De Guzman was always a better player than most gave him credit for but I too don't think he is needed right now. I see our squad options like this (picking a 4-5-1 formation as I think it suits our players best); ----------------------------------------- 1. Fabianski -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- 2. Tremmel --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- 3. Cornell ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------ 1. Amat ------------------------------- 1. Ash -------------------------------- ------------------ 2. ???????????? ------------------------ 2. Bartley ----------------------------------- 1. Rangel --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Taylor --- 2. Taylor --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Jazz ------- 3. Tiendalli ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Tiendalli ----- 4. Jazz ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Kingsley ----- --------------------------- 1. Shelvey ----------------- 1. Leon -------------------------------- --------------------------- 2. Ki ----------------------- 2. Jazz --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Routledge ------------------------------ 1. Siggy -------------------------------- 1. Montero 2. Dyer ----------------------------------- 2. Gomis ------------------------------- 2. Routledge --- 3. Montero -------------------------------- 3. Routledge --------------------------- 3. Emnes ------- 4. Gomis ---------------------------------- 4. Montero ---------------------------------------------------- 5. Emnes ---------------------------------- 5. Emnes ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- 6. Bony ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- 7. Shelvey ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- 8. Ki ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- 1. Bony ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- 2. Gomis ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- 3. Montero ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- 4. Emnes ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- 5. Donnelly ---------------------------------------------------- AM - is the position we are best stocked in with the most talent RW - We have good options ST - If Bony stays we look great, if he goes we will need another ST (but more of a back-up option) LW - We should be alright with Montero and Routledge competing for the spot. Would be nice to have Timothee as another option there if we sign him though. CM - We need a DM pronto. RB - 4 options but a youngster on loan who can cut it in the Prem would be good CB - Desperately need a new CB. I would try and find a DM who can cover there also. LB - 4 options but the quality isn't deep enough. Hope we get the French lad Timothee GK - We look ****ed if Fabianski is out for a few months Doing this exercise has made me realise that there is little point in Tiendalli, Jazz and Emnes being members of this squad (and yes, I realise that Emnes looked lively from the bench last year....it's just that he doesn't really compete for a starting berth anywhere imo...and we have glaring weaknesses elsewhere)
He played his part... but don't forget how much WE ALL would blast him for being a slacker during games. We can do better and Ki/Shelvey/Gylfi offer us much more. Just because he isn't coming back now doesn't mean he was an irreplaceable part of the team.
I disagree regarding Ki. He is also a slacker and whilst looking elegant fails to provide the goals and assists that De Guzman did. In my selection above he is competing for the deep lying playmaker role (a role I feel didn't suit De Guzman also....but he was better at it than Ki imo). I would have sold Ki and tried to get Nick Powell/Emyr Huws (on loan)/Jack Cork/Johnnie Williams etc.
God helps if he is , he's not the answer a luxury player who drifts in and out of games ,the team/squad has limited ability so we can't afford to carry a player no matter what .
Swans ace's new deal hope Ki Sung-Yueng claims he is only interested in playing football and not "chasing money" as he edges closer to a new Swansea deal. The 25-year-old South Korean international midfielder, who joined the Swans from Celtic in a £5.5million deal in summer 2012, had been linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium this summer having spent last season on loan at Sunderland. However, with Garry Monk replacing Michael Laudrup as manager during the course of last season, it now appears that Ki will be handed a fresh opportunity to become a first-team regular for the Swans. Ki is now in the final year of his contract in South Wales and he has hinted that a new one could be signed in the near future. "I haven't had a contract yet, but they are talking," Ki said in the South Wales Evening Post. "I just focus on the field. I don't want to chase money. "I don't want to spend my life just chasing money. I just want to play, perform well on the field so that then maybe I can earn more money, and I have a great feeling on the field. “I’m happy being back here and I spoke to Garry who I know very well and he knows me very well." - Ki added “I think I can improve how to play because at Swansea, the way we play, is something I like very much although it is much harder than at other teams because you need to think more. This is not just long ball, you need to pass more and think more. "Garry is a very good manager and I can learn from him and my team-mates, so it is going to be a very good season." Garry Monk “He’s a player I want here and the club want here,” said Monk. “We’re in negotiations to tie him down and I’ve spoken to Ki and he wants to be here himself. He’s a quality player – he’s a little bit of catch up like the other World Cup boys in terms of the levels they’re at, but he’s a good player and someone we want here. “He’s grown up, he feels he can take on more responsibility and that’s good for us.” Ki will start at Old Trafford this weekend for the Premier League opener against Manchester United, set to partner Jonjo Shelvey in the centre of the park as Leon Britton and youngster Jay Fulton continue their comeback from injuries. Monk still wants to add to his options in the middle of the park, as he does at the back with work still going on to sign Napoli centre-back Federico Fernandez, but he is confident he has a pairing to rely on in Ki and Shelvey. “If we can get them both sharper and fitter we can have a great combination with the way they play the game and the quality they both have on the ball,” said Monk. “I really think they can cause a lot of damage to teams. “The fitness and sharpness will only come with games. Obviously, we have to start this week but after the first four or five games they’ll be sharper and you’ll see a sharper Swansea side.”
It seems we've missed out on JDG,with him holding out for a better offer,meanwhile QPR have stepped in. Both Ki and JDG do not like to tackle,but IMO JDG is the better player and we'll miss him.
Looks like JDG may be off to Napoli instead of the bright lights of Shepherds Bush! Given the choice I would rather have JDG than Ki but I also agree that JDG is not irreplaceable, although he can take a mean free kick (sometimes).
Those straws seem to be getting away from you. Why is Monk saying it's going to take four or five games for Shelvey and Ki to be sharper? We need to be at it from the off mate so get them working hard in training ffs!!
Agree. Ki's value to Villa was reported as £1.5 mn - about right. What did we pay for him and why didn't we sell him to Sunderland for (I recall) £5 mn? The player has never performed for us and only looked good for Sunderland as all around him were dross, and as I've said many times - Sunderland only picked up their survival points when he was injured. His play for Korea was slightly better. A slacker whose ability was summed up on the field on Saturday. He also 'gets injuries' at convenient times and towards the end of the season!
"“If we can get them both sharper and fitter we can have a great combination with the way they play the game and the quality they both have on the ball,” said Monk. “I really think they can cause a lot of damage to teams. “The fitness and sharpness will only come with games. Obviously, we have to start this week but after the first four or five games they’ll be sharper and you’ll see a sharper Swansea side.”" Come off it - 1) 'If we can get them both sharper and fitter', what???? If? What is going on? With all the big talk of two training sessions a day there is no reason they shouldn't be fit. 2) 'four or five games they'll be sharper' good, but what was the point of pre-season games? 3) 'after the first four or five games they’ll be sharper and you’ll see a sharper Swansea side' Well let's hope no other team has made an effort before the season started! Time for me to have a lie down. (I'll be sharper in a few hours.)
You can be as fit as you want but it's common sense that you only become match fit after a couple of games under your belt. He has only said there what every manager would say.
