36 points from 38 games = relegation form. I wonder how many points Monk will accumulated from his first 38 games?
Of the 14 games only 4 games were against teams above us in the league only 3 top 6. We are living off a 9 point head start against three shockingly poor teams and some very picked up points after that. Given this fantastic squad we are supposed to have the quality of play has been dire and the points we have given away inexcusable.
I know I'm not Bob,but I'm sure he will also respond. Well,since this is his first full season,and you have on numerous occasions more than favourably compared him to Laudrup,he should then EXCEED Laudrup's achievements in his first season,namely, a top ten finish, and the winning of a major Cup. But we are out of the League Cup,leaving now only the F.A.Cup. Should Monk achieve top ten status,and win the F.A Cup,he will be entitled to a great deal of praise,which I will happily accord him. So,with almost half the season still to unfold, and a tricky away tie to overcome at Blackburn,the jury is not only out,they haven't been chosen yet.
I would also add to the above that Laudrup managed to keep his top scorers - Michu and Bony, whereas Monk has lost his and has instead hung is hat on an acquired french grump who struggles to shoot on target and a newbie from Portugal. Nothing like being somebody that players will stick around to play for. Time will tell, it always does.
I think most people are more favourably comparing Monk to Laudrup's second season where, quite frankly, we were crap under Laudrup. To expect Monk, and/or any future Swansea manager, to beat Laudrup's first season is foolish and will probably mean that every other Swansea manager will be classed a failure from now on. That first season was something special, but I, and many others, could certainly see the overlap between Rodgers and Laudrup in the first season. Rodgers took a couple, but the backroom staff pretty much stayed and will have carried on many of Rodgers principles. I don't mean to diminish Laudrup in any way, because without him using his contacts, scouts and slightly tweaking our style, we definitely wouldn't have had that absolutely unbelievable season that none of us will forget (no matter what we may say on here), but, one way or another, he certainly undid all his good work during his second season. For me, it was the right time for him to go. For any Swansea manager, staying in the Premier League is the priority. Getting into the Top Half of the Premier League is pretty much our equivalent of winning the league. Higher than that would better a cup win for me. Performing well and placing high in the 38 game season shows me a lot more about a manager than being able to fire up a team for one-off cup games. For Laudrup to have placed 9th and won a cup is as good as we'll ever see, so we shouldn't be comparing other managers to that. But, as good as that was, the following season we were terrible in the league, out of the League Cup to Championship opposition, and after a good start in Europe, we then we were one of the luckiest teams to qualify having only won 2 out of 6 games, unable to hold onto leads against the whipping boys, Krasnodar, and losing to St Gallen and Valencia. We were a shadow of our glory year when Laudrup was eventually pushed, and I can't and won't agree with anyone who didn't think so.
Well Gylfi came back, and so did Ki. Leon, Ash, Routs, Dyer, Rangel, Amat etc have all stuck around. The only ones that haven't stuck around are the ones that Monk didn't want, or in Bony's case, honoured their agreement and let him leave if a CL club came calling.
Of course,the Monk followers don't want to compare Laudrup's first season,with Monk's first full season. Why? Because Monk is not going to emulate it. Simples. Now,as I see it,the Laudrup/Monk debate,if that's what it is,has been created by Monk follower's kicking **** out of Laudrup for longer than I care to remember. There was NO acceptance of HIS achievements,and some are still vehemently pouring poison on his name and memory. Where was the Assessment of Laudrup thread? One was created to provide a place of Monk worship.Why? What was worthy of worship? It was more than premature,it was obscene. I really hate injustice,and that's what fuels my defence of Laudrup. He deserves better treatment than that constantly dished out by a bunch of losers. "We were a shadow of our glory year....." Can't argue with that,and I could see why he ended up losing his job. What we don't know, is how much influence some of the players had in getting him the sack.
Well, it's good to know that I don't fall into the opposition of either side, I guess. I'll always give that glory season the respect it deserves. But I think Monk gets the special attention because he's a decade-long Jack in his first managerial position. I don't remember an "Assessment of Rodgers" or "Assessment of Sousa" thread either. But I bet there was a similar thread for Martinez, but my memory fails me. I can't even remember how 606 even looked now! What I will say from a middle-ground point of view is that until one side backs down, the argument won't go away - because both sides are pretty hell-bent on forcing the other side to agree. I don't think Laudrup needs defence, he's enjoying himself in the tax-free Middle East, he's doing just fine. He's probably almost forgotten about Swansea. You're unfortunately going to have to accept that there are people out there who didn't rate Laudrup at all - do I agree with them? Not really. But, whatever. Enjoy your thread, chaps.
you can only go on the season that was laudrups last and you can see clearly he lost the plot, he lost the players, he lost the majority of the fans and he lost the more important of all and that was most of the games. that is the only part of his short stay with us that counts. Monk is head and shoulders above him when it comes to results as the league table tells you....there is no comparison..laudrup finished a failure and was sacked to save our premiership status and monk repaired the team and saved the club from relegation and halted the slide and climbed the table to safety to finish a credible 12th...there is no argument about it as its all there to see....
24 points from Laudrup,and 18 from Monk = "credible 12th". "It's all there to see",except YOU are totally unable to "see" it.
I don't remember a thread appreciating Martinez. I do,however,remember many condemning him after he left. The very same people who lambast Laudrup cut their wings/earned their stripes, on Martinez. The "argument",as you put it, will only go away when the constant drip,drip,of anti Laudrup sentiment dries up,but there are those whose agenda is plain to see,so that will not happen in the foreseeable future. It will take free fall under Monk for a change of direction for the venom. Personally speaking,I have no interest in whether people agree with me,I just air my opinion on what I read here,so "forcing the other side to agree" is not on my list of things to do. My position is one of "let right be done",but some here have a massive problem with applying that principle. I agree with you when you say Laudrup needs no defence,since he hasn't committed any crime. None that I'm aware of,anyway. In the end,Laudrup was too large a personality for Swansea City,but plaudits to Jenkins for bringing him to Wales. Laudrup put The Swans' on the world map,and that shouldn't be forgotten.
