Qualified easy for Europa early , did reasonable in league till Christmas and qualified for the 2nd round of Europa. Hit a bad patch the next 6 weeks with tough opponents and tougher injuries. Started to get better with results and injury concerns, especially a historic FA Cup result at Old trafford Bad loss to West Ham but felt the team were about to break out in all competitions , then..... Great Expectations ..... lost , and a relegation battle ....found
Think you are right Roof, seems to me that Laudrup did not want a drop in form like we had last season and picked his battles. Its something that many continental managers do. We were doing alright in the league and cups and ready to really up the anti after Christmas. Under Laudrup we would certainly beaten WBA and Palace and be 5 points further up the league.
You sure about that? The trend was showing the complete opposite, we were annihilated by a fellow relegation competitor and the dire tactical nous showed by the manager gave West Ham a real sense of hope that they could survive. Laudrup was the best thing that happened to West Ham.
Sorry Project but we had more points compared to our rivals, and were further up the league, we had two bankers coming up in which Monk got a draw and a loss. Had we got those 5 points we would be in a respectable 11th instead of fighting in a relegation must win game this week. If Monk fails to get a result this week we will really be in the mire.
I really can't agree with this, Project. Dire? Come off it. Whatever Laudrup's faults, lack of tactical nous was not one of them. Bad day at the office to be sure but we were let down by the PLAYERS. Both centre backs unable to deal with Carroll (Williams always had trouble with this type), no one picking up Nolan and Shelvey coming off the post (again!!) for the second. Despite this we attacked constantly with 60%+ possession but got no joy, with Laudrup yelling on the touchline for the wingers to stay wide and stretch them. If you are moaning about Amat, you have a point but Laudrup's logic in using a stronger player to deal with Hammer's physicality was sound enough. The player just wasn't up to it - sometimes you try things and they don't work but it shows Laudrup was thinking about it. Hammers came into the game on the back of a draw against Chelsea at the Bridge. THAT was the game that gave them hope and they went on a run of 4 consecutive wins. But if you are implying that Monk (Southampton in the lower leagues, Barnsley and Swansea, primarily in the lower leagues) has greater tactical nous than Laudrup (Juventus, Barcalona, Real Madrid and Ajax) then it's pointless debating this any further. I will concede that Monk has brought a certain level of spirit to the team, though I saw no evidence of that in the second halves against Palace and WBA: but tactically he's a baby compared to Laudrup and those two halves were worse than anything that a Laudrup team EVER served up, Liverpool v our Seconds, apart.
WHU and Cardiff away suggest otherwise ivor. Laudrup wasn't able to win a game at the Liberty for bloody months and I had no confidence in him bucking the downward trend.
Disagree, the WHU game against 10 men was the most inept clueless game plan I have ever seen from a Swans outfit.
Are you sure their draw at Stamford bridge the week before might have more to do with that? As bad as our performance was v West Ham, it would only just sneak into the top 3 worst performances since.
What performances? We had a bad game against WBA and a bad half against Palace? WHU were also down to 10 men and we didnt create ONE sinlge chance at goal. For me that is what made my mind up that Laudrup had to go. We were clueless in terms of creating cxhances, something which we are now doing in abundance under Monk.
The Monk haters will never accept him in charge, they prefer an international name even if it means relegation form and abandoning the Swansea way. Basically it is what the Premier League Johnny Come Lately's come to expect, if the Swans survive the next two seasons they will be complaining there is no Champions League football in Swansea. They don't understand the club and the sport.
West Ham was always going to be a worry , we all know that and they went on to win 4 or so after . Including the West Ham game we were 3 wins and 3 losses in the last 6 games under Laudrup , if that doesn't spell change what does. Two FA Cup games I'll never forget in my life is the win against United and the follow up game Wasn't worried about the big picture after the West Ham game , was to excited knowing all the injuries had heeled and the caliber of Premier teams coming was easing and we could concentrate on the Cups , then ........
Yet I seem to be the only one that knows that prior to the Swans game, Palace had take 9 wins out o 9 against bottom half teams under Pulis, but I don't go spouting that as an excuse for dropped points.
I love Monk , as both player and manager and he will always have my support but he's a none event to the problem created by the board .Monk was merely advantaged at the time .
Actually valley l think I brought that fact about Palace to your attention , a lot of people use one game for Laudrup 's sacking and thats the West Ham game. Huw wanted Laudrup out so he could concentrate on 60 million £ imo, Knew that soon as I seen the Everton F A Cup line up. The team went a long way with Laudrup , shared big victories and a Cup . A run through Europe . The team finally became healthy when Laudrup was sacked , but they had there leader ripped away from them midway and they are slow to heel in other ways . I'll always support the team but I'll never forget the half season that never happened and what may have........
Well, I'm NOT one of your "Johnny Come Latelys" and I expect a Premier League club to have a Premier League standard manager. Right now, Monk is not one. He could well become one in due course. Are there any Monk "haters" as you maintain? There was plenty of ignorant vitriol spouted about Laudrup though, despite what he achieved for us. Short memories, some..... and selective as well. As for Monk, despite those people who have misgivings, and I am one, we all want him to do well because it means that our club is also doing well and that is what we all want.
They weren't just bad games, they were atrocious and by the end of the Palace game we were hanging on by our balls trying to save the one point - playing at HOME against two teams BELOW us in the league. We were being pushed back and defending desperately without a clue about how to stop it. As I said, atrocious.
Dont understand the term Monkhaters.I dont hate GM in fact i think the guy is a club legend.However as our manager he is not ready for the Pl.I also think that the backroom staff in the summer need a shake up.Monk has been thrown in at the deep end with no backup.
Same as this , it appears it's fine to attack Laudrup with comments from people ITK ,without any substance to back it up but god forbid say any thing which could shows weaknesses in our current manger / board and we're tarred with the "johnny come lately " tag and anti Swansea , what ever happened to debate ? all we seem to get are comments as quoted above . I agree that Monk has been given the short ends of the stick in terms of what he's been asked to achieve with no further backing from the Board what so ever just the promise of a large golden handshake if he succeeds .Thats not meant to belittle Monk in any way but he'll be the one hung out to dry if it doesn't come off , I wonder what his fate will be if he does fail ,drop back down into the Academy coaching the U13's ? . With the exception of some outsiders ,we all have the best interests of the club at heart but thats not to say we'll agree all of the time .it's correct that we're able to take different viewpoints and long may it continue .
West Brom and Palace at home, maybe even Everton away - games in which we fell apart. They were terrible performances. You're right, against WHU we didn't create one chance we created 20 (according to the BBC stats), as many as against West Brom and Palace combined (and they were at home).
