The Swansea Way

[monmouth]

'The Swansea Way'?

It's a load of hyped up hubristic self indulgent laughable bollocks, that means whatever anyone wants it to mean.

 

[monmouth]

We looked best yesterday when we were booting it up the pitch from the goalie. The "Swansea Way" died a decade ago. Someone please tell the poor schmucks who just took over.
I honestly feel bad for Coleman. I truly believe his hearts in the right place.
What we need right now is the "Wimbledon" way. Team spirit, aggression, fight, heart.
We have strikers out on loan who suddenly started scoring when they left, who could thrive in a different system. Stop with the nonsense. Play style should suit the players we have. We cant keep signing and then discarding players. Its the system thats wrong, not the players.
I say it again. Stop with the nonsense.

Coleman's heart may be in the right place, but his brain is in his arse.

 

[monmouth]

What I think it means by the way:

> A club united from top to bottom where the fans are totally as one with the club​

> A serious unbreakable shared vision of what the club is for​

> Using our resources in an intelligent and clever way to get an advantage on the pitch​

> Being pleasing to watch (that doesn't have to mean a particular style...Tosh was very different to Martinez and Martinez was different to Laudrup)​

> Being brave and confident as a club and team​

> The collective over the individual​

We are as far from all this as it is probably possible to be.

 

[NEATH JACK 8]

What I think it means by the way:

> A club united from top to bottom where the fans are totally as one with the club​

> A serious unbreakable shared vision of what the club is for​

> Using our resources in an intelligent and clever way to get an advantage on the pitch​

> Being pleasing to watch (that doesn't have to mean a particular style...Tosh was very different to Martinez and Martinez was different to Laudrup)​

> Being brave and confident as a club and team​

> The collective over the individual​

We are as far from all this as it is probably possible to be.

My only views that differ from yours are the fact that this phrase only came into being around Rodgers' time. And it stuck . The phrase was never used before that even if we did incorporate it's ideology. Look at Jackett. A huge success under us really. His style was hardly tippy tappy football but incorporated attacking jugular football.
I agree with others that it is a millstone around our neck and should be treasured as a great memory of a fantastic period for our club.
SCFC is full to the brim these days with rotten apples. From the players to the backroom to the upper management.

 

[monmouth]

My only views that differ from yours are the fact that this phrase only came into being around Rodgers' time. And it stuck . The phrase was never used before that even if we did incorporate it's ideology. Look at Jackett. A huge success under us really. His style was hardly tippy tappy football but incorporated attacking jugular football.
I agree with others that it is a millstone around our neck and should be treasured as a great memory of a fantastic period for our club.
SCFC is full to the brim these days with rotten apples. From the players to the backroom to the upper management.

Yes it's very true the self important ridiculous phrase only came with the self important ridiculous premier league. Everything good about the club stemmed from the togetherness and juxtaposition of fans and ownership. Fans were owners, owners were fans (or so we thought). The way we played was an extension of the way we were run. Any real 'Swansea Way' that made us different died when we were sold down the river, not when we appointed Monk (although that wasn't helpful).

 

[MrSwerve]

'The Swansea Way' thing has always been a load of self-indulgent BS...I think pretty much all clubs want to use their youth, live within their means, part-own the club if possible, appoint good managers, scout unknown talent from Europe, etc., etc.

What I always associated it with is quick, possession-based football, with pace on the wings. Where players actually took some risks passing forward rather than constantly turning backwards to pass towards our goal keeper. Where having 70% possession was actually entertaining because we'd be pinging it around with pace and intent, rather than slow, lazy, backwards passing.

 

[T8AD365]

The fact that everyone has a different interpretation of it shows just how meaningless it actually is. As has been said, it's just something that's being latched on to as a buzzword because they think it sounds good

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Looking purely at the football played on the pitch, the "Swansea Way" is not something that has been our style over the whole period of our existence.

It's merely a tag for our most successful, and arguably the most entertaining, period in our history, from 2007 to 2014. Then to a lesser degree, 2015 to 2018, the last three years of a 7 year stint in the Premier League.

A Golden Era, mainly under Martinez, Rodgers and Laudrup. And one where we also won our first major trophy and played some outstanding football in Europe.

A style that was often just beautiful to watch - and got results. A slick quick passing game, with constructive purpose and on the floor, lots of triangles, players creating space, plenty of pace on the flanks, creative midfield, players willing and able to beat opponents 'one-on-one', sound defence comfortable on the ball, and with scorers all over the pitch.

It wasn't a "Unique Way" solely confined to Swansea, but of its time starting in Div.1 with Martinez, it was certainly very different to the norm then , particularly the passing with purpose on the ground.

And 'off the pitch', the Swansea Way attracted like minded managers and players.

But everything is cyclic, and we couldn't keep it going, especially when teams just pressed higher and hard, and better quality players of our ilk were needed from a smaller (more expensive) pool, as other teams developed their ways to more of a possession /passing game.

So the Swansea Way is a tag for a Golden Era in our history, like the Toshack Era is a tag for a hugely entertaining and successful period, instantly conjuring up our rise from Division 4 to Div 1 (Premier League) in record time.

But both have long gone.

And for the record Martinball was nowhere near the "Swansea Way". It was just mostly mind numbingly boring, walking, sideways, reverse football, based on possession stats for their own sake.

And now the fare served up is just as slow and boring.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Swansea Way was about more than just what was happening on the pitch - it was just as important what was happening off it.

Good scouting, brilliant talent spotting, not overspending, picking up ridiculous bargains like Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland (and definitely not overpaying for absolute dross, which is about the only thing we do consistently well these days).

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Swansea Way was about more than just what was happening on the pitch - it was just as important what was happening off it.

Good scouting, brilliant talent spotting, not overspending, picking up ridiculous bargains like Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland (and definitely not overpaying for absolute dross, which is about the only thing we do consistently well these days).

I agree. My analysis was just concentrating on the football on the pitch. But, yes, the good scouting etc off it, was pivotal.

 

[T8AD365]

Swansea Way was about more than just what was happening on the pitch - it was just as important what was happening off it.

Good scouting, brilliant talent spotting, not overspending, picking up ridiculous bargains like Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland (and definitely not overpaying for absolute dross, which is about the only thing we do consistently well these days).

Plenty of other clubs do/have done that to be fair, it's not exactly something we can claim exclusivity for

 

[Bullworker]

Swansea pay the penalty. Back in the closing days of PL Swans in 2015-17 I made a count of unlucky penalty decisions against us that totalled an unbelievable 37, not counting other types. No coincidence that there has never been anu official there from any neutral country1

 

[Bullworker]

Swansea pay the penalty. Back in the closing days of PL Swans in 2015-17 I made a count of unlucky penalty decisions against us that totalled an unbelievable 37, not counting other types. No coincidence that there has never been anu official there from any neutral country1

 

[Bullworker]

The Swansea way is about dignity. Standing for respect for ourselves and others against the know it all types full of ambition to exploit and dominant us and to decry our cherished way of life, culture, community, and Yes, Wales and the Welsh language which our enemies fear more than anything. It is embodied in our personalities and it is captured very quickly from us by others, and typically this season by our heroic newcomer Franco, to Our Manner Born, like Michu, Bony, Gomez, Bauza, Rangel, Fernandez, and many who simply "get it" about our Town and city, and its hinterland, known by, and a credit to,the World Over.

se Wy

 

[swansvalleyjack]

The Swansea way is about dignity. Standing for respect for ourselves and others against the know it all types full of ambition to exploit and dominant us and to decry our cherished way of life, culture, community, and Yes, Wales and the Welsh language which our enemies fear more than anything. It is embodied in our personalities and it is captured very quickly from us by others, and typically this season by our heroic newcomer Franco, to Our Manner Born, like Michu, Bony, Gomez, Bauza, Rangel, Fernandez, and many who simply "get it" about our Town and city, and its hinterland, known by, and a credit to,the World Over.

se Wy

While I'm not necessarily going to disagree, for me it's primarily about really enjoying the football on the pitch tbh. Which we had then, but most certainly not now. I'm bored stiff with it ! And the low attendances and drop off of season tickets tells the same story .

And I'd never thought I'd say this - but I'd rather watch Kenny Jackett football than the boring dross we currently see.