please log in to view this image WATFORD V SWANSEA CITY please log in to view this image Venue: Vicarage Road Stadium Date: Saturday 12th September 2015 Kick Off: 15.00 BST Welcome to our visitors from South Wales. Swansea City have had an existence similar in many ways to Watford, some highs and plenty of lows. The club was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town and joined the Football League in 1921. A site owned by Swansea Gaslight Co., called Vetch Field due to the vegetables that grew there, was rented to be the club's ground. Many ups and downs followed, including an application to remain in the Football League in 1974, but finally after 60 years, promotion to the First Division was won. However it was not to last. Wound up by court order in December 1985, Swansea City was saved by local businessman Doug Sharpe who took over the running of the club, although the change of ownership was not enough to prevent relegation to the Fourth Division in 1986. Eight years on from the first promotion under John Toshack, the club was back where it had started. Relegation in 1996 was accompanied by an unfortunate statistic: never before had the club been managed by four men in the same season. Most embarrassing was the appointment of Kevin Cullis as manager by a consortium wishing to buy the club. Cullis, whose previous experience was with non-league Midlands club Cradley Town youth team, was certainly not the "big name" manager promised by the new owners. Alarmed at developments at the club, outgoing chairman Doug Sharpe invoked a contractual clause to cancel the deal and resumed control himself: Cullis was promptly sacked after just six days. During his short-lived reign, his evident lack of ability led to senior players Christian Edwards and Dave Penney ejecting Cullis from the dressing room during half time and giving the team talk themselves in a 4–0 defeat to Blackpool, which proved to be his second and last game in charge. In 2005 City moved to the new Liberty Stadium with Kenny Jackett in the manager’s hot seat. By 2011 Brendan Rodgers was in charge and he signed Danny Graham from Watford for a club record fee of £3.5M. Rodgers left for Liverpool, to be replaced by Michael Laudrup who was sacked and replaced by defender Garry Monk, a Swansea player since 2004. The managers view of the game. Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores: "We don't have problems when we have the ball, the main problem is when we are in the last third. "We are shooting less in the last few matches. We are working hard trying to solve this." Swansea City manager Garry Monk: "The competitiveness of this group so far since they've come in has been incredible. Training every day can be a bit ferocious at times, but that's what you want - that attitude and that focus.
I have no idea what is going on with this site, but it will not allow me to do things I learnt how to do last season. .
Shame neither of our new forwards will play but Flores now has the players - hopefully a slightly more attacking formation although I'd take a draw TBH.
Looking forward to the trip to Vicarage Road tomorrow. The last time I was up there ended in defeat - but that was for the Ospreys! I'm expecting a tough, open encounter with the Swans sneaking a 2-1 win ...although I'd take a point now
Unless your new guys get on the pitch it seems you'll struggle to score looking at your recent record. On the other hand we're pretty solid at the back and with Ayew, Montero and Gomis on fire I think you may well struggle with us. 0-3, and I'm not normally an optimist.
Not sure why but I think this is the game where our fortunes change. We have to score soon and Swansea have to let up at some point from their good start. 1-0 and I'm not normally an optimist
Well one of us is going to be wrong - unless it's a draw. I do like the fact you said "Not sure why.." lol. As always, anything can happen in football but I'd be surprised if Monk doesn't set us up to go all out for a win here.
I did originally put a Just one of those hunches as we haven't been firing on all cylinders up front and it's got to change at some point and is more likely to happen at home. Monk can go all out for the win but we're no pushovers defensively and Gomis has got to not score soon, hasn't he??!!
Sorry but it is closed. There are efforts to keep it as a pub but it is currently owned by a property developer.
Thanks M Frenchie! Hope you got the problems sorted . Obviously we are going to win 3-1 tomorrow and Ighalo is going to score first because I've bet on it! .... and hopefully we will see us venture into the opposition half at some point!
Thank you OFH - I feel your pain on editing issues etc but love your little facts and stuff. It's also nice to see some Swansea fans on here - welcome guys! My perfect outcome is a great game with Troy sealing it with a cracker
It'll be interesting to see how Deeney goes this season. The switch from the Championship to the Premiership for a striker can be particularly tough, probably more so than any other position.
OfficialHarryHornet Gutted 'Cyril the Swan' isn't coming down tomorrow, I was going to put bread down on the sidelines for him..
Yes it will be interesting, but so far he has received little service from mid-field. I think there has been such a change in players and the coaches style of playing that so far the team has still been finding out what it is all about. Last season we could score but our defence had problems. This season the defence has been worked on, but so far the balance has not been found. Still we have only played four games and things will change.
