Hi Everybody! I'm sure you're all as excited as we are now that the new Premier League season has started! We've made a new video in which we attempt to predict the top 4 as well as the relegation candidates: If you can't be bothered with the video version or want to listen on your way to work in the car, there's a free MP3 version you can download here: I hope you enjoy, and please leave us feedback with any improvements we can make Thanks, JD
I enjoyed your video very much, Well apart from Man city i have watched every other sides performance and i never saw anything that told me that they are something special that Swansea will struggle against. In fact i thought the swans looked more like a top 4 side than anyone in yesterdays and today's games. I think we can look forward with a bit of optimism to the season that we can reach the top 6 or even better.....
I like the look of Gomis, wasn't seeing what the fuss was about when you first signed him and rumours of virtually all premier league clubs wanting to take him off your hands, and yes I know he didn't get much game time due to Bony, but since Bony left he has settled superbly and looks a real danger each time he plays and with his age 30, he appears to just be happy playing football, rather then looking for the biggest wage. If your entire team plays to its potential then you can put up a fight for 6th and if we (spurs) have a real flop of a season then you could sneak past us, but I have you down for 7th.
I was particularly impressed by our pressing right from the kick-off and the slickness of the passing and composure on the ball was sublime. Absolutely gutted we didn't get the three points which I thought we thoroughly deserved!
I'll be honest here and perhaps upset a lot of fellow Swans fans, I'm still not entirely impressed with Gomis. Saturday he made a good run to win the penalty but overall he doesn't seem like a natural finisher. I know it's hard to compare him to Bony as he was on another level, but Bony had an eye for goal and you had a confidence when he was on the ball that he could produce the goods. There's no denying Gomis works his socks off, but a natural goalscorer he is not! Thoughts?
Boss - What was it you liked about Gomis? Imo, he was off side far too much, showing lack of focus and concentration, he was over reliant on long ball and was only visible in the game when long balls were played up to him, he didn't protect/hold up ball when as a player of his size and stature should, he was missing up front when we were knocking the ball around the 18yd line, probing for gaps, he always seemed to get a defender between him and the ball player so no one could pass to him, He certainly did take his penalty superbly which tells me that he does have more in him than he showed yesterday when he was average at best. Downtime Guys - sorry mate but disagree with you too, I don't see how you can be disappointed with Ayews performance yesterday. He was solid and reliable, which is all we can ask in his first game. Imo he showed up a lot more than Gomis and was always available as an 'out' for our defense, he gave the ball up, was tenacious in the tackle, never lost a ball and got into dangerous positions in the box. From yesterdays game only you'd have to put your money on Ayew scoring more goals than Gomis this season, and probably he'll start a lot more games than Gomis with Eder looking so good.
I know it's difficult to judge a player by his pre-season performances as they never give 100%, but Ayew's positioning against Deportivo was abysmal. As a wide-man in the formation we play, it's important to hold your width to open up the midfield in order to get our passing game going. For some reason he kept coming into the centre and more often that not was further up the pitch than Gomis! It just so happened that on that day our opposition also played through the middle a lot and didn't exploit the gaps that were left by Ayew. I understand he's a goal threat and wants to be involved in the play, but our shape and width are crucial to our style of play. I won't argue that he didn't have a phenomenal game on Saturday, but honestly I'd like to see Garry have a word and tell him to hold his width and to help Kyle Naughton on the right-hand side a bit more often
Well obviously you have seen more of Gomis but I've been impressed with him since last season. He just has a great attitude, works hard and he will get double figures this season which is all you can ask for from a premier league striker. I would take him at spurs over Soldado and with us looking to sell Adebayor I would be happy with Gomis, plus I can see Gomis matching Benteke this season so maybe naturally he isn't as talented as Bony but the guy has adapted to the league and will score /get points on the board. We have Harry Kane who is constantly getting caught offside, same with Defoe when he was a spurs player, frustrating yes, but still top premier league players.
I'm another on the fence over Gomis, he can be very frustrating to watch as he gets caught offside frequently which shows a lack of awareness yet he can on times cause problems for defences with his running and movement. Suppose we were spoiled with Wilf who could hold the ball up make good runs and set up chances for others. Such a shame he's been wasted so far at City, we've lost some excellent players in the past who excelled with us yet went on to do little at other clubs.
Just looking at his recent record before he joined swans. 22,20,24 total goals in previous three seasons and then last season 10 goals in his first season settling and not having much of a look in until Bony moved. This season scores from the Penalty spot against the champions away. That tells me he is a Striker completely confident in his own game and is at his peak level, rather then worrying about any flaws in his game, better to be confident in what he does well.
I see Gomis as a very important player for us and he is getting better with every game, I also like Eder who will settle in much quicker than gomis has done and i am happy for either to be chosen when we only play one up front. Gomis is getting great reviews from all over the place so they are looking at his overall game and not just his goals and that is what i do when i analyze a player, By the next window he will be a wanted man by a few big clubs so we had better look after him or lose him and that would be bad for a club aiming for a top 6 place and European football....
I agree we have been spoilt with Bony (and Michu of course) but let's not forget that the main contribution they made to the team was their goal tally. Is there anyone on this forum that honestly believes Gomis is a 20 goal a season striker?? No doubt he contributes to the team in other ways, but when him and Siggy aren't scoring goals we struggle.
He caused our defence (WHU) lots of problems last season, but his finishing lets him down, he reminds me of a confident Carlton Cole. I don;t think he's a 20+ goal a season striker, but he might push close to it, and he'll make space for others to exploit. I think I might put him in my FF team.
No, but I would back him to get 14-16 goals and considering we spent £58 million on two attacking players that have contributed 9 league goals in two years then Gomis already looks a bargain!
I would have liked to have seen Garry Monk bring in another young-ish striker in the transfer window as Gomis isn't a long-term prospect for us (there's still some time left in the window mind so who knows...)
Well you can only go by his past record for us and his record for us speaks for it's self. Gomis has been inform from January to the end of last season and has taken that form into this season. IMO people should stop analysing everything he does wrong and look at what he has done right. He was superb against Chelsea who last season had the best defence in the league, he constantly was winning his areal duels and was vital in the two goals we scored. (His touch to take the ball around the keeper before he was fouled was sublime as well as the head at goal from montero's cross) based on what I've seen I think he is capable of 20+ goals as he had 10 from January till the end of season (including a fitness struggle during that period) and has already got 1 in 1 this season. i am happy with Gomis and I'm grateful he's on our team.
Each player in the team has a role to play, Moterros was to attack and terrorise down his flank and Ayews was to narrow our play by adding hemself to our central midfield and draw defenders short or to him. With Ayew cutting in as instructed, defenders had an extra tricky (central) midfielder to contend with and when they tried they came narrow to compensate for Ayew who simply lobbed the ball wide into new found space or into the feet of Siggy or Gomis ahead of him. He played his secondary role as support striker superbly and was often seen in the box trying to sniff out a goal. We shouldn't look to Ayew as a traditional left or right sided strike midfielder DG, he more which was evident on Saturday. He can play well on either side of the pitch, centrally or as a support striker or as a full on striker. Saturday, his script was to cut in centally and add an extra offensive body in central midfield, draw defenders out of position and pop balls through the gaps and into the space they left. His secondary role was to get into the box, support Gomis and sniff out or make chances. He did this all game and was well rewarded for his efforts. Imo, Ayew wont light up the game like Monterro does, so we shouldn't look for him to do so. What he will do is provide us with solid, skillful, flexibility while he effectively plays his part in the days game plan. On top of this, he'll score goals. Personally I thought he had a very good game on Saturday and in 90 minutes showed himself to be a solid, exciting, uncompromising and already a vital multi-purpose player in our already skillful midfield.
Plus I think some are being harsh on Gomis as reading that he is like Charlton Cole?! Jesus christ! he isn't that bad a footballer! I have seen strikers with nothing to their overall game such as Darren Bent when we had him at spurs and that is a striker I have a real dislike for but Gomis is a much better footballer then some are suggesting.
