We arent dominating possession as much as in games last season but our midfield is getting forward more and we are making more chances and so far taking them. Swansea will be a tough test though.
True rj. On what we've seen so far though I would expect us both to be comforably top half at the end of the season.
GARRY Monk has urged his Swansea City players to be better managers as they bid to boss games in the Premier League. Swansea aim to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they host Southampton on Saturday. And after the 4-2 loss at Chelsea ended Swansea's perfect start to the season, Monk reckons his team need to box clever this weekend. "We're at a stage where for 55 minutes we competed very well against a top side in Chelsea," he said. "Now we're trying to edge closer over time to a situation where we can we can really give one of the big teams a game over 90 minutes. "What we have to do is learn from the mistakes we make. "It's about game management, managing the game within the game. We have to manage the periods when we're under pressure properly and come through them next time." Having seen off Burnley, Rotherham and West Brom already, Swansea aim to make it four wins from four on home turf this term against Ronald Koeman's in-form Southampton side. And Monk hopes the lessons of the Stamford Bridge reverse will see Swansea through against the club where he learned his trade. "We've been working on worrying about ourselves, trying to be the best we can be," he added. "We've done that very well at the start of the season and even at Chelsea, especially in the first half, we played some very good stuff — we should have really been taking more of our chances because some of them were very good. "We can improve on a lot of things, but the experience of Chelsea will stand the players in good stead."
Swansea’s Shelvey targeting England call By Andrew Tuft Thursday 18 September 2014 Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey believes he is good enough to play for England and has called for Roy Hodgson to give him an opportunity, BBC Sport has reported. Hodgson has played in all four of the Swans’ Premier League games so far this season, helping the Welsh side win three out of three before a defeat to league leaders Chelsea. Hodgson has suggested Shelvey is a player on his radar but the manager has been criticised for not visiting the Liberty Stadium as England manager. “I believe I could play for England, when the time comes and I get picked,” Shelvey said. “It's down to obviously the manager to pick me.” The likes of Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge have also been touted for international caps due to their performances at club level and Shelvey says he and his teammates will continue plugging away in the hope of catching Hodgson’s eye. “We can only just keep doing what we've got to do,” he continued. “We don't go out on the pitch and thinking we've got to impress the England manager. "We just go and try and get three points for the club and I'm sure if we do that and put the performances in then it can only be recognised by the FA.” Routledge and Dyer have missed out on England honours but Shelvey has one cap to his name, making an appearance in a 5-0 win over San Marino in October 2012. Shelvey was at the time a Liverpool player, moving to Swansea in 2013. He made 70 appearances for the Reds, scoring seven goals, and has gone on to feature 47 times for Swansea, with seven goals scored.
From the 'Swansea oh Swansea' fanzine..... Saints fan George Galpin gives us the lowdown on this weekend’s opponents. You had a fairly lively summer, did you expect to see so many players depart? Yes and no. Expected Shaw to go, and probably Lallana, and did expect Schneiderlin to leave, but the others threw me a bit. Lovren thought he’d give it another year, Chambers I thought would stay for longer, and Lambert to Liverpool still shocks me now. What about the new arrivals, who has impressed so far? Can honestly say everyone really has settled and doesn’t look out of place. Dusan Tadić and Graziano Pellè have settled in fantastically well considering the step up. Shane Long is playing out of his usual position, on the right hand side of the front three, but admire his pace and work rate immensely. In defence, Fraser Forster has been superb so far, and Ryan Bertrand has impressed me so far, particularly after replacing Luke Shaw who was seen as one of our important players. Toby Alderweireld came in on Saturday and didn’t put a foot wrong, and Gardos was given his first game, and still needs to get up to speed after injury. You’ve made a good start to the season with seven points so far, what are the fans early impressions of Ronald Koeman? He’s really been taken to the hearts of the fans, with his honesty and openness. The fact he looks like he is enjoying the job, and really looks like he cares has meant that he has settled in, and is definitely been given a lot of love so far. His thoughts are often echoed by the fans, too. What are your expectations this season? Mid-table really. 10-12th after losing those players, but gaining these, would be a step in the right direction. If we can carry on this start, maybe 8th again wouldn’t be so unachievable. What’s your opinion on Swansea and which players if any do you fear? A bit like us; Play good football, and have very good players. The two wingers Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer are obviously good wingers with pace, but what settles you apart from the rest is Wilfried Bony for me. He’s a great striker, and I think you’ve done well to hold on to him, like us and Schneiderlin. Predict the score and where both teams will finish in May 1-1. Saints 12th, Swansea 10th.
Towards the end of last season I would have agreed with you....he hasn't started off well this season though. The one who is criminally overlooked for us is Leon Britton. IMO.
I have a blog about Southampton FC. I know you don’t care. However, I have just posted my discussion of Swansea and I thought some of you might be interested. Even if you are not, I figured that our mutual level of antipathy was low enough that I would survive posting this message. www.redsloscf.blogspot.co.uk
There's no pressure on Wilfried Bony, insists Swansea City boss Garry Monk By South Wales Evening Post | Posted: September 19, 2014 GARRY Monk has taken the pressure off Wilfried Bony as the striker eyes a first goal of the season, declaring: "I don't care who scores." Last season's 25-goal top marksman is yet to find the target in five appearances this term. And though he acknowledges that Bony has missed presentable chances, Monk has no concerns about the Ivory Coast star's form. "Every striker wants to score — they put pressure on themselves because they feel that's how they are judged," said the Swansea boss. "But it's not about that for me. I don't care who scores, and there's no onus on a particular player to get goals for us." Though he is not yet off the mark, Bony has been in decent form so far this season. He featured as a substitute at Chelsea last weekend having been away with his country but, after a full week's training, it could be that he is reinstated ahead of Bafetimbi Gomis when Southampton visit the Liberty tomorrow. "Wilf is very much a team person," Monk added. "He is not doing anything different in training — the players always do extra finishing work anyway. "And I always believe that if they keep getting chances, they will score goals. "Wilf has had chances and he probably could have scored a couple already, but the great thing is that the team have taken the pressure off him." While Bony could replace Gomis, there will be one enforced change for Swansea with Federico Fernandez tipped to take over in central defence from the injured Jordi Amat.
Swansea City are training like never before, Garry Monk reveals By South Wales Evening Post | Posted: September 19, 2014 (Swansea City's only goal from the striker department came from Batefimbi Gomis in the Capital One Cup against Rotherham.) GARRY Monk says his players are training like never before in a bid to make Swansea City a more potent Premier League force. Swansea have netted eight goals in their first four league games this season, a record bettered only by Chelsea (15) and Everton (nine) in the top flight. And Monk has revealed how Swansea have worked on a daily basis in an attempt to ensure they have more goal threats come the weekend. "We have had goals from across the team so far, and we have trained to make that happen," said the Swansea manager. "You can't just say to a player 'I want you to score more goals' and expect it to happen. You have to train different patterns, different ways of breaking through the lines and different ways of arriving in the box. "You don't just say you want more people to score and expect it to happen, it doesn't work like that." Gylfi Sigurdsson, Nathan Dyer, Wayne Routledge, Ki Sung-Yueng and Jonjo Shelvey have all found the target already this season. The only goal from one of Swansea's strikers to date came from Bafetimbi Gomis in the Capital One Cup, so the signs are promising given that both he and Wilfried Bony are bound to get their share. "We are creating well at the moment," Monk added. "We know we will go through periods where maybe we don't score so much. "But we are working hard to make sure the goals keep coming. "The players have probably never trained as much on the things we are talking about. "In fact, in my time at Swansea they have never trained like that. "I am not claiming it's anything radical or that it's all new, but we are doing things we haven't done before." Part of the new training regime at Swansea is on the mental side. "As I've said to the players, the days are gone where you just come in, get a sweat on for a couple of hours and go home," Monk said. "You have to think about what you are asked to do. "We ask them questions in training because if they are better thinkers in training, they will be better thinkers on the pitch. "I wasn't the most talented player, but I was a good thinker. I saw things on the pitch and I told players what to do — mainly because I couldn't run there myself! "It's hard getting the players to think more about the game, especially some of the British lads who haven't really worked like this before. "But once they understand the reason why we're doing things, they are able to do it."
In a battle of likeable teams, Swans hope to end woes vs. Saints The more things change, the more they stay the same. Swansea and Southampton are in many ways birds of a feather. The Swans and Saints -- trendy small clubs with snappy nicknames, appreciated by neutrals and adopted as second favourite teams. Two clubs who play the game the 'right way' and who have each survived unexpectedly tumultuous summers. Both clubs have seen managerial changes and mass player exoduses, and yet both clubs have picked up where they left off -- or even improved. The same football, the same style. Like I said, the more things change, the more things stay the same. One thing Swansea will want to see change is their run of poor results against the Saints, who they have not beaten since Southampton joined Swansea in the top flight two seasons ago. Last season's two losses were particularly hard to take. In the early fixture at St Mary's, Swansea were far the better side, and yet managed to lose the game 2-0. At the Liberty, a freak goal in the last minute saw Southampton take a 1-0 decision. Swansea hopes to get back to winning ways after losing to Chelsea. Heading into Saturday's game, Swansea might be feeling rattled having had the bubble of their perfect start rudely popped by a ruthless Chelsea. Southampton meanwhile almost chased Alan Pardew out of the Newcastle manager's chair by administering a 4-0 thrashing. On paper, the two sides probably couldn't be further apart mentally as they prepare for Saturday. - Jordi Amat out six weeks with knee ligament strain Swansea should be hoping that Southampton's comfortable victory will introduce a sense of over-confidence -- without wanting to take too much away from Saints performance, Newcastle played about as badly as anyone can remember last week. Swansea should present a considerably tougher challenge. Garry Monk's men will want to forget about last week's defeat, although they might want to remember how well they started that match; for 25 minutes, the Swans had Chelsea on the ropes, and it is not unreasonable to suggest they might have won that game, if only they could sustain their early pressure for 90 minutes. It is probably beyond the ability not just of Swansea but of human physiology in general to sustain that level of performance for a full game, but if the Swans can master the art of gear-shifting -- knowing when it is safe to sit back and recharge before throwing everything forward again, rather than simply giving it up altogether -- there isn't a side in the Premier League that will be unbeatable. Crucially, when Swansea take the initiative and force the football to be played in the opposing half, they simultaneously play to their strengths and diminish their weaknesses. Swansea were undone last week partly for the want of a decent defensive midfielder (and partly for the want of more athletic full backs). It's a problem that isn't going to go away until at least January, and that being the case it makes sense for Monk to use what he has got -- a potent attacking side who are prepared to work -- rather than be exploited for what he hasn't.
KEY BATTLES; Wilfried Bony vs Toby Alderweireld- Despite some murmurings concerning missed chances Bony has played very well in these opening fixtures and I fully expect him to come back into the starting lineup. He'll be up against Alderweireld who is a Belgian International (37 caps) on loan from Atletico Madrid. He came up at Ajax and was being watched by a number of top European clubs (Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and Napoli) before signing for Atletico...so he is certainly no mug. He can play left and right-back as well as centre-half. Saints have been utilising him at centre-half, he's 6ft2, strong, pacy and can play. His duel with Bony should be fascinating and Bony is due a goal. Siggy vs Victor Wanyama/Cork- Siggy has made a superb start on his return and is the link man that makes the whole attacking engine purr for us. He struggled in the last game against Chelsea after a good opening half an hour...IMO Mourinho decided that we were on top because Siggy was finding too much space, he took Schurrle off, switched Oscar to the right and moved Fabregas from CM to AM. This allowed Mourinho to bring on Ramires to partner Matic in DM. Together they shut down that space and then once momentum had shifted in Chelsea's favour Ramires was able to help press us high up the pitch and once again leave Siggy to Matic... Tomorrow Siggy will be up against another beast of a defensive midfielder in Wanyama (similar to Matic.) Finding space will be difficult, but what worries me is if Koeman partners Cork with Wanyama. Together they could shut down Siggy's space and press us high up the pitch much as Ramires and Matic did. The battle in midfield, as always, will be absolutely key to the outcome of the game. Ki vs Morgan Schneiderlin. Morgan Schneiderlin is a top, top, quality player who could easily be playing CL football. He is their playmaker, scores goals from midfield and is also a physical sort of athlete who works his nuts off. Ki, as our DM, is going to have his hands full....Ki hasn't let us down yet this season but we saw against Chelsea what a dangerous player from midfield can do (Fabregas carved us open on times) and Schneiderlin is that kind of dangerous midfielder. Neil Taylor vs Nathaniel Clyne / Shane Long Taylor (despite the substitution of Schurrle) did not have the best of times at Chelsea....ragged is how I would describe some of his defending. He'll be in for another stiff test tomorrow afternoon. Shane Long will be relentlessly chasing, closing down and running in behind the defence. He will be looking for any chinks of light in the channel between Taylor and Williams...the young Irishman doesn't seem to tire either. Taylor will need to be on it. If that wasn't enough to cope with Taylor will also have the Saints' young pacy full-back Nathaniel Clyne bombing down that flank. Big game required. Federico Fernandez vs Grazziano Pelle / Dusan Tadic Fernandez will get his chance to start. It could be the start of a beautiful relationship with Williams. Fernandez couldn't have had a hotter baptism of fire than the second half vs Chelsea last week. I'm sure he'll be looking forward to a home League debut in a winnable game. To me he looks good in the air, strong and a decent footballer on the deck....but (and I may be mistaken), not the quickest. This is a potential problem as neither is Ashley. Fernandez will be directly up against Pelle, who is large and a handful, and will also have Dusan Tadic coming down the channel between himself and Rangel. Both are pacy, both have a trick, and both (although Pelle in particular) have made very good starts to life in the Premier. Will it be a dream debut or a tough afternoon? What do the rest of you think?
Liverpool lost at home against villa recently because they battered villa but could not find the net and that happens more frequently these days that most fans think. We really need Bony or gomis whoever plays to up their game and at the very least hit the target more than they have done this season so far. Saints and the swans are the two most excitable teams in the premiership that are light years behind teams like chelsea but we both can give any big side a game but we also need lady luck on our side to beat them. this should be the best entertaining game at home so far this season and we really need bony who looks to be starting to start showing what he is good at and score a couple of goals because if he keeps on shooting off target then the saints are very capable of nicking the points....
