Premier League Preview

Swansea


Jonjo Shelvey made a success out of his first season in South Wales.

Manager: Garry Monk
Captain: Ashley Williams
13/14 position: 12th
Top League Goalscorer: Wilfried Bony 16

After the spectacular second season Swansea had in 12/13, their third season in the top flight seemed much more difficult. The likes of Michu and Chico, after the standards set in the season they won the League Cup, looked like they had proved themselves, and now both have been shipped off out of the Liberty.

Chico has followed former boss Michael Laudrup to Qatar with Lekhwiya, and Laudrup himself could be apportioned a fair bit of the blame for a relatively poor season. Some of the players that he bought last summer were class, like Wilfried Bony, but the likes of Pozuelo and Alvaro Vazquez were relatively poor.

Monk was a favourite as a player, and the former captain now leads the club from the touchline.

Laudrup was sacked by the board after being rather laissez-faire behind the scenes, taking trips to Paris whilst in the middle of a relegation fight. They were kept up by player-manager Garry Monk, who has deservedly been given the job full time, who won fans over quickly with a 3–0 win over Cardiff and a valiant effort in both legs against Napoli in the Europa League.

Many point to the Southampton exodus and it could be argued the same is happening at Swansea, as the disruptive figures of Michu and Chico have been shipped out, but Monk has brought in Bafetimbi Gomis and former Jack Gylfi Sigurdsson for his second spell at the Liberty. Swansea should be fine, especially with many of Laudrup’s duds and bad eggs shipped out. 11th

FANS OPINION: Matthew Phillips @matt_the_jack

What is your idea of a good season for your club?
A mid-table finish and a decent cup run would do for me again, hopefully beating one or two of the big teams along the way too

Worst case scenario?
Relegation

Best player?
Difficult one, but Wilfried Bony. We probably would’ve gone down without his goals last season. Great at holding the ball up and holding off defenders as well as being so strong in the air

Player you’d happily drive to his next club?
Dwight Tiendalli, why he had a 3 year deal I do not know

Fans hero?
Leon Britton, he has been with us for over 10 years now and rarely has a bad game

If you could pick, who would you want your team to do the double over this year?
I‘m going to say Everton as they are the only team in our history we have never beaten, but I’d be happy if we beat them just once

League winners?
Hopefully not, but Chelsea. I think they’ve added quality to their squad this season.

Relegated?
I’ll probably be wrong on all 3, but Burnley, Aston Villa and Newcastle

Surprise package?
Maybe not too much of a surprise, but think Man Utd will be much better and van Gaal and don’t have the extra European games this season

Who will win the golden boot?
Hopefully Wilfried Bony with 45, but realistically I’ll go for Sergio Agüero