Swansea were the final club to clinch promotion to the Premier League, following their 4-2 play-off win over Reading at Wembley. It’s an extraordinary turnaround in affairs for the club; just days away from going bust back in 2002, the Swans have subsequently managed to stave off the threat of relegation to non-league football and sit amongst the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal after three promotions in the past six years.
Third-placed in last season’s Championship, their introduction to the top-flight promises to be an exciting one, given the club’s footballing ethos under manager Brendan Rodgers. Dubbed “Swanselona†by the local press, they made more successful passes than any team in England last term and with searing pace down the flanks, will trouble many a team with their approach. Only seven of the twenty teams to have been promoted via the play-offs have survived, though, an indication of how the Swans must strengthen quickly if they are to avoid the drop. The manager has acknowledged this:
Hopefully the finances will now keep the club stable and moving forward because this is about building now. We will strengthen – I spent four-and-a-half seasons at Chelsea so I know what is needed at the top level. It can be a big mistake to get into the Premier League and try to do it with the same players.
It’s a different stratosphere in regard to pace and power. I want to give the players here a chance but we’ll need to strengthen and I’ll talk to the chairman. One of the things I learned from my time at Reading is never to be sentimental.â€
The Statistics
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | P | CS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 46 | 24 | 8 | 14 | 69 | 42 | +27 | 80 | 21 |
| Home | 23 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 41 | 11 | +30 | 50 | 14 |
| Away | 23 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 30 | 7 |
CS = Cleansheets
Swansea’s home form was fundamental to their success – results at the Liberty Stadium show just three defeats – bettered only by QPR and Forest. Crucially, however, Swansea conceded just 11 goals in front of their own fans, the best home defensive record in the division. No less that 14 clean sheets were gathered in the 23 matches at home and, incredibly, only two away sides managed to score more than once against them.
Form was not so strong on the road however – a negative goal difference tales the tale of a season which returned 11 defeats with 31 goals conceded. Clearly while Swansea’s possession football saw them dominate opponents at the Liberty Stadium, they found themselves on the backfoot too often away from home which exposed their defence to pressure and saw them ship goals. The rearguard allowed 11 home teams to score more than once against them.
The Manager
As a player, Rodgers’ career was over by the age of 20, cut short due to injury; he’d moved from Ballymena United to Reading but failed to make a single league appearance for the Royals. Having started his coaching career as manager of Reading’s youth team, the Irishman was approached by Jose Mourinho to take over the same position at Chelsea. He stayed at Stamford Bridge for a couple of years, taking control of reserve team matters before moved on to manage Watford. He lasted just over half a year at Vicarage Road, leaving to join up with Reading again in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, following the resignation of Steve Coppell.
Success at Reading never transpired and Rodgers left the club by mutual consent after just six months and prior to joining Swansea last summer, his record read: P55, W19, D13, L23; a win ratio of just 33%.
Since arriving at Swansea, however, Rodgers has hit the ground running. Taking the 4-5-1 passing system implemented by Roberto Martinez, he has tweaked the shape to 4-2-3-1 and instilled a work ethic that sees Swansea press opponents high up the pitch to win back possession. As the manager admits:
The example of the Barcelona model was a great influence and inspiration to me. When I was at the Chelsea academy, that was how my players would play, with that high, aggressive press, combined with the ability to keep the ball.
“That’s something that we’ve then been able to roll out to here and defensively we play with high pressure and high aggression. Everyone knows their function within the system. It is like an orchestra, if one of them isn’t doing it, you don’t hit the right note.
While working hard without the ball is an essential element of his team’s play, possession, to Rodgers, will be the key to Swansea’s success. The Swans boss quotes the cold, hard stats to back up his claim:
“We analyse passes that we make and that is one of our key performance indicators. Nine times out of 10, if we make a certain number of passes we will win the game. It means that we have control and our game is based around control and domination. We want to dominate with the ball. We average 526 passes per game and our average share of possession is 61 percent.â€
With such attention to detail, his approach will be welcomed to the top-flight, as the Irishman finally gets his chance to step out the shadow of the Special One.
The Promoted Squad
Here’s a look at last season’s squad and statistics, play off games inclusive:
Dorus De Vries (49 starts) Brought to the club by Roberto Martinez, the former Dutch under 21 star has played every one of Swansea’s league games for the last two seasons running. Chalked up 21 clean sheets last season and seems certain to continue between the posts this term.
Ashley Williams (49 starts, 3 goals, 1 assist) A rock in the heart of Swansea’s back-four, Williams was an ever-present last season. He weighed in with the odd goal, too, on his way to being voted part of the PFA Championship team of the year for 2010/11.
Garry Monk (29 starts, 3 sub apps). Centre-half and club captain, Monk suffered a knee injury back in January which cause him to miss a substantial part of the season. Highly thought of by Rodgers so when fit, will take his place alongside Williams in the Swansea defence.
Neil Taylor (26 starts, 4 sub apps. 2 assists) A Welsh international, his season was interrupted by injuries and suspension on a regular basis. The left-back is adaptable and can also play in midfield.
Angel Rangel (30 starts, 1 sub app. 2 goals, 4 assists) Missed the start of the season with a thigh injury but when fit, the right-back plays. A solid player for Swansea, he grabs the occasional goal and will pick up a handful of assists over the course of the season.
Alan Tate (42 starts, 1 sub app. 1 assist) A former Man United trainee, Tate has been at the club since the 2002/03 season. Been used in several positions by various Swansea managers, though his best is centre-back. Rodgers played him at left-back last season but switched to the heart of defence due to injuries to others.
Scott Sinclair (42 starts, 4 sub apps. 22 goals, 3 assists) The ex-Chelsea man grabbed the headlines as his Wembley hat-trick clinched Swansea’s top-flight promotion. The club’s top scorer, he’s a guaranteed starter under Rodgers and his spot-kick duties will no doubt see Sinclair targeted by Fantasy managers on the hunt for this season’s Charlie Adam.
Darren Pratley (28 starts, 8 sub apps. 10 goals , 6 assists) Inconsistency last season saw Pratley dropped by the Swans boss but despite not being able to nail down a regular first-team slot, still managed to score double figures from midfield.
Andrea Orlandi (13 starts, 7 sub apps, 2 assists) Another player brought to the club by Martinez, Orlandi is a versatile player whose best position is central midfield. Signed a new contract last summer but missed much of the season through injury.
Nathan Dyer (48 starts, 1 sub app. 2 goals, 10 assists) A key part of Rodgers’ XI, Dyer excelled out wide for the Swans last season, picking up the Supporters’ Player of the Year award. Poor goals returns, though, and, without set-pieces, may struggle to make much Fantasy impact.
Joe Allen (33 starts, 10 sub apps. 2 goals, 4 assists) Missed the start of last season with a shoulder injury, but has established himself in central midfield for Rodgers’ side. His goal and assist returns are minimal, though; Allen is likely to be left by the Fantasy wayside this season.
Mark Gower (37 starts, 5 sub apps. 2 goals, 4 assists). Previously played as a winger, Gower was shifted into centre midfield by Rodgers last season. The move seems to have helped him nail down a starting place, and in terms of Fantasy potential, Gower takes most of his side‘s corners and a fair share of free-kicks, too.
Leon Britton (13 starts, 7 sub apps. 2 goals, 1 assist) Moved to Sheffield United in June last year but returned to Swansea in January where he has secured his place in centre midfield once again. Part of the engine room, he may be a Bonus Favourite in the same vein as Blackpool’s David Vaughan last term.
Craig Beattie (9 starts, 13 sub apps, 4 goals). The ex-Celtic forward has never really found his feet at the club and his appearances were mainly down to injuries to others. Likely to play little or no part this time round.
Stephen Dobbie (26 games, 18 sub apps. 11 goals, 10 assists) His goals and assists were crucial to Swansea last season but with Rodgers’s tactics calling for a lone striker, it’s doubtful whether he will be relied upon to lead the line. As the season progressed, Dobbie became more of an attacking midfield presence for the Swans and his versatility should see him get plenty starts, unless Rodgers looks to fresh faces at his expense.
Luke Moore (11 starts. 7 sub apps. 7 goals, 6 assists). Signed by Rodgers during the January transfer window, Moore has decent returns but has struggled to cement a place in the starting XI. May find starts hard to come by if Rodgers continues to strengthen up front.
Potential Targets
While Brendon Rodgers will undoubtedly be looking to expand his squad for the top-flight tilt, right now it seems he has his work cut out to keep his top players. Ashley Williams is reportedly a target for QPR while Newcastle are said to be set to complete a cut-price £1 million deal for Neil Taylor. Darren Pratley has also been on Bolton’s radar for several months and could yet leave the club in the summer. With Chelsea loanee Fabio Borini agreeing a deal to Parma, the post season has not started well for the Swans; Borini’s presence gave Swansea an extra dimension and a replacement will be fundamental.
Rodgers will get busy however and has already targeted the highly rated Watford striker Danny Graham as a first signing. The club’s official site has confirmed that a £3.5 million bid has been accepted by the Hornets with the 24-goal forward set to fill Borini’s boots in the Swansea attack.
Reading’s towering centre-back Matt Mills is another rumoured target with a potential fee of £3 million been circulated. Chelsea’s Jefferey Bruma is also a name doing the rounds. Right now then, it appears that Rodgers is content to close in on potential talent rather than look to acquire experienced Premier League heads. With an expected transfer kitty of around £10 million, Rodgers will need to spend wisely to strengthen key areas for what will surely be a testing campaign.
