Something to help the discussion... http://www.theswanseaway.co.uk/2014/05/what-swansea-fans-can-expect-from-garry.html#.U4MLjCiwWp0 TSW's tactics guru Jon Trew on what may be different next year…and what may stay the same Tactical nuance and formation Swansea fans have become accustomed to the 4-2-3-1 formation. It's been engrained in our play since the days of Martinez, but as football evolves so should we. Through the different managers in Martinez, Sousa, Rodgers and Laudrup we played variations of the 4-2-3-1 with differing attacking ideas. Martinez was the first to bring ‘the continental style of play’ to the club and the style was then evolved and moulded by the following managers. Rodgers to my recollection was the only one to test three at the back in the home game against Wolves (when we were winning 3-0 and then drew 4-4), although I do remember us having a go during the Colin Addison era...but that’s a different story... Rodgers and Martinez have evolved their philosophy and style of play at the clubs they've ended up in charge of (Liverpool, Wigan and Everton). Martinez often favoured playing three at the back at Wigan and despite being relegated they played some entertaining football. Rodgers also at times last season dabbled with three at the back and adjusted his team each game. You could argue that towards the end of Laudrup’s tenure ‘The Swansea Way’ regressed, and the entertaining football of old was slowly being replaced by a slower counter attacking one. Monk played a few different formations during the games as caretaker - most notably the 2-2 draw at Arsenal. Changing the Swansea system after so long with 4-2-3-1 being a foregone conclusion was always going to be a massive tactical risk, and to do it away at Arsenal whilst still a caretaker manager showed huge tactical confidence. Since then, rather than sticking with one formation for each game, Monk has adjusted his team and set the team up depending on the opposition. Garry Monk now has a full pre-season to put his ideas into practice on the training field and it wouldn’t surprise me if next season we saw a variation of the 4-2-3-1 to more of a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 or even a bold 3-4-3. Personally I prefer playing four at the back with attacking wing backs as it gives more going forward, and it's always easier to organise the defence with a flat back four. Playing three at the back would take a lot of tactical work and organisation by Monk but it could be something that we see introduced towards the end of the season. Set pieces During Monk’s short spell as caretaker manager we saw a change in approach to the attacking set pieces. We saw the return of the in swinging corner to trouble the keeper, coupled with a different set up of players in the box. Our players were placed in and around the six-yard box trying to disrupt the keeper, and it worked as these set pieces were more successful than they had been under Laudrup - it was refreshing to see something different, and to see Garry Monk bringing his own ideas to the table. Brendan Rodgers was famously very meticulous when planning corners - every player had a specific role whether it was placement, making a run or blocking a defensive player. I imagine a lot of work went into set pieces on the training field under Rodgers, and this is something we can look forward to seeing under Monk. Throw ins The last time I saw a long throw was down the Vetch. Right in front of the North bank, John ‘The fastest postman in football’ WIlliams launched a poor looping effort into the mixer. We rarely see long throws in football at all these days. The Jon Challinor’s and Rory Delap’s of this world seem to have disappeared, but why? Let’s be fair, it’s an opportunity to get the ball immediately into the box and cause some trouble, and over the last few home games we saw Rangel and Shelvey attempting this. Bony was shouting to get the ball to him in the box, and again this is something different we can utilise which could be highly effective if used in the correct way. Bony’s ability to hold the ball up and shield from any defenders could upset the oppositions defence and allow other players to run on to a ball or receive a lay off from him. This tactic is also something I expect to be used more and more under Garry Monk. Passion Towards the end of Laudrup’s reign some of the players looked jaded - especially Ashley Williams to name just one. Then came Monk’s first game and the win over Cardiff City. I don’t think anyone needs reminding of the image of Williams running over and hugging Monk - the old guard are definitely behind Monk and will run through walls for him. It remains to be seen if the ‘newer’ players will back the new inexperienced manager though. Chico and Michu are clearly two passionate players but it’s rarely, if ever, channeled in the correct way. Michu, as talented as he is, is often very petulant on the field and this can have a negative effect on the team if he moans or complains too much. Chico too often gets too excited, and loses his head. I feel he's guilty of, at times, trying to impress the crowd rather than playing for the team. If the two Spaniards are to remain at Swansea we will see Monk attempting to channel this passion in the correct manner. Bravery and predictability Brendan Rodgers always spoke (as our manager) and speaks (as the Liverpool manager) about being brave with the ball. Dictating the play and not losing your head under pressure. Remember that goal Rangel effectively gave away against Man Utd at home? A silly pass led immediately to a goal. Rodgers always wanted Swansea to play our way out of danger and told us we had to be brave in front of the opposition and dictate play - this bravery to pass the ball out of dangerous situations with the tiki taka triangles was something that went missing under Laudrup. He preferred the team to go long or maybe clear the ball straight away which would mean the opposition would pick the ball up and have a go again. The team lost it’s ‘mojo’ and every attack was too predictable. When a certain player picked up the ball it was obvious what he would do, who would make a run, to where and what would happen. As mentioned previously, Monk has already brought some unpredictable factors into the Swansea game (set pieces, long throw ins, different formations), and this could be a major factor next season. Trust is a hugely important word bandied about by Rodgers, and this is something that Laudrup maybe did not have with his players. Garry Monk needs to trust the players to play under pressure, to be brave, and equally the players need to trust Monk with his ideas and see the benefit in mixing things up. Tight defence and pressing We conceded too many goals last season from individual errors either coming from midfield (see Jonjo Shelvey at home against Liverpool) or costly mistakes coming from any one of the back four. Monk, as an experienced defender, knows exactly what it takes to boss the defence and turn the team once more into a more coherent defensive unit. In previous articles I’ve spoken about Bony’s increase in defensive work rate, and how the team are now working as one when defending - not just defence/attack. The wingers now track back (Arsenal being an excellent example - the work rate of Routledge and De Guzman was outstanding), and Bony now defends from the front and closes down the defender with the ball. We now also become a 4-4-2 when the opposition defence is in possession of the ball. It has been very interesting to see the central attacker (mainly Pablo Hernandez) coming up alongside Bony to close the two central defenders down - this hurries the opposition and in turn can lead to mistakes or the opposition giving up possession by sending a long ball up the field. The final home game against Southampton could be a huge learning curve for Monk. Southampton were by far the best team I’ve seen at the Liberty when it comes to closing down and pressing the opposition. Again though, Monk needs to organise the team well, increase fitness levels and learn from previous mistakes. Disbanding of cliques This summer we could see the sinking of the Spanish Armarda. I personally wouldn’t be surprised to see Chico, Puzuelo, Michu and Canas leaving this summer. I would love to see Chico and Michu stay as I think Monk can have a positive influence on both and would get the best out of them, but if they were to leave it I’m confident Monk has players in mind that he could replace them with. Amat stepped up to the plate when he played in place of Chico during his suspension and on the rare occasion Bartley played, he did well. Chico has a huge amount of talent and he played under Pep Guardiola and Tito Villanova for Barcelona B. You must have something special to have played under them. If he stays then he must immediately improve his English as this I feel has held him back (Michu joined the same time and has no problems in communicating) and he must channel the passion I spoke about earlier. Monk’s tenure so far has seen mixed results, but crucially they've been more positive than negative. There’s a lot to be excited about when looking at the changes that he has started to implement, and I fully expect these to continue into next season. The next few weeks and months are going to be extremely interesting as a Swansea fan - don’t judge the pre-season on the results. It’s 100% not about that. Monk will use it to galvanise the team, put across his new ideas, and raise fitness levels that he thought weren’t up to scratch under Laudrup. Most importantly though, it appears he's well aware of the need to oversee the continued evolution of ‘the Swansea way’
Huw Jenkins in 'The Post'.... HUW Jenkins has admitted Swansea City gambled by replacing Michael Laudrup with Garry Monk last season — but insists the club had to start doing things their way again. Jenkins has spoken about Swansea's decision to sack their manager for the first time in a decade — and says they do not want to make a habit of axing bosses. But while he is careful not to criticise Laudrup, the Swansea chairman states that things had to change. "We took a risk at the end of last season, but our belief was that going forward, the club had to be run in a different way," Jenkins said. Related content "It had to be back to our way — right or wrong that's what we chose to do." Swansea have reached a financial settlement with Laudrup, who still had more than a year to run on his contract when he was shown the door in February. The parting of the ways is thought likely to have cost Swansea at least £2 million, so it is not surprising that Jenkins does not plan to become a trigger-happy chairman. "It's not a good thing for our club to do that," he added. "It doesn't matter what anyone may say, Michael Laudrup was a lovely guy to work with. "I got on very well with him and there are nothing but good things I will say about him. "It's disappointing that things had to end like they did, but we ended it the way we did because it had to be done. "We did it very, very quickly, not to involve him in any situation of trying to be pushed out of a football club. "It was done with full respect for him and that's not going to change. We don't like those things." It could be argued that the decision to jettison Laudrup has proved a smart move given that Swansea are still a Premier League club. But Jenkins said: "Staying up doesn't justify the decision we made. "There's nothing to say that we wouldn't have got more points if we hadn't done anything. Nobody knows that." Diplomatic over Laudrup, Jenkins is optimistic about what the future might hold under the guidance of Monk. He is not entirely convinced by the suggestion that the Europa League hindered Swansea last season, and that therefore they will be better off in 2014-15. "We can't really judge whether that had a huge bearing overall because I think at times it provided motivation with the games we were involved in," he said. "You might say it had an effect on some of the preparation last year, and looking back perhaps we could have dealt with it differently. "Then again, levels of performance did go up quite a bit towards the end of the season. "Perhaps we didn't always get the results, but we had good performances in the games at Everton and Liverpool, the Napoli games. "We put in some great performances, and that goes a little bit against the suggestion that we struggled because of the number of games. "But a lot of lessons have been learned. With a few good signings, a chance to refocus in the summer and without European games, we'll only have one thing to concentrate on next season." As well as the bright performances in the early days of Monk's reign, Jenkins was impressed by the way Swansea's long-time skipper tweaked his team's approach in the closing weeks of last term. "We changed things around and played slightly differently to get the wins when we needed to," he said. "I think Garry has learned a lot in this period. "He made player changes, we changed our formation, before games and during games, and we've looked at a lot of different things. "Garry and his staff have done that. The big thing is that he was prepared to look at all that — and he has also learned a lot from it."
It's the biggest attempt to deflect away attention to Huw's actions . If playing " Monks Way " is the swansea way , we could be in a bit of a pickle
Let's concentrate on 3 questions then; What do we mean by "The Swansea Way"? How did we get away from those principles? What is Monk and the board doing to ensure a return to "the way we do things"? I'm just interested as I find it confusing. It sounds like a load of words to me....politician speak....I need somebody to define these things for me in terms of; What we used to do? What we did which was a change in policy? and What will we actually do now we have a change in management? I'm going to ignore Dai's "input" on this thread....I promise!.....I'd like specifics from sensible people who have given serious thought to this subject, please.
OK I'll give it a go but I confess I'm not as knowledgeable as some here. 1: Developed under Martinez, refined by Sousa and improved on by Rodgers. Attacking at pace using width. Slick, one-touch passing that's a joy to behold when we pull it off. 2: Laudrup (sorry but has to be mentioned) it is argued got us building up slower and more patiently and the width was lost to a degree with our wingers cutting inside a lot more. Bony would have scored more this season imo if we had played with more width and if our players had been able to deliver better crosses as the guy thrives on service. 3: It's not about anti or pro Laudrup/ Monk. The Board clearly want a return to number 1 and obviously think Monk will deliver that.
Point 2: Remember West Brom at home 1st Laudrup season? to be honest I felt we played some attractive football, with wingers, early this season but were stuttering in the final third. Point 3: ....but didn't we finish the season playing (a bit) of 4-4-2, with narrow wingers (De Guzman starting in front of Dyer), Slinging corners into the mixer (Martinez' team and Rodgers' hardly ever did anything other than play it short at corners) and employing the occasional long throw.....also the possession stats went down game by game almost. I'm not having a go at Monk for trying different things and trying to evolve the style......just struggling to see what we have returned too. When did "getting away from the Swansea way" turn into "evolving our style"?
Emulate the teams at the top that win the most using attractive slik passing football. Have a good back room and intelligent management that can read and adapt to any opposition exploiting their weaknesses, with the correct team selection of a large enough squad to have the versatility to use a plan B when required.
We haven't returned to anything - yet. And may not. The biggest thing that's gone from our game is the posession football with purpose. I'm no great analyst and shoot me down if you think I'm wrong but we used to play out from the back through midfield with confident passing football. This got found out somewhat by the opposition and we started to get closed down and pressured in possesion in our own half and I think Laudrup tried to counter this by a more direct attacking approach. We are not Barcelona and have to adapt to the pressure. We don't and never will have the best players so there is only so far we can go with the tippy tappy triangle passing when under pressure from closing down. We're very susceptible to making defensive howlers as we all know! I believe we'd like to maintain this passing philosophy but I'm not sure we have the calibre of player to pull it off successfully under pressure. So personally I don't think playing "the Swansea way" is still viable any longer and it'll be interesting to see how Monk adapts.
Well done Jenkins for confirming everything i said as to why laudrup was sacked. Now we can put this bullshit to bed and move on, We are starting a new chapter
For me it's about being 'anti-long ball'. Roberto gave us some teeth. Paulo taught us how to defend properly. Brendan made it more fluid and effective. Laudrup evolved it into a more counter attacking vibe. All the while avoiding long ball tactics (which I'm not criticising) to play attractive European style flowing football. And that's what it means to me. Now over to Monk to see what he does with it. The last ten years he's been here, he's seen and played in passing sides and seen the benefit of it. I hope that's what it means to him.
For me it's about the team and not individual players, something we lost recently. A close team who all work for each other.
Quite right we were a team before laudrup, And now he is gone we can see quite clearly the team getting back together again and a force to be reckoned with against anyone. Monk is working hard getting the type of football played that brought us a lot of success and like jinks stated we showed that against Liverpool,napoli and with our reserves against everton, you could see very clearly what monk was doing and it took a bit of time but it worked and we ended the season on a high in 12th place. A gamble that paid off thanks to the Swansea way that was missing badly under laudrup...We could not ask any more from monk...
The swansea way has been missing in our last 3 league games too Villa (h) 48% possession Southampton (h) 38% possession Sunderland (a) 47% possession Your having a laugh if you think we have reverted back to the "Swansea way" lol, we now play a lot of longer balls into Bony, which is not the Swansea way.
