Swansea V Man United

Taken from Planet Swans:

So then the pre-season talking is over and our attention turns to the serious stuff which starts next Saturday when the Swans - for the second season running - open their fixture list against Manchester United with a new manager at the helm at Old Trafford.

Twelve months ago it was David Moyes and it was at the Liberty, this time around it is Louis Van Gaal and the game is at Old Trafford but it couldn't get much tougher for the Swans on the opening day as they head to the home of the most decorated team in English football history.

And without a doubt the Swans head there as the outsiders to get a point let alone a victory to start their season off but it presents a first challenge of the season for Garry Monk and the Swans as all the preparation goes to one side and for the first time this season, our attention turns to who Garry may turn to to make up his first starting XI of the season at Old Trafford.

I am a firm believer this week that many of the team picks itself with the likes of Fabianski, Taylor, Rangel, Williams, Shelvey, Gylfi and Bony picking themselves but there is some doubt around the formation and whether Garry may stick with his plan against Villarreal yesterday to keep Gomis and Bony into the side together.

That is possibly something that you could see happening for future games at home - maybe Burnley and West Brom before the month is out - but I just cannot see it on the opening day of the season at such a tough place to go and get a result.

As mentioned above, I can see 7 of the 11 players almost picking themselves which see some holes to be filled by four more players so what does that look like?

Firstly we look for a central defensive partner to line up alongside Ash. Chico for me was an absolute certainty to start this game before he departed these shores for Qatar so that leaves - unless we move into the transfer market this week - either Kyle Bartley or Jordi Amat to take the other place in the central defence position. We have, of course, been linked with a move for Fernandez and if that does come off this week then expect him to make his debut but I believe at the moment that given his longer game time yesterday Kyle Bartley is at the front of the queue to take a starting place next week so I expect to see him line up alongside Ash.

Then there is the defensive midfield position. Again, I have to take an assumption at the moment that we will not have a new face next week so I cannot see anyone other than Ki Sung-Yeung taking this place lining up alongside Jonjo and Gylfi in the three main midfield positions. In fairness he does not have much competition for this place with only really Jose Canas being an option but he is not destined to stay at the club so there is - in my view - no chance of that happening with any form of U-Turn.

That just leaves the two wide men. Neither Nathan Dyer or Wayne Routledge were in the squad yesterday as both have knocks at the moment and Marvin Emnes has already been confirmed as missing the opening games of the season. Jefferson Montero therefore you would assume is set for a start with either Dyer or Routledge taking the other flank position depending on the fitness of both (Dyer would get my vote if both were fit) We have to face the possibility that neither will be fit which opens a door for Bafetimbi Gomis to come into the starting line up but please leave Gylfi in the middle if this is to be the case.

So there you have it in our view a starting team of Fabianski, Rangel, Williams, Bartley, Taylor, Ki, Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Montero, Dyer and Bony is our prediction assuming fitness and no new signings which would change the outlook completely as we see it.


Planet Swans Author's Selection:



My Selection:




What would be your team selection for this fixture if you were Garry?

 

----------------Fabianski---------------


Rangel------Williams--- Bartley------- Taylor


--------------Ki------------Britton--------------


Dyer--------------Sigurdsson------------Routledge


---------------------Bony------------------------





That's what I'm hoping for, though it depends on Leon and Routledge being confirmed fit, Shelvey deserves a spell on the bench, not impressed with his pre season!.............

 

Sorry Phil Leon out for another 3/4 weeks. Routs will be back.

 

----------------Fabianski---------------


Tiendalli------Williams---Amat ------- Taylor



Rangel---Shelvey--Sigurdsson-Ki--Routledge


------------------Bony--------------------

Subs: From, Montero, Bartley, Gomis, Fulton, Dyer, Richards, Tremmel

 

Good performance and goal limitation is the order of the day with this game. we are far too fragile at the back to hope for anything more.... If bony is showing signs of dont really care then pull him off straight away as we need someone ready and eager to try and put any chance we have away.

 

This is the main reason I think we shall have a bad start and struggle to recover from it...

with all the change of personnel (Chico a week before kick off FFS!) and formation/style of play we were always likely to be jittery at the beginning.
Take out our only defensive midfielder and I can see us being extremely fragile indeed and coughing up points to teams we really need to be beating.

He's adamant he won't play Canas and has had all summer to sort the DM situation out, in short it is a situation of Monk's own making.

Ki and Shelvey together spells trouble.

 

Fab
Rangel , Williams , Taylor

Bartley , Ki,
Dyer , Shelvey , Siggy , Routs
Bony or Gomis .
Put our best blocking CB to the middle of defence and take pressure off of Bartley 's inexpierence and let him a little freedom to be "defensive beside Ki , Ki can go on a hunch here and there knowing Bartleys there .

 

Didn't know that! it will have to be Shelvey with Ki then, though they didn't impress me together yesterday, more Shelvey than Ki though!...............




Isn't it time to throw Jazz in the mix?

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

Yeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

Anyone else watching Utd v Valencia? I ain't impressed by them at all so far

 

Yes me!

 

This one could be a blessing in disguise , Im so happy to draw United away first game .This isnt a new manager and team Swansea story... this is a new manager and team ( with much expected under pressure first game ) United story . We have nothing to lose and everything to gain first game .

 

Do you think Williams is upto being the lone central defender? Could be but I'm not so sure myself - he took a lot of support from Chico and Amat last season and hasn't looked sharp pre-season, a bit much to try it v Man Utd?
And, in that formation I'd prefer Shelvey alongside Bartley
Move Ki forward as he'll be less costly there if he doesn't turn up.

What is noticeable is once the first team picked who else is there to come in? Bafe or Bony, Montero & Tiendalli.

Definitely thin on the ground if we don't bring in the players we're being linked to.

 

As we are not going to have anyone new for Saturday I would stick with our usual system and while all games are important Man U is not one of those we would expect to win. Therefore I would play Gomis and Montero so they can get some idea of the pace of the Premiership. So my team would be:-

Fabianski, Angel, Amat, Williams, Taylor, Dyer, Gylfi, Ki, Jonjo, Montero, Gomis.

 

I'd pick Routs ahead of Montero and Bony is a must.

 

If we're not expecting anything from Saturday then why not start Gomis , he needs game time to get up to the pace of the PL and where better than one of the biggest grounds in the country v a top 4 team .

 

Bony didn't look 100% fully fit to me Saturday and could benefit from the extra minutes to get firing ready for Burnley otherwise I'd agree, play Gomis for 60 minutes and bring Bony on for 30 mins. Of the two, Gomis looked a little fitter Saturday.

 

Like the Shelvey Ki switch and yes , I think Williams would be up to . Attackers cant pick a weak side and one of the best in blocked shots artists 's is in the middle of the zone .Bartleydoest have to feel deep ended ..and Williams still has a 4 man crew

 

Whoever is picked will be up for this game im sure but i still don't think we are good enough at the back to stop united from the win they will desperately want in front of their own fans....If we keep the score low and show the players trying then that would be a good result. The pressure is all on united.