Match Day Thread Arsenal v. Swansea

That's why we needed to sign Joe but the bellends in suits signed Fer and wouldn't let Ki go for £7m instead.

 

Agreed, Kwame.

The captain is a real issue for me. I never thought Williams would be a good captain and he wasn't initially but he grew into the role and by god we are missing him now. What a stellar performance from him on Saturday. Cork is softly spoken and really doesn't come across as a captain to me. Sadly I think we are lacking in the Williams type of character. Someone mentioned Rangel and I'd agree but he doesn't play all the time. I'm really not sure. Leon maybe?

Does it matter? I think it does - and I also think Cork isn't up to the role.

 

There doesn't seem to be anyone for captain really. Rangel would get my vote as he's quite vocal, but as you've already said - he's not a regular anymore. Joey Barton will be available soon..............hahahaha

 

We're certainly missing a leader off the pitch Kiff. I thought VDH looked like Ash's long term replacement so you can understand my disappointment when he wasn't selected Saturday. Imo, van der Hoorn is a superb buy, very reasonably priced, no frills, ready made defender capable of stepping into the fray and making the position his own if given the opportunity.

If Bradleys' mind set is as he says it is then Saturdays selection pays credence to the 'clean slate' approach he spoke of. Saturday he went with the 'seniors' in the squad and I hope that his approach stretches to giving others their chance when the incumbents poor play costs us goals, points and games because he doesn't have time to mess about.

Imo, Bradley has to be ruthless from now, he has no time for sentiment or to give to players who are under performing. We are second bottom right now and we need points but its manageable. A win every third game with a regular draw will drive us away from relegation. Lose our next three games though and our need for points will become desperate so Bradley must win at least one of them.

Somewhere in our squad is a decent team and Bradley's doesn't have a lot of time to find it but find it he must.

 

Not sure why VDH didn't start ...hope he startsthe next few .

 

I agree. We are down the bottom for a number of reasons but one of them is woeful defending.

 

I think people are just realising how big a loss Williams was ....especially Fernandez .
Whats left of our old " Swansea Way " consists of two 34 year old players in Rangel and Britton .
Part of Britton's super play over the past , it seems , had a lot to do with him and Williams knowing what each was always doing .
Williams was a massive loss IMO

 

While Williams I don't feel was irreplaceable as a player (man for man based on footballing ability), he's certainly irreplaceable as a captain. But as roof has alluded to, Williams was also a classic "Swansea Way" centre back. We've had a lot of centre backs since our rise - Amat, Fernandez, Bartley, Monk, Tate, Chico, Lawrence, Serrán, Austin (to name but a few)....Williams is probably the only one that fully epitomised what we needed in a centre back. Was he the best with the ball at his feet? No, but he made up for it in hard work, determination, strength, and character. He worked on his game and improved a great deal with the ball during his time with us. And when he was made captain he demanded the same off his peers. That's what we need now - and while I don't condone willy-nilly spending, if we need to sign someone in January to fill that gap, perhaps that's what we need to do.

 

I'd make Herbie captain and Keith Todd vice captain.

Edit.......with Brian Evans on the wing.

 

I agree to a point kidderz , where I disagree is Williams is almost irreplaceable in the midterm of things as a player also .
The " Swansea Way" players we had left were the single biggest reason we pulled out of our problems last season .
Rangel and Britton were finally used and you could feel the difference in Williams game come along .
Williams"s final few seasons with us were his best IMO.

 

Valley if joe was prepared to join us he would have.....He wanted to join stoke who he thinks have more ambition. Bony also turned us down....

 

After the first 9 games last season , Sunderland had 3 points ......Seems that game 9 wasn't " A must win " cause they stayed up .

 

Watford is a progression game in the build of Bobs team,,, It is not a must win game at all but it would be great to win....

 

the OLD Swansea way got us promoted to the PL, don't work anymore mate

 

As I said on another thread - the other 2 teams in the Bottom 3 after 8 games were relegated at the end of the season; and the season before also.

That said, I agree that you can't get relegated after 8 or 9 games - but players, coaches, fans etc need confidence. Watford is a winnable game....