At the risk of me being misunderstood, I'll just say "serious football discussion" and "this is not a wum". At the moment, you've got a two year start in the Premier League, and have moved four points ahead in the table thanks to a very good win over Newcastle. That's a decent gap at this level and I'd much prefer it to be the other way around, but it's not as significant at this stage that any conclusions can be drawn. The relative table positions could still swap over at some point in time through the course of the season, though in all honesty, we will struggle to finish anywhere near the half way slot, whereas you should achieve it at least. All sorts of reasons can be offered why the gap beteween is so small at the moment, your injured strikers, Eurpoean exploits etc, the facts are that if we're as bad as you keep telling us, then the other clubs around us must have lost their way completely this season. Apart from Palace who came up with us, I look at the likes of Sunderland, Fulham, Norwich, West Ham, Stoke and West Brom below and around us when most have had many years to get it right up here. What's gone wrong at those clubs - perhaps we're just lucky for our own sake that something has? We set out to tackle each game in this division as a newbie up from the Championship on a hiding to nothing. Our results and the points gained so far justify the methods employed. There's plenty of time to evolve into a competitive Premier standard side over time - going for instant success would be suicide - we just need to stay here this season. We know our limitations and play to them, whereas you've had the time up here to develop and build a squad. If you're saying we're doing something wrong, then there are plenty of others doing the same. This season, the "rest of us", up to say even 6th position is not over by a long chalk. I think Newcastle were in 5th spot when you beat them convincingly 3-0 and they'd got there on the back of a good run albeit against a couple of teams they should have beaten anyway. A similar run of bad form like they had before that could easily put them back into the pack. Swansea seem to be set on the right road even with the recent patchy form, and once you get your strikers back on the pitch, you should be able to put a lot of the opposition away comfortably. No easy rides in this division, but the signs are good. As Cardiff supporters, we may be bemoaning the lack of good attacking football from our club, but most of us recognise the ultimate goal, even if our team can't seem to find the ones on the bloody pitch....
At the risk of being misunderstood I'm up for debate but not sure what we're supposed to discuss here. Seriously. 491 words and I'm none the wiser. Are you saying that we should debate Cardiff? Really not sure. The gap between our two clubs being "small"? If so then that's the nature of the Prem this season. Sorry but I'm nonplussed as to the rest. Not being "confrontational" Sparkey. Perhaps you could clarify.
Perhaps you need to read the lines then Aussie, instead of between them all the time (also not being confrontational). Try reading the words instead of counting them. No hidden meanings, just the fact that apparently we have got it so wrong at Cardiff, yet other far more established teams are worse off or very little better. Are they doing something wrong as well, or are they just biding their time to come good later?
You begin to get a good feel for likely end positions come the end of January. I still expect us to finish on the top half and that you will survive but probably not by much. The teams that will be in the bottom group are quite capable of putting 3 or 4 good results together so getting the points on the board early is so important to avoid that last 6 weeks or so or nail biting and thats when teams either stand up and be counted or cant cope with the pressure. Your man issue is the that MM seems to be adopting a safety first attitude to settle for the point a game. You have to go for the win when the opportunity arises and you have had a few this season already but low risk substitutions show MM isnt doing that
47 words saying the same as 491. Well done. I was simply trying to ascertain the point you are making, that's all. It just wasn't clear to me. So you want us to debate Cardiff and how you've got it so wrong on our board? I see. I'm out.
Aussie - grow up FFS. If you want to be "out" then that's fine by me. I agree with that glam, but I honestly didn't intend this to be a discussion about Cardiff despite what others might think. My point was that from Villa down through the table, there are a lot of established Premier sides who are hardly covering themselves with glory. Both our clubs being amongst them is not a disgrace by any means. The point is that getting there/staying is always the target for Championship clubs, and seeing other sides around you who have been there much longer means we must be doing something right even if it isn't pretty at the moment. The broader issues are where do both our clubs figure in relation to those around us going forward?
No need to be rude. You are a visitor here. When I asked you to clarify what this was about you responded that it was essentially about Cardiff, and particularly how you've got it "so wrong" yet other teams are in a similar position but have been in the League a while. So it's all referenced back to Cardiff and your position isn't it? No problem with that but this is the Swansea board. If others want to debate your club then go for it. I'm not criticising them and I'm not suggesting you shouldn't have put it up. I'm not suggesting it be taken down. It's just not for me.
If you see it that way Aussie - that's fine by me. I don't expect you to comment on here further. Also being rude is relative - you are in no position to lecture.
Well I see three worse sides than Cardiff and should be safe , which you can then build on next season. Not much going to be in it, as you can keep a clean sheet it's just not scoring goals. So my take on it Sparkey and it pains me to say you will be safe and finish around 15th, which I will be a good season, you home form will be critical in this finish mind. Malkey should then be able to build on this sort of finish.
I gave you 5 more points between now and Dec 31st (the half-way point of the season) which gives you a total of 19 points. If you repeat that in the second half of the season you will be in a perilous position. Anything can happen yet, of course.
Palace with Pulis & Fulham with whoever-it-is COULD start pulling themselves out the mire. Cardiff need to ramp it up to avoid a nail-biting end to the season. (IMO of course)
The gap is bigger than you think. Cardiff are in a relegation dogfight whilst Swansea are in a mid-table scrap. The points difference isn't that great because Swans have had a tougher 14 games and have struggled with injury/form problems. Cardiff are 3/1 for relegation. Swans are 50/1.
no management changes for Cardiff , so what you see is what you get . Fulham , Palace , Sunderland have replaced their management and to some extent with a positive result, so unless cardiff respond with a more attacking purpose I can see more of the same and the points will dry up ,
Manager change can have a big influence. The attitudes of some players will change, but not their ability. Pulis and Poyet will have a hard job unless they see some cash for additions in January. The Fulham set up is different. They have some very good players that are not cutting it as a team. The new management there could well change that. The point I was trying to make in the OP was that we should not just consider these three drop contenders along with us. There are quite a few clubs that could tumble into contention with a bad run in exactly the same way that those down there at the moment can climb out with a good run. Of the teams outside the bottom 3, I still see Hull, Stoke and Norwich as teams very much on the rack come the second half of the season. Even West Brom are vulnerable unless Clarke can get them firing properly - they looked dreadful against you up there and you steamrollered them. They had a decent if lucky win at Man U that clouded the issue for some as to their credentials for staying up.
I cannot see Cardiff going down, and the way they are set up reminds me a little of our Sousa days, if Cardiff can improve on the possession stats, and attack teams when they are on the front foot in games, then I really don't see any problems for Cardiff, though I doubt they'll catch us now, as Michu is due back, and Bony in only 10 days, then I see us consolidating our position, and kicking on. I see us over the worst of our bad form, as the last two games have shown some marked improvement. With regards to the bottom 6, and why they are there, well it's really quite simple, they are poor at keeping the ball, and most clubs at this level are now looking at the possession stats, and passing accuracy and completion, those teams at the bottom are woeful in theses areas, and are punished because of it. I'm particularly interested to see how GP tries to get Sunderland to pass the ball, has he enough time to implement the change, as for Stoke, well I see them doomed under inept MH!.................
Can't comment on the Prem before we got here because I never paid any attention to it.... ....but since we've been here it's always been tight at this stage, you don't get to see who's really in the **** until about March I reckon. There follows a desperate dogfight between about 6/7 clubs during which some will get some vital wins and others don't. It's ultra competive outside the top 7, we're all aiming to get to 40 points ASAP. There may only be 4 points between us and a few places but trust me all that matters is how many points you get from the first 19 games. That tells you where you are headed and whether you need to improve. We've got 18 points from 14 games. That tells me we are on course for a 48 (ish) points finish IF we can maintain that points per game ratio. We've got Hull and Norwich next. 2 winnable games, and we will try to win them. I'd be surprised if we get less than 4 points from those 2, hoping for 6 obviously. That will put us on 22-24 points from 16 games with Everton, Chelsea and Villa to go to the half-way mark. We should be on 25+ points after 19 games. Putting us on course for a 50point finish (usually a top 10 finish)....and we haven't even hit top form or have any strikers fit! This is why I and many other Jacks aren't particularly worried about us. That's not to say we'll get 50+ points. The second half of the season is tougher for the smaller clubs with less deep (in terms of quality) squads....but I'd be very surprised if we scored less than 45points. Cardiff have 14 points from 14 games. On course for 38 points. Often relegation, sometimes enough though. This is after having as good a start as you could have hoped for! You have Palace away then West Brom at home. You've got to try and win these games and get your average up because around the corner is; Liverpool (a), Southampton (h), Sunderland (h & already scrapping for their lives), Arsenal (a), West Ham (h and will put everyone behind the ball for the draw), Man City (a) and Man Utd (a). Come the beginning of February, if you don't win at least 2 games between now and then, you are going to be behind the 1 point a game average necessary for even 38 points. Yet Malky is sending you out for draws, both home and away. In February/March the pressure is going to be on you big time. It will be sink or swim, and I've seen nothing from you so far to suggest you are capable of going out and beating the teams around you when you need to....simply, no goals. It's possible you'll keep getting the odd winner from a set piece but I wouldn't like to bet on it. Malky has to be brave and go and get Premiership survival just like all your competitors will be trying for.....and I can't see Tan handing over another tump of cash in January after allowing him to spend £30m and not even trying to go and win a game of football so far. He's made his displeasure pretty clear it seems to me.
