Saturday signals the start of a huge month of games for the swans and indeed Russell Martin. Not least the Jack Army will be looking at more progression in not only results but further learning from the last few minutes of games. Once again a very open leadership at the club have been transparent and honest as to the swans financial position as well, but that won’t impinge on the month of October.
As we heard in the fans forum it’s not just about spending.
First up this weekend is West Bromwich Albion, a game which the swans dominated at the hawthorns last time around, a repeat result would be another sign of progress on Saturday. We will have a full pre match as ever here on Swansea Independent tomorrow. Possibly one of the hardest away games so far this season comes next at vicarage road ( Wed 5th ) a club yet again who have seen a change of manager in the last week. Many clubs cite their fixtures as plotting them up against a club with a new manager and once again with Slaven Bilić at the helm this week Swansea will certainly welcome a point from that game.
Bilić in Edwards out, there’s no loyalty at Watford
On the eighth of the month Sunderland and their army of followers visit the swansea.com stadium, a team most certainly with one eye on a premier league return. However, the swans have to look at this game as a win and three points in the bag. We would imagine that Michael Obafemi will be looking forward to the next game on the following Saturday with another away trip north to Burnley. We all know the story there, but Michael is a Swansea player so it will be very nice to see his commitment on the pitch most certainly. Could Swansea get a point from this game ? Well, these are the games that will signify an upturn in the clubs fortunes on the pitch. The four game marker after this fixture has to at least have returned five points from twelve. It’s mid table form we know, and moving on from that Burnley fixture comes some even more challenging games.
Two home games on the trot then follow with a midweek fixture against Reading and then Cardiff City. The Reading fixture again has to be ear marked as a win. Another home game on a Tuesday night beneath the west Wales sky is always special. This result will be analysed closely as to the swans progress. The LIVE sky game on the following Sunday (23rd) is the early kick off between the swans and bluebirds. A game which will be on Sky Sports football.
This is where we hang our hats on real progress. Both of these games go straight in to the home win bracket. At this stage of the month we will all want to see real evidence of the swans progress. And that’s six games gone in just over three weeks. The final game of the month is the away game at Bristol City, one of the clubs with a very decent financial structure behind them. These games rarely produce that many goals and some would say the robins are due a win. For us we go for a point at Ashton gate.
Cardiff haven’t had the best of times against Swansea this century
A twelve point return for the swans would be average in league terms, the points collection would reflect three wins, three draws and a loss and when we look at it that way it’s about as much as we can expect. And there’s definitely a few anomalies in there as well. In fact reviewing Martin’s form guide since taking over at Swansea of could be as low as nine. The home game against Cardiff could go either way despite their appalling record against Swansea City. The fixture now for their supporters is just another game for them, by all accounts. Mind you the losses they have suffered this century displays a side who do not possess the mental ability to take ahold of games and win them. Against Swansea any way. Maybe if they do they will become important fixtures again ?
The month is an extraordinary run of fixtures. One game around every four days, but let’s not take our eye off the ball. Four more fixtures come in November, three away and one at home in twelve days before the World Cup. All told that’s eleven fixtures in thirty three days. And it all starts on Saturday for Swansea City.
How we think the swans swans will do
October -
WBA 1st, one point.
Watford 5th, nil points.
Sunderland 8th, three points
Burnley 15th, one point
Reading 18th, three points
Cardiff 23rd, three points
Bristol City, 29th, one point
Total 12 from 21 points
Is that good enough for you ? Comment below or join us on the main football forum.