The question has to be asked with the pending negotiations about his contract extension. So, why might he go? Well I'm sure he will see out his existing contract because he is that sort of a man BUT what if we lose at Wembley? As I see it Laudrup is pinning all his hopes on winning the cup. He has often stated that he loves cup competitions and winning the League Cup would be total vindication of his decision to come to a team with no top level pedigree to speak of. It would be there in the record books for all time that, at his very first attempt, he took an unfashionable club to a major cup final and won it. For a man for whom money probably comes second; for a man who won everything worth winning as a player, I'm sure that this trophy would mean the world to him. If the unthinkable happens and we lose, particularly as we are overwhelming favourites, I believe that the disappointment would be so hard to bear that he will just see out his contract and move on. Also, I would guess that the players he has lined up, are possibly only prepared to come to us on the expectation of European football and the exposure which that would give them. I doubt they would be so keen to come to a team that flopped on the world stage against a team from the fourth tier. So, my take is this. Beating Bradford is a must because not only would it be our first major trophy, not only would it prevent us being the subject of total ridicule from those queuing up to take the piss, but also we are playing for the future of our club, by ensuring that one of the brightest young managers in the game is going to pledge his future to us for at least two more years and take us on to even greater heights. With all this at stake and looking at the many shocks which lower league clubs have produced this season (Eg only yesterday, ARSENAL ffs!!!!!!!!!), I sincerely hope that every single one of the squad that is picked for Wembley, focuses on that game to a degree they never have before. I believe it is that important.
I don't think he would let one game get the better of him especially since he is being allowed the latitude, like never before, to shape his squad and add the value he likes. The unthinkable could always happen. We could lose to Bradford, but I have to believe that Laudrup has too many strings to pull on the bench and tactical tricks up his sleeve for that to happen. As you say this is an incredibly important game in the club's history, not only because it our first major final, but also because of European competition would permit us to attract the talen necessary to keep on evolve and progressing. It is also going to be a once in a lifetime moment for the Bradford players and club. They have to manage their nerves. They have to focus on the job at hand. They are the ones who are going to have to run their balls off to close us down like they never have before and get the ball from us if they are going to win. Notice, that ML has had the players hunting the ball in packs over the last few weeks. This intense pressure is going to be brought to bare. Bradford will have to be fleet of foot and mind to retain posession against that and its going to take some doing. This is ML's forte - high pressure game, major stadium, favorite status, the works. He's played in tons of these sort of games and he has observed and learned the application that top teams and players do to execute in these sorts of situations. This is where he comes into his own - player preparation, selection, tactics, motivation, relaxation. It's not going to be easy, but worst comes to worst, he's not going to walk from this defeat. We'll have to take plenty of stick for sure, but he'll see it has a lesson on the path to bigger and better. If he sees this as the only final he's going to be taking us to, then he's not the competitor I believe him to be.
Well I have said for the last week or so that I would prefer us to rest players for the benefit of the cup, but it seems that Laudrup feels that our Squad can handle both the Cup and today's game, there is of course the lure of the 40 points barrier, so I just hope that we don't collect any injuries today, and our players concentrate on the game. I've read that our players will not commit to the 50/50 tackle with one eye on the cup, but those of you that have at least played the game will know that that is the easiest way of picking up injuries, so I expect Laudrup to get our players to completely focus on todays game, and to be as committed as ever in the tackle, one game at a time, today is about beating Liverpool, not worrying about Bradford, and I think even if we lose the Cup, Laudrup will have come so close to touching the trophy, that he'll stay and strengthen for next year. So my message to you Ivor, is don't be anxious mate!................. PS: Oh and no he wouldn't go!......................... please log in to view this image
Yankee, Arsenal, Liverpool, etc etc etc etc etc would all have believed that they had the talent, the experience, the expertise, the everything, that was needed to beat lower league opposition in cup games. But what has happened? More Premier League clubs have either been ignominiously dumped out of cup competitions this season, or been held to unlikely draws, than in many a long year. I doubt that Bradford will have many nerves. No one expects them to win, so they can go out there and give it everything knowing that they have performed brilliantly just to get there. No, Bradford won't give a flying fcuk. They will be there on a total high giving it absolutely everything they've got to rip the spoils away from us. Just the sort of team putting in the type of performance that so often has knocked us off the rails. We need to impose our game on them from the first whistle and keep on imposing it and imposing it, throughout the game. And I'll tell you what, I won't breathe easily until (and IF) we get two goals in front. It takes only a few seconds to nick a goal from a set piece. They are brilliant at scoring from them and we are total ****e at defending them. Something else to consider, apart from set pieces, they can also play a bit, so we will have to be on guard in open play as well. Nine times out of ten, I believe we would beat them. But this is a Wembley final and I feel that we need to be at the top of our game in every aspect to nail it.
The first 20 mins at Wembley will be all important. Bradford will be fired up and will be trying to pressure us off our game, so we need to start like we did against WBA at home and take complete control. If we can get 1 goal up during that period and keep possesson such that Bradford are running around like headless chickens then we shoudl be OK. If we let them get to us and we dont take control then it could be nervy! I am confident that ML will get the boys focused and we will be OK.
For goodness sake Ivor stop being so negative! are you watching Chelsea smashing brentford? well that's how it will be for Bradford! Now pour yourself a stiff drink will you................ PS: And how do I know all this? Well Dai told me!.................
I have to disagree, the Bradford players will know that this will be their only ever opportunity to win a major cup and with only swansea in the way (not a massive team) it's very achievable. We don't win this cup this year, there is every chance we could win it next year or the year after. This genuinely is their one shot at glory. That pressure will be immense imo. The only thing our players need to do is stick to our natural game plan, don't play the occasion and the result will come. Bradford players will be focused so highly on not making an early mistake, the occasion will definitely get to them. If anything, I would say we have the upper hand when it comes to pressure. No doubt ML will say, keep calm and play your game, if you do fall behind then don't panic, just do what we have practised. Imagine Bradford fall behind, how do you think they would react? They will HAVE to go all guns blazing.
With regards to the question about Laudrup leaving Swansea, I don't think Swansea fans have anything to fear. A couple of people have said it earlier on the bord but I think Laudrup is in Swansea for a good run and not just to move to a bigger club in the upcoming summer. He will honor his contract and besides that I think he enjoys the amount of codetermination he has in the club compared to some of his other manager jobs. The challenge in performing with a "minor" club in a big league is also something that speaks to his nature I think. The codetermination and challenge, together with him enjoying Swansea overall are reasons to why I think he will use a good amount of time in Swansea. That said I do believe he might have found it a little irritating that Huw Jenkins made it public about wanting a contract extension with Laudrup. It put some kind of pressure on Laudrup to sign something to make sure it didn't become a big case in the media. Could you imagine the speculations if he hadn't signed so it kind of forced him to sign something. He had a deal with Swansea and didn't see any reason to rush a new agreement when there where 18 month left on his contract. Can't imagine he wouldn't have signed a new agrement when the time came. But I can see it from the Swansea perspective in ensuring some peace in getting the extension and Jenkins and the Swans got what they wanted so fair play there. Although I do think it's things like this that could annoy Laudrup a little, like when Liverpool changed the contract from 3 to 4 years when he was about to sign with them even though it's different because they changed something that was agreed upon. So all in all I don't see Laudrup disappearing from Swansea in the near future and think he will be there at least 3-4 years as a minimum. Sorry in advance for any grammatical errors that makes it a hassle to read. ;-)
Rex: Your English better than most around here. Back to the question: Will Laudrup leave next year if we lose the Final? I don't think they're linked at all. He has already described next season as potentially being an even better one for us and this has been borne out by Jenkins's recent comment about players that were missed January targets coming in during the Summer. Along with others I've already tipped Aspas as coming here and there will be more. If we do even better next season in either the League, the cup competitions or both, why would he then walk? Laudrup has been around long enough to know that we could lose this Final. That's football and the magic of a one-off cup game. He won't be basing his career choices on that.
Thanks Knackeredjack. Forgot to say that in terms of Laudrup leaving Swansea if loosing the league cup final I concur with Knackeredjack, in that it will not have any effect on Laudrup leaving or staying.
Well looking at the line up, Laudrup is clearly resting our first team, so I think you can relax Ivor!........
will laudrup leave when his contract is up......well only laudrup will know that but he is here to do a job and is getting well paid for it, he is not here because he likes the place or the players, he is here for his own benefit and a challenge for himself. he has put himself in the shop window and will wait until someone else comes in for him and if he fancies the challenge then he will go, he is not going to go or stay because the fans want him too, Its a job and nothing else. The one thing he dont do very much is community work, All our previous managers were active in the community and attending functions and opening things and getting to know the Swansea public. laudrup don't do much of that if any and i think its very important part of any football club.
Agreed Dai. This is a situation which benefits both ML and Swansea City as we will now become better known throughout Europe and will be able to attract better players and a wider fan base to increase revenue given the status of ML in the game as a player and possibly a future Barca or RM manager.
Dai: "All our previous managers were active in the community and attending functions and opening things and getting to know the Swansea public." ...and they all left when an offer came along did't they? Rodgers gave us the old "wonderful city" guff and we bought it. Most fans don't give a ****. It's results that count.
ML has been brought in to manage and coach the team so I for one couldn't give a monkies about that sort of stuff. He's there to ensure the progression of the club on the field.
Agree with most of what you say here Dai, but is the PR community work that important?....................
pr work is very important and previous managers were actively involved and rightly so. laudrup likes to nip back to Denmark a lot for the football programme i have seen him on. He don't do enough in my view in the Swansea area....I question now what was all this dubai trip necessary as it never worked today...
I can see him winning next weekend, you finishing well at the end of the season, and Laudrop going to one of the big jobs in Italy.
You could well be right fowler, but it won't be an issue for us, as we are the biggest supplier of Managers to the Premiership, we'll simply move up to the next level, with a new gaffer, we have been here many times before!............... please log in to view this image
there is no doubt that we will beat bradford but there was no need to rest players today...what for???
