Wilfred Bony .

[Norway-jack]

Agree there barca. Also because we are not spending a lot of time on the training ground the integration is taking a bit longer.

It's all fine lines, people that slated wilf IMO have no real clue about his abilities and our lack of ability to get the best from him.

I think our players have neglected him in a certain respect,not intentionally but basically because michu just seemed to be the go to guy for some reason.

We need to blend both players though and that will take a bit of time , if we find the balance of the early ball and that also of finding the late runner then we are onto a real winner, it's seems to be with one way or another instead of both ways so far, that must come down to either lack of understand lack of training time of lack of game intelligence.

My own view is that it's been a combination of all these things.

Bony is a goalscorer though and he must IMO take top priority ,michu is not as clinical this season either,shots he would have buried last year he misses this year . Bony needs to be a top priority in terms of us fitting to him as well as the other way around

 

[LIBERTARIAN]

Scenario.

Bony keeps scoring during Michu's absence;Michu returns to the team;Bony's goals dry up.

What to do next?

 

[Matthew Bound Still Lurks]

Scenario.

Bony keeps scoring during Michu's absence;Michu returns to the team;Bony's goals dry up.

What to do next?

Sell Michu , £20 million and look at someone younger, cheaper , at the moment Poz needs more game time but he could be Michu's replacement .Just a thought

 

[swanselona]

Scenario.

Bony keeps scoring during Michu's absence;Michu returns to the team;Bony's goals dry up.

What to do next?

If Michu is scoring, then thats fine, we want goals, not too bothered about who scores them, its a team effort. Now different if Michu came back and the goals dried up for both.

 

[Kifflom!]

I think that's the time for the coaches to earn their coin. In short, make it work!

 

[ivoralljack]

Sell Michu , £20 million and look at someone younger, cheaper , at the moment Poz needs more game time but he could be Michu's replacement .Just a thought

MBSL! Vetch! Oh ye of little faith!! Let's enjoy the fact that we have two prolific strikers in our ranks for the first time in a long time. As KJ says, it's the coaches' jobs to make it work.... and they will.

Bony's goals will have done wonders for his confidence as he knows he is starting to justify his price tag. His performance will also have engendered his team mates' confidence in him. They must now realise that he will get goals with the right service.

The international break is a blessing in its way. The lads can get some much needed rest and the chance to get some valuable training routines under their belts. In addition, Michu is getting two "free" weeks recovery time and I think he will be delighted that Bony's good form will allow him to revert to his favourite midfield position. Factor in that Pablo is also getting two weeks for his injury to settle, our squad will be nearing full strength when fixtures resume. One word of warning. Historically, we have always struggled to find form after a break. The Fulham game is too important to allow that to happen again. A draw is the least we should be aiming for but we should be disappointed not to take three points off a struggling Fulham team which is in a bit of turmoil right now. Play as we did against Stoke and we should win (crap referees allowing) but we need to play with energy and pace for 90 minutes and not just one half.

Back to Bony. I don't think he's the best striker we've had... yet. I discount the likes of Trunds and Scotland because they played at a lower level. For me, England international Bob Latchford was the best by a mile. For those too young to have seen him, he was big, powerful, mobile, great in the air and possessed a powerful shot in both feet. In addition, his positional play was superb and his movement to find space was excellent. A complete, experienced and always dangerous centre forward before and during his time with us. Mind you, he did have the luxury of service from the likes of Leighton James, Robbie and Curt whilst Bony has.....???

So, Bony still has a lot do do to get to that level but I'm certain he will get there. Just give him time.

 

[Matthew Bound Still Lurks]

MBSL! Vetch! Oh ye of little faith!! Let's enjoy the fact that we have two prolific strikers in our ranks for the first time in a long time. As KJ says, it's the coaches' jobs to make it work.... and they will.

Bony's goals will have done wonders for his confidence as he knows he is starting to justify his price tag. His performance will also have engendered his team mates' confidence in him. They must now realise that he will get goals with the right service.

The international break is a blessing in its way. The lads can get some much needed rest and the chance to get some valuable training routines under their belts. In addition, Michu is getting two "free" weeks recovery time and I think he will be delighted that Bony's good form will allow him to revert to his favourite midfield position. Factor in that Pablo is also getting two weeks for his injury to settle, our squad will be nearing full strength when fixtures resume. One word of warning. Historically, we have always struggled to find form after a break. The Fulham game is too important to allow that to happen again. A draw is the least we should be aiming for but we should be disappointed not to take three points off a struggling Fulham team which is in a bit of turmoil right now. Play as we did against Stoke and we should win (crap referees allowing) but we need to play with energy and pace for 90 minutes and not just one half.

Back to Bony. I don't think he's the best striker we've had... yet. I discount the likes of Trunds and Scotland because they played at a lower level. For me, England international Bob Latchford was the best by a mile. For those too young to have seen him, he was big, powerful, mobile, great in the air and possessed a powerful shot in both feet. In addition, his positional play was superb and his movement to find space was excellent. A complete, experienced and always dangerous centre forward before and during his time with us. Mind you, he did have the luxury of service from the likes of Leighton James, Robbie and Curt whilst Bony has.....???

So, Bony still has a lot do do to get to that level but I'm certain he will get there. Just give him time.

As ever a insightful amd intelligent response .I love the idea of having the quality of players we currently have available and any onbe who wants to sell any of them it would have to be for whats best for the club.The mangers' brought in his players and to date it's worked out pretty well .We are in a transitional period regarding the players and once it clicks then who knows what the club can achieve.

 

[LIBERTARIAN]

It was only a possible scenario,Ivor,nothing to do with being "of little faith".
Wouldn't it be great if they both lived up to your "prolific striker" description,although I don't think either of them quite deserve that accolade for the current season. Michu,last season-definitely.
Bony will eventually justify his price tag,of that I'm sure.
I agree with you re Bob Latchford.What a player he was.

As regards the upcoming game against Fulham,they will be targeting this for a win,no doubt about that,so The Swans' will need to be on top of their game to get anything.
Time to avenge that 0-3 drubbing at the end of last season.

 

[ivoralljack]

It was only a possible scenario,Ivor,nothing to do with being "of little faith".
Wouldn't it be great if they both lived up to your "prolific striker" description,although I don't think either of them quite deserve that accolade for the current season. Michu,last season-definitely.
Bony will eventually justify his price tag,of that I'm sure.
I agree with you re Bob Latchford.What a player he was.

As regards the upcoming game against Fulham,they will be targeting this for a win,no doubt about that,so The Swans' will need to be on top of their game to get anything.
Time to avenge that 0-3 drubbing at the end of last season.

Just a leg pull, Vetch, oh ye of little humour. That was another one by the way.

 

[Matthew Bound Still Lurks]

It was only a possible scenario,Ivor,nothing to do with being "of little faith".
Wouldn't it be great if they both lived up to your "prolific striker" description,although I don't think either of them quite deserve that accolade for the current season. Michu,last season-definitely.
Bony will eventually justify his price tag,of that I'm sure.
I agree with you re Bob Latchford.What a player he was.

As regards the upcoming game against Fulham,they will be targeting this for a win,no doubt about that,so The Swans' will need to be on top of their game to get anything.
Time to avenge that 0-3 drubbing at the end of last season.

A game which may have just got a bit harder for us with the annoucement of former Manchester United Assistant Rene Meulensteen as Head Coach alonside Jol .Meulensteen, 49, worked under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford as first-team coach between 2008 and 2013. He was released by new United manager David Moyes, who wanted to bring in his own backroom staff.

 

[DragonPhilljack]

Stop picking on faithless Vetch Ivor! you never know he might be in the middle of a mutation to an unknown species, and cannot quiet grunt properly at the moment, bless him!..........................


I was thinking the break has come at the right time for us, but we are always rusty after such, lets hope we can buck the trend, as for Bony, really pleased for the lad, and I've said from the beginning 'Feed the Bony and he will score' so lets hope we come out of the gates running against Fulham, I want 3 points from this game!............


PS: I was there Ivor! 1980/81/82 on the Toshack express, Bob Latchford and Curt were top draw!

 

[The Lone Rangel]

"a striker better than anything they've ever seen in a Swans' shirt before".

Bit extravagant,not to mention premature,there Lone.
I think there's quite a queue ahead of Bony for that accolade.
What about the likes of Curtis and Latchford?
Trundle and Scotland could also apply for that position with some confidence, based on their striking achievements,albeit at lower levels.

Curtis was a winger. Latchford may have a case.

The idea that either Trundle or Scotland could possibly be considered better is an entertaining one. The fact that neither of them cut it at the top level (or even the second level in Trundle's case) is a bit of an obvious black mark. Graham was better than the pair of them.

 

[Matthew Bound Still Lurks]

Curtis was a winger. Latchford may have a case.

The idea that either Trundle or Scotland could possibly be considered better is an entertaining one. The fact that neither of them cut it at the top level (or even the second level in Trundle's case) is a bit of an obvious black mark. Graham was better than the pair of them.

But not as entertaining (well on the pitch that is )

 

[LIBERTARIAN]

Curtis a winger? First I've heard of that. He was a striker.

Trundle and Scotland were both prolific goalscorers,albeit at a lower level.
Those two set a benchmark as regards goals scored,and Bony will have his work cut out emulating them,"better",or not.

 

[LIBERTARIAN]

Yes,stop picking on me. What's wrong with you people? Dai isn't around to provide a target for you lot,so I cop it instead.

Luckily,I've got broad shoulders,thickish skin,and am better looking than Dragon,but then most people are!!!

 

[glamexile]

Fully agree re Bob Latchfod - great player for us - a 9 minute hat trick in his first game

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[DragonPhilljack]

Yes,stop picking on me. What's wrong with you people? Dai isn't around to provide a target for you lot,so I cop it instead.

Luckily,I've got broad shoulders,thickish skin,and am better looking than Dragon,but then most people are!!!

Ouch! very nice, very nice indeed, at least I drive a better car!...................

 

[ivoralljack]

Apologies for the slight deviation from Bony but here's a brief bio (via Wiki) of Latch for those who never knew him.

He was 29/30 when we signed him from Everton in 1981. They had bought him for a then British record transfer fee of £350k. He top scored for Everton during six successive seasons notching 138 in 268 (3 sub). In 1977/78 he won a prize of £10k offered by a national newspaper for being the first player to score 30 league goals in a season.

He was capped by England whilst at Everton and scored 5 goals in 12 games. At his peak he was considered to be one of the finest forwards of his generation able to score or create goals with either foot or his head. He was very quick over short distances, which accounted for the way he was able to find space.

For the Swans he scored 35 in 87 games, which was a tremendous effort given that the team was greatly disrupted and relegated in his second season. In my opinion, had we enjoyed a second successful season, Latch would easily gone on to better a goal every two games; as it was he went to Holland and scored 13 in 15 for NAC Breda.

In summary, he was a tall, strong, beautifully balanced player who scored with both feet and head. Most of his work was done in the penalty area where he used his tremendous anticipation and explosive pace to get his goals. So, in my view, if our Bony can emulate Latch, we will have a very fine player indeed. I think he can do it.

PS: You can see some of his goals on You Tube including 4 against QPR. That should please some of our posters!!

 

[Jack Uzi]

Only problem with Latchford was he tended to fade towards the end of the season. IIRC none of his eleven career hat-ricks was scored after November.

 

[The Lone Rangel]

Curtis a winger? First I've heard of that. He was a striker.

Trundle and Scotland were both prolific goalscorers,albeit at a lower level.
Those two set a benchmark as regards goals scored,and Bony will have his work cut out emulating them,"better",or not.

OK. He was a striker who generally played on the wing.

A benchmark set at a poor level is no benchmark at all. Doesn't matter if Trundle or Scotland scored eighty goals a season in League One. They still can't be compared to a player scoring goals at Premier League level. By being capable of regularly scoring goals against top quality opposition Bony has already surpassed both of them. It's a point so obvious I'm amazed that I'm having to make it at all.