Who in your opinion was our best ever signing? Please give your reasons why. Here's a few ideas from the modern era to get you thinking; Ashley Williams - £400,000 In March 2008, he signed for Swansea City on loan until the end of the 2007â08 season, with a view to a permanent move. On 22 May, he made the move permanent. Williams scored his first Swansea goal against Derby County on 16 September 2008. He has since covered the midfield position at Swansea due to the midfield injury crisis. On 11 November 2009, Williams was named "Wales Footballer of the Year" and "Clubman of the Year" at an FAW awards dinner in Cardiff. In May 2010 he was selected in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for the 2009â10 season. On 30 October 2010, Williams equalled a club record jointly held by Andy Legg and Gilbert Beech by playing 106 consecutive league games, which started in a 2â0 defeat to Charlton Athletic on 9 August 2008. By the end of the 2009â10 season, Williams had played almost every minute of every league game for the last three seasons, missing out only when he was rested, but came off the bench in a game against Leicester City in January 2010. He was also named in the PFA Championship team of the season for the second time. Due to his performances for the Swans, there has been media speculation of a bid of £2.6 million for Williams from Queens Park Rangers, which was denied to exist by Swansea. On 24 September 2011, Williams scored his and Swansea City's first ever Away Premier League goal in a 4â1 loss to Chelsea, he headed in a Mark Gower free kick. In October 2012, Williams was appointed captain of Wales by Chris Coleman, replacing Aaron Ramsey. He currently has 41 Wales caps in his possession On 23 October 2012, Williams signed a new three-year contract with Swansea Honours Swansea City Football League Championship play-offs: 2010â11 League Cup: 2012â13 Leon Britton - Free transfer A diminutive but skilful midfielder, Britton won Player of the Year awards from an online supporters' group in both 2002â03 and 2005â06 seasons. Including his appearances whilst on loan with the club, to the end of the 2005â06 season, Britton had played 137 times for Swansea City in all competitions (with a further 18 appearances as a substitute) and had scored nine goals. On 9 February 2008, Britton played his 200th game for Swansea City. In January 2010, Swansea rejected an £750,000 offer for Britton from Wigan Athletic but at the end of that season Britton refused the offer of a new contract and became a free agent. Britton re-signed for Swansea City for what the Blades described as an "undisclosed fee" during the January transfer window despite the Swans insisting no fee was involved. This fee is clause based and could include up to £400,000 depending on appearances and Swansea's promotion to the Premier League. His second Swansea City debut came in a draw with Barnsley on 20 January 2011. He scored his first goal of the season (his first goal in three and a half years) against his former employers Sheffield United in the final game of the regular season, before scoring another nine days later in the Swans' 3â1 second leg play-off win over Nottingham Forest. The season ended with Swansea City being promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history following a 4â2 victory over Reading in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium. Britton started the match at Wembley and completed 77 minutes. Following Swansea promotion, Britton made his Premier League debut in a 4â0 loss against Manchester City on 15 August 2011 where he played in the central midfield. Britton stated he would like to finish his career with the club and admits he cannot imagine playing elsewhere. On 30 March 2012, Britton signed a contract extension at Swansea City, contracting him until the end of the 2015 campaign Honours Swansea City FAW Premier Cup : 2004â05 2005â06 Football League Trophy : 2006 Football League One : 2007â08 Football League Championship play-offs : 2010â11 Football League Cup : 2012â13 Individual PFA Fans' Player of the Year League Two: 2003 Gary Monk - Free transfer Monk helped the Swans to promotion in his first season and the League One play-offs in his second. In August 2006, following the release of Roberto Martinez, it was announced he would become the captain for the forthcoming season. Monk had already deputised for Martinez during the previous campaign as the Spanish midfielder fell out of favour with manager Kenny Jackett, most notably in the play-off final defeat to Monk's former club Barnsley. However, just two games into the 2006â07 season, he picked up a cruciate ligament injury in an innocuous-looking challenge with Scunthorpe striker Andy Keogh, which ruled him out for the whole campaign and with his contract running out at the end of the season his future was in doubt. Monk returned to the team at the beginning of the 2007â08 season as skipper, captaining the Swans to promotion to the second tier of English Football for the first time in 24 years. Monk lifted his first piece of silverware as Swansea captain as the team sealed promotion as League One Champions with a club record 92 points. The 2008â09 season brought Monk a new central defensive partner in Ashley Williams, signed from Stockport County towards the end of the previous campaign, as Alan Tate was dropped from the side. Good performances came thick and fast as the Swans impressed in their first season back in the Championship, finishing 8th. 2009â2010 was not the best for Monk, playing only 22 games across the campaign due to injuries and suspensions as the Swans missed out on a Championship play-off place on the final day of the season. Following Paulo Sousa's exit to join Championship rivals Leicester City, Monk criticised his former manager, saying his tactics and training methods were not good enough. Monk's 2012 autobiography Loud, Proud and Positive would later reveal that the Portuguese manager and his captain rarely saw eye to eye. The 2010â11 season started well, as Monk played every game until picking up an injury against Colchester United in the FA Cup on 8 January 2011. Monk would soon return to the side, however, and captain the Swans to a place in the Premier League via a Championship Play-Off Final win against Reading. Monk's contribution would be rewarded with a new three-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2014. On Sunday 24th February 2013, Monk lifted the league cup along with Ashley Williams after coming on as a substitute during Swansea's 5-0 win against Bradford City at Wembley. Honours Swansea City Football League Trophy : 2006 Football League One : 2007â08 Football League Championship play-offs : 2010â11 League Cup : 2012â13 Here are some other names off the top of my head (if they are your pick feel free to include stats like above to make a decent argument): Lee Trundle Roberto Martinez Michu Chico Michel Vorm Angel Rangel Roger Freestone Andy Legg John Cornforth Adebayo Akinfenwa Keith Walker Julian Alsop Bob Latchford Alan Curtis Leighton James The Slavs Robbie James Ivor Allchurch Trevor Ford Michael Laudrup Jan Molby Brendan Rodgers Scott Sinclair etc. Apologies if some of these came through the youth system, before my time
Honourable mention for the black pearl Walter Boyd who signed on a free in 1999, I don;t think he will get anyone else's vote and in reality we have definately signed better players but he'll always be a hero of mine!!
Let's do categories, 1) Most important signing 2) Best value 3) Your personal favourite 4) Honourary mention (The Walter Boyd award)
I remember a useful player-manager called Toshack having a bit of success with us, taught us that dreams could come true, even if we had to go through a bit of nightmare to finally realise it
1) Most important signing - Huw jenkins and Supporters Trust 2) Best value - £2m for Michu? Suits you sir! 3) Your personal favourite - Roger freestone - childhood hero. 4) Honourary mention (The Walter Boyd award) - Angel rangel for being a top bloke and consistent, tied with Leon for being with us through thick and thin. Went for players in my era (the thirty somethings), would be keen to hear from an old head on this.
1) Most important signing - Huw jenkins is a good call - but maybe Scott Sinclair. Think of the Championship goals! Although Trundle was the first player that really brought attention our way... tough one. 2) Best value - Michu 3) Your personal favourite - Britton 4) Honourary mention (The Walter Boyd award) - Nathan Dyer. Get what you mean about Freestone (I'm 33), and Cornforth would be in there too for me.
1) Most important signing - Tommy Smith - if only for that one glorious moment 2) Best Vaue - Toshack - because of what else we got 3) Personal favourite - Herbie Williams 4) Honourary Mention - Wyndham Evans Some of you may have to look up one or two. I'll post Dai's answers - Brendan to all four!!!!
Most important signing - James Thomas (where would we be now without his hatrick) Best Value - Lee Trundle (he raised our profile and brought fans flooding back to watch us) Personal favourite - Leon Britton Honourary mention - Alan Curtis
1) Most important signing - Michael Laudrup, raised the clubs profile no end. 2) Best value - Michu, no contest. 3) Your personal favourite - Dzemal Haziabdich 4) Honourary mention (The Walter Boyd award) - Plenty of players could have this, but I can't split Leon & Trundle.
sorry there is only one player the great Lee Trundle...nobody else comes close... Best manager...Martinez for his introduction of continental passing football which laudrup is hell bent on spoiling....
1) Most important signing - Tosh 2) Best value - Michu 3) Personal favourite - Ivor 4) Honorary mention - Herbie
Martinez and Trundle for me Although Laudrup gets a huge mention for taking our football to a higher level that Brendan could have ever dreamed of
have you glanced at the table recently valley Brendan has made laudrup look sub standard... you cant deny the facts
I knew you would bite at that Dai. Couldn't resist dangling the carrot for you As for sub standard, ML has taken us into Europe and managed us to the clubs first major trophy, what has BR achieved in his first season at Liverpool?
1) Most important signing - between Tosh then and laudrup now cause we could have been right in the shyte when brenda done a bunk ! but Tosh wins by an arm & a leg 2) Best value - got to be Michu 3) Personal favourite - Trundle perfect player at the perfect time for us helped start the charge upwards. 4) Honorary mention - Robbie James rocket of a shot, and on a lesser level i liked Forbes too.
Dai next slanging off at Laudrup and there is a post now set up to do that and consider it a warning. (and i know you are entitled to your opinion but we are getting sick and tired of the same **** in every post). keep your Laudrup slagging off to that post please.
1) Most important signing- Herbie 2) Best value - Michu 3) Your personal favourite - Freestone 4) Honourary mention (The Walter Boyd award) - Curtis
