The Swansea Way – Duff tells us its in the past

[Andrew - North Hill]

And there you go again. You can't win an argument by addressing what people are actually saying, so instead you make something up that you wish they had said, and then you have a go. There is literally no one on here, or any other forum as far as I am aware, who doesn't like the football we played under Martinez, Rodgers and Laudrup, who thinks that that was not a Golden Age for the club, or wishes that Sousa had had longer in charge. This discussion is only about whether it's accurate, or even helpful, to characterise that period as one where we followed a mystical 'Swansea Way' that we subsequently departed from, resulting in our fall from grace. It's magical thinking IMO.

There is no troglodyte faction, champing at the bit for hoofball. You just invented that. The reason people didn't like Martin wasn't because he was too sophisticated for us but because he played mind-numbingly boring, walking football. That's all.

Actually Cadleigh, this thread started out as a discussion about whether Duff was right to essentially tell us: stop dreaming that things might be better, like they were about 10 years ago (or 20, as he seems to think, because that's another he can't seem to do, and that's count).

It then evolved into some individuals labelling people "entitled" or "twats" for calling him out on it. I suppose my response was a riposte to that more than anything else. I admit some of what I said was a bit tongue in cheek, facetious even. But I do believe there is an element of our support who just don't get "it". I've always believed that. There were people who were there who, even under Roberto, Brendan and Laudrup, were telling our defenders to "lump it". They're still there now. Clueless.

Not saying you're one of them mind. Before you go off on one again.

 

[swansvalleyjack]

This has been a pretty good discussion overall about the description of the "Swansea Way" - which in reality covers the period 2007 -2014 ( or to 2018 if you include the last three Premier league years).

Tbh, I don't really care what it was called, for all of us who were there, it was wonderful.

Actually I don't mind Cadleigh's "Golden Era" tag, to go alongside the "Toshack Era".

But to most, it'll just be the "Swansea Way". We all know what it meant.

But it's over. We move on. Fingers crossed for better entertainment from Duff as opposed to what Cadleigh rightly described Martinball... "mind numbingly boring walking football"

 

[K23]

If anyone needs reminding...........

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rx6cafysm03sno1ddoopm/Swans-v-WBA-28-11-2012.avi?rlkey=189rxlo1qbl0ndhnhapiqyew6&dl=0

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Or this....but before anyone says anything - yes it's gone, it's the past, we move on ; but by god it's nice to watch

https://youtu.be/GqFQ_SU7ATw?si=0OigaRbX2v-DGx9q

 

[mrploppy]

Or this....but before anyone says anything - yes it's gone, it's the past, we move on ; but by god it's nice to watch

https://youtu.be/GqFQ_SU7ATw?si=0OigaRbX2v-DGx9q

We scored a similar goal at Wigan last season. Fewer passes from back to front but a perfect example of beating the press, moving the ball forward quickly (I don't think Wigan touched the ball) before Piroe tucked it away.

It was nice to watch, but that's gone too.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Nailed it.

It's a very Swansea thing I think.

They don't call this place a graveyard of ambition for nothing.

It's almost like "we can't have Russell Martin coming down here, with his dyed beard and his comments about 'cultural architects', or Graham Potter with his fancy formations and refusal to shout at players, who the **** do they think they are? Now pass me the meat and potatoes, I'll have none of that foreign muck thank you very much".

It's like we have this insatiable need for muck and nettles. To luxuriate in the shitness of it all. We get uncomfortable if things start to go well.

Every club has its troglodytes, but I do think ours are somewhat more pronounced than others.

I suppose with views like that though, it must make me "entitled", or one of those "twats". If that's the case, I'm fine with that. I'd rather be one of them, than still working out how to rub two sticks together to make a fire.

The graveyard of ambition quote is always misunderstood.

It meant that Swansea had such a pull on everyone that people abandoned any ambitions to move on or up in the world and instead decided to stay put as leaving was too awful to contemplate.

That aside, I’ve seen a few times now stuff about Martin being too sophisticated or educated or cultured for Swansea fans. And yet that was never said about Laudrup. Or Sousa, or Guidolin or even Martinez.

The reason I didn’t like Martin managing us was not because of his hair, or because he was a vegan (something else I’ve seen mentioned), but because his style of play was as boring as I can recall for years. And his ego prevented him from recognising any errors in his approach.

He was in another universe to ‘the Swansea way’ of Laudrup, or Martinez or Brendan. It’s just that our social media channels banged on and on about it. I saw posts from them last season which said things like ‘44 passes - that’s the Swansea Way’. The bit it didn’t say was ‘36 of them were Cabango and Darling passing it back and forth’.

I haven’t seen anything as yet of Duff to suggest that he is a good choice. Having said that, the last 25 minutes or so of Saturday were a great improvement. Whether that’s due to actual improvement, the ability of the opposition, or the team getting some much needed confidence after going three up and relaxing a bit is hard to say. Probably a bit of all three.

But even if Duff is wrong, and goes, I would hope we’d do better than another Martin.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

We scored a similar goal at Wigan last season. Fewer passes from back to front but a perfect example of beating the press, moving the ball forward quickly (I don't think Wigan touched the ball) before Piroe tucked it away.

It was nice to watch, but that's gone too.

Football’s completely evolved since then, apparently (he must think we’re daft :lol.

Ah well, at least those in the ground are still behind the boys. That’s more important that anyone of us moaning on here. Let’s keep turning out and supporting them and see if they can build on the Wednesday result.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

The graveyard of ambition quote is always misunderstood.

It meant that Swansea had such a pull on everyone that people abandoned any ambitions to move on or up in the world and instead decided to stay put as leaving was too awful to contemplate.

That aside, I’ve seen a few times now stuff about Martin being too sophisticated or educated or cultured for Swansea fans. And yet that was never said about Laudrup. Or Sousa, or Guidolin or even Martinez.

The reason I didn’t like Martin managing us was not because of his hair, or because he was a vegan (something else I’ve seen mentioned), but because his style of play was as boring as I can recall for years. And his ego prevented him from recognising any errors in his approach.

He was in another universe to ‘the Swansea way’ of Laudrup, or Martinez or Brendan. It’s just that our social media channels banged on and on about it. I saw posts from them last season which said things like ‘44 passes - that’s the Swansea Way’. The bit it didn’t say was ‘36 of them were Cabango and Darling passing it back and forth’.

I haven’t seen anything as yet of Duff to suggest that he is a good choice. Having said that, the last 25 minutes or so of Saturday were a great improvement. Whether that’s due to actual improvement, the ability of the opposition, or the team getting some much needed confidence after going three up and relaxing a bit is hard to say. Probably a bit of all three.

But even if Duff is wrong, and goes, I would hope we’d do better than another Martin.

Wasn’t it also Brendan who praised us for actually understanding what they were trying to do? To say we don’t appreciate sophisticated football is as insulting as it is wrong.

(My money’s on Wednesday just being crap, but we’ll see. Maybe he can turn it round, not that I really believe that right now).

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Wasn’t it also Brendan who praised us for actually understanding what they were trying to do? To say we don’t appreciate sophisticated football is as insulting as it is wrong.

(My money’s on Wednesday just being crap, but we’ll see. Maybe he can turn it round, not that I really believe that right now).

The argument appears to be not that we are unsophisticated in a football sense but that we are not sophisticated enough to like Martin personally. Because his hair or something. No idea. Anyway the best hair was Sousa closely followed by Laudrup. And Sousa’s team was pretty boring and Laudrup was the best of the lot in my view. So I think it must be something other than hair that matters.

 

[J_B]

How does Pep Guardiola do it without any hair?

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

The argument appears to be not that we are unsophisticated in a football sense but that we are not sophisticated enough to like Martin personally. Because his hair or something. No idea. Anyway the best hair was Sousa closely followed by Laudrup. And Sousa’s team was pretty boring and Laudrup was the best of the lot in my view. So I think it must be something other than hair that matters.

Maybe it’s a teeth thing. Brendan did have to get his done in the end :lol:.

 

[rockinj]

Nailed it.

It's a very Swansea thing I think.

They don't call this place a graveyard of ambition for nothing.

It's almost like "we can't have Russell Martin coming down here, with his dyed beard and his comments about 'cultural architects', or Graham Potter with his fancy formations and refusal to shout at players, who the **** do they think they are? Now pass me the meat and potatoes, I'll have none of that foreign muck thank you very much".

It's like we have this insatiable need for muck and nettles. To luxuriate in the shitness of it all. We get uncomfortable if things start to go well.

Every club has its troglodytes, but I do think ours are somewhat more pronounced than others.

I suppose with views like that though, it must make me "entitled", or one of those "twats". If that's the case, I'm fine with that. I'd rather be one of them, than still working out how to rub two sticks together to make a fire.

Spot on. A very Swansea thing.

Don’t get above your station young man.

Although I’m no Martin fan. But I do believe there is a faction who don’t like anyone who is a bit flashy and too clever by half
. Look at the “Spanish waiter” xenophobia during the Martinez era.

If some self reflected they’d realise there is some truth to this very blunt post

 

[rockinj]

The argument appears to be not that we are unsophisticated in a football sense but that we are not sophisticated enough to like Martin personally. Because his hair or something. No idea. Anyway the best hair was Sousa closely followed by Laudrup. And Sousa’s team was pretty boring and Laudrup was the best of the lot in my view. So I think it must be something other than hair that matters.

There is a section of the fan base who are unsophisticated. Always had been.

I used to be able to spot them by their slagging off of Mark Gower.

They had no idea on his value because they only see the game through perceived effort.

The type of fan who likes their manager to be “passionate”

 

[cadleigh]

There is a section of the fan base who are unsophisticated. Always had been.

I used to be able to spot them by their slagging off of Mark Gower.

They had no idea on his value because they only see the game through perceived effort.

The type of fan who likes their manager to be “passionate”

We have literally lived through four-and-a-bit seasons in which a perfectly good manager was hated because he had bad teeth, another one was lionised because of his ability to do fist pumps and the current manager is being slated because he is too honest in press conferences. And that’s a sign that we aren’t sophisticated enough? Jesus wept.

 

[Skippyjack]

We have literally lived through four-and-a-bit seasons in which a perfectly good manager was hated because he had bad teeth, another one was lionised because of his ability to do fist pumps and the current manager is being slated because he is too honest in press conferences. And that’s a sign that we aren’t sophisticated enough? Jesus wept.

Mate, he's read a few books and thinks he's a sage, that's where his type are going wrong, it belongs in the past, Einstein once quipped etc.. plus demeaning someone unsophisticated and thick just lowers the IQ threshold he holds