Swansea City

Why a move to Swansea would suit Giovani Dos Santos – May 29th 2012

What a strange time Giovani Dos Santos has had in England. Under-utilised by Tottenham, frequently loaned-out and yet never sold. There must be something that Harry Redknapp sees that makes him reluctant to let go of the Mexican – even if he refuses to play him.

A loan move may well be the catalyst to getting Dos Santos’ career back on track – and Swansea are widely-reported to be pursuing the winger.

Brendan Rodgers won a lot of admiration for last season for his possession-based football, and that’s a system that GDS could slot quite comfortably into.

The player is one of the great anomalies in European football – thrust onto the scene by his hat-trick at Barcelona and undeniably talented, he’s seemed to grown increasingly disillusioned and indifferent to the game. It’s easy to attribute his malaise to his lack of involvement at Tottenham, but there are red flags all over this guy’s personality – the willingness of Barcelona to let him leave and his reported fondness for nightclubs, to name a few.

However, anytime he puts on the green shirt of his homeland, he’s brilliant.

The key with Dos Santos, it seems, is making him feel loved and wanted. At Swansea, he would be far more involved in the first-team than he is at Spurs, and that could be a figurative jump-lead for his career. If any move to the Liberty Stadium went through, it would also be a chance for the player to dispel the theories that he’s just not up to the physicality and pace of the English game – which is a charge that although he’s never lived down, he’s never been given ample opportunity to disprove.

There isn’t a manager that does a better job in the Premier League of showcasing the equal importance of technique and stature than Brendan Rodgers, and that’s why Dos Santos should embrace any chance of a move to Wales.

And of course, it would be a chance to get him out of London and away from the lure of the nightlife that he seems to find so irresistible.

A win-win for everybody involved if this goes ahead.

Swansea target Lacina Traore – April 11th 2012

This is a bit of a novelty: a transfer rumour that doesn’t just involve Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Tottenham.

Still, the same rules seem to apply, in that the Mirror’s article linking Swansea City with a move for Ivorian forward Lacina Traore doesn’t include any quotes, facts, or evidence.

How enlightening. Although it does tell us that he’s the ‘new Emmanuel Adebayor’ apparently, which again fits consistently with the rule that all foreign players must have a domestic comparable.

According to the prolifically dishonest ‘Football Spy’:

‘Swansea boss Rodgers wants to beat off competition from Ajax for the 21-year-old to bolster his attacking options next season.’

Probably don’t get his name and number on your shirt just yet…

Anyway, here’s some video of the player from his time at CFR Cluj.

Disappointing to see Brendan Rodgers fluttering his eyelashes at bigger clubs – March 31st 2012

I guess that this is football now though, isn’t it.

Brendan Rodgers has created something to truly be proud of at the Liberty Stadium, and his Swansea side have been a breath of fresh air since they arrived in the Premier League, but it’s just too soon to be making comments like this:

“If it arrives (a big job), I’ll be ready.

I had 4½ brilliant years working at Chelsea where I got a real feel of the challenge at that level.

I wasn’t a manager but I had to manage players like Ballack, Terry, Shevchenko and Lampard.

It’s not too soon professionally but it might be in terms of my personal life.

It’s been a big year and I need to reflect on it all”

I don’t doubt that Rodgers is potentially capable of being successful at a larger club, but he’s giving the wrong answer to the question.

With respect to his Chairman, and to the set of players he’s guided to this level, this is very much a ‘no comment’ situation.

At the moment, his only concern should be Swansea, because how often have we seen a newly-promoted side surprise everyone in their first-season at this level, and then plummet in their second. I’m not saying that will happen to Swansea, but there are plenty of precedents – Wigan, Reading, Hull.

If his side drop like a stone next year, or the other teams in the division start to work them out, then nobody is going to be talking about Rodgers in relation to Tottenham or Chelsea – just ask Phil Brown.

He’d be far better off, firstly, not responding to questions about any press rumours, but also focusing on building his reputation and developing what’s been created at Swansea. Getting a side promoted and surviving is only part of the job – establishing a club in the Premier League is the more impressive accomplishment, because that’s where so many others have struggled.

We struggle to produce high-quality managers in Britain, and so that’s probably why everyone’s so eager to elevate Rodgers prematurely – but it’s too much of a jump too soon, let him progress, and let’s see what he’s really capable of.

Patience…