Swansea City's Austrian training camp is underway after the squad arrived here in Obertraun last night. The touring party left Llandarcy at 7.30am before catching a flight from Heathrow to Munich, with a four-hour bus ride to Obertraun via Salzburg completing the journey. After a tiring trip, the team finally checked into their base for the next week at 9pm (8pm UK time), enjoying a light meal before catching some much-needed sleep. The training camp has been used in previous weeks by Everton - David Moyes' brother Kenny helps co-ordinate the camp for clubs - along with Chelsea's reserve and youth teams while Scottish outfit Dunfermline have also prepared for their campaign here. The Swans are in good company, as Cypriot top flight club Enosis Neon Paralimni are also here this week preparing for their season. There were, as in any journey, some setbacks and close shaves. please log in to view this image Captain Garry Monk and Danny Graham head to the team bus in Llandarcy. After seeing multimedia officer Mark Williams left behind due his passport expiring - a lesson for everyone - a certain Dutch midfielder was also absent from the team bus departing the Glamorgan Health & Racquet Club. Despite being given a strict 7.30am departure time, the player in question had to drive up to Heathrow to join up with the team to take his place on the plane. Ferrie Bodde was on the team bus - leaving the finger pointing at Kemy Agustien - and was keen to offer an explanation for his fellow countryman. "It may sound stupid, but in Holland we don't have to switch the plug on at the socket - we just plug it in and it works," he said. "Kemy put the alarm on his phone, but forget to switch the socket on and his phone died. "So he got up late and caught us up later on. It's an easy mistake." please log in to view this image Craig Beattie (centre), Luke Moore (left) and Neil Taylor meet up with the rest of the squad - but there's no sign of Kemy Agustien. The jury is still out on that one. With Agustien finally meeting up with his team-mates, the group then endured a rather bumpy plane ride, almost proving too much for Stephen Dobbie. The Scot is not the biggest fan of flying, and spent take-off and landing with his head in his hands. Strange really, he couldn't have looked happier sitting on cloud nine after that superb strike at Wembley. The trip - and controversy - continued as the team landed in Munich airport. Everything looked to be going along smoothly until goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker's luggage went missing. Rumours that he dropped his case are yet to be officially confirmed, but his luggage is expected to arrive today. Hopefully. The squad will take in two training sessions today and hope to finalise details with a local team for a match tomorrow before another game on Sunday. Full details will be posted on our website as soon as they are confirmed. please log in to view this image Neil Taylor and Scott Sinclair chat while waiting for their luggage in Munich airport - goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker was not as fortunate.
Swansea City were certainly on-song at Wembley. No-one can dispute that. As they tune up for the Premier League here in Obertraun, each player is pushing their hardest to earn a spot in the starting XI. The squad are enjoying their time in Austria, giving the players a chance to gel together with their new arrivals as well as top up on fitness and sharpness. And to keep with tradition, the club's latest arrivals were under the spotlight tonight. For the likes of Danny Graham, Steven Caulker, Jose Moreira and Ryan Harley, it was their turn to impress their new team-mates - by singing. Yes, each of the quartet had to bury any shyness on offer and were forced to stand on a stool and sing a song of their choice with a bottle of water as the microphone. please log in to view this image First up, club record signing Graham cut a focused figure as he sang Mr Brightside, by the Killers. Decent effort by the striker, though he won't expect a phonecall from Simon Cowell anytime soon. Caulker was next up, opting for Tony Christie's classic Show Me The Way To Amarillo. Standard of voice was questioned early on by some team-mates, but his footwork during his brief dance will have pleased his on-looking manager. please log in to view this image Portuguese keeper Jose Moreira raced off his chair to take the microphone/water and belted out I've Got A Feeling by Black eyed Peas. Gets a thumbs up purely on his optimistic performance and charisma. please log in to view this image And to finish off, Harley impressed with his rendition of Kings Of Leon's Sex Is On Fire. A good effort by the four new lads, but they'll look to make more of an impression on the pitch - rather than on stage - this season. please log in to view this image After that, the players then had a chance to relax after a double training session. They were allowed to put their feet up, which can't be said for physio Richard Buchanan. The man that helps patch up the injured Swans players is now treating himself after he sustained a nasty gash on his leg and hand after the chain broke on his bicycle. He has now vowed to walk to the training pitch - a tiresome 200 yards away from the team base. please log in to view this image
Among the small crowd gathered in Bischofshofen today, there was one guy wearing a Wigan Athletic shirt. No, this wasn't a chap sent on a spying mission by former Swans boss Roberto Martinez. The gent in question had managed to prise a shirt away from the Wigan camp during their recent visit to the same stadium. More importantly, there was actually one Swans fan that made the trip out to Austria to see his team in action. Despite his mates pulling out of the trip at the last minute, he went anyway and pulled into the stadium just in time to see kick-off. It was some effort by the lad, who refused to give his name and only let on that he was from Mayhill. Sat in the corner of the stand, he must have felt quite lonely as he witnessed the Swans win 3-1, but the victory would have certainly comforted him as he prepares to watch the club in the Premier League. At the other end of the ground sat Nadir Belhadj - the Algerian international midfielder. Belhadj knows all about the Swans, having lost to them at Fratton Park in the FA Cup during his time at Portsmouth, who were holders at the time. He is plying his trade for Al Sadd in the Qatar league these days, and would have been impressed by what he saw. Also in the crowd was former Celtic striker Mark Burchill, who had played for the Cypriot outfit Enosis Neon Paralimni - the club sharing the Obertraun base with the Swans - against Al Sadd before the Baku match kicked off. There were smiles all round as the Swans returned back to base from their victory. They return to the same ground for Sunday's game with the United Arab Emirates Olympics squad. The Swans can certainly count on seeing their loyal supporter there again on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Neil Taylor was busy auditioning for his place on The Dragon's Den. The Wales left-back was heard attempting to sell the idea of solar panelling for houses to Mark Gower. "Gas is going to run out by 2014, I'm telling you," pleaded Taylor. It may turn out to be sound advice. Gower, though, didn't seem so convinced.
The Swans take on Azerbaijani outfit Inter Baku tonight in the first game of their training camp in Austria. Baku, coached by Kakhaber Iskhadadze - once of Manchester City - pose the opening test for Brendan Rodgers's squad in Bischofshofen. Brendan named a strong starting line-up, with the opening game at the Etihad Stadium now in his thoughts. Swans: Moreira, Rangel (Alfei, 60), Caulker (Orlandi, 60), Williams (Tate, 76), Tate (capt, Taylor, 60), Britton (Gower, 60), Agustien (Harley, 60), Allen (Dobbie, 60), Dyer (Beattie, 60), Sinclair (Butler, 60), Graham (Moore, 60). Inter Baku: Petar, Dashdemirov, Abramidze, Shrapdan, Kandelaki, Cervenka, Stepanovic, Haciyev, Mamadov, Eduardo, Tskhadadze. With skipper Garry Monk still nursing a foot injury, Steven Caulker started in defence alongside Ashley Williams, with Alan Tate at left-back. Danny Graham led the line with Nathan Dyer and Wembley hero Scott Sinclair in support out wide. The Swans - in their orange strip - enjoyed the better of the opening 30 minutes. Ashley Williams went close to breaking the deadlock after 15 minutes as he met Joe Allen's corner, but the defender headed just wide. Summer signing Graham then went within inches of breaking the deadlock on the half-hour after rising highest to head Angel Rangel's cross back across goal. But the £3.5million man saw his effort rebound off the crossbar. Further frustration followed for Graham six minutes later as another perfect Rangel cross found the striker, and his header again rattled the crossbar. The Swans enjoyed the majority of possession, but they just couldn't find a breakthrough in the opening half. Half-time: Swans 0 Inter Baku The Swans were unchanged for the second half, but they made an instant impact as Sinclair fired them ahead in the 47th minute. A poor clearance from Georgian international keeper George Lomaia fell straight at the feet of Joe Allen, who found Sinclair racing on. The winger stepped inside onto his right foot and curled a sublime effort into the top corner. And things got a lot better seven minutes later as Allen again probed and his cross met Dyer, who fired in after his initial shot was parried. Brendan then made his expected moveo n the hour mark as he rang the changes - nine in all. There was a change in formation too, as they switched to three at the back. It was Craig Beattie - on the right wing - that made the first big impact of the substitutes. Mark Gower's exquisite crossfield pass saw the Scot racing down the flank, and his first-time effort drew a one-handed save from keeper Lomaia. Baku then hit back in a swift counter attack, with substitute Rahimov Shahriyar curling his effort beyond Jose Moreira. But three minutes later the Swans restored their two-goal advantage as Luke Moore headed home Beattie's pinpoint cross following good work by Mark Gower, Ryan Harley and Stephen Dobbie. And they held on for a comfortable 3-1 victory in which they will take many positives from.
After last night's friendly victory over Inter Baku, the Swans squad were given a lighter workload today. But the day didn't get off to the best of starts for Craig Beattie. The striker sat down for breakfast with the realisation that he had left his boots on the bus transporting the team back to the hotel in Obertraun last night. Fortunately for him, fellow Scot Stephen Dobbie showed his charitable side by supplying him with his spare size nine boots. please log in to view this image Beattie chases the ball in training today, made possible thanks to Stephen Dobbie's donation of his spare boots. Following his boots setback, Beattie later discussed tackling a challenge that has only been completed by one man here in Obertraun. As legends have it, an Everton physio is the sole man to sprint up a steep hill - around 200 yards approximately without stopping. The hill is within a few hundred yards of the team's base, and steep probably doesn't do it justice. Vertical is probably the best choice of word. Nevertheless, Beattie and Jazz Richards are believed to have been contemplating giving it a go, but were talked out of the idea at the final moment. With the group that played 60 minutes of last night's match in recovery mode, they took the chance to relax a little and took in a 20-minute cycle ride led by head physio Kate Rees around the picturesque base of Obertraun. Top British cyclist Geraint Thomas won't be shaking in his boots for fear of any competition, but at least the squad fared better than physio Richard Buchanan, whose bike incident earlier in the week has left him with a nasty gash on his leg. As previously mentioned the squad are sharing the Obertraun complex with Cypriot outfit Enosis Paralimni. Included in that squad is a familiar face in former Celtic and Scotland striker Mark Burchill. Beattie and Dobbie caught up with Burchill shortly before last night's game against Baku. please log in to view this image Beattie and Dobbie chat with fellow Scot Mark Burchill in Bischofshofen last night. Ferrie Bodde also caught up with a former team-mate of his when the pair bumped into each other at the team base. He met up with former ADO Den Haag striker Cedric Makhouri, who is now playing for the same team as Burchill. "I haven't seen Cedric for years, and suddenly I saw him in the canteen here so I went to speak to him," said Ferrie. "He was at Den Haag only for a few months, but he was a good player and we had a catch up." Later in the night, the club's coaching staff set off to watch Red Bull Salzburg's Europa League match against FK Senica. Brendan and co made the 90-minute journey to soak up some continental action, before returning back to base ready for tomorrow's session.
Surrounded by the Austrian Alps, Swansea City's training camp has certainly been picturesque. The squad have been training twice a day with views that take your breath away. But while the team have been putting in the hard graft on the training pitch, Football Utilities Co-ordinator Suzan Eames has been putting the hard graft in off it. Double training sessions means Suzan is often in the laundry room, and rarely taking in the sights. Aside from ensuring all the training and playing kit are washed and ready - along with the players' walk-around gear - Suzan also sorts drinks and footballs ready for sessions. It has proved a busy shift here in Obertraun, though she points out there are rarely quite shifts at the Liberty these days. please log in to view this image Suzan helps the coaching staff prepare for a training session in Obertraun. "It's usually this manic," she says in a laundry room that is filled with kit, towels and kit bags full of washing. "But I love doing this and I get on really well with the staff and players. "It's an interesting job that maybe some people will think it's just a case of putting the clothes in the wash, drying them and saying 'here you are, your kits are ready.' "But there's a lot more to it that people won't see. "It is a job that certainly keeps you on your toes." While the squad arrived here in Obertraun following a flight to Munich and then a bus ride to their base, Suzan had a rather longer and adventurous trip. She explains: "After the Afan Lido game on Saturday, I went back to the stadium to pack the mini van up along with my son Michael - who is my assistant - and Lyn Thomas, who is helping us during the trip. "We had some issues with the van but sorted them before we finally left at 11.35pm. "We got here 25 hours later after taking the ferry to Calais and driving through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany before getting into Austria. "It was a long, long trip but we couldn't have done it any other way because flying kit over costs an absolute fortune. "But since we have been here, everything has gone well. The players are enjoying it and the venue is stunning. "I've not had much time to look around, but you can tell that it has done the players the world of good coming here and getting the chance to train privately and in such a peaceful environment." please log in to view this image Suzan waits for training to end along with Lyn Thomas (right).
Well done Jager, good to get the info like this, much appreciated! Love Austria by the way, scenery is spectacular, and what a clean country.................. please log in to view this image
Swansea City and Brendan Rodgers have been well accustomed to hitting dizzy heights recently. The Swans, of course, reached the Premier League thanks to a memorable play-off final win at Wembley. Brendan, too, made notable strides off the pitch after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. So it should have come as no shock when the club took some time off from their training schedule when they went up into the Austria Alps today. Luckily for the squad, Brendan didn't make them climb up it - instead they took the cable car to the top of Dach Stein Welterbe. The mountain is 2,000ft high (Kilimanjaro is just under 20,000ft), and by the time the cable car left the ground a few faces started to turn. The big thing learnt from this trip - Ashley Williams is not a fan of heights. Rumour has it his screaming could be heard across the lake in Hallstatt. please log in to view this image It proved a long trek up the Austrian Alps for the Swans squad during their moutain trek today. After a decent trek up to the point of the mountain, the squad then took in the scenery before stopping for some refreshments in the café. And after officially welcoming the new players earlier in the week with the traditional sing-song, today was the turn of the club's new staff. Football Utitlities Assistant Co-ordinator Michael Eames, sports science intern Jonathan North-East and media officer Chris Barney were put through their paces. Lyn Thomas, who is assisting Michael and Football Utitlities Co-ordinator Suzan Eames, and Alan Curtis - a shock candidate to sing despite his long service to the club - also got up in front of the group to perform their songs. Both showed the younger trio just how it's done with some cracking songs. Curt, the man known as legend at the club, certainly has a career in the music business. He enjoyed it so much, he was threatening to perform a few more numbers. He is contemplating releasing an album, but no date is set just yet. Also on the agenda today, Spanish duo Angel Rangel and Andrea Orlandi showed off their other sporting talent along with Jose Moreira. The trio put in a light basketball session before their evening meal, with Rangel showing some promise. Moreira, as expected, was decent with his hands and impressed his team-mates while Orlandi pulled out some silky skills on the court too. The NBA haven't called yet, but the trio are expected to snub any offers and stay in football.
Swansea City have changed venues for tomorrow's friendly with United Arab Emirates' Olympic team. The Swans were originally expected to play in Bischofhofen - which hosted Wednesday's 3-1 win over Inter Baku - but have decided to switch locations. They will now play in Flachau, which is around ten minutes away from Bischofshofen, with a new kick off time of 5pm (4pm UK time). The team have prepared for that game by holding a double training session today at their base in Obertraun. This morning, Brendan Rodgers's side played a training match, which allowed the Swans boss to look at triallist keeper Gerhard Tremmel further. The former Bayern Munich and Salzburg stopper is with the club for a few days in order to earn a contract and play in the Premier League. please log in to view this image Scott Sinclair practices his penalties in training this morning. He scored all five. please log in to view this image Tom Butler takes on Ryan Harley during training.
Today's double training session involved a match between the Swans squad. It was pretty intense, with Luke Moore scoring the only goal for the 'orange' team. But for boss Brendan Rodgers, it was a trip down memory lane. With the game nearing, Brendan called in the refereeing expertise of Lyn Thomas - who is assisting the staff behind the scenes during this trip. Lyn is no stranger to the role of the man in the middle. He has previous experience of officiating in the Welsh League. His career highlight came at Wembley, where he refereed a kids game prior to the FA trophy final in 1990, and later met Bobby Moore. But seeing Lyn officiating brought back a memory for Brendan. "I played for Northern Ireland Under-15s at the Vetch Field, and I was talking to Lyn about it," he said. "It turns out Lyn was actually one of the linesmen for that game - he still has the programme for that game. "It's funny how things turn out. But he did a fine job refereeing for us." On yer bike! Stephen Dobbie is wheely looking forward to playing in the Premier League. The Swans training session had a new admirer today. Among a handful of Austrian spectators catching a glimpse of the team in action, up popped a Swans supporter. The club saw one fan make the trip to Bischofshofen for Wednesday's game against Inter Baku, but Swans-mad Gareth Phillips watched today's sessions from the sidelines. Originally from Llanelli and now living in London, Gareth was shown first-hand of the warmth of the club as Brendan took time out from his schedule to chat with him later on. Finally, the Swans have won another award for their remarkable achievement in reaching the Premier League. While being interviewed by a Finnish journalist who made the trip to Obertraun, Brendan was informed his side had claimed a worldwide award. The Finnish magazine recognised Swansea's achievement in getting to the Premier League, naming them the bravest team on the planet for the way they have played themselves into the top flight. Hopefully, the Swans will be picking up a few more awards next year.
