Winning’s A Habit?

Winning Becomes A Habit

I honestly don’t know whether it makes a difference or not and I can certainly see both sides of the argument. We would all like to see better quality of opposition facing the Swans pre-season at the Vetch and will look on in envy as other clubs face first division or Premiership opposition. But then again I can see the argument that says will us playing higher opposition could result in morale sapping defeats which don’t help us.

But then I understand the argument that is playing the likes of Port Talbot and SC Delta really preparing us for the third division campaign ahead.

My thought train tends to come from one of Brian Flynn’s favourite sayings "Winning Becomes A Habit" I can relate to that and I think back to 2000 and the championship season. By no stretch of the imagination was our side that season an attractive side that played and won with flowing football – they were a side that was dogged and never gave in. And they were a side that believed they would win every game. Result? We won a lot of games and plenty of them when you could easily argue that we didn’t deserve to. And all because winning becomes a habit?

This pre-season I see as different. Whilst the standard of opposition (Aberdeen excepted) is reasonably low we also have to look at previous encounters against similar quality sides that we have struggled to overcome. We are winning these games at a canter now which can only mean that the team has got better? This should increase the optimism rather than worrying about the standard of the opposition?

And I also think of the young players that are getting a look in pre-season and wonder if it is better for them to be broken gently into the team against lower quality opposition to give them confidence or pit someone like Duffy up against a first division defender straight off which may shatter his confidence if he is ripped apart. A blow like that could take months to overcome? Sure he will have to play people like that one day but when he has games and confidence under his belt then he may be ready for that?

My personal opinion is that we should have a mixture of these games. I think we should open up with a couple of games against 2nd/1st division sides and then move onto the Welsh League sides. I also agree that a tour can benefit the team on the lovely corporate phrase of team bonding. New players get a chance to know each other. Many companies do this with social events etc for staff in work time as it tends to build a spirit that is then hard to break down. Swansea City may not be a multi national conglomerate but the same principal applies.

I have taken a lot of optimism from the pre-season games despite the level of opposition and the fact that we are winning them with some ease suggests good things lie ahead. Remember the Bury fan that was crowing earlier about 5 wins in 5 games and 15 goals – their opposition was no better than ours and they aren’t as convincing as we are.

The one main criticism I have of our pre-season is no game at the Vetch which is always a disappointment but these things happen. The calling off of the Bristol City game was, in my eyes, unnecessary – I don’t see that it matters that we were playing them in the Carling Cup or not.

At the end of it though whether you believe the opposition in pre-season was too soft or not it doesn’t matter as that was the opposition and they were there to be beaten – and, bar Aberdeen, we did it with some ease. I think in all it’s been a success so far?

PICTURES TAKEN FROM THE SWANS FRIENDLY AGAINST PORT TALBOT

What are your thoughts? Share them on the Message Board

Can’t Get To Your PC?? You can Text JackArmy.net on 07734 661632

Call costs are 32 p per minute peak time, 22p per minute off peak and 11p per minute at weekends. Call times will vary depending on the length of your message. JackArmy.net reserves the right not to post messages it deems unfit for publication. Please try and refrain from the use of foul language when making a call. Calls from mobile phones and abroad may vary.