Inconsistant Swans .

I feel its more or less been enough games to form opinion on our team for this season and I have to say that there seems to be a big swing in terms of consistency. Im guessing its down to us bringing in so many players and them taking time to gel, I also think that while Europa league is great for fitness it hasn't helped as much as we would of liked in terms of blending the team, less time on the training field has given us a disadvantage IMO.

The Sunderland game was a fine win, but did anybody think we were looking totally average for 50 mins ? that seems to be happening more often than not these days, yesterdays game yet another example of us being indifferent for such long periods .

What do you think the problem is? is it that we are taking a long time to work out the fine details of players knowing each others game or is it because our line up changes so often we don't build any rythem and its pro longing the problem of intergration ?

We have done pretty well so far this season but I do think that we are nothing like the Swans we can and perhaps should be, despite some great games we are not firing on all cylinders and after this amount of games its starting to be a slight concern for me .

Has the loss of Ash and Pablo made a bigger difference than we thought ? perhaps so, but I think our problem might be that our squad is chopping and changing too often and its hindering the flow of our game, we are trying to intergrate and play the same way with guys that have not played this way before,sometimes it works and sometimes we fall very short.

I think if we can continue getting prem points while not playing too well that would be a massive bonus, I think in this case time is our friend, we need to keep picking up results though as the last thing we need is the new guys wilting under the pressure,we have quite a few unproven players in that team at times and we need to be a bit more patient as fans sometimes .

What are your thoughts on how the team of 2013/2014 is shaping up ? are we getting better ,maintaining continuity or has the intensity ,speed and surprise of our style finally been countered ?


Over to you !

 

Check your email urgent please mate, need an honest opinion on something


On topic, yes I think we're missing Ash and his leadership qualities

 

What do I think the problem is - I think it's a tough task balancing between the Premier League and Europa League. In some games we are only operating at 80% capacity because it's impossible for our squad to go 100% flat out in every match. We are chopping and changing the team and that is difficult - having said that we probably wouldn't be having this conversation if it wasn't for the 92nd minute equaliser because so far ML has made a good job of it.

My main concern is the Bony/Michu partnership which is just not working. We keep on trying to play straight down the middle of the park and it gets too congested with the two of them getting in each others way.

 

I will look now fella.

This article was always going to happen im afraid ! The performances haven't been great overall and even if we got the win yesterday then this would have still been posted .

Its not a dig at the team though I think your points are pretty much accurate. the balance of new players ,Europa league ,premier league and injuries has dealt us a few curve balls ,laudrup has done very well in selecting a group to do the job but as you say its been very frustrating seeing us play at what seems to be 70-80% level more often than not .

Players not playing regular also bring in rustiness , it was noticeable that Canas was off his beat a little bit last night , tremmel also suffered imo , tiendalli and poz the same .

We are doing ok but recently when ive watched us we just look disjointed for at least 50 mins of the game, when we play well individual mistakes have cost us so its been a really mixed bag

 

It's not just us. Spurs got stuffed 3-0 at home by West Ham after a Europa Thursday match - I don't think anyone saw that result coming. I can't see the Europa League being anything other than a distraction this season unless we either draw a mega team or win the bloody thing. Personally I can't see us winning it, so I would take a draw against a big club (if we qualify from the group stage) and a heroic defeat - before we can concentrate on the PL. I don't like thinking like that - but that's the harsh reality. The very fact that the atmosphere was sh*t last night shows the fans are not up for it.

 

From the TV it sounded like the fans made an effort but at times they just had nothing to shout about .

Laudrup fancies the Europa league imo, and I think he feels he can juggle the balls effectively , time will tell but I think laudrup knows how best to cope , I thought we took a step forward against Southampton regardless of the result, but we are inconsistent that's for sure.

Bony and Michu can work if they have a chance to play together often enough

 

I think the problem we have at the moment is too many games in a short space of time and i have always thought that our squad is to small, I know laudrup wanted a small squad and that is his way but i don't agree because i feared that if we get injuries to key players then it won't be just european matches that will suffer but the premiership also. We could have done with another 4 or 5 players in the squad for this season to cover injuries and suspensions and to rest players who are losing their form due to too many games...

 

I think they will as well - but we just need to mix it up a bit as we are getting too predictable.

 

being too predictable ie, playing too much through michu all the time !!

I see the logic in having a smaller squad, everyone gets games and stays involved

 

Although our performances haven't been great, you got to consider that we haven't really had an easy game in the Premier League apart from Palace away and Sunderland at home (40 mins at least) the rest have been tough games, so that there will take it out of our players, then add in the Europa, our fixture list has been double trouble for us. A win last night would have helped ease the pressure by meaning we didn't have to really worry about Europe anymore as we would have been pretty much done and dusted after the 3 games. But now we need 1 more, then after that I reckon we will start hitting some form, get some results under our belt, and gain some momentum

Also like to see our wingers utilise the wing more, as by coming inside they are bottlenecking the middle of the park, and its crippling us. Last season it worked, but with Bony, we need to create more space. He will come good, I am positive about that, but its not been easy for anyone at the moment, I mean with the fixtures, along with injuries in key places, such as Williams, and Hernandez, our wingers need a rest, just give it a bit of time, it will all settle down for us then.

Our players are just getting hi with everything in one group of games at the moment.

 

I agree we're not using our wingers to get behind defences so much this season and that's one of the reasons it's not really happening for Bony.

A few things have struck me this season about the way we play:

1: Our tempo is really poor. Far too slow a build up, allowing defences to get organised. We only see a glimpse of intensity when we concede.

2: We're far too intricate as we get close to the opposition's box - there seems to be a desire to score the perfect goal. You can almost predict when the one-two is coming. When it comes off (as it did on Thursday) it's great, but it's more difficult to pull off in the Prem. Sometimes you've just got to make a yard and hit the damn thing! Yes I loved Dobbie for that.

3: Too many Hollywood flicks instead of doing the simple stuff well. We're not Barca!

Good thread NJ, but it's 'inconsistent' not 'ant'. Spelling is a bugbear.

 

Maybe I should use spell check or indeed proof read my stuff but I can't be arsed half the time. ..

I can't disagree with any of the points made , it seems most of us are seeing the same things so I'm sure the management see it too .

 

Intensity and tempo are the two things it is vital to inject into our game. We are playing slow motion stuff right now, which is far too easy to defend against. Absolutely agree that we need to stop faffing about with the ball when we get into the box. Take the shot if it's on - that's the whole object of the game. Oh, and our defenders should take on board what all the great teams have done: it is NOT hoof-ball to boot the ball away when we are under pressure at the back. Sometimes it is just the plain common sense thing to do.

 

Yes, yes and yes.

 

there is a lot of pressure on laudrup and the players this season due to the amount of games they could be asked to play. players are being too careful in their play for fear of injuries as they all want to be in with a chance of playing in europe, couple that with international matches and you can see the players point. I still say our squad is a tad to small for the amount of games some players are expected to play this season.

 

I wonder if it's raining in Penclawdd too

 

Last season our consistent play first came in november. Losing our second most important player (Williams), and two new players in the machine room (defensive midfielder = Canas) and (creative midfielder = Shelvey) just took more time to include in our team then we thought.

Sure we would have been more consistent now if Laudrup had gone for the save thing just continuing with Britton and Guzman in the machine room. But I agree with Laudrup in his PL selection. Canas and Shelvey bring something stronger/better which we lacked last season. Canas and Shelvey just need time (more then 3 month) to play at their very best to get use to a new team and new league.

 

????.

 

Incredible stats from the Soton Fulham game.

Possession 67-33
Shots 20-2
On Target 6-0

Puts our good performance there in perspective.

 

yes the saints look good this season, we were like them last season but we have europe to contend with this season and Its hampering our season slightly. We are still doing ok and i fully expect us to be with the saints in the top half come the end of the season...