The style we played yesterday was not a one off, we had a similar shape on the pitch for large parts of games at the end of last season. Against the really weak opposition and with more skilful players who were used to each other, it worked, it got us points. But the evidence of pre season, and end if last, is Monk will be looking more and more at 4 4 2 - more of an English style and one he was used to as a player at Southampton, Torquay, Stockport, Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and for a while with us. It is obvious we don't have the skilful players needed to make a return to the quick passing style of our recent past. A style that set us apart from most clubs and gave the edge for success; but we don't have the quality of player to make a more 'English' style work for us at this level. I don't know what the solution is but I'm convinced it is not continuing with the resent set up. (for the Monk devotees this has nothing to do with Laudrup.)
Dyer Leon Ki Routs Gylfi Bony Those players do have the skill and ability to carry on the swansea way. The problem is, where does Gomis (who played very well yesterday) fit into the team. I think we have signed him, expecting Bony to have left by now.
Can we stay up? Yes. Will we stay up? Probably. 4-1 or 5-1 with bookies, so that means we have around an 80% chance of staying up. Do you really think we're on of the three worst teams in the PL? I don't.
we do need some more new faces! centre bk striker. goalkeeper. to givs us depth in squad. its going to be tough season. hardest yet i reckon. monk still got hell of alot to learn.
The players yes with 2 or 3 additions. The manager, well some are pro, some are anti and some like me are sitting uncomfortably on the fence. I do think Gyffi has to be played as an attacking midfielder and not as a wide player.
Whether we can or not with this set of players isn't the question you should be asking. We have more players coming soon, so we need to take them into account.
and then you read this FFS Monk: Swansea City Squad is Lacking Depth Tweet Swansea City manager Garry Monk has conceded that his squad needs strengthening after admitting that it's lacking depth following yesterday's 3-0 home friendly defeat against Villareal. Swansea's shape lacked balance and the 442 setup just didn't work, with Bony and Gomis up top and Sigurdsson continuously drifting inside from his wide right role. Defensively there were also too many gaps left for their Spanish opponents to expose, and they did so within just 3 minutes. Defender Chico Flores will need replacing as Bartley struggled alongside Ashley Williams. Monk also wants to add a winger as his side suffered on the right flank with Routledge injured and Dyer unavailable due to personal reasons. 'I hope to get some more in. It's obvious we need to strengthen in certain areas,' 'Apart from starting XI and a few others injured we haven't got great depth within the squad,' 'So it would be nice to strengthen and that's what we're trying to work towards in the coming weeks. 'Chico's gone now so we need to strengthen across the defence, probably in midfield we're a bit light and maybe a wide player would help as well. 'What you have to remember is we've had a high turnover of players this summer.' Swansea have been strongly linked with signing centre back Frederick Fernández from napoli and have also been linked with Nice left back Timotheé Kolodziejczak.
I love the bit about we having to remember there has been a high turnover of players. Well Garry that was yours and the boards decision and ones you should have planned for. Can't believe the excuses have started already and the season hasnt even begun yet. Hope this isn't the sign of things to come.
I haven't an issue with players leaving but lets make sure we have adequate replacements first , this could be a long week
Its Garry's team now, what we are seeing is his input and stamp . Will it be good enough to keep us up, personally i think not but the only time we can properly judge him is after 10 games, then we will know more about the shape and plans he has but more importantly, will the players cut him adrift or pull him through it, showing inexperience for me at the moment, tactically and in interviews . I was extremely confident about yesterdays came but we were a shambles,not the players fault either,just the tactical approach .
Think most of us have mentioned how thin the squad is weeks ago!! Hell even my teenage boy keeps harping on about it.
Im king of the pessimists around here but Chico just left , Dyer , Britton and Routledge werent available and we were playing a fine tuned machine .Chico's replacement will be here soon whether its Fernando or not .Routledge and Dyer are what brings us space in the middle with Montero keeping them hungry.Siggy wont play on the outside again... and last but not least , Leon will play a larger than normal role this season , bope his back is up for it .United are going to thing were a total pushover so they wont be to focused , we got them right where we want them.
At this point in time the only answer to the question posed is - don't know; too early to say,but ask it again end of October. What we also don't know, is how many teams are going to struggle. The more the merrier,would obviously suit Swansea,as it would others. One thing would appear a given though,and that is few followers of the game will purr over The Swans' style of play,as they did under Martinez,Rodgers,and Laudrup. Those days' seem long gone.
Well I don't hold much hope for us this season. Just hope there are three worse teams than us, as under Monk we look to be going backwards at a rate of knots!!
Van Gaal will have his side rampant and wanting to put down a marker. But I like your thinking. Leon is ageing and, as much as I love him, needed someone alongside him to support him and eventually take over from him. For much of last season Canas gave him that support - not always as effectively as we would have liked but by the end of the season I think he amongst others had lost respect for the club. Routledge will be an asset, only if we revert to 1 - 5 - 4, (as I believe Bony is now going to leave it may make the decision for Monk a lot easier). Dyer has speed (but needs to be picked) and others need to make space to allow him to flow, something he can't do if playing into 2 or 3 defenders. Who will create the space? If your analysis of yesterday is correct and I think it pretty much is, Monk played players rather than positions. As the last game before the start of the season you have to play the formation you are favouring and if that means using the back ups - use the back ups. Siggy was lost, Bartley was lost, Bafe and Bony together is a luxury the midfield can't accommodate.
