Planet Swans ArchivesIt has been said many times this season that the squad we have this time around is much stronger than that of last term but now the proof will be in the pudding as the Swans face up to the visit of Bury this weekend knowing that they will be without five first team regulars through suspension.
I cannot say I can run with the hysteria that seems to have developed in some quarters that we haven’t got a hope on Saturday, indeed at the Vetch we should be aiming to win games and yes there are notable absences including most of the midfield but football is a squad game and surely for the sake of one game we can cope without a few players?
This time last year the injuries had kicked in and we were forced to turn to the likes of Coates, Durkan and Connolly for back up knowing in our heart of hearts that they were players who simply were not up to the job and never would be. This time around we have waiting in our wings the likes of Tate, Britton and Fisken who few could argue are better than the choices we had available last season. Plus of course you can add to that the names of anyone who we may see fit to bring in on loan this season.
Talk has also been on the message board of vastly reduced crowds for the game because we lost at Shrewsbury. I know Swans fans are fickle but surely not that fickle. We lost the game because we lost our heads not because we were outplayed. We did some silly things and we paid the price for that with the reverse. Whether it would have been any different 11 on 11 we will never know but surely that can’t knock 2000 off the crowd, after all we are still 2nd.
The side for Saturday will see a defence that still contains Austin and Ricketts – Gurney will take the O’Leary role in midfield with Fisken presumably partnering him. Nuge and Trundle will lead the line with Forbes taking one of the wing positions. Add to that Willy in goal, Tate in one centre back position with presumably Stuart Jones in for a rare start and Britton in on the left wing seems almost a certainty. Certainly not a bad side and one that, with great respect to our visitors, should beat Bury.
The bench won’t have the strength on it that we have been used to with appearances there for Corbs and Pritchard almost certain to take their place there but this isn’t a crisis, it’s one game and if we cannot cover the players for one game then promotion really isn’t going to be an option for us this season.
Calm down, allow it to happen and after Saturday we see the return of three of the suspended five with the other two returning before we take the field at the Vetch again in the league.
This is no crisis, it’s just a blip, one I remain confident we will overcome.
