| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. 22:56 - Jan 10 with 2221 views | tzlewis |
1. Poor Recruitment In the summer.
In order to make progress in the Premier League, it is of paramount importance to strengthen the squad year upon year, however, the Swans simply didn’t do this during the summer. With the exception of Andre Ayew, the signings made by Garry Monk have been underwhelming to say the least- in particular, the £5 million signing of Eder and £3.5 million Frank Tabanou. Neither Eder nor Tabanou have made any real impact on the first-team this season, making one wonder why the Swans even signed them in the first place. They do not appear to have added much in terms of quality to what the Swans already had in their squad, whereas teams like Stoke have signed the likes of Ibrahim Affelay and Xherdan Shaqiri, who have clearly improved their squad.
2. Slick passing-style a thing of the past.
Those who watch the Swans on a regular basis will have noticed that the team’s attractive style of play that was so prevalent under Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers has almost completely gone. The passing out from the back has often been very sloppy with Federico Fernandez and Angel Rangel being particularly guilty of giving the ball away cheaply. When the Swans get into attacking areas they seem to lack composure and often look ponderous, whereas in the past they were able to carve opposition defences open through slick passing and quick movement off the ball.
3. Lack of pace in the squad.
Although the Swans have the odd one or two players blessed with great pace such as Jefferson Montero, the squad in general distinctly lacks it. This is particularly the case in central midfield and up front. The likes of Leon Britton, Jack Cork, Ki, Jonjo Shelvey and Gylfi Sigurdsson are all gifted players in certain ways, however, not one of them is blessed with great pace and it reflects in the Swans’ current style of play. The speed of their play has often been very slow this season and the support play in attack from midfield is almost non-existent at times. One very rarely sees a Swans midfielder making a surging, lung-busting run into the attacking third these days and it is no wonder the Swans are amongst the Premier League’s lowest scorers. This lack of pace in midfield was perhaps most evident in the 0-3 drubbing at home to Leicester, where the midfield pairing of Drinkwater and Kante seemed to be getting to every loose ball ahead of any of the Swans 3 central midfield players and were completely controlling the game despite there only being 2 of them.
4. Lack of width.
In recent games, the Swans have decided to play with 4 men in central midfield which has definitely served to sure up the defence by cramming the midfield with bodies making them difficult to break down. However, when on the offense, the Swans have often lacked an attacking outlet on the flank. Wayne Routledge has done okish on the right wing but there is often a huge space on the left hand side of the pitch. There have been all too many occasions where Neil Taylor has got forward down the left hand side only to find he has no support. He then looks like he doesn’t know what to do with the ball and then turns backwards and plays an easy pass back to a midfielder such as Ki, who in turn passes it backwards, with the attack then completely petering out.
5. Players being played out of position
One player who has been impressive for the Swans this season is Andre Ayew, particularly at the start of the season. However, there have been all too many occasions this year where he has been played out of position. He has either been played out on the right wing where he likes to cut infield due to him being left-footed, which again leaves the Swans lacking width; or, in more recent games, he has been played up front on his own despite not having the physical presence required to play this role. Although, he has done reasonably well this season, the Swans could get even more from him if he was played in his favoured ‘number 10’ role or up front alongside a bigger, more physical player.
6. Underperforming Players- Unfortunately, the reality of the Swans’ league position is that certain players have simply not performed this season. Ashley Williams has recently openly admitted that his performances have not been up to the high standards set in previous seasons. Jonjo Shelvey and Ki, both big players for us last season, are also underperforming badly. In Shelvey's case, his attitude and fitness have also been brought into question. Then up front, Bafetimbi Gomis is a player who lacks consistency. He is, on occasion, capable of playing well and scoring goals but all too often, he just doesn’t perform to the required standard of a Premier League striker and can be extremely frustrating. Sadly, this seems to be the case 9 games out of 10. He gets continually caught offside, plods around and gives up too easily on chasing loose balls, and his shooting can often be wayward. I think the club definitely needs to replace some of these players ASAP. |  | | |  |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:15 - Jan 10 with 2145 views | Jackanapes |
g) Global Warming |  |
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“The stupidest thing she knew was for people to act like they knew all about the things they knew absolutely nothing about.†|
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:35 - Jan 10 with 2074 views | GeoffThom |
Pretty much sums it up add in a poor coaching staff and scouting network and you have it |  | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:51 - Jan 10 with 2029 views | Kilkennyjack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:35 - Jan 10 by GeoffThom |
Pretty much sums it up add in a poor coaching staff and scouting network and you have it |
And where are the top quality academy products when you need them ? Grimes appears to have gone backwards big time (like rory donnelly did ?), and simply nobody local being produced. You have to ask some searching questions of the expensive academy set up. They had a nice trip out to south africa though. |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 05:59 - Jan 11 with 1928 views | caerleon_jack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:51 - Jan 10 by Kilkennyjack |
And where are the top quality academy products when you need them ? Grimes appears to have gone backwards big time (like rory donnelly did ?), and simply nobody local being produced. You have to ask some searching questions of the expensive academy set up. They had a nice trip out to south africa though. |
Please could you explain how the academy system is meant to have produced anyone in the 3(?) years since we started investing heavily in facilities and infrastructure? |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 07:09 - Jan 11 with 1854 views | Kilkennyjack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 05:59 - Jan 11 by caerleon_jack |
Please could you explain how the academy system is meant to have produced anyone in the 3(?) years since we started investing heavily in facilities and infrastructure? |
We had a system that produced Ben and Joey and Jazz so not unreasonable to expect at least that level of success when additional investment has been made. Instead nothing. Please can you let me know if thats clear enough for you ? [Post edited 11 Jan 2016 14:22]
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 07:36 - Jan 11 with 1814 views | PawelAbbott |
Leon wasn't an Academy Product, he was at West Ham and Arsenal before us.
The club has spent a fortune on bringing in young players to strengthen the development side and presumably break in to the first team. However, without regular games for these players they aren't progressing as expected.
We seem to have links with Crewe and Yeovil recently but both sides are struggling and playing at a far lower level.
What we need is a cash strapped Championship side to act as a development side for the players on the fringe of our first team. | | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 08:00 - Jan 11 with 1770 views | caerleon_jack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 07:09 - Jan 11 by Kilkennyjack |
We had a system that produced Ben and Joey and Jazz so not unreasonable to expect at least that level of success when additional investment has been made. Instead nothing. Please can you let me know if thats clear enough for you ? [Post edited 11 Jan 2016 14:22]
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So we had a youth system that produced Joey. Leon, as pointed out, came from West Ham (and was actually a product of the Arsenal youth system), and Jazz is not good enough for the Premier League.
Adding additional investment for 3 years is not going to suddenly turn the current 16-18 year olds into considerably better players.
If we have done the right thing with regards to the acadmey then we are probably looking at another 3-5 years before we start churning out one or two players per year group that might make the grade (or be sold on elsewhere, rather than just let go).
So why not give the academy a chance to do what it's supposed to rather than blaming our current predicament on it. | |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 08:50 - Jan 11 with 1698 views | premierjack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 08:00 - Jan 11 by caerleon_jack |
So we had a youth system that produced Joey. Leon, as pointed out, came from West Ham (and was actually a product of the Arsenal youth system), and Jazz is not good enough for the Premier League.
Adding additional investment for 3 years is not going to suddenly turn the current 16-18 year olds into considerably better players.
If we have done the right thing with regards to the acadmey then we are probably looking at another 3-5 years before we start churning out one or two players per year group that might make the grade (or be sold on elsewhere, rather than just let go).
So why not give the academy a chance to do what it's supposed to rather than blaming our current predicament on it. |
Our academy is not responsible for players like Joe Allan and Ben Davies, those two players would have made it in any academy they were in because of their ability, attitude and support they have around them. Out academy were lucky to have them!
Only the last few years our academy is starting to work but we still need to give it time as we won't see the benifits for a few years yet and there is still some dead wood taking up jobs there that need to go ASAP for us to go to the next level. | | | |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 10:10 - Jan 11 with 1628 views | jasper_T |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:51 - Jan 10 by Kilkennyjack |
And where are the top quality academy products when you need them ? Grimes appears to have gone backwards big time (like rory donnelly did ?), and simply nobody local being produced. You have to ask some searching questions of the expensive academy set up. They had a nice trip out to south africa though. |
Grimes hasn't gone backwards at all. He was a young, lightweight, league two-quality flair player when we bought him. | | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 11:33 - Jan 11 with 1509 views | union_jack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 10:10 - Jan 11 by jasper_T |
Grimes hasn't gone backwards at all. He was a young, lightweight, league two-quality flair player when we bought him. |
An excellently constructed post by the OP. Merge this with Lisa's off field perspective and there you gave it in a nutshell.
Make no mistake, it is going to take a turn in events of gigantic proportion to get us out of this rut and avoid the drop this season. |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 12:48 - Jan 11 with 1429 views | Nookiejack |
Reading the debate about the Academy below and the issue that
(1) not only have we invested in the training ground facilities
(2) bought a number of young players to beef up the quality of the academy squads
(3) paid reasonable salaries to these young players
(4) they then don't get competitive enough games - so then need to be loaned out to lower league teams to get that development.
(5) we have to pay salaries of the academy coaches
(6) there is only a certain pool of talent likely to make the PL grade - are we likely to attract best young players? Aren't they likely to go to the Academies of the top clubs.
Hence a very big question mark for me of whether we should just call it a day with regards to the academy and use the cash freed up to buy players like that Kemar Roofe yesterday. Or picking up some of the best players from Arsenal and Chelsea academies who don't just make it.
We have to be innovative to compete - as we only have 20,000 crowds and I dont want a type of Vincent Tan ownership structure.
Maybe being innovative is not to follow all other PL clubs in the PL and having an Academy with associated costs. The costs of the Academy do not appear to be justifying the potential benefits. There are different models of running the club - without an Academy.
Buying a Kemar Roofe would probably make us currently more competitive than the money we have invested in the Academy. | | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 13:57 - Jan 11 with 1376 views | Watchman |
interesting OP
or
1. Poor Player Management
2. Poor Technical Player Training
3. International call ups most of our internationals played 2 full games (at least 1.5 games) and were dog tired
4. Squad rotation did not happen as it should have and that undermined the whole squad ethos
5. unfit unmotivated players some of whom are wage thiefs ( well done agents on a good job)
6. Complete and utter non focus by the board who looked to irrelevancies rather than the important bits
This is a £100m+ Company and the behaviour both on and off it has been shoddy, unprofessional and lacking in any shape or form of common sense. There are bound to be teething pains as the club has grown but egos have got way ahead of themselves and have helped to softened everybody's attitudes ( inc fans)
I hope that the Oxford game was a trial for all the players involved let the cleansing of the club begin ( inc at decision making levels)
We are 12 yrs on from dark days never forget the past but everyone needs to move on and think of 2017+ and not 2003/2004 |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 13:59 - Jan 11 with 1371 views | Kerouac |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 08:50 - Jan 11 by premierjack |
Our academy is not responsible for players like Joe Allan and Ben Davies, those two players would have made it in any academy they were in because of their ability, attitude and support they have around them. Out academy were lucky to have them!
Only the last few years our academy is starting to work but we still need to give it time as we won't see the benifits for a few years yet and there is still some dead wood taking up jobs there that need to go ASAP for us to go to the next level. |
I know this not to be true in Ben Davies' case as 2 Swans coaches who were involved in his development have told me that he was considered to be bang in the middle of his year in terms of his ability.
He started to blossom late, about 18months before his debut and benefitted from Laudrup being prepared not only to take him along on a pre-season tour but have him training with the 1st team squad.
He then chucked him in when Taylor got injured and kept faith in him despite some early wobbly performances.
In short, his development was down to good coaching, man management and leadership. |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:34 - Jan 11 with 1320 views | Kilkennyjack |
Why are people talking about Leon on this threat ? He is not an academy product. Some good points though. Not many businesses would or could spend £2.5 m per year for what 5 or 6 years without a pretty good chance of a guaranteed or at least a good return on that investment. I dont think people should be shouted down for asking the question based on last weekend. Ideally that second team would be full of our Academy products putting pressure on the first team. It did not happen and we deservedly lost to a Division 4 team. Piiss poor. Ok i will wait another 3 or 4 years and get back to you then. | |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:37 - Jan 11 with 1311 views | Kilkennyjack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 12:48 - Jan 11 by Nookiejack |
Reading the debate about the Academy below and the issue that
(1) not only have we invested in the training ground facilities
(2) bought a number of young players to beef up the quality of the academy squads
(3) paid reasonable salaries to these young players
(4) they then don't get competitive enough games - so then need to be loaned out to lower league teams to get that development.
(5) we have to pay salaries of the academy coaches
(6) there is only a certain pool of talent likely to make the PL grade - are we likely to attract best young players? Aren't they likely to go to the Academies of the top clubs.
Hence a very big question mark for me of whether we should just call it a day with regards to the academy and use the cash freed up to buy players like that Kemar Roofe yesterday. Or picking up some of the best players from Arsenal and Chelsea academies who don't just make it.
We have to be innovative to compete - as we only have 20,000 crowds and I dont want a type of Vincent Tan ownership structure.
Maybe being innovative is not to follow all other PL clubs in the PL and having an Academy with associated costs. The costs of the Academy do not appear to be justifying the potential benefits. There are different models of running the club - without an Academy.
Buying a Kemar Roofe would probably make us currently more competitive than the money we have invested in the Academy. |
This post is very interesting. | |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:41 - Jan 11 with 1293 views | premierjack |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 13:59 - Jan 11 by Kerouac |
I know this not to be true in Ben Davies' case as 2 Swans coaches who were involved in his development have told me that he was considered to be bang in the middle of his year in terms of his ability.
He started to blossom late, about 18months before his debut and benefitted from Laudrup being prepared not only to take him along on a pre-season tour but have him training with the 1st team squad.
He then chucked him in when Taylor got injured and kept faith in him despite some early wobbly performances.
In short, his development was down to good coaching, man management and leadership. |
Absolutely not, I have see Ben come through the academy and he always stood out, not only in ability but also his attitude. Yes he developed physically a lot not long before he made his debut but he ticked all the right boxes to make it as a pro right from an early age. | | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:43 - Jan 11 with 1283 views | AngelRangelQS |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:34 - Jan 11 by Kilkennyjack |
Why are people talking about Leon on this threat ? He is not an academy product. Some good points though. Not many businesses would or could spend £2.5 m per year for what 5 or 6 years without a pretty good chance of a guaranteed or at least a good return on that investment. I dont think people should be shouted down for asking the question based on last weekend. Ideally that second team would be full of our Academy products putting pressure on the first team. It did not happen and we deservedly lost to a Division 4 team. Piiss poor. Ok i will wait another 3 or 4 years and get back to you then. |
Because you said Leon was a product of our academy until you edited it!!! |  | | |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:46 - Jan 11 with 1270 views | raynor94 |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:43 - Jan 11 by AngelRangelQS |
Because you said Leon was a product of our academy until you edited it!!! |
And how embarrassing that was  |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:57 - Jan 11 with 1252 views | max936 |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:41 - Jan 11 by premierjack |
Absolutely not, I have see Ben come through the academy and he always stood out, not only in ability but also his attitude. Yes he developed physically a lot not long before he made his debut but he ticked all the right boxes to make it as a pro right from an early age. |
I saw him from a very young age 5/6 and my lads regularly played against his team Cwrt Herbet and he stood out massively, there were one or two others there as well who went to the Swansea academy, but only Ben came through, it was no surprise to see him come through. |  |
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| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 23:10 - Jan 11 with 1108 views | Kerouac |
| Reasons why the team is not performing at the level they were last season. on 14:41 - Jan 11 by premierjack |
Absolutely not, I have see Ben come through the academy and he always stood out, not only in ability but also his attitude. Yes he developed physically a lot not long before he made his debut but he ticked all the right boxes to make it as a pro right from an early age. |
Then you disagree with at least 2 of his coaches then mate.
They told me they have a ranking system. The players are split into colour coded groups which indicate the supposed likelihood of someone making it.
Ben Davies was BANG IN THE MIDDLE.
The yellow group I think they said it was.
These were coaches who are employed by the FAW to coach the local coaches.
Experienced guys who worked with Joe Allen, Jazz, Shaun Mac etc. (apparently Allen was always an obvious talent and good at lots of sports, often turning up to training caked in mud from the rugby pitch).
He wasn't some sublime talent we were lucky to have at all. He was somebody who had a good attitude who kept on listening and learning and working to become a better player.
If Laudrup wasn't the manager at that time I doubt he would have ever been given a break. | |
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