Swansea City: Season Preview

We Are Hooligans is previewing every Premier League team’s season. Today, Swansea City.

Last Season: Since winning the Promotion playoff final in 2011, Swansea has had relative success in the Premier League. In their first season, 2011-12, they defied the odds, finish 11th, with a point total of 47. Manager Brendan Rogers then left for Anfield, and he was replaced by former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus midfielder Michael Laudrup.

The Danish manager led Swansea to their most successful season, placing 9th in the league, with 46 points, and winning the League Cup, providing the Swans with their first ever major silverware. This great victory for Swansea in 2012-13 served only to hurt them in 2013-14, however. The Swans were forced to participate in the Europa League, which added a burden that their thin squad couldn’t handle.

Although they made it to the Round of 32, Swansea struggled in the league, and Laudrup was sacked in Feburary, with Swansea just two points from safety. Longtime defender and captain Garry Monk was named interim manager, and helped turn the club around. The Swans ended up finishing almost 10 points above relegation.

Transfer Moves: Monk has had no stutters in starting his business this summer. Gylfi Sigurdsson, who impressed with Swansea on loan several seasons ago, was brought in for 10 million pounds, while Colombian winger Jefferson Montero was purchased from Morelia in Mexico. Both of these players will fit great into the style that Swansea has developed, and drilled into their youth, since almost being relegated in 2002-03 (a team that including Everton manager Roberto Martinez).

Bafetimbi Gomis was brought in to be Wilfried Bony’s strike partner, following the season long loan of Michu, whose prolific season lifted Swansea to the League Cup, to Rafa Benitez’s Napoli. Monk, who has played with Swansea for most of their rise through the divisions of English football, also sent established members out, including Michel Vorm, one of the best “penalty killing” goalkeepers in the league, and Ben Davies, a great young left back, to Tottenham, in exchange for Sigurdsson and cash.

Lukasz Fabianski was brought in to replace him, and Fabianski has shown his worth at times for Arsenal. Chico Flores and Pablo Hernandez also left the club, both going to Qatar.

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be crucial to Swansea’s season, playing as an attacking midfielder.

3 Biggest Signings

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Sigurdsson comes to Wales by way of Tottenham, where he spent the last two seasons. Sigurdsson never really made his mark on the team, struggling to find the form he had been in with Swansea in 2011-12. The Swans payed 10 million pounds for him, although the fee Spurs payed for Davies cancels that sum out, and the, roughly, 3 million pounds for Michel Vorm gives Swansea profit on a player they would have gladly lost money on.

Sigurdsson already proved that he fits great into the “Swansea Way,” and his play in attacking midfield, as a creator and goalscorer, will prove pivotal to the Swans campaign. If he can replicate his 2011-12 numbers (seven goals and four assists in 18 games), then Swansea will be challenging for a top half finish. Last year, the midfield didn’t provide enough goals. However, if Sigurdsson can take some of the burden off of Bony, and hopefully Gomis, then Swansea will be in business.

Jefferson Montero: Montero is coming off a good showing at the World Cup with Ecuador, despite narrowly missing the knockout stages. He will be used in a role not unlike where Scott Sinclair and Wayne Routledge have thrived. However, a desire to play both Gomis and Bony could see Montero relegated to sub duty. In any role the Ecuadorian plays, he will be an integral part of the Swans campaign, and his ability to score will, like Sigurdsson, take some burden off of Bony and Gomis.

Lukasz Fabianski was part of Arsenal’s successful FA Cup run last season, proving himself especially well in the semi-final penalty shootout against Wigan. He will be counted on to anchor the Swans defense, after long time keeper Michel Vorm left for Tottenham.

Lukasz Fabianski: Fabianski had to play second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny at Arsenal for several years, until his time in the sun finally came this year. Szczesny got injured late in the season, and Fabianski was called on. His two penalty saves won Arsenal the FA Cup semi-final over Wigan, and several late saves helped Arsenal secure the Cup, their first major piece of silverware in 9 years.

Fabianski no longer wanted to be number two, so, with Michel Vorm on the way out, to Tottenham, Fabianski made the move to Wales. He will be counted on to replace the solid Vorm, who was known as one of the best penalty killers in the Premier League.

If Fabianski fails to anchor the Swans back line, they will be in the position they were in last season, when they scored 54 goals and conceded as many.

3 Most Important Sales

Ben Davies: Davies is one of the best young fullbacks out there, in the class of Chambers and Shaw. He is also a product of Swansea’s youth system, which is a win for the club. But the time came for him to move on, the fee Tottenham paid for him (between 10 and 12 million pounds) is more than enough compensation.

The biggest winner from this deal, however, is Neil Taylor, Swansea’s long time left back. His injury cleared the way for Davies to cement his place in the first team, and since then, Taylor hasn’t been able to make it back in. Some are saying that Taylor is, in fact, better than Davies and this season will give him a chance to prove that.

Chico Flores: Though Flores was a good player under Laudrup, his time had passed, and his move to Qatar, joining Laudrup’s Lekhwiya SC, opens the door for Federico Fernandez, the Napoli and Argentina defender. Fernandez helped Argentina reach the World Cup final, and his reliability will be greatly sought.

If he can develop a strong parternship with Ashley Williams, like Flores did, then the Swans back-line will be even better than before. Although Flores was solid, Fernandez has the potential to do better than him, and with the experienced Williams next to him, he will have some time to grow.

The move has yet to be finalized, but all reports say that the formalities are almost complete.

Michu: Although the Spaniard scored buckets for Swansea in 2012-13, the competition between him and Bony was unhealthy. Bony needs to be challenged, and Gomis will do just that. Michu’s loan to Napoli has made it clear to Bony that he is the man, allowing the Ivorian some rest.

Projected Lineup: Garry Monk will probably continue to use the 4-4-2 formation which had done so good for Swansea in their time in the Premier League. Williams and Fernandez, once he arrives, will be the center backs, with Taylor and Angel Rangel on the outside of the back line. Fabianski will start in goal, and with no immediate challenger, will likely stay there all season.

The midfield will most likely be in a diamond form, with Leon Britton anchoring it. Johnjo Shelvey will play on the right, and be more of a traditional midfielder, while Sigurdsson will lead the diamond. Either Jefferson Montero or Nathan Dyer will play on the left, although Wayne Routledge could shift from his traditional right side to get playing time. Bony and Gomis will play upfront, with Gomis a little more withdrawn.

The spine and most important part of the team will be the partnership between Britton and Sigurdsson. Britton will be responsible for helping the defense, and picking up stray balls and starting attacks. He will funnel passes towards the three attacking midfielders, and from there, Sigurdsson will be responsible for marshalling offensives. Gylfi will need to moderate play, directing the ball into places where Gomis and Bony can score, or where Shelvey and Montero can get invovled.

However, if these options fail, then Sigurdsson will also need to be prepared to try to score. Britton and Sigurdsson control Swansea’s offense this year.

Some have suggested that the Swans should follow a growing trend, and play a 3-5-2, that could easily switch to a 4-4-2 diamond. This would enable Swansea to play a 3 man midfield and two upfront. However, the 4-4-2 is what the “Swansea Way” is built around, and I think it’s unlikely that Monk, who is so versed in the way, would change the formation.

Strengths:

Continuity: Through Swansea’s rise through the levels of English soccer, they have had several now famous, and proven, managers. Roberto Martinez helped them gain promotion from League Two to the Championship, both as a player and as a manager. Brendan Rogers led the team to the Premier League, and masterminded the great first season. Michael Laudrup, better known as a player than manager, pushed the team to new heights, winning major silverware.

It remains to be seen whether Garry Monk is in the class of those three great managers. However, one thing Swansea fans can count on is a continuation of the same old same old. Monk has been raised in the club, and buys completely into the aforementioned “Swansea Way,” stressing team play, passing and loyalty. This continuity in style and emphasis will help Swansea survive, despite going through 3 managers in 4 seasons.

For any other team, that would be a massive problem. But since Swansea has a board and ownership (the fans own the team) that were, a decade ago, committed to the long term, the team has a base that isn’t changing. Players can count on the style they will play, and this, in turn, won’t force any players out. Even if Monk isn’t a great leader, the board, and chairman (Huw Jenkins) in particular, hasn’t changed in a while, and they will ensure Swansea stay up.

The fan support is also great. This is a team that was a match away from being relegated from League Two, and going into Conference, and yet they never booed the squad, never deserted them. They bought the team, and committed not to winning now, but looking to the long term. Swansea makes my heart proud to be soccer fan.

Attack: Although this was a weak part of the team last season, with much of the goal scoring burden falling on Bony, the additions of Gomis, Montero and Sigurdsson will spread the burden a little more evenly. Hopefully Shelvey, Dyer and Routledge can also be counted on to bag a few goals, so that will help the attack as well. One thing that Swansea can always be counted is to play attractive and fun soccer. That won’t change this year.

Weaknesses:

Defense: Last season the Swans gave up as many goals as they scored (54). This held them back from finishing higher. With Fernandez hopefully arriving soon, the 3-5-2 formation may not be that unlikely. Swansea’s defense needs to get tighter and help Fabianski keep the ball out of the back of the net, or the additions to the attack will be negated.

Predicted Finish: 10th. The Swans will have a strong, and challenging, campaign, and just make the top half. They could make a cup run, although Monk and Jenkins know that that could hurt them this season, and in the future.

Garry Monk has yet to prove whether he is in the caliber of previous Swansea managers, like Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rogers and Michael Laudrup.