Rival Lines: "This is our toughest test yet at the Liberty," says Swansea Oh Swansea

Rival Lines

Match Preview: Swansea City v AFCB

Blogger Interview: Swansea Oh Swansea
Twitter: @StevenSOS1987

I managed to catch a quick word with Steven Caroll at the Swansea Oh Swansea Fanzine ahead of tonight's game. Swansea City have had a strong start to the season and sit in fourth place just a point behind Bournemouth and they have a very good home record.

CC: Are Swansea City better equipped to make a sustained promotion push this season?

SOS: I think so, we have more squad depth this year which is vital with the schedule being so hectic. All in all, I would say a top-six finish should be the target.

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CC: Steve Cooper has done well in management since he took the Swansea job. What do you like about him as a manager?

SOS: His contacts have enabled us to get high-quality players on loan which is vital when your finances aren’t good. Last season wasn’t convincing at times but once we changed to a back three we clicked and had a late surge into the Play-Offs.

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CC: André Ajew is still banging in the goals for you. Does he look as good as ever this season?

SOS: Yes, he’s still doing the business, we’d be lower in the table without his goals and round play. Keeping him fit is vital for the rest of the season.

CC: What have you made of young striker Liam Cullen?

SOS: Not seen much of him, to be honest, I’d like him to have a run of games to give him a real chance. If not I’d loan him out so he can play regularly.

CC: Do you still wish you had Sam Surridge at Swansea?

SOS: Yes, because we need a striker. He was decent last season and was improving when he returned to your club. But in truth, he wasn’t as good as Rhian Brewster who we replaced him with.

CC: You have only lost one game at home to Huddersfield, so do you see this game as a real test of your home form?

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SOS: Definitely, I think relegated clubs have a fair advantage this term having not lost as many players as they usually would have. Plus you gave Barnsley a hammering last week. This is our toughest test at the Liberty yet.

CC: As I write this, Swansea have the best defensive record in the division with 10 goals against. So who has been the star at the back so far?

SOS: Joe Rodon until he left was immense but Ryan Bennett has been great since replacing him. Marc Guehi has come on leaps and bounds since last year and Connor Roberts is in form of his life.

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CC: Which game would you say was Swansea's best win of the season and why?

SOS: Probably Millwall in October (2-1 win). Purely because we usually struggle against sides who sit deep against us at home

CC: How have Swansea been doing with goals from midfield - anyone we should look out for?

SOS: Goals have been a struggle in general, no one in middle has chipped in with many, Palmer has one, as does Grimes and Fulton.

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CC: How might Swansea line up for this game?

SOS: I’d guess Woodman, Roberts, Guehi, Cabango, Naughton, Bidwell, Smith, Grimes, Dhanda, Lowe, Ayew

CC: What is your score prediction?

SOS: I think we’ll lose this one 2-0.

CC: I was expecting a bolder score prediction from Steven at SOS. Swansea City's home form is impressive and Bournemouth have a habit of losing form very quickly just when you think they have found their stride. I was not overly convinced by the win at Barnsley. While the scoreline was good a better team would have put some of Barnsley's chances away. Swansea might not be scoring many but in André Ayew they have a striker that doesn't miss too many chances. I am playing this one safe expecting a much closer game and a scoreline that might be seen a better result after the game than before - I am going for a 1-1 draw.

Make sure to drop in on the  SOS website to check out more on Swansea City. Thanks to Steven for his fabulous insight on the Welsh club.

Swansea City Home Form:

WWWDW

AFCB Away Form:

DLWDW

Previous post on Cherry Chimes: Bournemouth are finding the back of the net from all angles

Rival Lines: "Clement should have gone after the last game!"

Rival Lines
Match Preview: Swansea v AFCB
Blogger Interview: SOS Fanzine
Twitter: @StevenSOS1987 @SOSFanzine

I've spoke to Steve at SOS Fanzine a couple of times before and so I knew we'd get a really honest opinion of his team when I invited him to come on Rival Lines. He is no doubt hurting a bit by recent results as all Swansea fans have been, but I wanted to see if he really felt their was a glimmer of light that Paul Clement and the players are about to turn things around and if not what did Swansea need in January to pick up better results?

CC: What is the overriding opinion of Paul Clement with the Swansea fans - has he got what it takes to keep you up? 

SOS: No, I think it’s time for a change again unfortunately. He did really well to keep us up last term and in all fairness he was let down by our bad dealings in the transfer market over the summer. However, he has no idea on his best 11 of formation and we are a third of the way into the season. The football is so negative that people are bored out of their minds and recent performances have been abysmal. He should have gone after the game last week.

CC: I know he has been injured, but can Wilfried Bony still be the player he was a few years ago at Swansea?

SOS: I have my doubts. He was brilliant the first time around and there's no shame no ousting the likes of Sergio Aguero at Man City, but alarm bells were ringing for me when he was behind Berahino and Crouch at Stoke. We should have taken him on loan, not permanently.

CC: Why has the home form been so poor this season?

SOS: Negative tactics, wrong players and formations. Plus the fact that we’re just not very good anymore, it’s be hard for anyone to get this lot to improve to the point where we’re a reasonable side again.

CC: Fabianski has been on the end of a lot of opposition shots. What have you made of his performances?

SOS: He’s been one of the one shining lights. He was brilliant last season and has carried on where he left off. We’d have a much worse goal difference it if wasn’t for him.

CC: Do you feel it was a bad decision to sell Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente in the same transfer window last summer and is that what you are paying for?

SOS: Partly yes, selling Sigurdsson and not buying a direct replacement was insanity. We have no creativity in this team and no one who can’t take a decent set piece which is hurting us big time. Llorente has been a loss as well although he would have struggled with most Sigurdsson’s service. If we’d adequately replaced both then we maybe ok but we didn’t.

CC: How close are Swansea to turning around results? 

SOS: I don’t think we are at all, my main hope is we stay in touch until January and address the imbalances in the squad to try and dig ourselves out of trouble. Performances are getting worse, not better at the moment.

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CC: How good is Tammy Abrahams? 

SOS: Excellent, how he has four goals in a team that creates nothing I don’t know. He’s one of the only players who looks especially bothered by our predicament as well. Our fans love him.

CC: Do you expect Swansea to be busy in the January transfer window?

SOS: No idea with our board these days, but we have to be. A number 10 is vital, a right back, and a winger I would say. Need to ship a few out too who aren’t good enough.

CC: If you could swap a Swansea player for a Bournemouth player which players would you move?

SOS: Josh King has given us a few problems in the past, has pace to burn, scores a few and would likely set up a few. He’s the player from you who would make the biggest impact at Swansea. [Ed- And what about players going the other way? - Any but Fabianski and Abrahams I'll guess!]

CC: How do you expect Swansea to set up for this game against Bournemouth?

SOS: Clement loves to change things. Last week it was 4-3-3 but I have a feeling it might be 5-3-2 this week with Abraham and Bony both starting.

CC: Thanks for the answers Steve! The mood in the Swansea camp might not be so encouraging at the moment but a win would very quickly put a different look to the table and to the positions of Bournemouth and Swansea. That is why this game is one that Eddie Howe has been keen to highlight as a very important game. Paul Clement looked like he was running out of ideas in his post-match press conference after the Burnley defeat and by the words of SOS Fanzine it might not be long before the fans want him out if he can't do better, especially at home. So I expect a tense atmosphere at the Liberty and a high-paced first 20 minutes as I think whoever gets ahead in this game will pick up the points. You can read more reports on Swansea City and their players on SOS Fanzine.


AskFans Report AFCB 4 v 0 Huddersfield Town
Cherry Chimes' match preview on AskFans for AFCB v Swansea

Also look out for Cherry Chimes appearing on SOS Fanzine's Opposition's View

Rival Lines: Squad improvements needed, says Swansea Oh Swansea

Rival Lines

Blogger Interview

Swansea v AFCB

28 December 2016

Fanzine: Swansea Oh Swansea

Twitter: @StevenSoS1987

This week, I had the chance to grab a few words with the Swansea Oh Swansea Fanzine ahead of AFCB's game with the Swans who have been wondering if they can get out of the bottom three. It's been a strange last couple of years for the Welsh side and losing some of their big hitters has weakened their squad. With a new American manager and owners I wonder if Swansea City are losing their identity and worse still losing their fans.

CC: Is Bob Bradley the right man for the job at Swansea City? (this question was set pre-Bob Bradley's sacking this week)

SOS: No way is he the man for us, but sadly we’re stuck with him. He doesn’t suit us at all and we’ve got worse since he took over. There’s a lot wrong at the club at the moment and to be fair a lot of it isn’t his fault either. However he’s completely out of his depth and if we want to stay up someone else needs to come in. [Ed- Gary Rowett and Paul Clement are the front runners for the job at the moment.]

CC: Do you think the whole American ownership of the club has backfired?

SOS: At this stage there can be no doubt it has. Sadly, the previous regime took their eye of the ball and put their own financial gain above the club’s needs. The transfer window last summer was awful as we lost likes of Ashley Williams and Andre Ayew and didn’t replace them. We needed to improve the squad after a mediocre campaign last time around and they failed to put any money up for transfers so as a result we are struggling.

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CC: Are Swansea City fans still very optimistic of ending the season outside of the bottom three?

SOS: Most think we’re in real trouble. The one saving grace if we’re not cut out from the pack above us just yet and the transfer window does open shortly so reinforcements could bolster our chances though. Many though don’t believe the board will make enough money available to sort this mess out and even if they do we also don’t trust them to sign the right players either.

CC: Are there any targets that you have heard about that could come to Swansea in January and are there any strikers you would personally like to see at the club to help you stay up?

SOS: We’ve been linked to a few, winger Luciano Narsingh from PSV is one and he would probably be an upgrade on what we’ve got. Our wingers are so bad it’s crazy, between them they’ve only had a couple of assists this season. Up front I actually think we’re not bad, Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston as both proven strikers, but without service what can they do? Elsewhere we must improve defensively, we’re an absolute shambles in that area. Ideally, we need a centre back and full back on each side which is asking a lot in one window. I’d like another midfielder too to be honest so there’s a lot of work to do in January.

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CC: The Crystal Palace game was a rare highlight but it could have been disastrous. Have you lost the momentum from that win and the win against Sunderland? 

SOS: Palace was just a bonkers game really, the kind that happens about once a decade. At 3-1 up I'm thinking we’ll win comfortably, 3-2 I’m worried, 3-3 convinced we’ll lose, then 3-4 I want to leave as I’m fuming. Then we somehow score twice to win 5-4. I wasn’t convinced it was a turning point, because it was such a bizarre game. I was more hopeful after Sunderland as we actually played well, especially in the second half. But then were awful at West Brom and Middlesbrough so now it looks like a one off sadly.

CC: Do you feel the club needs a leader, a big captain like you had with Ashley Williams?

SOS: Yes he’s been missed hugely, not just for the fact he was a great defender but he was a real leader. It was obvious once he left his were huge boots to fill, but as usual we did it on the cheap with Alfie Mawson from Barnsley. I think in the long term he might be good, but we needed someone proven to replace such a huge figure for us.

CC: Is there any player that you don't want to see go in January or would the money be good to get some new signings in?

SOS: There should be money there without having to sell anyone we need. We made a profit on transfers this summer in spite of the new bumper TV deal so if anyone goes they need to be because we want them out. If someone like Gylfi Sigurdsson left then we may as well throw in the towel. We’d probably have only single figure points if it wasn’t for him.

CC: Can you get something against AFC Bournemouth who have only had one win on the road?

SOS: We have to target games like this to win. It’s a winnable game on paper but I’m not convinced it’ll be won. If you play like you did at the Liberty last year we’ve got no chance. You battered us to be fair and reminded me of when we first came into this division – not many star names on paper, but a clear philosophy which is very easy on the eye and everyone pulling in the same direction for one of the brightest young managers in the game. How I long to go back to those days.

CC: What do you expect to be your starting line up for the game?

SOS: Bradley is notoriously unpredictable, likes to make changes so he may do here. I’ll guess Fabianski, Naughton, Amat, Van Der Hoorn, Taylor, Fulton, Cork, Barrow, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Llorente.

CC: Many thanks for the Swansea Oh Swansea Fanzine. I have also answers a coupe of questions for the fanzine which you may see this weekend. Both teams really need a win to halt their bad runs and this could be quite an open game. The change of manager for Swansea will see a chance for them to change their attitudes to a more positive frame of mind, so AFCB have to try and give Swansea City something to worry about early on - a few shots in the first 10-15 minutes will be what AFCB fans will hope to see and a dominant performance against a bottom three side. UTCIAD! 

Rival Lines: SOS, Swans fans baffled by team's slump

Rival Lines
Match Preview: Swansea v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Swansea Oh Swansea
Twitter: @StevenSOS1987

I had a real struggle to get hold of a Swansea blogger this time for Rival Lines. It seemed that perhaps a few sites were running scared of talking about their team facing the Cherries. Luckily though, I came across a Fanzine site called Swansea Oh Swansea and Steven Carroll duly obliged to take on my questions. It is a really important game for both clubs and being the first game after the international break I think it could define where the Cherries and the Swans need to strengthen, as both teams play a similar passing game and are both lacking that cutting-edge at the moment. Here's what Steven had to say on the matter.

CC: How does Garry Monk get more out of his team this season?

SOS: Hard one to answer really. The fans are a bit baffled as to why our form has dipped since the first month of the campaign. Ultimately though, he needs to make a couple of changes to the starting eleven as there's a few players not pulling their weight. Goal scoring is our biggest problem at the moment - only 5 in the last 8 games which is not good enough and it needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

CC: Do you think Monk needs some more support as has been suggested with someone like John Toshack?

SOS: Something does need to changed but I'm not sure that would be the answer. It appears that the board would like to see someone more experienced join the backroom team but if Monk doesn't want it then we can't undermine him in my opinion. If someone does come in then I don't think Toshack would be the answer. He's a club legend but his time has come and gone. He hasn't managed domestically in this country since he left us over thirty years ago and the game has moved on a lot since then.

CC: Are more international call ups this year affecting the Swansea performances or is that a poor excuse for form?

SOS: It's easy to use that as an excuse, most of our players who represent their countries were doing so before this campaign, the only one who is new to it on a regular basis this term is Jonjo Shelvey. It's not something that washes with me, I can understand how after each international break if a player has travelled outside of Europe to represent his country that he may not be at the top of his game but the rest of them have no excuse. With the way the break works now, very often you will play your final international game on a Sunday or Monday so you get nearly a whole week to prepare for the next club game

CC: Were you pleased with the summer signings or do you think a couple of more first team signings would have helped?

SOS: Andre Ayew has been an excellent signing and is our top scorer with five goals - he's also the only player to score from open play since August if you don't include Harry Kane's own goal! The rest were more back up players which was on the whole what we needed but we should have signed another striker really. The fact that we didn't has been a mistake and it's cost us in recent games. [Ed- we know all about that at AFCB, sounds familiar].

CC: Have Swansea fans' expectations grown a bit bigger than perhaps they should have after last season?

SOS: I don't think so. Most of the fans realise that last year was pretty much as high as we can go without major investment. The expectation for this term was just to try and finish in the top ten again from my point of view, even if it was in a lower position than last season which I felt was well within our capabilities. At the moment you would have to say that is unlikely which is disappointing as I believe our players are capable of guiding us into the top half but are not showing it at the moment.

CC: Do you feel that Swansea have needed someone fresh up front like Eder who might be back for this match (I'll be pleased not to see the Gomis' Big Cat celebration this next weekend, even if he is in my fantasy league team)?

SOS: Yes, definitely. Gomis has no goal since August and not just that he's been very lacklustre and hasn't caused the opposition many problems. He is also offside an embarrassing amount. At the last count I think it's 26 times already this season, he's wasted so many attacks it's unreal. When playing well he's a handful and he's got more ability than Eder, but he's not showing it so it's time for him to be benched and the Portuguese international given a chance to start.

CC: Do you think Bournemouth passing game will be easier to play against than some of the teams you have played recently?

SOS: We hate teams who come to the Liberty and look to keep everyone behind the ball to frustrate us so playing Bournemouth should suit us better as I feel you won't do that and will look to have a go at us. However they could be famous last words as I'd be amazed if you didn't score, if you play as well as you did against Newcastle and as I've already alluded to we are struggling for goals ourselves. We will see but hopefully it will suit us.

CC: Are you sad to see the departure of Michu?

SOS: Not really, realistically he left 18 months ago. I remember on his last appearance for us at Hull in April 2014 all he was doing was berating team mates while not trying as hard as her should have been himself. I knew after that game that he didn't want to be here and thought it was best if he went elsewhere. It's a shame how things have turned out, he could have been a legend and he gave us some great memories but they seem like a lifetime ago now.

CC: Which player do you feel is playing best in your team at the moment?

SOS: Tough one to answer as the standards have dipped. However I'll say Ayew as he's the most likely to score at the weekend.

CC: How do you think Swansea will line up against the Cherries?

SOS: There could be changes but Monk has been fairly loyal to his main men so far so I think he's more likely to stick with them so I'll go for, Fabianski, Naughton, Williams, Fernandez, Taylor, Ki, Shelvey, Ayew, Sigurdsson, Montero, Gomis

CC: Is it easy to park near the Liberty stadium and is there anything AFC Bournemouth fans should look out for on their visit?

SOS: It's not great, there is some street parking but it's limited. There's a retail park but you'd be taking a risk parking there as you may get clamped. Things to look out for would be Coopers Arms which isn't too far from the away end if anyone wants a pint and for food Rossi's chip shop which is opposite the ground. The other thing would be my fanzine which I'll be selling by the lights opposite Rossis'!

CC: Thanks Steven for your comments on Swansea. It is good to know that some of my questions were tough to answer. I think we can safely say that both teams have lost their way a bit this season after reasonable starts. AFCB's problems are well documented with the injury list but I am struggling to see why Swansea have been lacking a bit of confidence of late. I hope AFCB fans make a beeline for the SOS fanzine which Steven will have crafted with a lot of care. In the meantime, do have a look at the Swansea Oh Swansea website.

FANS' FORUM
Finally, don't forget that All Departments will be hosting an AFCB Fan's Forum tonight in Southbourne at the Wight Bear Ale House. Why not pop along and enjoy the conversation, the fund gets underway at 8pm.

You cam also check out my Shoot blog post - The pass masters which has further views on the Swansea City v AFCB clash this weekend.