What a fantastic win yesterday! did we see the best of the team? no, i dont beleive we did. Laudrups interviews have been absolutly spot on and while i see him beaming with pride he has totally got his feet on the ground,he knows its easy to motivate for the big teams its the small teams that require the work. Other managers would use this game as a prop to elevate their own status,to push through their own soundbites and use the exposure to show everyone else they have what it takes, Laudrup just totally does the opposite, just a shrug of the shoulders and a big thank you to the players, when the BBC were asking him about how he is enjoying his time in England Laudrup quickly pointed out" we actually coming from and living in Wales ,but ok we are in england today"or words to that effect,it was a small thing for him to say and he could have glossed over the reporters mistake but he was astute enough to know how the rest of us would appreicate that! January approaches and we will look to strengthen the team IMO. Arnt us fans just creaming ourselves just thinking about what Laudrup could do with another transfer window! he has showed he knows his job, it was too early to judge him in August but look at how those players have worked out. Im going to take an objective view of some of his signings so dont go overboard ok! Michu- from £2m to £20m in 4months! is without doubt the best buy of the season and is almost a legend at Swansea already.i will go as far as to say he is world class and i beleive he will get a call up to the national team as Swansea seems to be very popular out in Spain and with the media out there. Pablo- **** me guys, this boy is the bollocks !1 snd he wernt even playing yesterday ! a very slow start and a few were worried but he has started to click and is probably the most clinical passer of the ball ive ever seen! Ki- Ive noticed that this player has a few faults, he seems to get sloppy with his passing in critical areas and has a too much of a relaxed attitude at times,not far off lazy attitude if truth be told, he is great when every thing is going well but has spells where he loses the ball and gives it away far too easy,if he thinks he has made it he is greatly mistaken JDG- is doing well, gets a bit of stick but i think he has done alot of unseen work in the team, i notice he is becoming much stronger on the ball and is starting to get to grips with the physical side of premier legue life. Chico- Without doubt the most improved player in the eyes of the fans, every game he looks better and i also see he is taking heaps of pressure off ash, who is left to play his game without worrying what else is going on around him, the guy is a cult hero and an absolute monster of a player, i love him and think he is actually key to us doing well,notice how the goals have started to dry up for the opposition since chico hit form? Tiendelli - **** im impressed with this player, cant beleive he was kicking around doing **** all !! probably not on alot but looks every inch a Swans player to me, i wanted to see him play sooner but im glad he got some prem minutes yesterday, there is alot to be said for keeping players back until they are fully up to speed with our system and familiure with th e other players. class signing. Schector- sorry but i dont really rate him, does some nice stuff around the field and is neat and tidy but jeez he doesnt half get caught offside alot!! not by half a yard but by half a pitch sometimes!! he has his uses and has plenty of pace but he looks like a stop gap signing to me and a player that all said and done hasnt impressed me too much These players have made a massive impact overall and we have to thank the manager and his team for picking out the players that look like they can keep the swans on a path to glory. Im very very proud of what Laudrup has done so far, every injury seems to be water off a ducks back to him! im looking at the team and thinking its half a reserve team yet they are playing like solid 1st team pro's when they come in, that has to be a stamp of Laudrup "dont panic" seems to be his message!! There is a long way to go but i think this guy is the real deal, i notice many arsenal fans start to talk about Laudrup as their next manager, its started already,people are placing him elsewhere! he will move on of course but this time is our time and we need to make the most of Laudrup,his signings and Swanseas new found fame amongst fellow supporters, we have become everyones favourite second team...huw start building that new extension!!,your gonna need it !!
I think HJ should start locking these and other members of the squad to longer term contracts over the next couple of months. This goes for Laudrup too. Clearly we have the foundation in place for the next push upwards. Other clubs will want to poach but poaching from a club at the top of the league is a completely different proposition from when the club is at the bottom or in lower divisions. Laudrup has stated that this is his project. He's set for life and doesn't seem driven for self or overtly egotistical - what he keeps under his that maybe something else but we won't know that until the end. Things couldn't have worked out any better. Other top clubs seem to have to go out and work hard to be what they are. It may be my rosy tinted perspective, but it seems, especially for the last handful of games, that we are playing within ourselves still and it's happening for us without having to really graft for it. We are only a few months into the Laudrup project, where we can go from here is almost too good to believe.
Norway, a good read and some very astute points there. Totally agree about Ki. I made this point a while ago. He's turning into a bit of a "fair weather" player. The way he ambles about reminds me of a higher quality Owain Tudor Jones type. There is little urgency in his play and he definitely lacks pace - doesn't bite in the tackle either. There's no doubt he has ability but sometimes I think he needs a rocket up his backside. Lately, he has become very sloppy and loses the ball in highly dangerous positions for us. Compare his approach to that of Tiendalli who, in his cameo, looked eager, aggressive and right up for it. He is one player I hope we sign permanently because I think he will be a very useful addition. JdG is another who has to up his game. There are signs of improvement and he came to us as a box to box player (HIS description) but sometimes you need a calendar to time him rather than a stop watch. He also is weak in the tackle and does need to be a lot more physical. Like Ki, his class is obvious but right now with both of them, I think we only getting 80%. We need to be seeing the other 20 sooner rather than later. Shechter is another of the same ilk. He must have something about him otherwise Laudrup would never have signed him. But I would select a fit Danny Graham ahead of him every time. Perhaps Itay needs more game time to show us his true form but he is not impressing so far. As for the rest, you've been spot on as well. But I would like to add that Chico is really starting to fire. I predicted on here that he could become a legend within a couple of games. He was still rusty then but, as he gets to grips with this league, and his understanding with Ash develops, we are starting to look a decent unit at the back. Finally, a word about young Ben. For a rookie he has been really impressive and getting better by the game. He's a terrific prospect and doing well but I really wish he'd do some work to develop his right foot. I know a lot of players are one footed and get away with it but when the ball is on his right foot we lose momentum while he shifts it to his left. Often, he has to alter his entire body shape to do it. He would be a far better player if he addressed that problem and he would find the game easier. Not difficult to do. Just practise on the training field. All in all, I am delighted with the way Laudrup's signings are coming on. When they start firing on all cylinders, we will have an awesome team. Not bad now, though.
Ivor you have indeed picked up on Ki a while back, i wanted to see if it was him needing to grow into the team a bit more ,while that is still true there are aspects of his game that need ironing out, i remember you being concerned about him not tracking players properly and i have noticed this too lately, when he gave that dodgy pass to chico there was absolutly no reaction from him it was a case of "oh well,never mind" in his body language,at least thats what it appeared to me anyway.i agree with you that he has an anble about his play that will end up frustrating players and supporters Ki has done very well and will get better but if he thinks because he cost £5m quid he is entitled to stroll around he will be getting a big shock to the system down here! Agree also about Ben, fantastic prospect and getting better with every game,his passing is still wayward on occasion but he has impressed me with how he is adding to his game all the time, had his hands full with walcott and Co but did really well. Ive heard that DG is now back in training but i would be happy to see Luke Moore get a start against Norwich, he did well yet again when he came on and has a couple of assists to his name this season by playing some clever passes that routs and Michu just eat up! tiendelli nearly prospered from another fine pass into space too; Basically Laudrup has managed the whole squad so well that whoever plays does fantastic!! we are witnessing something quite special with hi i feel
Ki does blow hot and cold in a game. When he decides to pick it up and show some urgency he looks marvelous - excellent combination of size and skill, but his sloppy side and work rate needs to be straightened out.
My two pence worth , all of the above I totally agree with I don't believe for a moment that the players feel under any pressure and that reflects in their game . The performances from the squad has been magnificent , each player whether starting or from the bench has slotted in seamlessly and that hasn't been by luck ,thats because they want to play for him .He picks the team and makes the substitutions to fit the situation and to date they've been spot on .We are indeed very lucky and I know this has been said before but what an astute Chairman/Board we have .
Agree Bony, it all comes down to the same thing doesnt it, Chairman and board !! the choices made have been different class and we are reaping the rewards of thst now, im sure huw and the board did their research on Laudrup and i know he did his research on us! after a bumpy start and some problems with the older heads in the team Laudrup his dropped through the gears and progressed the team further. Very strange that the up turn in form came after revelations of player unrest at the club and being 0-2 down to reading ! ive always maintained that 99% of the fans would be well pissed off with any big time charlie attitudes from the players and would always back Laudrup over player power, i cant help but think that one or two players read that situation totally wrong and got their noses put out of joint by the fans wanting the best for Laudrup. Whatever happened the team are better for it, alot of air must have been cleared thats for sure.. Its Laudrups team now and he can start to implement more ideas into the side, i count Routledge and Davies as Laudrup players too and if you look at it that way its nearly the whole team under his power of influence, everyone has bought into him now and thats clear to see
Agree with your assessment Norway. Particularly Ki. He has been really effective going forward and making space but some of his defensive work and sloppy passing is not good enough. His mistakes against Arsenal nearly cost us a goal. Maybe a spell out of the team would work. ML has been picking those on form and merit and for me Ki needs to know his place in the side is under pressure. There are several other players who could do his job for a couple of games just to fire a warning over his bows. Chico, Pablo and Michu speak for themselves. Awesome. We need another striker (ditch Lita, Moore and Shekter to raise funds). Power and pace with good feet. ML needs to find us the striker version of Michu on a budget. Another defender would be nice too as we are at bare bones there.
steve- I was thinknig we were struggling for defenders then all of a sudden monk comes in and doesnt disgrace himself,ben davies gets stronger every game,tiendalli comes on and looks the buisness and Kyle bartley is now in training too !! It changes so quick !! i would now say we are probably ok at the back, results are proving this too with a drastic reduction in goals conceeded. A striker we do need,question is who to keep! ive always had a soft spot for Luke Moore, he does good things when on the field, DG i think can still offer us something though i dont think he is clinical enough for the chances he gets, Lita can go and thought he had gone !! schector i dont rate, maybe he needs more games but im not that impressed with him. Maybe Lita and schector to go and a striker to come in,even another loan signing perhaps?? im not sure if shector is on loan for the season or until January though so that may have an influence on things. Question is, would you sell Danny Graham for £6m in January to a rival and rely on Laudrup to fill the gap with the money ??
(ditch Lita, Moore and Shekter to raise funds). Power and pace with good feet. ML needs to find us the striker version of Michu on a budget. Ditch Moore ???? He has been outstanding when ever he has played....No get rid of the biggest waste of what is suppose to be a striker in Danny...What a waste of £3.5 million that was with the wages he is on....Its lucky we do have michu and luke moore as we would have lost every game if we had to rely on Danny getting us the goals..
Question is, would you sell Danny Graham for £6m in January to a rival and rely on Laudrup to fill the gap with the money ?? If nobody will spend money for him then put him on a free and get him off the wage bill....
I'll take that as a yes then dai... Not sure what the plans are going to be, its a bit funny that laudrup has been asked about this and not said anything about it other than all players are in his plans, my own view is that the club will be happy to listen to offers for DG in the summer, providing we have maintained our prem status and laudrup and his signings are up for a another season at the swans, it sounds negative to keep speaking this way, i beleive Laudrup will at least be true to his contract but y'know the score,once bitten twice shy init !!
Does the shipping out of Tate correlate with the change in player attitudes and coalescence of the squad discussed above - or purely coincidence.
Think of the player, Any player worth his salt dont want to be a bench warmer and if somebody wants him then we should either accept what they offer or let him go for free....He will have even less chances after january than his bit part now...feel sorry for the guy but that's the way it goes....
Top scorer for us last year and one of the reasons we are now where we are ,How much was he 3.5 million! take that away from what we earned by staying up and I think you see you've been a bit harsh there
Yeah Graham has been good for us (in spells). This season he looks a little slow for our new way of playing. Sell for £6m and ML could buy someone three times better than Michu.... ... OK wishful thinking there! I just don't rate Luke Moore as highly as others here. He has had a few flashes of class but we need someone to lead the game every game. Oh and actually score. ML to raid Spain again in jan and get us a player who is going to take us to the next level. christ knows who, but there was a guy mentioned by Spanish football journalist from rayo I think it was. Will try to find the name.
I don't think i have been harsh at all. You say top scorer but come on he was our top scorer in a very low goal tally and had an 8, 6,and 4 barren game runs, We cant do that every season and if it was not for others bailing him out and getting the goals he should be getting as the main lone striker then we could well have been fighting relegation last season....It was that close. This was my only gripe with Brendan in he kept on playing Danny in every game when he could have put lita or moore on......and to prove my point when he was injured for a couple of weeks and had to play lita or moore they scored, When Danny was fit again he went back with him and we could not hit a barn door with a shovel.....He is nowhere near the type of striker we needed as he misses the target far too much and the premiership is a little bit out of his standard.....
sorry dai but Graham is better than Moore in my opinion. The fact that DG has been linked to Norwich for £6m and nobody wants to buy Moore speaks volumes.
Totally agree. Danny repaid his transfer fee with the goals he got for us last season. Without them we might not have stayed up. My God, some people!!!!
