Swansea City - talent or systems?

Harry Palmr

Right something is up beyond the fact Garry Monk seems to have Manchester Utds number.

In the Liberty Stadium (capacity 20,800) era the "second club" of Wales has become its undisputed No 1, the club progressed though the divisions playing a slick brand of football winning promotion to the top flight in 2010/11 with a play-off victory. The first season in the Premier League saw them win friends playing the same "Barca-lite" style game that got them up and since then they only briefly looked in trouble during the second season under Michael Laudrup when they went stale in front of goal and flirted with the relegation zone in early 2014 after a terrible run. In came long time player Garry Monk who saw them to a 14th place finish and since then they haven't looked back or looked remotely out of their depth.

So is this success down to good talent spotting or an apparently bomb proof system/philosphy? Regardless of the manager the approach under Chairman Huw Jenkins has never wavered - nice football by hard working players each of whom knows his place within the system of choice, that usually being 4-3-3 though with forays into 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 diamond.

Andersonisgod

An overriding philosophy is given precedence over everything, including players and coaches. It's a philosophy that influences everything from style of play, recruitment policy of players, recruitment of coaches ect. Arriving, and staying in the league at the right time has really helped too as they've been able to improve infrastructure as the BPL money rises.
They're recruitment of players and coaches has been very clever too. They've identified players that suit their philosophy and they've got them at relatively low prices. They've also brought in coaches who've all added something to the club but who all fit properly in with the philosophy. They've differed slightly under each coach but they've never strayed too far from what they know.

Harry Palmr

Indeed, its instructive that their various managers in the Jenkins era have stuttered - Jackett, Martínez, Rodgers after leaving such a structured environment.

Andersonisgod

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Indeed, its instructive that their various managers in the Jewkins era have stuttered - Jackett, Martínez, Rodgers after leaving such a structured environment.

I know what you mean but I would say that, despite the criticisms they receive, Martinez and Rodgers are excellent coaches and they are at the helm of two big clubs and have been for a decent amount of time (by modern standards). Absolutely the structured environment of Swansea certainly helped them but they've shown that they can stand on their own two feet.

Beefy78

They're the best run club in the country and deserve everything that has happened to them. I'm very jealous though.

I'm a Southend United fan. We got planning permission for our new ground at the same time that they got theirs. Both clubs got promoted out of League Two together in 04/05 and in fact the next season we got promoted to the Championship with a draw at the new Liberty Stadium.

Even then though they were playing essentially the same way they played today against United. They have an ethos that players, coaches and managers buy into and it overrides individuals meaning that they're able to lose good players and good managers and seemingly not skip a beat.

We got ahead of them that year whilst they were building steadily, not panicking, not spending what they couldn't afford. Just slowly getting all the pieces together. And in the years since we still don't have a new ground and have spent most of the decade since in the bottom tier whilst they're firmly established in the top flight.

They're a role model for all lower league clubs. **** it, they're a role model for all football clubs.

Seans_Username

Beefy78 wrote: »

They're the best run club in the country and deserve everything that has happened to them. I'm very jealous though.

I'm a Southend United fan. We got planning permission for our new ground at the same time that they got theirs. Both clubs got promoted out of League Two together in 04/05 and in fact the next season we got promoted to the Championship with a draw at the new Liberty Stadium.

Hahah that's gas. When I was younger my cousin from Scotland followed Southend and I followed Swansea! We were only about 10 at the time, but they were both in League 2 and we'd play endless games of fifa between the two. It almost always turned into an Eastwood vs Trudle scoring game. Mad to see how the two clubs have fared in the last decade

I've followed them through the divisions, not really supported them or anything, but I've kept a keen eye on their progress and I'm very mixed about the fact they can now beat united on a regular basis.

They're a great example of how to do things right in football

SlickRic

it's quite simple.

it's what happens when a club is well run, has a clear vision, and appoints managers to suit the objectives of what the club as a whole wants to do.

the chairman and board believe in a way of doing things, and nothing supercedes that, be it manager, player or whatever.

Bony left, and Gomis & Ayew have seamlessly filled the gap.
Sigurdsson left, was barely missed, and then came back to good effect.
Ashley Williams, despite having a few suitors, remains as club captain.
Laudrup left, and now they have Garry Monk, who is steeped in the culture of the club, and seems to have taken them to another level.

it's quite astounding what has happened there.

BoJack Horseman

Talent trumps system every time.