http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/ en-us Copyright 2012 Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:18:35 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss With the new season literally days away, here's my take on what we can expect from Michael Laudrup's new-look Swans this year. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/swansea_city_season_preview_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/swansea_city_season_preview_1.php Season Preview michael laudrup season preview swansea city Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:18:35 +0000 It's a good time to be Joe Allen. The last 12 months have seen the youngster's profile shoot from useful midfielder in an exciting small team to, apparently, £15 million pounds worth of Big Six talent. There's no denying Swans' fans affection for Allen - he'd been in the organisation since he was nine years old - but at times like these, a strong spoonful of perspective helps the medicine go down. Joe Allen was not, after all, the only player in the Swans' 11th place side last season. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/why_the_swans_wont_miss_joe_al.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/why_the_swans_wont_miss_joe_al.php Team Talk joe allen jonathan de guzman swansea Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:56:42 +0000 The Swans finished their pre-season tour of the United States with a win, a draw and a loss. The results might not have been much to write home about, but the tour has given new boss Michael Laudrup plenty of opportunity to evaluate the players. With three new players signed already, talk of contraction in the squad and Liverpool sniffing around the Liberty like a pushy old lady in the reduced section of Tesco, it seems pretty certain more change will come before the season opener. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/swans_shouldnt_struggle_to_kee.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/08/swans_shouldnt_struggle_to_kee.php Team Talk Transfers ash williams joe allen neil taylor scott sinclair swansea city Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:29:12 +0000 Michael Laudrup continues to re-paint the Swans in continental colours, but might have to watch Joe Allen turn red. Meanwhile, the Swans hit the States as the entire squad get their chance to impress the new boss. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/stateside_swans_to_cash_in_on_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/stateside_swans_to_cash_in_on_1.php Team Talk Transfers allen davies de guzman laudrup michu swansea Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:48:30 +0000 New boss Michael Laudrup has wasted no time in shoring up the squad in key areas, bringing in two former charges to fill out gaps in defence and midfield. The signings should help allay any fears Swans fans might have had following the double loss of loanee stand-outs Stephen Caulker and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who re-united at Spurs. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/laudrup_quick_to_stabilise_dep.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/laudrup_quick_to_stabilise_dep.php Team Talk chico de guzman scott sinclair swansea city Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:28:37 +0000 Whilst the football world was preoccupied with the discovery that 'tiki taka' is actually the sound Spaniards make when they snore, the Swans underwent a significant makeover. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/the_laudrup_era_begins_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/07/the_laudrup_era_begins_1.php Team Talk laudrup swansea city Sat, 07 Jul 2012 16:26:04 +0000 In the last instalment of my statistical Swans season breakdown, I'll be looking at a Swansea City 'best eleven'. There aren't many surprises, but there is plenty of food for thought. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/06/swans_90_minute_men_best_eleve_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/06/swans_90_minute_men_best_eleve_1.php Season Review Statistics stats swansea city Tue, 12 Jun 2012 23:24:10 +0000 With the commotion of Brendan Rodgers' move to Liverpool now waning and Huw Jenkins yet to announce a new manager, news on the Swans front has gone quiet... for the moment. So it's a perfect time to continue my end of season stats round-up. In part three, we'll be looking at the Swans attack. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/06/swansea_stats_roundup_part_thr.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/06/swansea_stats_roundup_part_thr.php Season Review Statistics stats swansea city Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:43:05 +0000 After flirting heavily with ex-Swans boss Roberto Martinez, Liverpool have instead poached Brendan Rodgers from Swansea who will have to find their third manager since Martinez jumped ship to Wigan in 2009. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/bye_bye_brendan.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/bye_bye_brendan.php Team Talk brendan rodgers liverpool swansea city Wed, 30 May 2012 18:28:56 +0000 Part two of my post-season stats roundup looks at the Swansea midfield. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/swans_stats_roundup_part_two_m.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/swans_stats_roundup_part_two_m.php Season Review Statistics stats swansea city Mon, 28 May 2012 16:27:51 +0000 It feels like it's been a long while since I scratched my stats itch. So over the next few posts, I shall be looking at how the Swans made out this season in numbers, starting with... http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/swans_stats_roundup_part_one_d.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/swans_stats_roundup_part_one_d.php Season Review Statistics stats swansea city Thu, 24 May 2012 22:36:36 +0000 Will the Swans sink or swim?', where I imagined what might happen in the Swans first Premier League season; how the team would get on, which players would stand out and so on. With the season in the books and the Swans safe, I thought it would be fun to look back on those predictions and see how I did...]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/preseason_predictions_revisite_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/preseason_predictions_revisite_1.php Season Review season review swansea city Fri, 18 May 2012 21:37:25 +0000 The Liverpool players might be used to hearing the Kop belt out 'You'll Never Walk Alone', but Sunday afternoon's final game of the season will feature an entirely different sensation - several hundred Elvises (or should that be Elivi) singing "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You". Possibly several thousand. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/signings_and_celebrations_for_1.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/signings_and_celebrations_for_1.php Match Previews Team Talk awards gary mackay-steven lacina traore liverpool swansea city Fri, 11 May 2012 23:48:05 +0000 Straight on the back of securing mathematical Premier League safety, the Swans have unveiled their new away kit for next season, and it's a beauty. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/new_kits_wolves_and_united.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/05/new_kits_wolves_and_united.php Match Previews Match Reports Team Talk manchester united new kit swansea city wolves Thu, 03 May 2012 18:28:12 +0000 With the season coming to a close, the Swans can afford to watch the relegation fight they were supposed to be involved in from the safe seats in the middle of the table. As such, the Swans will be among the teams that might have an interest in cherry picking players from the relegated sides to bolster their own squad for next season. http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/04/picking_the_carcasses_clean_sw.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/swansea/archives/2012/04/picking_the_carcasses_clean_sw.php Team Talk aston villa blackburn rovers bolton qpr swansea city wigan athletic wolves Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:01:59 +0000