I mentioned to my wife today’s game marked the end of the first half of the Premier League: 190 games down, 190 to go. She asked, what will you do when it’s over? Go to school, I guess. Like last summer.
Swansea City was on tv for the game, and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pretty from start to finish for them, with few exceptions. Commenter David says I should be pleased with the Swans so far this season. Today’s loss drops them under Liverpool and into ninth place. Some will note Liverpool’s four goals and a reversion to an offensive output they enjoyed frequently last season. Yet I noticed a particularly poor game from Jonjo Shelvey (after his manager called him out publicly for laziness). Own goal, bookable offense, and a mixture of good passes and misses. Liverpool seemed to quench any development of threat–for the most part. Too many mistakes, says manager Garry Monk, on the result.
Not much time to dwell on the past for English footballers–another raft of matches comes up on New Year’s Day.
Catholic Sensibility 
Didn’t mean to jinx your guys.
Have you heard about the recently released movie “Jack to a King” which chronicles Swansea’s rise from the bring of extinction over the past decade or so? It has just become available on Amazon UK but here’s a little taste.
Thanks David,
I did hear about this movie, yes. And I don’t believe too much in jinxing. If someone had told me Swans would be level with Liverpool on New Year’s in the upper half of the PL I would have been thrilled.
It was interesting to hear the match commentary yesterday as I watched. I think Swansea really missed Montero, and I was a bit of a skeptic on him until Arsenal. Liverpool wasn’t supposed to be that good defensively, but I didn’t see many touches for Sigurdsson or Bony. They seemed to neutralize Swansea pretty well. Or the Swans had a really bad day. I was hoping for a breakout game, like they had vs Everton earlier this year.
I wonder if they tried to put Emnes and Gomis upfront together. Even though Monk seems to love the 4-5-1. The good PL teams seem to have the measure of the Swans. It seems like they should be adjusting somehow, living up to the potential.
And Shelvey needs a steady hand guiding him on the pitch. Somehow. Please.
Well, my side has had a rash of injuries to its stable of world class strikers. Perhaps we might just have to take yours:)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=vjejVICtCJL0oAS9zYH4Cw&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/11318222/Manchester-City-approach-Swansea-over-30m-Wilfried-Bony-as-Manuel-Pellegrini-bids-to-boost-firepower.html&ved=0CB0QqQIwAA&usg=AFQjCNGbf9jF2AudtUnwASQSA1aWd1xu4Q&sig2=n9kwcOSoS9jeaPMS6sq2Wg
Danny Ings. Take him instead.
NQOCD. Seriously though, perhaps he could replace Bony this summer?
Sorry Todd but Bony’s move is now official.. What should your side do with its ₤25M windfall?
Find one or two more stand-up defenders (back line or midfield) and see how Gomis and Oliveira pan out. Max Hicks has some options: http://www.espnfc.com/club/swansea-city/318/blog/post/2243331/five-strikers-to-replace-bony and of these, only Ulloa is intriguing. Leicester are in a lot more trouble in the relegation zone, and I can’t imagine them shipping off their striker. Even though he’s been streaky this season.
If Swans were a mid-market MLB team, the owner would pocket the cash. But the great advantage of the EPL is that owners who do that end up in League Two eventually. Realistically, Swansea is not competing for Europe and are in absolutely no danger of relegation, so we’ll see how Garry Monk can handle a team where a few individuals need improvement (Shelvey and Gomis) and the team as a whole needs to pull together for the last 20-some matches, hopefully a top-8 finish and a long run in the FA Cup.
So I’m sad, but mostly understanding about this.