Look guys - this thread is about getting above, not getting up......... Back to the OP, (and if we've still got Malky as a manager ) are we strong enough to maintain our current edge on the Swans as the season rolls on? Very early days, but both teams are showing some problem areas. Who is best placed to sort them out - Malky or Mikey?
Sparky this depends on two variables imo, normally I would say us as we have a settled infrastructure at the moment without ' the majority shareholder ' interfering . You asked the question yourself will Malky be with you for any length of time and will he be allowed to manage without interference ? On the other side of the coin, if we are still ( cough ) playing in Europe for any length of time it could be a problem for us with fitness etc. Early days as you said but the next couple of fixtures could give us some indication
Id go for Mikey Sparkey, (I know it sounds biased, but Im going to try and explain without coming across as biased) Although our position is not good right now, we have played some very hard teams, teams that are part of the "top league" within the league. So in effect (without trying to sound ignorant) our games are not going to get much harder. Home games against Liverpool, Arsenal and United. Away games at Spurs, Palace, West Brom and Southampton. Out of all those games, the only team I would have us down for a win against is Palace. Now if we had played Southampton and West Brom at home, I would put those down for wins, but being away, the fact we beat West Brom was one of those "bonus" points. I personally had us down for 6 points in our opening 7 (beat palace, draw Liverpool, West Brom, Southampton) So to be 1 ahead, is a bonus point IMO. And based on previous results against these teams (courtesy of PGF) Season 1 we had 10 (with wins at home to Liverpool and Arsenal as bonus points) 6 points in season 2, which happened to be: Man U: 1 Spurs: 0 WBA: 0 Liverpool: 1 QPR (palace): 3 Arsenal: 0 Southampton: 1 Which is pretty much in line with my predictions of 6 points, so again to have 7, for me personally is a good start. Im impressed by Cardiff's start, more specifically beating Man City and drawing against Everton, but if I was to use Cardiff's opening fixture list as our own, I would have hoped for us to have around 10 points. Wins against Newcastle (H), Hull (A), draws against Fulham (A), Everton (H), West Ham (A) and Spurs (H), loss against Man City (H) Which based on our results last season which were: Newcastle: 3 Reading: 1 Fulham: 3 Everton: 0 West Ham: 0 Spurs: 0 Man City: 1 So my 2 extra points from predictions is basically coming from the Hull game, which is because Reading was always a strange team for us, whereas I would have us down to beat Hull. So I would hope (as a biased Swans fan of course ) that as the season progresses, we would re-take our rightful place as the number 1 team in Wales from you
Thanks for that you guys and especially swansalona - very comprehensive appraisal. Like most things though, some fairly "nailed on" predictions can be turned on their head like us taking all three points off Man City for instance. I expect more of the same with many teams in the bottom half taking unexpected points - it's what we achieve when playing those around us that will define our season. Talking about unexpected point(s), we have a trip next week to my old teenage stamping ground in the early 70's and are expected to be hammered by the club I followed at the time. Coming back with anything at all would be totally unexpected..................
I hope you get a point at most Sparkey, as for you to take 3 would mean scoring, and seeing as I have just transferred in Terry for my fantasy team (hoping for bonus 4 point clean sheet ) you to score is not something I can hope for
I never quite understand these easy games both Cardiff and swansea fans talk about. On paper is a world away from the actual day. Many of those clubs fighting at the lower end are improving all the time, the pressure of being a struggling club can turn in an instance following one shock win and if they don't, a new manager can often iron out any problems before the season is done. Don't write off anyone this early in the season.
No such thing as an easy game in the Prem. Just watch Sunderland pick up now Poyet is in charge. The next few weeks will be very tough for us and the best we can hope for are points (probably just the 1 each time) at Norwich and Villa. Can't see us getting anything against Chelski, Man U and Arsenal although as we showed against Man City, you never know. As for the local derby, as we all know this brings different factors in to play including much higher emotions, local rivalry and a huge atmosphere within the stadium as well as the fraught nerves due to the inevitably tense build up in the week before. As a result any form book can be totally upset and while I obviously hope we get all 3 points I think a draw is the most likely result but it could easily go in favour of Swansea. Malky must stay as manager. To lose him now just before this series of games would be a disaster for us and anyone taking on the job, even temporarily would have an almost impossible task of motivating the team, the majority of whom have come to us since Malky arrived.
I didn't claim there were any easy games, i said the games are not going to get any harder. There is a big difference
Easy games in the Prem!! - who said that? Every team is capable of turning over another on the day. What we should be talking about is expectation levels against each opponent as they crop up - nothing is "easy", and likewise nothing is impossible. Look at West Ham at Spurs last weekend. The outcome of our two fixtures this weekend would seem to be pre-written - clearly wins for Chelsea and Swansea are expected, whilst their opponents on the day will take what they can get (if anything). Funnilly enough, high expectation levels often dissappoint. Better sometimes to be expected to come away with nothing, and even keeping the opposition score down may seem to be sufficient. I still think taking at least 4 points out 6 from the bottom half clubs is the target - that should set us on the way to safety. Whatever else comes our way from the likes of our visit to Chelsea and the return fixture with them the last game of the season is just a bonus.
