School’s Out

So in typical Jack fashion, it goes to the the final minute of the final game of the season to know what the future will hold for the following year. There will be a few sad to see us go and others will be only too glad, too them I just say you are quick to take our money and all too quick to condemn.

Some 4 years ago, how time flies, i sat down and wrote something for scfc.co.uk about the season and what the Club and City needed to do to move ahead in the immediate afterglow of the match v Hull City. The club has come a long way and will I am sure make future strides this year, but more of that in future months.

Our "well known" newManager at the time of appointment, didn’t really fill us with the oomph factor we were led to believe and as savages we sat quietly around the cauldron chewing on the fat of thelatest missionary to come to Jackland.

So what has he done for us, apart from obviously gaining promotion at the first attempt, always a positive in any managerslifeline I feel. He has resided over a side that in truth over the 46 games flattered to deceive (performance wise)and leaves us with a feeling that there is definitely more in the tank than we actually got over the course of the season just gone.

In general terms he has given us a side that scored more goals in a season than any Swansea side since 1992/93 a scary statistic and one in which highlights where we will need to strengthen next season especially as defences will be a lot more clued up than the ones just faced.Couple this with the 4th best defensive record in the entire club’s history and you can see that Mr Jackett certainly knew where his priorities lay.

To me much of the approach of this year has been conservative and hopefully I am right in thinking that its because the manager had a dare not lose mentality rather than a lets go for the win, this was after all his first full season in charge of a Football League side so he can be forgiven for not wanting to make too many mistakes.

So what of the playing staff, above all else for me one thing stands out, injuries or precisely the lack of them. Week in week out under Flynn we had 8 or 9 sometimes as many as 12 Senior Pro’s out "injured" at the end of this season only 1 out of the squad was unavailable through injury, with budgets tight at all Nationwide levels this is paramount for any side. The players still enjoy themselves and rightly so but the less professional ones are slowly being weeded out and this can only be a good thing.

His signings have in all but one case been spot on, Fisken is the only one that has not fired this season and in hindsight I am sure Mr Jackett was looking at the young player he knew rather than the young professional he had developed into, a shame but that’s life.

Every other signing has contributed to us and this is a fantastic achievement in my book.

Surely no one can doubt the immense influence the "Swansea One" has had, not content with outstanding performances this season Big Willy only goes and gets arrested and becomes a true Jack and now a bonafide member of the Jack Legend Club. My Player of the Season by a country mile.

Ricketts has been a superb buy and he must glow inside of the decision he made to join the Jack Army, life is about choices and he pulled out a cracker last summer. Monk again has been superb and will no doubt grow into the role of Team Leader next season, his performances at the crunch were excellent, in my eyes the Future Club Captain and the player we build our defence around. Gurney has been a little quiet this season but will be very much in Mr Jackett’s thinking next season and its time to let him take more free kicks his confidence will grow even more if that were to happen. The man can kick a dead ball! Austin what arock,a man mountainwho was perfect for us this season and he should never put his hand in his pocket for a round in Swansea ever again. A solid senior Pro and another Spot on signing.

The midfield and forward lineswere largely ignored by Mr Jackett and so you have to say that in the main he was right as we finished third but this is where the main work needs to be done next year and he should be ruthless in his approach in looking at this aspect of the side.

For me at times we have simply been too slow and ponderous going forward and have missed opportunities to kill sides off when they were there for the taking. With the 4th best defensive record in the club’s history the side should have had the courage in their convictions and gone for the jugular more often.

KOL has had a fantastic season and the transformation has beennoticeable, next season, if he signs his contract will be big one for him there are NO weak midfields in League One and he will be tested. Roberto although Club Captain appeared to float through this season and only at the tail end of the season did we start to see glimpses of what he can do. Mr Robinson, could write a book on this one,I will simply say don’t toss it all away. You are in a position that,000s would do for nothing, you have it in you.

Last but not least here the LEGEND that is Forbsey he has carved his name in our rich tapestry, a player that’s brings a mixed array of opinions but for me he has been another pivotal signing and his two crisp finishes in the last two games show he has the mental strength to finish the job off when required.

Up front of course we are led by the Golden Child but I for one started to feel he tried too hard at the end of the season, he is our talisman, it will be a very brave Board decision if Mr Trundle is not playing at White Rock come August.

Thorpey and Connor I will lump together, both likeable and can do a job but for me next season will find their limitations and here is where we need one if nottwo out and out quality strikers to partner Trundle. Take the pressure off Trundle and let the better defences have 2 or 3 names to worry about rather than concentrate on one man.

Mr Jackett put together a very tight, professional and powerful side some even might say, one of the mostaggressive sides SCFC has seen but that was needed to get out of this division, no one really kicked us off the park this season and no one really wanted to mix it, that earned us points when in the past we would have failed.

So marks out of ten for Emperor Jackett a generouseight, I feel.Less goals conceded, more goals scored, most of his signings have been major pluses. He has been singularly professional and meticulous in his approachin dealing with the press and more importantly US. Having met and spoken to him for the first time last week i was struck by his sheer determination to win EVERY game he is involved with. I doubt he suffers fools gladly and more importantly he doesn’t give a flying one if he gets up someone’s nose he wants to win and he wants to develop SCFC. I want that in the Manager of MY football club.

He’ll do for me

Blessed Be

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