The Swansea Way

[cadleigh]

I sort of get what you're saying with the last bit, but if it was as simple as "ah well, we've only got limited resources" then every promoted club would always come straight back down wouldn't they.

I find it quite reductive, and also a bit defeatist, to say "ah well, it was always coming".

Newly promoted clubs always have the potential to buck the trend for a season or even for a few seasons with the right combination of hard work, inspired recruitment and luck. Sometimes they might even win the league during that time. But without the financial resources to compete with the big boys, relegation is always a matter of when, not if.

I don’t see why we were any different. If the old guard hadn’t sold out when they did, we’d still have gone down and now we’d be blaming them for not selling sooner.

Unless the answer is ‘we had the magical amulet of The Swansea Way to protect us’.

 

[bytholwyn]

When we were in the Premier League there was a clear understanding of what The Swansea Way was, not only within the club but outside as well. You can find articles from the likes of Alan Smith back in the day name checking The Swansea Way and associating it with possession football.

Our decline on the pitch in the Premier League coincided with a year on year reduction in our possession figures. 50% under Monk, decreasing to 42% under Carvahjal. We went away from what got us into the league, and massively outperforming our budget, and paid the price.

The problem we have now is people are assuming that possession football is a bad thing because of the frustrations with watching a bad interpretation of it. The turgid brand of football favoured by Martin is no more representative of possession football than Bielsa's high octane, getting the ball forward quickly stuff is. But the latter (if you can stomach the occasional 6 nil thrashings) is far more entertaining.

We deviate from The Swansea Way possession led philosophy at our peril. It's still the case that the teams near the top of every division are mainly those that have the lion's share of possession. Those near the foot are the long ball merchants. The trick is dominating possession and getting the ball forward quickly in a controlled way. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

[rockinj]

Having this discussion over the weekend, what is the Swansea Way? People are often led to believe it’s simply about pass, pass, pass football. For me, the Swansea Way is about the club having a clear structure for how we want to run things.

For example, ensuring that the youth teams follow the same blueprint for football as the first team.

Recruitment – establishing scouting networks across Europe and identifying players who fit into the culture of how we want to play. It’s about avoiding the trap of overspending on players who haven’t performed at a similar level.

Style of play – for me, the Swansea Way isn’t about playing tippy-tappy football just for the sake of it. The Swansea Way is about being fearless. From my first season following the Swans under Jan Mølby, I’ve always had the feeling that we could beat anyone. It was almost a case of, “let’s show them what little old Swansea can do.” More often than not, the opposition knew they’d been in a game with us, whether we won, lost, or drew.

It’s also about adapting. I think back to Martinez. Of course, he brought in a lovely brand of football, but he wasn’t afraid to mix it up. How many times did we see a long ball over the top for Paul Anderson to run onto? It’s about playing to your strengths – something we’re failing to do now.

My biggest frustration is the board hiding behind this tagline, “The Swansea Way.” When we recruited Williams, Coleman would repeatedly say we needed to follow the Swansea Way. But employing a coach who just faffs about at the back isn’t the Swansea Way.

The Swansea Way is about adapting to our strengths and fostering an exciting, fearless attitude – the belief that we can take on anyone.

This I don’t know why “pass, pass, pass” was ever considered the key. Playing “attractive” football was the key. Obviously attractive football does not mean lumping it but some well directed long passes are beautiful to watch. One my favourite players to put on the shirt was Ferrie Bodde an amazing talent at spreading the play.

I’m getting so frustrated by the way passing football is getting a bad rep. Keeping it on the deck makes sense and yes keeping it on the deck at the back is good. The problem is when you don’t have the personnel and you don’t mix it up every now and again.

And there’s nothing wrong with occasional punt especially later in the game.

Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup all understood this. It wasn’t passing football for the sake of it. And as you suggest it’s an ethos running through club, as I said in a previous post when the yanks came in it ripped the soul out of the club.

But let’s not learn the wrong lessons. We have to be smart. Like a broken that I am, let’s take our time and get this right..!

 

[Gors Buster]

When we were in the Premier League there was a clear understanding of what The Swansea Way was, not only within the club but outside as well. You can find articles from the likes of Alan Smith back in the day name checking The Swansea Way and associating it with possession football.

Our decline on the pitch in the Premier League coincided with a year on year reduction in our possession figures. 50% under Monk, decreasing to 42% under Carvahjal. We went away from what got us into the league, and massively outperforming our budget, and paid the price.

The problem we have now is people are assuming that possession football is a bad thing because of the frustrations with watching a bad interpretation of it. The turgid brand of football favoured by Martin is no more representative of possession football than Bielsa's high octane, getting the ball forward quickly stuff is. But the latter (if you can stomach the occasional 6 nil thrashings) is far more entertaining.

We deviate from The Swansea Way possession led philosophy at our peril. It's still the case that the teams near the top of every division are mainly those that have the lion's share of possession. Those near the foot are the long ball merchants. The trick is dominating possession and getting the ball forward quickly in a controlled way. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

We just don’t look dangerous or quick in the opposition half. So much hesitation.
The really, really frustrating thing is, that first half against QPR, we had it. Cullen and Franco were linking everyone and we looked a proper team filled with intent.
Cullen barely touched the ball since.
Strikers feeding off scraps.

I really enjoyed the first few months of the season and felt a winger or no 10 in Jan would get us pushing for the top six.
After Portsmouth, I’m questioning whether I dreamed it.
Still hopeful we can start playing again despite my anger over the last month.
Perhaps Parker and Ginnelly can get us off our seats?
But agree, I don’t want us to stop trying to dominate possession, just need to start doing it further up the field.

 

[Pentyrchjack]

What I do know is that you can only be effective playing out from the back if you have pace up front and a midfielder who can put through the killer ball to winger or striker.

Unfortunately we don't have that type of midfielder nor pace up front.

I'm all for dicking about at the back to move the opposition around if we can then deliver a killer ball to the forwards. It's high risk highly effective IF you have the players.....

 

[LaJollaJack]

Having this discussion over the weekend, what is the Swansea Way? People are often led to believe it’s simply about pass, pass, pass football. For me, the Swansea Way is about the club having a clear structure for how we want to run things.

For example, ensuring that the youth teams follow the same blueprint for football as the first team.

Recruitment – establishing scouting networks across Europe and identifying players who fit into the culture of how we want to play. It’s about avoiding the trap of overspending on players who haven’t performed at a similar level.

Style of play – for me, the Swansea Way isn’t about playing tippy-tappy football just for the sake of it. The Swansea Way is about being fearless. From my first season following the Swans under Jan Mølby, I’ve always had the feeling that we could beat anyone. It was almost a case of, “let’s show them what little old Swansea can do.” More often than not, the opposition knew they’d been in a game with us, whether we won, lost, or drew.

It’s also about adapting. I think back to Martinez. Of course, he brought in a lovely brand of football, but he wasn’t afraid to mix it up. How many times did we see a long ball over the top for Paul Anderson to run onto? It’s about playing to your strengths – something we’re failing to do now.

My biggest frustration is the board hiding behind this tagline, “The Swansea Way.” When we recruited Williams, Coleman would repeatedly say we needed to follow the Swansea Way. But employing a coach who just faffs about at the back isn’t the Swansea Way.

The Swansea Way is about adapting to our strengths and fostering an exciting, fearless attitude – the belief that we can take on anyone.

.
Some of our supporters ought to make a bit more of an effort to follow our Club more closely. Those of us that do will know that our Club is in the throes of :

- implementing a top-down alignment program to inculcate our playing philosophy right through the Club from 1st team down to juniors
- using the same top tier consultants employed by Man City to implement the same alignment program
- deploying a new Global (not just European) sourcing model using an effective combination of stats-eyeball-stats to target and secure gems (like the old days ++)
- investing in our MVPs to retain our last remaining shred to our corporate glue, our playing heritage and philosophy
- transforming our business end-end, streamlining legacy processes and systems, cutting our cloth accordingly
- sensible financial prudence to get us back on an even keel to sustainability and the right, stable platform for yet further next level investment and growth

We have all of the capabilities to consistently deliver a winning brand of entertaining, effective, efficient footy - just like we did vs QPR, a thing of beauty akin to the Swansea Way. We now need a proper manager deserving of us.

Some of our online (definitely older) brigade need a dose of perspective and realism and start to look forwards instead of always harking back. Imagine we were being run like our noisy neighbors. Get with the program, already.

.

 

[Smurph]

.
Some of our supporters ought to make a bit more of an effort to follow our Club more closely. Those of us that do will know that our Club is in the throes of :

- implementing a top-down alignment program to inculcate our playing philosophy right through the Club from 1st team down to juniors
- using the same top tier consultants employed by Man City to implement the same alignment program
- deploying a new Global (not just European) sourcing model using an effective combination of stats-eyeball-stats to target and secure gems (like the old days ++)
- investing in our MVPs to retain our last remaining shred to our corporate glue, our playing heritage and philosophy
- transforming our business end-end, streamlining legacy processes and systems, cutting our cloth accordingly
- sensible financial prudence to get us back on an even keel to sustainability and the right, stable platform for yet further next level investment and growth

We have all of the capabilities to consistently deliver a winning brand of entertaining, effective, efficient footy - just like we did vs QPR, a thing of beauty akin to the Swansea Way. We now need a proper manager deserving of us.

Some of our online (definitely older) brigade need a dose of perspective and realism and start to look forwards instead of always harking back. Imagine we were being run like our noisy neighbors. Get with the program, already.

.

Our global sourcing model is working well. So far we've potentially loaned a lad from far flung Burnley.

And for retaining our so called MVP's the Darling contract is living proof that once again we have owners that can't find their own arse using both of their own hands.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Our global sourcing model is working well. So far we've potentially loaned a lad from far flung Burnley.

And for retaining our so called MVP's the Darling contract is living proof that once again we have owners that can't find their own arse using both of their own hands.

The Blueprint ™

 

[Pegojack]

Just watched my second team, Metz, destroy Grenoble 3-0 to go top of the French second division.
Now that IS the Swansea Way, pure relentless attacking football at speed, pass and move, not always forward but always with purpose. The purpose is to get the ball into the final third and hurt the opposition.
It keeps me sane, watching them. You ought to give it a go. The standard of football is very high.

 

[Longlostjack]

.
Some of our supporters ought to make a bit more of an effort to follow our Club more closely. Those of us that do will know that our Club is in the throes of :

- implementing a top-down alignment program to inculcate our playing philosophy right through the Club from 1st team down to juniors
- using the same top tier consultants employed by Man City to implement the same alignment program
- deploying a new Global (not just European) sourcing model using an effective combination of stats-eyeball-stats to target and secure gems (like the old days ++)
- investing in our MVPs to retain our last remaining shred to our corporate glue, our playing heritage and philosophy
- transforming our business end-end, streamlining legacy processes and systems, cutting our cloth accordingly
- sensible financial prudence to get us back on an even keel to sustainability and the right, stable platform for yet further next level investment and growth

We have all of the capabilities to consistently deliver a winning brand of entertaining, effective, efficient footy - just like we did vs QPR, a thing of beauty akin to the Swansea Way. We now need a proper manager deserving of us.

Some of our online (definitely older) brigade need a dose of perspective and realism and start to look forwards instead of always harking back. Imagine we were being run like our noisy neighbors. Get with the program, already.

.

Absolutely agree with the first point about the Academy and the last paragraph. Rest sounds a bit like Coleman who’s just had Chat GPT for breakfast to be honest.

 

[Longlostjack]

Just watched my second team, Metz, destroy Grenoble 3-0 to go top of the French second division.
Now that IS the Swansea Way, pure relentless attacking football at speed, pass and move, not always forward but always with purpose. The purpose is to get the ball into the final third and hurt the opposition.
It keeps me sane, watching them. You ought to give it a go. The standard of football is very high.

Why Metz not Valencia mate? For what it’s worth I always look out for Caen and Le Havre. Bremer SV too. Still regret missing Pego game - have to put that right.

 

[Skippyjack]

Why Metz not Valencia mate? For what it’s worth I always look out for Caen and Le Havre. Bremer SV too. Still regret missing Pego game - have to put that right.

His mate is from France and supports them.. they both live in Spain apparently, doesn't talk about it like Albert from OFAH

 

[Pegojack]

Why Metz not Valencia mate? For what it’s worth I always look out for Caen and Le Havre. Bremer SV too. Still regret missing Pego game - have to put that right.

As the ever informative Skippyjack says, I have a French mate here who supports them, it's his home town club.
You're welcome any time to come see a Pego match but they are worse than watching the Swans at the moment. Lost the last two home games 1-0.

 

[Longlostjack]

As the ever informative Skippyjack says, I have a French mate here who supports them, it's his home town club.
You're welcome any time to come see a Pego match but they are worse than watching the Swans at the moment. Lost the last two home games 1-0.

 

[Longlostjack]

Sounds like Bremer SV. Club sponsored by a local craft brewery here. Eases the pain. Last season avoided relegation and beers were free last game. Not sure if they’ll avoid the drop this season but will let you know date of last game ;-)