Swans-alona

                                                       

Nine years ago Swansea City was languishing at the bottom of the football league for the first time. They narrowly escaped condemnation to non – league obscurity at the expense of Exeter City on the penultimate day of the season. Fast forward to today and The Swans are sitting pretty on 8^th spot in the Barclays Premier League.

Their meteoric rise is testament to the spirit of the club.  In 2003 Kenny Jackett was the man who truly initiated the club’s revival. After losing his first six games in charge, he signed several defensive players for the following season and achieved a record seven home clean sheets that aided them in grasping promotion. Their return to League One saw them find a new home at the Liberty Stadium. The next season brought about the end of Jacketts tenure at the club in mid-season and he was replaced by Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard instigated an attractive brand of passing football and almost clinched a play-off spot after losing just once in his first eleven games. Nevertheless, the team flourished under his guidance and were promoted the following season and were eventually rewarded with a place in the Premier League after their 2010-11 campaign that included a change in the managerial position. Brendan Rodgers replaced Wigan- bound Martinez and persisted with Swansea’s admirable style of play.

This season the Welsh club have taken the Premier League by storm, drawing plaudits from football fans around the world with their attractive brand of football. At the heart of the team’s impressive interplay lies the formidable midfield pairing of Leon Britton and Joe Allen. Britton is the sole survivor of the team that survived in League football nine years ago and has proved to be dominating force in midfield. The diminutive playmaker has been exceptional this season and many even seem to think the Englishman has the credentials to earn himself an international cap. He has statistically been the best passer in the world this season as of January 2012, boasting a passing accuracy of 93.3%, bettering Spain’s and Barcelona’s sensational Xavi who recorded 93.0%. The 29 – year old is unlikely to break into England’s midfield for the Euros this summer but stats like that make a strong case for his inclusion.

Allen has complemented his partner in midfield well and is the more attacking of the two. They are aided by the guile and trickery of Sinclair on the left flank and the blistering pace of Nathan Dyer on the right. Gylfi Sigurdsson has been an inspirational signing once Rodgers secured his services on a loan deal. The Icelander has enjoyed a prolific run at the top of the midfield diamond and has linked midfield and attack marvellously.

The Swans recently acquired the scalp of the then table – toppers Manchester City. They kept the ball better than City and were deserving of the 3 points on home soil at a stadium that costs less than Sergio Aguero. They followed up that victory with an equally impressive one at Craven Cottage yesterday where they overturned their hosts 0-3. No mean feat, considering Fulham’s form at home.

Their strength in midfield and attack however has not overshadowed the performances of their rear guard. Captain Ashley Williams has been inspirational in a defence all season that has been bolstered by the arrival of Stephen Caulker on loan from Spurs during the January window. The heroics of their Dutch shot stopper Michel Vorm have caught the eye of several bigger clubs. Their ability to keep clean sheets especially at home is the reason why they haven’t followed in the footsteps of last season’s surprise package, Blackpool, who nose-dived after an impressive start.

The Swans will be confident and should be shooting for a spot in the Europa League. Their mesmerizing passing is what I believe to be the best in the Premier League and with a little more quality up front they will prove to be far more clinical. Watching them move the ball around is certainly easy on the eye, prompting their nickname, “Swans-alona” derived from a comparison to Barcelona. Wherever Swansea City go from here, their present status will always be an extraordinary accomplishment for club a that was sold twice in the space of a few months in 2001 for one pound each time.