about it now), however this drawn-out affair is getting dangerously close to the point where it's damaging his reputation. A proportion of the Blackpool fanbase have been questioning his attitude and work-rate of late, and it's also affected Swansea fan's opinions too.

Yesterday I thought it would be interesting to see what the general consensus was, so on Twitter I asked the following question:

Seems a fair proportion of the Jack army don't really want Tom Ince now. Would you like him to join on loan? RT for yes, favourite for no!
— The Swansea Way (@TheSwanseaWay) January 29, 2014

As you can see, it's split almost perfectly down the middle (albeit from a fairly small sample of the Jack Army), but personally I still think he'd be a good addition on loan. What's confusing me though is that it seems all of the clubs he's been to visit already have their maximum allocation of domestic loans - ok, Steve Bruce & Mark Hughes are both old mates of Tom's father Paul from his Man Utd days, but Sunderland and Stoke? Surely if you're looking to put yourself in the media spotlight you're better off doing it at a club still contesting European football than clubs who seem set for a relegation battle? I'm not saying we're completely clear of that potential obstacle ourselves, but still.

Rumour has it there's a 3pm deadline, but even though I do want him to come in he is stretching his luck now. With all details apparently agreed between Ince and the Swans a few days ago, he's surely testing the club's patience to the limit.

Either way, it should be a fairly interesting next 24 hours.

Michu wants Aspas to come in, but should he be saying such things to the press?

Swansea forward has followed up on "I dream of a move to a big club" quotes by stating publicly he (and others) want Aspas to move to SA1 on a loan deal

Last week, we had to deal with various articles published in the mainstream media based around comments made by Michu regarding how he "dreams of a move to a big club". These comments were tempered (although how much depends on what newspaper you read it in) by his assertion that he is happy for now at Swansea, and that he's not thinking of a move elsewhere. Despite that though, there does seem to be a bit of a consensus view that something's not quite right. His body language has been strange for a while and his form hasn't been amazing - even before the injury which kept him out for a few weeks.

The latest quotes to come from the floppy haired Spaniard came as something of a surprise, given that there hadn't been any talk about Aspas in recent weeks. Normally there'd be some smoke before the fire raged into full view, but it's hard to view the below comments as anything other than a "Please come join us" plea:

"We [Swansea's Spanish players] are hoping he can come here on loan. It would be a pleasure to play with him. Iago has had injuries, but he has quality. He deserves to play in the Premier League. He has been unlucky. 

"At Liverpool, they have Luis Suarez and Sturridge, who have scored a lot of goals. Suarez is, along with Diego Costa and others, one of the best strikers in Europe." Michu  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25452182?

Do we need Aspas? If I was Bony, I'd find it hard to look at those comments and not take them as some kind of snub, and considering Michu's hardly been setting the world alight this season (and he often plays in a similar position to the one coveted by Aspas) it seems a bit strange to come out with comments of this nature.

Obviously Aspas can play out wide as well as through the middle, though how effective he is in an "inside forward" position I can't say, having not seen him play all the much. All I know is I've seen a video of him headbutting someone on the floor, and that he has (understandably) struggled to break into Liverpool's team due to the good form of Sturridge & Suarez. I'm not going to use that as a way of judging him, but I do wonder what kind of wages he'd be on - we could do with a number of additions to the squad now, but I think centre-forward isn't necessarily an area we need bulking out in. With Bony, Michu & Vazquez already rotating in one position, do we need anyone else?

I asked fans on Twitter what they made of the comments, and whether Aspas would be a good signing, and it brought a mixed reaction:

@TheSwanseaWay yes it doesn't say much about his confidence in Bony does it!!
— Martin Jones (@TycochJack) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay i agree with him as he can also play on the wing and he offers something different to Bony and Michu
— Michael Fletcher (@MiniFletch14) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay Aspas has got pace & could arguably play wide, especially as our wingers play fairly narrow anyway. Cover for Dyer?
— Rhys Padarn (@lordpad) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay Aspas is a mate of his, hardly surprising he'd want him here. Nothing wrong with more strike options imo!
— Phil Bettany (@philbettany) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWaywe only got one loan and we need a keeper , and he turned us down in the summer
— geraint batetr (@gizz1988) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay He's getting a bit noisy is Michu. Head turned?
— colin lewis (@ligarius) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay aspas is on different level to vasquez mate, simple as that!
— julianmallows (@Napperjack18) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay makes sense to me more options and creativity is a good thing, bring back Ki and send J De Guz the other way too! #Swans
— Ryan Sturdy (@sturdy_3004) December 19, 2013

@TheSwanseaWay Very different player. I'd like to see him here.
— Gareth Baglow (@GarethBaglow) December 19, 2013

What do you think of Michu's comments? Would you like to see Aspas brought in? Get involved in the comment section below!

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. 

Swansea players inaugurate "Pink Ferrari Crossbar (forfeit) Challenge"

Tongue in cheek competition shows there's a good atmosphere behind the scenes in SA1

You have to love this. Following on from the Swans' trip to Russia (where apparently they were surprised by the...rustic nature of lots of the country's automobiles) a whipround was organised with the idea of buying a truly naff car which some unlucky so and so would have to drive. And so, the Pink Ferrari Crossbar Challenge was born, with the loser then having to drive the newly acquired passion wagon for a week. Check out the video posted on the Swans' Youtube channel:

The best bit is the rules! Let's have a look at them.

I particularly like that it has to be parked in Chico's space. I doubt he was happy about that, and I doubt Huw was consulted before rule 3 was put into place. Still, good banter.

The more of this kind of stuff the better in my opinion - joke on boys! Better than all of that prima donna stuff you get at some other clubs, that's for sure.

Check out the full article on the official site here: http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/pink-ferrari-ben-davies-week-1-1203498.aspx?

From angels to demons - Swansea drift toward bottom of fair play table

After previously flying high in the footballing fair play rankings, why are we now down near the bottom?

Well, this is a bit strange. Since arriving in the Premier League, and even further back if we're being honest, the Swans have attracted their fair share of plaudits from neutrals up and down the country. With an easy on the eye style of football and a seeming respect for the officials, we actually won the PL fair play league in our first Premiership season (link) - a league table based on red and yellow cards, positive play, respect towards opponents, respect towards the referee and behaviour of the team officials, while delegates also "assess the behaviour of fans with points being awarded for positive verbal support and recognition of outstanding play by the opposition".

Brendan Rodgers departed for Liverpool, and under Laudrup we seemingly continued with the easy on the eye football with Michu drawing understandable praise thanks to his general goal plundery. As far as the fair play stakes go, however, we started to slide. Come the end of the season, the 2012/13 fair play table looked like this:

In fairness, that's not a bad representation of how you'd order the teams if asked to do it yourself, without knowing how the officials actually totalled it up. That being said that we'd slipped so far comes as a surprise to me, and I don't remember anyone mentioning it at the end of last season.

So, fast forward to where we currently find ourselves, and we've dropped even further! It's quite hard to accurately say exactly where we are sitting at present - the official PL site's link (here) hasn't been updated in almost a month but has us listed as 17th. Meanwhile, the FA's site (here) and ESPN both have us languishing lower - however they seem to be taking cup games into account so due to our early exit from the League Cup we're credited with 14 games compared to many others' 16. 

Either way, I do find it remarkable we can go from winning the fair play league to nigh on propping it up in such a short space of time. What's happened? I'm sure I remember statements in the past about how "We're Swansea City - we don't give the referee grief" and that, generally, our players conducted themselves with a good level of decorum. Are we still doing that? 

I can't say I think we're worse than any other side, but a worrying statistic appeared before the Cardiff game showing that we'd had four yellow cards for dissent already this season - the most in the league at that point - and that was a month ago. I know it's hard when decisions don't go your way, but these bookings will add up and with squad rotation already a necessity due to both the fixture list and injuries to key players, we really can't afford to start missing players through suspension. 

It seems that while we could still tenuously cling to the title of "media darlings", as far as the powers that be go there are a lot of teams earning better reviews at the moment. I doubt though, that anyone really cares who finishes bottom of the fair play table. I'd certainly rather finish bottom of the fair play table if it meant a guaranteed midtable finish in the actual table. 

The two types of football supporter

How do you view football?

Wilfried Bony cost £12million. That was, and is, a club record which actually doubled the prior record, and if the board and Michael Laudrup deem him good enough to be worth that kind of money then that's sure as hell good enough for me. When you couple that with the fact that he's scored six goals in eleven games, you'd think he'd be making a positive impression all round, however within minutes of taking to the field from the bench against Arsenal some fans could be heard berating him, and the usual accusations are that a) he's not running around chasing shadows enough and that b) he hasn't "produced the goods in the league yet".

Now, let's consider both of those points. Firstly, I'd wager my entire (meagre) bank balance that anyone criticising Bony for not sprinting into the channels willy-nilly was also guilty of hounding Jason Scotland for the same reason. You know, the same Jason Scotland that ignored all criticism to bang in countless goals for us. I often thought that those criticising him were firmly rooted in the Leighton James school of football - ie. get it to a winger, run like hell, and cross it in for a galloping centre-forward to latch onto. Very 1970's, and far from how we play. 

Secondly, Bony has played a cumulative 228 minutes of Premier League football - so anyone saying "he's played five games and only scored one goal" is ignoring the fact that he's either been withdrawn early or come off the bench at various junctures. He has clearly, clearly got an eye for goal, so why oh why should he be getting any kind of stick this early into his Swansea career?

A wise man once said "I'm not a negatist, I'm an optometrist", and this brings me neatly to the point I want to make, as alluded to in the title of this piece. There appear to be two distinct sets of fans in modern football - those who'd rather assume everything is going to fall apart so that a) they never risk having any egg on their faces if the player/team they're backing ends up being a bit of a dead rubber, and b) that they don't get their hopes up only for them to be dashed, and then there are those who will always back the team and provide positive support at all times, until the absolute last possible moment.

Personally, I'm definitely in the latter category. Now, I know that both of those attitudes are far from perfect - an ideal take on things would be to be firmly planted in the realist camp, while also maintaining a healthy optimism about how things may work out, but football inflames passions to the point where rationality often goes out the window, and that's what makes the game we all love so special. Without the drama and speculation that surrounds modern football it would no doubt lose some of it's intrigue, however I fail to see what good berating your own players achieves.

When has open negativity ever, ever brought about any kind of positive response? Ok, some players undoubtedly respond to criticism in a bid to prove their doubters wrong, but that percentage must surely be minute and on the whole a structured supportive approach is always going to reap more rewards than what you'll achieve by slagging off your own team. I grew tired of criticisms of Jason Scotland long before he made his move to Wigan, and my new worry is that if any one player becomes a target for fans' discontent, it could be we'll see that player move on before he's had a chance to show us what he can do.

I feel I should point out I have only heard a small minority criticising from the stands, and that generally most fans have faith in the manager's selection (along with the players on the field), but I do hope that Bony smashes in a load of goals in the next few weeks to silence those who do feel the need to heckle. It would get hard-to-please fans off his back for now, but it seems if I'm right the attention would just pass on to someone else. Try something positive, eh guys? (and girls - check me out with the equal opportunities blogging). 

This seems to have developed into a bit of a rant, but I think it's an interesting debate. How do you see football? Do you think it's fair (and constructive) to criticise your own players or do you support the team through ninety minutes before providing constructive feedback wherever possible? 

Answers on a postcard.

(Or in the comment section below...)

Birmingham 3 - 1 Swansea - Back to earth with a Brum-p

Lee Clark's Blues prove too much for Swansea's second string

Well, that was rubbish wasn't it? Pre-match, Lee Clark's effusive comments about the Swans seemed, to me, of the type that would normally unsettle his charges, however he obviously knows better as tonight Birmingham rode off into the distance after a much improved second half performance which saw them claim the win, and advancement into the next round. 

Laudrup made ten changes to the side which drubbed Crystal Palace on the weekend, and by all accounts it showed. There'll probably be limited highlights on the League Cup show later, but it seems profligate finishing in the first half cost the Swans dear. Bony then Pozuelo hit the woodwork in quick succession, while apparently Roland Lamah also missed a gilt-edged opportunity when Doyle saved with his legs.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it's possible that with no game-time so far this season, starting Garry Monk was a big risk. I'm as big a fan as anyone, but Birmingham away in the League Cup is a high-tempo affair, and with pace not being one of Garry's strong-points he was always going to be up against it. Strange as it may sound, it's likely he'd be much more suited to a European match against St Gallen or the Russian team I can't remember, as you'd imagine we'd have a bit more time on the ball and wouldn't be pressed so high up the pitch. 

Birmingham went with two up top, and once they'd weathered the first half Swansea storm they quickly found their feet in the second half, with two goals in four minutes. Centre-back Dan Burn headed in after Swansea couldn't clear a corner, before Matt Green and Tom Adeyemi made sure of things. Wilfried Bony got a late consolation, but it didn't really matter. Out of the League Cup at the first possible opportunity...well at least it'll help the fixture list with European advancement a distinct possibility thanks to the humbling of Valencia. 

Positives? Err...no-one got injured? It seems that we ran the first half and missed a good number of opportunities before taking our foot off the gas in the second half. Against Palace we could have scored more, and it's important the squad learns to take chances whenever they occur. No mercy, no surrender! As I've not seen the match this is all mostly speculation, but one plus point is that the players who come back into the squad for this weekend's match with Arsenal will be looking to restore the pomp and swagger we'd started to become used to. 

I'll try to find some extended highlights to either put a fuller report up or link to, so until then I'll refrain from commenting further. That is, apart from to point out once again that we're still in the Europa League.

You never know...

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. 

Rory Donnelly - Will he get a chance this season?

Young Northern Irishman has been in prolific form during pre-season; will it be enough to see him progress to the senior side?

Young striker Rory Donnelly can consider himself unlucky not to have been included in the first-team squad for Thursday's game against Malmo FF. After enjoying what can only be described as a prolific pre-season, he found himself back with the development squad for a friendly with Port Talbot last Tuesday, and I for one could forgive him if he felt a little hard done by.

Signed from Cliftonville for an undisclosed fee, he'd made his name after scoring 22 goals in his first two seasons with the club. He'd attracted attention from the two Liverpool-based clubs, but in the end Swansea got their man and it was likely this goal which really endeared him to the decision-makers in SA1:

Detractors would be quick to point out that his goals in this season's friendlies came against "lesser" opposition, but as has been said a million times you can only play what's put in front of you, and Donnelly did just that. He featured in almost all of the club's pre-season friendlies - he only missed out on the final Dutch tour game against Den Haag & the final friendly with Reading - and what's more he banged in more goals than anyone else over the close season - six in five appearances.

His technique and finishing ability are there for all to see, and he appears to have bulked up a bit too which will be of great benefit if he does make it into the first team this season. A great example of his prowess in front of goal came against Yeovil - skip to the 5:00 mark to see what I mean:

Laudrup has repeatedly stated his desire for another striker, but do we have the answer lurking under our nose? Last season, Itay Shechter was routinely preferred to Donnelly - even at the end of the season when it was clear that a) the Israeli striker wasn't very good, b) Donnelly was banging in goals for the U21 side and c) Shechter would be returning to his parent club at the end of the season, whereas Donnelly was our player for the foreseeable future. Couple that with what can only be described as a highly impressive pre-season for the young Northern Irishman and I think he can legitimately feel a little hard done by as he appears to be set to watch from the sidelines for the time being at least.

Now, don't mistake this as a criticism of Laudrup's selection policy; you simply cannot argue with the results thus far and who am I to question the great Dane? All I'm saying (and I'm sure I'm not alone) is that I'd like to see Donnelly on the bench for a few Premier League games soon. All you can do as a player is hope to perform to the best of your ability and, if you're a striker, to hit the back of the net when selected. Donnelly has done just that whenever he's been called upon to date, but so far his only appearance for the senior side came in a Carling Cup match against Crawley Town where he replaced Michu for the final 25 minutes or so.

With a long season ahead, and a potentially hectic fixture list on the horizon, it could well be that we see Donnelly playing for the first team sooner rather than later. Will 2013/14 be the season Rory Donnelly shows the world what he can do? I wouldn't bet against it...

Exeter 0 - 2 Swansea - Dyer & Donnelly continue their fine pre-season

Swansea's summer schedule continues at a canter

The Swans today overcame a resilient Exeter City side who were relegated at our expense way back when. The friendlies this summer have so far all been one-way traffic, but as long as the defence doesn't drop off (and given Gary Johnson's assessment of Ashley Williams in the aftermath of the Yeovil game there's no reason to think they are) the winning run we've gone on since departing for Holland can only be good for team spirit. Everyone likes winning (and scoring goals), and certain players will have picked up a slightly larger confidence boost than others; notably Rory Donnelly & Nathan Dyer.

Dyer's goal today (great pass by Canas too) further rams home what I was talking about in this morning's blog, about how he's worked on finishing tirelessly to the point where he's now placing shots into the far corner - today was a perfect example of that and hopefully he can carry that confidence into the new season. He only managed 3 league goals last year, so he'll be looking to better that tally this coming campaign.

In Donnelly's case I just hope the mooted arrival of another striker doesn't put paid to any game-time he was set to pick up, but with Laudrup seemingly cool on talk of another striker for now Rory's got every reason to be confident he could be featuring for the first team before too long. Again today he was in the right place at the right time to finish a neat team move, so he clearly understands the positional aspect of his role in the team and some of his finishing so far this pre-season has been top class.

When Laudrup was being interviewed on the training pitch, he was asked if the incoming striker would be "someone in the mould of Shechter?" - what that's supposed to mean is anyone's guess, but I did feel sorry for Rory at the tail end of last season in that I'd have much rather seen him gain game time at the expense of the Israeli forward.

Fingers crossed, he won't have to wait too long for his "craic" at the big time...

Swansea thrash Yeovil 5-0, Dyer to sign new contract & Swans waiting on Bony work permit

The Swans come out on top at Huish Park

I have to say I'm liking this new technologically-savvy approach from the Swans; all summer we've had lots of videos from the tour to Holland and they've been pretty good at uploading the highlights of the friendlies within a day or so of the game taking place. Quicker than we're used to from SwansPlayer...

Wow. Rory Donnelly! While his goal was easily the pick of the bunch, you can understand why numerous people have stated Pablo was the standout performer - his through ball for Michu's goal was top class, and he combined with his team-mates brilliantly throughout the match. I'm expecting big things from Pablo this season, and at present I've no reason to think I'll be disappointed come May.

Yeovil manager Gary Johnson was effusive in his praise for the Swans after the match, repeatedly stating how the South Walians are "world-class" which, considering we were operating at the same level as Yeovil only a few short years ago should help gauge how far we've come in such a short space of time.

Dyer close to agreeing new contract

A few weeks ago I was talking Swansea with a mate, and we realised Nathan Dyer's contract was due to expire at the end of the season (remarkably the only first team player of which that can be said). Given how other players had been tied down before it got to this stage, we started to worry whether there was something going on which we weren't privy to; however any such ideas have been firmly dispelled by Huw's announcement that a new contract is in the final stages of negotiation.

"Nathan is in the last year of his contract, but we are well on the way to sorting that situation out with Nathan's agent." Huw speaking to the Evening Post

Nathan Dyer. Great selection of hats.

While Dyer's end product isn't perhaps as good as Routledge or Hernandez's, the efforts he's made to improve this aspect of his game can't be ignored. When he first signed for the Swans the Jack Army quickly got used to closing their eyes whenever Nath was bearing down on goal, such were his finishing capabilities; indeed stories abounded of fans going to the open training sessions and coming away bemused at his inability to get shots on target. Not any more, though. It's obvious Dyer has put hour after hour in on the training ground, and seeing him place finishes past the keeper in the Premier League is truly a sight that makes my heart glow with pride; not only is it a goal for the Swans but it's a triumph of hard work and dedication.

Hopefully this will be tied up soon and we'll be seeing Nathan Dyer in a Swansea shirt for years to come yet. He seems to like it here, and if the Swans progress any further he must surely be in with a shout at representing England, given he's still (amazingly) only 25. Don't forget, he's also British which, at the moment, is an attribute we drastically need our players to possess given regulations surrounding "homegrown players". I for one am more than pleased Dyer is looking to sign back on; he's been an excellent servant so far and let's hope he can kick on again and go on to write his name firmly into the annals of Swansea history.

Bony still training with Vitesse as he awaits work-permit decision

This is the rather disappointing news that club-record signing Wilfried Bony is still in Holland pending a green light from the powers that be. You'd hope this is nothing more than a frustrating formality, but the sooner he can make his way to SA1 the better - especially with the weather like this! If we're to sell Swansea as a location, it seriously, seriously helps when the sun is shining; Laudrup remarked in a video from training that last July was "horrible, just horrible...rain, rain and more rain", and the prospect of spending a good few years in South Wales must surely gain a touch of gloss when you're shown the beaches of the Gower. A touch of the Toshack, as it were.

Laudrup is clearly looking forward to the Ivorian international arriving:

"The club are still working on Wilfried's work permit. He's still in Holland and we gave him permission to train with Vitesse because otherwise it would be too many days without doing anything. It's something we have to cope with as he is a player from outside the European Union. 

"He hasn't been to Swansea yet, but I hope he will be here next week. I heard from the club and they hope it will be during this week. It would be nice to have him back for training on Thursday. It's best to have the player here. Now we've signed him it's not so good if he is only in Holland. We want him here." Michael Laudrup

You're not alone, Michael... 

Swansea to face Malmo or Hibs in Europa League Third Qualifying Stage

Laudrup pleased that both prospective opponents are familiar faces, but what do we know about them?

The wait is finally over. Well. Kind of. We now know we'll be facing either Malmo (Sweden) or Hibernian (Scotland) in our Europa League debut, and the relative locality of both clubs is key. I won't have been alone in fearing a lengthy trip to Eastern Europe which could have seen tired legs kicking in early on in the season, however that possibility has, for now, been nullified. Laudrup, too, is happy we aren't facing a lengthy sojourn to some place with no vowels in the placename (rich coming from a Welshman, I know):  

"I'm pleased with the draw. Sweden or Scotland is perfect for us geographically. It was important for me that we avoided a long trip and the prospect of difficult weather conditions.  

"We also know the playing styles of both teams, so that is also a positive for us, although I would have preferred to be away in the first-leg rather than home, but you can't have everything 

"Malmo is a huge club in Sweden with a proven record and proud history, but I'm sure Hibernian will be in there fighting until the end.'' Michael Laudrup

With two possible opponents, let's take a look at what we could expect from them.

Malmo FF

Malmo

Malmo Fotbollforenring, to give them their full name, are a club based on the coast in the South West of Sweden, and geographically it's pretty darn near Laudrup's native Denmark - without bothering to check the mileage it seems about the nearest point across the Oresund. One interesting tidbit is that Malmo play in a stadium constructed for the 1958 World Cup - the last for which Wales qualified and the Welsh squad that travelled to Sweden contained a number of then Swansea Town players.

They finished third last season, and are currently sitting on top of the Swedish league - so they're clearly as good as any team in Sweden on their day. Taking them lightly won't be an option; they've won 16 national championships (only IFK Goteborg have won more with 18). and are one of the main movers and shakers in Swedish football, last winning the title in 2010. Notable former players include Jan Moller (a legendary goalkeeper who played for Malmo in a 1-0 European Cup Final loss to Nottingham Forest in the 70's), Jari Litmanen, Martin Dahlin (who played briefly for Blackburn Rovers but made his name playing for Borussia Munchengladbach), Patrick Andersson (who also, weirdly, played for Blackburn and Borussia Munchengladbach but went on to play for Bayern Munich and Barcelona, winning 96 caps for his country) and last but not least, the effervescent Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But who are their main players these days?

In looking for stand-out performers, you start to feel sorry for Malmo - every player I found who I thought "he looks a bit tasty" generally moved on at the end of that season, and it seems they're in a bit of a cycle of selling their best young players as soon as they have a breakthrough season. Mathias Ranegie is the latest example; he only made 26 league appearances for the Swedish club before Udinese came knocking, and the attraction of a much, much bigger league is always likely to be too much for any footballer to turn down. That being said, they do have a young exciting squad, with players like Emil Forsberg, Magnus Eriksson, Jiloan Hamad and Tokelo Rantie all getting their fair share of goals so far this season. Definitely some names to watch out for.

One area we may be able to exploit is in defence - first choice keeper Johan Dahlin (apparently no relation to Martin) has played 8 times so far this season, and has only kept one clean sheet. I don't know how much we can read into that, but I think goals may well flow if it is indeed Malmo we come up against.

Hibernian FC

Hibs' ground, Easter Road

Hibernian, or "Hibs" as they are more commonly known, are one of the two famous SPL sides to hail from Edinburgh. Founded by Irish immigrants in 1875, the club has a long history and their roots are still displayed proudly in the form of the crest, name and club colours. They've won 4 league titles - one in 1903 and then three in 1948, 1951 ad 1952, with the three later titles largely attributed to a legendary forward line dubbed "The Famous Five" - so much so that when a stand at Easter Road was rebuilt it was named after them. Off the back of their success in the early fifties, they were also invited to appear in the inaugural European Cup in 1956, becoming the first British club to play in Europe. Chelsea were invited, but the FA secretary persuaded them not to enter...good to see the FA is still about as efficient as it was then. On to more recent times though, and players we should look out for should we end up facing a trip to Scotland.

Hibernian finished 7th in the SPL last year, but made it to the Scottish Cup Final, and despite losing to League Champions Celtic they gained a place in the Europa League thanks to Celtic having qualified for the Champions League. Goalkeeper Ben Williams kept 11 clean sheets in 37 games, however they only won 6 of those games with 5 finishing in 0-0 draws, but that does seem a bit more solid than their Swedish opponents. That being said, with the first tie finishing 2-0 in favour of Malmo clearly the Swedes have the players to get at them. Up top Hibernian had their own ace in the hole last season - striker Lee Griffiths. On loan from Wolves, he banged in 23 goals in 36 games, and the Hibs faithful will no doubt be hoping someone can replicate that kind of form to help overturn the first leg deficit and set up a tie with the Swans. 

Bit of trivia here; former Swan Shefki Kuqi spent last season at Hibs after signing on a free transfer. He only started twice (a further twelve appearances coming off the bench) however manager Pat Fenlon clearly thought he had a positive effect on the squad. Another ex-Swan at Easter Road is Owain Tudur-Jones. The Welsh international has had a stop-start career that's been derailed by injury a few times, but it seems he's making a name for himself in Scotland. After signing for Inverness Caledonian Thistle he started well before injuring a knee ligament which required surgery, but he recovered to make 33 appearances the following season - impressing enough to draw the attention of Hibs, and they subsequently (and successfully) made an approach for the languid midfielder.

We could well see Owain line-up against us, and I for one would be pleased to see him succeed at Hibs. I always felt if he could steer clear of injury he could play at a high level, and it seems he's slowly getting there - he was sent off twice last season though, alongside two others the most any one player saw red in the league that year. I don't remember him being particularly tasty! 

Whoever we face, these truly are exciting times for anyone connected to, or who follows Swansea City. Next stop Europe, please drive!

A profile of Swansea target Franco Di Santo

With a move heavily rumoured, how did the ex-Wigan frontman perform last season?

"Franco Di Santo? Him by 'ere"

Following on from yesterday's blog where I had a look at Di Santo's performance in general over the last few seasons, let's now look a little closer at the Argentinian striker's game. With Lita and Moore both seemingly free to find another club, the Swans would be left with Bony, Michu and Rory Donnelly as the only registered forwards (and Michu's inclusion in that list would no doubt gall the Spaniard), so you'd hope that if he is to come in, he'd improve the overall calibre of our front-line.

Last season he played 35 games in the league (24 starts), scoring 5 goals and nabbing two assists. Not the most auspicious start for a striker, so let's move on. When I've been discussing the merits of Di Santo coming in with other Swansea fans, the general consensus has actually been more positive than I'd have imagined; he's clearly not your "out and out striker" and his ability to hold up play has been cited more than once as something which could be useful to the Swans - but do the stats support this? His pass completion is 72.8% (averaging 17.2 passes per game) which when compared with Luke Moore (79.9% completion and 10.2 passes per game) doesn't actually hold up that well. Pun not intended.

Furthermore, from 4 starts and 11 sub appearances Moore managed to grab 3 goals and 2 assists - is Di Santo really any better? The former Chelsea man is dispossessed 1.3 times per game and gives the ball away another 1.6 - Moore weighs in with 0.3 and 0.4 respectively so it would seem that the ball retention argument isn't actually that sound. Ok, Moore has a smaller amount of average game time but it shouldn't produce a disparity as marked as that displayed so far. He averages 1.9 shots per game, with his 5 goals coming from a total of 65 shots - far from clinical and that gives him a conversion rate of 13%. 

He does manage 0.9 key passes per game, which is more than all but 5 Swansea players averaged last term (Ki, Pablo, Routledge, Michu & JDG), so he's clearly got an eye for a pass, but the problem seems to be holding on to the ball long enough to do anything with it, and when you consider he only attempts a dribble once every other game it doesn't seem he's even trying to do anything particularly spectacular. Defensively, 0.6 tackles per game dwarfs the 0.1 managed by Moore, but when you put it alongside the 1.3 managed by Michu it doesn't look that great. I remember Alan Shearer talking about goalscorers once, and he said "Scoring goals hurts", implying that you don't magically appear for tap-ins; you produce your own luck by busting a gut for 90 minutes every time you take the field. 

All in all, not that encouraging really. As has often been the case with the Swans, however, judging a player based on performances at another club could well be fool-hardy. We're seeing more and more cases of "if the shoe fits" and Swansea seems to be turning into somewhere technical footballers can legitimately hope to revitalise their careers if they've seen them stutter elsewhere. Let's hope that, if he does make a switch to SA1, we'll be saying exactly that about Di Santo in a year's time. 

Swansea linked with Franco Di Santo

Goal-shy striker could be brought in as backup for Bony



Franco Di Santo



The latest name to be linked with the Swans is ex-Chelsea youngster Di Santo, who's spent the last few seasons oop North in Wigan. The inspiration from this blog came from reading an article on footballfancast.com, which interestingly called him both a "former PL player" and "a star". Both of those statements are fairly tenuous given current goings on, but you can chew them apart at your leisure. The main point I wanted to look at was their assertation that Di Santo had earned himself cult status at the DW thanks to goal-scoring exploits which helped save the club from relegation (a few seasons ago).

I didn't really remember that happening (which is by no means proof it didn't; there are lots of things I manage to miss), so I had a quick look at matches he participated in to see if there was anything in this.

After a spell at Chelsea as a youngster (where he scored a prolific amount of goals for the reserve team) he made a few sub appearances before being shipped out to Blackburn on loan, where despite a decent start he fell out of favour. In fairness, he'd slipped out of the starting XI based on a lack of goals, so it wasn't like he was being particularly mis-treated, and after a full year on loan at Ewood Park he signed for Wigan for £2million.

In his first full year at Wigan, he played 29 games and scored only one goal. Given that goal was one of two scored by Wigan in a 4-2 loss to Sunderland, it doesn't seem it was 2010/11 he saved the club from relegation! Next!...

So, 11/12 then. Bingo. He got off the mark early in the season with two deflected goals against QPR, before a consolation goal against Everton preceeded one of two Wigan goals in a 2-1 win away at Sunderland on the 26th of November. That was his last goal for 5 months, as his next strike came in a 2-1 win away at Arsenal on the 16th of April, before he also managed to bag himself one in a 4-0 win over Newcastle, and another in a 3-2 win over Wolves on the final day of the season, giving him 7 in 33 overall that campaign.

Hardly the stuff of legends, surely? No-one can take away his contribution to the Latics, however I suspect that if indeed he is a club legend up there, it's because they were particularly short on suitable candidates.

Last season was more of the same really. 5 goals in 33 games really doesn't convince me that he'd be worth bringing in, but as I've said before if he is brought in he'd have my backing. I don't think he's a bad player necessarily, and psycohology can play a huge part in striker's going on scoring sprees. You don't score as many goals at youth/reserve level as he has without possessing the quality, and hopefully if he does arrive it'll be the spark he needs to rediscover his goalscoring touch. Because let's be honest, he needs to....

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.

Swans complete Dutch tour with a 1-0 win over Den Haag,while Shelvey is hoping to force his way into international reckoning

First half Wayne Routledge goal enough to see off our Dutch "sister-club"

The Swans celebrate Wayne Routledge's goal

Swansea today played out a 1-0 win over ADO Den Haag, a club with whom we've forged a strong bond thanks, mostly, to the efforts of director John Van Zweden. The Swans again changed the team more or less completely at half time, but trusty old Gerhard Tremmel completed 90 minutes. Whether this is to be viewed as an indication he's being considered for more of a no1 role, or an appeasement for being relegated to the bench again soon you can't say.

It was hard to tell from the stream I viewed the game on, but it appeared to me that Ki finished the game playing at centre-back? If anyone who was at the game could confirm this it'd be great, as given he played there in the Carling Cup final it's possible Laudrup is thinking he can mould the languid Korean into a ball-playing centre-back. In terms of distribution, players like David Luiz would have nothing on Ki. The game was also notable for Wilfried Bony making his Swansea debut, and he looked lively from the off when he was brought on for the second half. A couple of neat twists and turns saw him twice threaten, but the Den Haag keeper was up to anything the Ivorian could produce on this occasion. 

A particular highlight for me though was how confident Jazz Richards seemed. Some regular game-time at Palace last season, coupled with a few words which indicated he'd be seeing first-team action this season seem to have given him the boost he needed, and it looks like he intends to take the opportunity with both hands. At one point he was faced up against two Den Haag players right on the touch-line, and produced a couple of neat touches which saw him beat them both in succession, before being fouled by the latter defender - Jazz got up unscathed, but his assailant required medical attention. It's possible he's the hardest player in the Swans' squad, but he just doesn't know it yet.

Shelvey hoping regular game-time in SA1 will help him gain further international honours

Whenever any Swansea player of English descent starts talking about being called up for the national team, I can't help but feel sorry for them as historically SA1 has been ignored by Roy Hodgson. He has been seen here, however you can't help but feel he was here to watch the opposition as "The Swansea Way" isn't a very good fit with good old English 4-4-2...or even with the convoluted 4-5-1 they sometimes play in a strange effort to accommodate both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

That being said, Shelvey is clearly someone viewed by the English powers that be as an up-and-coming prospect, and that alone could pave the way for other Swansea players, who so far have been ignored, to be in with a shout of making the national team. When questioned about the possibility of future international appearances whilst in SA1, Shelvey reacted positively:

“That’s the hope. If I do play every week I hope my performances will get recognised international-wise. 

“It was an exciting time to get my debut, not just for me but for my family as well. It’s every English kid’s dream to play for England, and then to do it at Wembley as well was magnificent. The aim is to get more. I didn’t realise I could be the first Swansea player to play for England. 

“If I can make a little bit of history that would be great because I do feel if I get the chance to play every week here I feel I can get myself into the England squad, but I am still in the under-21s and I have still got another two years at that level so I am biding my time. 

“I just want to get playing week-in, week-out, and it didn’t come into my thinking that when I came here it might harm my chances. First and foremost it was about getting back to playing football and finding my feet at a club again. 

“Later on down the line, if you are putting the performances in, I am sure Roy Hodgson will not be bothered about who you play for. Look at Ryan Shawcross at Stoke - you’d say they are not a massive club but he got his chance with England, so I don’t think it will affect me.” Jonjo Shelvey

While I do really like the fact that on paper we have just signed a full England international there is an elephant in the room; Shelvey has played once for England and it was against San Marino. Now, I don't mean to take anything away from the player as he featured in the U21 Championships this summer (a campaign always doomed from the off with Stuart Pearce in charge), however at this juncture I'd say it's so harsh on a player such as Leon Britton that Shelvey has a full international cap and the Swansea legend doesn't. 

Britton excelled in the Premiership in his first season, and in any other country I'm convinced he'd have been rewarded with an international appearance by now, but that he hasn't (and Shelvey has) says more about the way international selection works in England. As mentioned above, we can only hope (for Jonjo's sake and our own) that his performances are of a calibre which demands international attention, as it will ultimately be of benefit to the team as much as to the player himself.

Tate, Augustien, Obeng, Lita & Moore transfer listed as Swans look to make room in squad

Quintet likely to be heading to pastures new as Laudrup looks to streamline the roster of players available to him

In what could probably be viewed as the first wave of departures from the Liberty since promotion to the Premiership (the odd player sale excluded), it seems we're set to say goodbye to one player in particular who's worn his heart on his sleeve for the entire of his spell in SA1.

Still aged only 30, there's a distinct possibility that Alan Tate will continue to play football at, at least, Championship level. He equipped himself well during our rise through the divisions and despite some (overly) harsh words from fans at times I thought he was excellent - and I include his performances at left-back into that. Ok, when up against certain tricky wingers he struggled, but what right-footed emergency left back wouldn't?

Sadly, it seems the time has come where Laudrup thinks we need to be looking above and beyond players of Tate's standing, and we can only hope he'll still receive a testimonial at some point. Laudrup indicated his decision to transfer-list certain players won't necessarily have been a shock to them:

“Some of them were spoken to in April; Tate and Bartley knew we wanted to bring in a different type of centre-back. We want someone who can play a little higher with more speed and they both said they didn’t want to be fourth or fifth choice here.

“With the forwards [Moore & Lita], even if we went into pre-season without new strikers, I wouldn’t have brought them. I wanted them to have the time to find another club instead of coming here just to wait before we signed someone.”

In what can only be described as a wonderfully subtle soundbite, Laudrup also indicated it wasn't necessarily just footballing reasons which have led to Kemy Augustien being shown the door:

“There were a lot of things with Kemy last season and it’s best for him that he finds a new environment and tries to play a little more regularly.”

That's being kind. 36 (I think?) points on his driving license for a series of offences, and going out on the piss with the club's arch-rivals less than 48 hours before he could realistically have been expecting to play a Premier League game? Not the conduct you'd expect from someone being paid many thousands of pounds a week to play football.

In regards to ongoing speculation as to the club's remaining transfer targets (Huddersfield's Jack Hunt in particular), the Dane was typically coy:

“You could ask a lot of names. So many players are linked and when they go to another place it’s because they turned us down when we never wanted them. If I signed just half of those linked we would have a squad of 36.” Michael Laudrup

While we don't want to become overloaded, these are exceptionally exciting times. It seems we're in the market for more or less anyone who'd improve the overall calibre of the squad, and why not? Assuming (and why wouldn't you?) that we can easily afford all of these transfers, it's really pleasing to see the club pursuing transfer targets with a vengeance. Who knows, we may yet see another quality acquision or two before the end of the summer.

Bony officially signs!

Ivorian ace finally pens 4-year deal, while the Swans are reported to be talking to Esteban Granero & Wakaso Mubarak

Well it's finally official! The club's website has been in overdrive the last few days; posting updates of the tour and interviews with new signings, so it's understandable that it took over 24 hours after photos emerged of Bony in Swans attire for his signature to be announced on the club website. This is likely due to the fact that the deal was originally agreed verbally, so no doubt the club were erring on the side of caution in regards to announcing a club-record-breaking transfer.

One thing to note is that whilst playing for Sparta Prague, Bony finished top scorer of the Europa League - bagging nine goals in the process, and having another crack at European competition is clearly something which he's looking forward to;

"This move has been talked about for quite some time, so I am delighted it is all completed. Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy.

“I watched Swansea a lot last season on TV. They have some good players and I like the way they play. I appreciate the style, which is similar to the Dutch way, and I think being at Swansea will help me develop as a player.

“I believe it’s the right step for me; the perfect move. I had a lot of offers from all across the world, including England, France, Ukraine, Russia and the UAE, but I chose Swansea because it is a good club with a corresponding style, a great manager and, of course, playing in the Premier League.

"I considered everything and Swansea came out on top. I had my best season last year at Vitesse with 36 goals in all competitions. It is going to be tougher in the Premier League to score goals, but I will try my best. Everything is possible.

"Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy. The Europa League is my first focus - I enjoy playing in Europe and I'm used to it.

"I am looking forward to joining the training camp out here in Holland as a Swansea player and building up good communications with the team and coaching staff as quickly as possible." Wilfried Bony

Bony seems a powerful finisher very much in the mould of Didier Drogba, and that's a type of player we've been sadly missing in recent times. Michu did his best to address that problem, but he clearly didn't enjoy being battered by, normally, a pair of burly centre-backs and much prefers making late runs into the box - it's high time the Swans had a player capable of retaining possession up front, because to be honest since the departure of Jason Scotland we haven't really had a striker capable of both building play, and scoring lots of goals.

Here's something to whet your appetite...

Swansea in talks over Esteban Granero

This has been rumoured for quite a while, and it seems there's now something to this. His agent has been quoted by Skysports as saying Swansea is an "acceptable destination" for his client:

"The two clubs are talking about a transfer, it's true. Michael Laudrup knows him very well from their time at Getafe, where together they had a great UEFA Cup campaign.

"Swansea are also looking at many Spanish players and play in Europe next year, [so] the destination would be absolutely acceptable to Esteban."

In true impartial style, Skysports neglected to include the bit at the end where the agent said "...but his preferred destination is Italy" - but let's be honest why would you let some words affect a potential rumour?
Personally I think we're loaded up on midfielders now, and if he comes in surely someone else may be departing? Ki seemed out of favour at times last season, and I sincerely hope that he won't be a casualty of Laudrup "building a side in his own image".

Swans told to up their offer for Wakaso Mubarak

As mentioned a few days ago, it seems we're interested in bringing Espanyol winger Mubarak to the Liberty. While it seems we were originally offering a fee of around £3.5million, it looks like closer to £5million will now be required for the Swans to get their man. They didn't specify who it was who'd had a bid turned down, but it's widely believed to be Swansea City:

"We have received an offer from a European club but we will not sell on these terms." Espanyol director Jose Luis Morlanes

A full Ghanaian international, he's impressed for his country of late and has scored a few absolute screamers; notably this one: (I've linked it before but it deserves another watch - it's Villareal's third goal).

For less than £5million, if he can indeed compete at PL level that's a pretty decent bargain for an attacking winger. Let's be honest, I wouldn't spend that on Stewart Downing...

Swansea agree £12million deal for Wilfried Bony

The Swans smash their transfer record by verbally agreeing a deal which could reportedly rise by another million or two including add-ons

After what seems to have been an age it looks like we've finally got our man. We're still awaiting an announcement from either club regarding the move, however a picture of Bony with Huw has surfarced on Twitter:

Bony with Huw Jenkins and, I assume, Bony's representative

I'm sure that Huw, Laudrup and Bony himself will be keen to get on with things now, and with the Swans on tour in Holland it's worked out rather swimmingly. Hopefully he can join up with his new team-mates in the next 24 hours or so, but with the next friendly coming against NAC Breda tomorrow it's unlikely all the work permit gubbins will be tied up in time (although I have a feeling that wouldn't matter in a friendly?) for him to feature. A distinct possibility, however, is that he'll be available to line up against ADO Den Haag this coming Saturday, so we may not have to wait too long to see him in a Swansea shirt, as opposed to holding one...

Welcome to the club Wilfried! May your time here be goal-laden.

Swansea kick off their Dutch tour, while talk of Bony finalising a move intensifies

Swansea pick up wins in their first two friendlies as they look to get up to speed ahead of the new season

As suspected, I spent the entire weekend on the Brighton promenade, hawking the wares of my friend's clothing company, and as such I was unable to catch any of the sport. I didn't time that one too well to be honest, missing the Lions smashing Australia and Murray becoming the first British winner of Wimbledon in donkey's years, but in truth I spent more of my time wondering how the Swans had been getting on in Holland (and whether a certain striker had agreed terms). 

They kicked off their pre-season shenanigans with a match against FC Gravenzande - very much an amateur side and the Swans seemed to take their time about things, using the game to get up to speed and get their passing game going. The game was a bit of a dead rubber, but finished 2-0 to the Welsh side thanks to goals from Ki Sung-Yueng & Pablo Hernandez. The Spaniard was pleased to get off the mark so early on in pre-season:

"Considering it was our first game, we enjoyed good possession.It wasn't easy because we are not 100 per cent fit. It's always better to win, but more important for us now is the hard work we do to ensure we start next month 100 per cent fit and ready. 

"Obviously I am happy to score in the first game, but the goal is secondary to me. It's the work that comes first." Pablo Hernandez

The game saw the inclusion of many of the club's new signings, as did the second game - against Excelsior - who despite supposedly being a class above the Swans' previous Dutch opponents took a bit of a pasting 5-1, with the goals coming from Lamah, Donnelly, Pozuelo, Gorre & Dyer. Good to see some different names popping up on the score sheet, but notable for me was how much Ki seemed to be getting forward. Is it possible he's trying to make a point in pre-season? With attacking midfield options secured in Pozuelo & Shelvey, it's imperative he sticks his head above the parapet in the next few games if he's any hope of figuring in a more advanced mifield role this season.

Another player who's hoping to force his way into the first-team reckoning is Jazz Richards, who's spoken to the official site regarding his plans for the new season:

"I went on loan to gain experience and get some game-time so you can return and push for a spot in the team. Obviously Angel is going strong and doing very well, but I hope to be a part of things this season. I don't know if I will go out on loan again, but you never know what can happen during pre-season. 

"Just look at Ben [Davies]; he was among the best players we had in pre-season last year, and he went on to have a great season. When Tayls got injured, Ben went straight in because he had a great pre-season and was fit, sharp and ready. 

"That's what it is all about. You go into pre-season, get your fitness in and show the manager what you can do. Then it's up to the manager. So that's what I'm hoping to do." Jazz Richards

Personally I thought he did very well when he featured for us in the PL, and as a right-back I think he could have a good future at the club. With youth on his side, he's got plenty of time to add a bit of defensive savvy to his name, and with a decent first touch, good passing ability and a great engine he's a tidy player to have kicking around the squad. While it seems Tiendalli won't be retained (which is a shame as he was excellent for us) I think Jazz will seize this opportunity with both hands and we'll see more of him this year.

Swansea expected to finalise £13million deal for Wilfried Bony

It looks like it's finally happening. Fingers crossed, touch wood and all manner of other superstitious sayings are no doubt being rolled out across South Wales as Huw & co try to iron out the creases in what would be a record signing for the Swans, and a record fee received for Vitesse. The transfer is believed to be over £10million up front, with £13million being the top end fee if all add-on's come to fruition, and it's a real, real statement of intent from the Swansea board.

"Until it is signed we cannot speak about an agreement, but there are only a few details now. We want it done by lunchtime [Monday] or so. We have the last few details to sort with his representative, but that won't be a problem. 

"He will have his medical in Holland before joining up with the team." HuwaJenkins speaking to Dutch paper De Telegraaf

Quite a few people were sniping cynically for weeks and weeks about how the lack of ambition in the transfer market could cost the Swans dearly, however in pursuing Bony they've shown that (if they believe the player is right for the Swans) they have no problem spending money to get him. One thing that can't be said of other clubs too, is that as fans we know that if we're bidding £13million, it's because we can damn well afford it. How much remains in the Liberty coffers remains to be seen, but with around £20million spent (assuming the Bony deal goes through) hoping for further big-money signings may be futile.

Of all the strikers we've been linked with this summer, Wilfried Bony seems to be the one that excites the fans, and his goal return also far exceeds that of any of the others too. Stay tuned as it seems we could be hearing something imminently - but then again, we have been hearing that all weekend...