EPL Season Preview : Croeso ! Swansea City

Last Season

Roberto Martinez is accredited with Swansea’s ascendancy from League One bringing them to the cusp of promotion in 08/09.Last season saw Brendan Rodgers, sacked by Reading take charge at Swansea. Rodgers was a former charge of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea supervising the Reserves at Chelsea. He subsequently took up the managerial post at Watford and saved them from relegation in the Championship. The Madejski was his next employment, where a rotten run cost him the job. However, Swansea would be his silver lining as a manager taking them to the Premier League and being the first Welsh Club to compete.

Club Captain	Garry Monk
Vice Captain	Alan Tate
Year Formed	1912
Home	Liberty Stadium
Capacity	20500

Last season started with Volatility for The Swans,winning at home was consistent but their away form was patchy. By November Swansea had reached third place with some dazzling performances from former Chelsea-boy Scott Sinclair. Marvin Emnes and Kemy Agustien were signed midway through the season and Lonee Emnes scored the winner in Cardiff ensuring an all important Welsh derby win.

The first half also saw massive jeering and heckling from the fans initiated by Rodgers fielding a weakened side against Wigan in the Carling Cup. Darren Pratley and Craig Easter were booed for remarkable reasons and a 4-0 defeat to QPR didn’t halt the boos.

In February a dramatic comeback against Middlesborough saw them comeback from 1-3 to win 4-3 and strung up a four game winning streak.Rodgers brought in loads of strikers on loan last season with Tamas Priskin,Fabio Borini,Emnes and Frank Nouble all providing short stints at the club. They ensured qualification for the playoffs and met Nottingham Forest in the Semis, beating them via a Darren Pratley 50 yard goal to an unguarded net to meet Reading in the Final.Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick in the final and propelled Swansea into the EPL for debut season.

Transfers

New Recruits

Danny Graham was signed for a club record £3.5 M from Watford.Graham is a product of the Middlesbrough academy which has produced the likes of Adam Johnson,Stewart Downing and Lee Cattermole.A powerful striker who has come through the leagues,his goals according to Fmr Welsh striker John Hartson will make or break Swansea’s season.

Leroy Lita will provide ammunition for the Swans after signing from Middlesborough for £1.75 Million.Lita is proven in the EPL with Reading and will provide a dynamic choice to partner Graham ahead of Craig Beattie and Luke Moore.

Michel Vorm replaces De Vries as the Club’s No.1.The Dutchman signed from Utretch this week and slots ahead of hugo Moreira for the as the stopper.Vorm,(27 ) is The Netherlands’ number two Goalie behind Stekelenburg.

Wayne Routhledge snubbed QPR to move to the Liberty Stadium from Newcastle.A player with great potential,Routhledge’s pace will form a formidable partnership with Scott Sinclair.

Steven Caulker is a surprise Lonee from Tottenham,A right back who played only a sole game for Spurs against Arsenal in the Carling Cup is similar to fellow Spurs full back Kyle Walker.

Transfers Out

>Darren Pratley signed on a free transfer to Bolton after scoring his goal from the halfway line in the Play-Offs propelled Swansea to the Finals.Pratley’s move paved way for Routhledge to join the club.

Pre Season

Important to get the first win as soon as possible – Neil Lennon

Swansea 2-0 Celtic

Scott Dobbie and Angel Rangel scored in Danny Graham’s debut game at home against a strong Celtic outfit

Swansea 1-0 Real Betis

Danny Graham’s lob from Rangel’s cross brought a impressive win over La Liga novices Betis.Wayne Routhledge made his bow for The Swans at half time.

Talisman

England U-21 Forward Scott Sinclair

Scott Sinclair was Swansea’s best player last season scoring 19 goals after linking up with His Chelsea Coach Rodgers at Swansea. Sinclair was bought by Mourinho to Chelsea in 2005 but only made 14 appearances for Chelsea.

He moved to Swansea at start of last season and was an instant hit in Wales.With pace is in the bracket of Theo Walcott,Sinclair boasts a good scoring record for Swansea with two hat-tricks last season.He played much of last season as part of the front two but is expected to slot back into the flanks with the arrival of Graham and Lita come strikers.

Formations

Angel Rangel a dynamic left back and will assist their pacy wingers along with CAulker. The Wingers will be key so a 4-4-1-1 could feature Dobbie, Nathan Dyer or Routhledge in the flanks. Graham will be the focal point up-front with Agustien and Sinclair feeding off him

Season’s Ambition

Relegation will be wandering around Liberty Stadium for the most part,but they have enough quality to stay up. The games against Chelsea will be tasty with old boys Sinclair and Rodgers teaming up against Villas-Boas and his men.

@swannyg66 – Swansea? Any team with ‘Swan’ in their name and a lunatic firm are fine by me. Yakky dar.