The Swans Fly High Part II

Barnesy1986 said:
Great thread, I'm only at the start of the second season reading it, great finish to the first season.
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Ye, it was a great achievement to make the top four in our first season, glad you're enjoying it! I'll have a post out shortly.
 
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The usual suspects were in the top three for the Ballon d'Or, Messi reclaimed his prize from Ronaldo and Hazard rounded off the list. Sascha Horvath won European Golden Boy, a player I'd never heard of but he had quite the season.

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For the second year running our training facilties were upgraded, now at a very respectable 4/5 stars. I convinced the board to upgrade yet again and they agreed.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 5-1 West Ham

After the previous game against Southampton, we only had one days rest for this one, with that in mind, we were forced to rotate and even play some very tired players. I thought'd we'd struggle here and I certainly wasn't expecting that, we were very impressive in a comfortable win and with many of our star players missing.

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FA Cup Third Round - Swansea 1-2 Stoke

I was expecting to win this game but the team just didn't turn up, we had a poor run in the Capital One Cup earlier in the season, getting knocked out in the first game we played and it's happened again in the FA Cup. We all know the real moneys in the Champions League and Premier League but it's disappointing to be knocked out of two competitions at the first hurdle, we need to sort that out next season. On a positive note, we've can now focus on trying to win the title and having a good run in the Champions League.

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Younes Belhenda and Wilfried Bony will be away from the club for the next month or so to compete in the African Cup of Nations, two very important players but in some ways this could prove to be a blessing in disguise. Bony has been in horrific form, hopefully he'll find it in his homeland and Belhenda still has two weeks left of his injury. Elsewhere, I signed a new one year contract extension with the club, making me the highest paid manager in world football.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 2-2 Stoke

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Barclays Premier League - Derby 1-1 Swansea

Another poor performance, it won't cheer me up after that show from the team but hopefully McAlenys wonder strike will cheer one or two of you guys up.

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[video=youtube;WNqFCuvBHq4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNqFCuvBHq4[/video]


We started off with a very nice win over the Hammers but then we saw a big dip in form, we went crashing out of the FA Cup and then we only picked up two points in the league from what should of been six points and two wins. The lads are looking nervous at the top of the table, it's a young team and the promotions of youth players Kyle Copp, Lewis Thomas and David Haughton in to the first team, this season doesn't help in that department. Hopefully next time we can sort our league form out, we kick off February with two huge games against our title rivals, Chelsea and Man United.

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Barclays Premier League - Hull 0-2 Swansea

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 2-0 West Brom

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It wasn't just a quiet window for the Swans it was quiet in the whole league, I had to scroll through quite a few players to even find a transfer that got completed this month, Ramires moving on from Chelsea, to play for Milan.

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Barclays Premier League - Man United 4-0 Swansea

Not quite a title decider but which ever team won this game would take a big step to securing that title, a six point gap would be nice but I'd take a draw at Old Trafford, we can't let them catch up! Shocking performance from the team, I let my feelings be known to the lads, they were horrific. To lose like that is unacceptable and we need to do a lot better.

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Champions League Last 16 - Swansea 2-2 A.C Milan

I was hoping my players would produce a reaction after being out played in Manchester but they didn't. Another poor performance, we're still in the tie but we're going to have to put in one **** of a performance, for that second leg.

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It's anybody's game in the league now, we lost a massive game against United and we're not in good form. They'll take huge confidence and momentum but if we're going to win it, we need to bounce back.

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Good start with solid victories over West Brom and Hull but then our form took another dip, an embarrassing performance against United and a game against Milan I felt we could of won. Next time we've got a some tricky league games at home to third place Chelsea and a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton and of course there's that huge game coming up in the Champions League.

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Hopefully you can get back above Manchester United before the end of the season!
 
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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 2-1 Chelsea

That's more like it! I had a word with the lads before the game, after a dip in form over recent weeks and it must of worked. Bony was complaining about first team football, he came off the bench and took his chance but now we need to kick on.

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Barclays Premier League - Everton 0-2 Swansea

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Barclays Premier League Sunderland 2-3 Swansea

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Man City again sacked their man, Jurgen Klopp, they're having another bad season sitting in 6th, Jorge Jesus will take over. Tottenham won the Capital One Cup, Pochettino's first piece of silverware as a manager, on the Swansea front I was disappointed that we didn't defend our trophy, we didn't even get past the first round!

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Champions League Last 16 - A.C Milan 0-3 Swansea

What a performance!! We've hit form again, If i'm being completely honest I thought we could nick the win here but we absolutely smashed them and in their own yard! I can't believe it, I'm so excited for the rest of the season, I can't wait!

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Four wins out of four and we're right back in to form, we kicked it off with a huge win against Chelsea, cruised pasted Everton. The lads made it hard for themselves against relegation threatened Sunderland but they showed great spirit to come from behind and we finish with that incredible victory against Milan.

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Next time we've got some difficult league games coming up, United haven't dropped points so we're neck and neck in the race for the title. We can't slip up, we have to keep winning if we're going to win it and we'll also find out what team we'll face in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League.

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What an amazing month and looks like the change of formation has worked for ya! you can do it mate!
 
SamPeters said:
What an amazing month and looks like the change of formation has worked for ya! you can do it mate!
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Incredible end to February and start to March from the team. Ye, I didn't mention it in the update but playing two up front is working really well atm, we're creating tons of chances, I just hope our defence doesn't suffer.
 
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The draw for the Quarter Finals of the Champions League was made and all things considered, things couldn't have gone much better. We avoided some giant sides and while I think it'll be close against Arsenal, we've got what it takes to beat them.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 1-0 Arsenal

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Barclays Premier League - Fulham 0-2 Swansea

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Santon picked up a nasty injury in training, he'll miss the next three months and the rest of the season, it's particularly frustrating because he's been in good form lately but we'll have to bring in someone else.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 1-0 Norwich

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Barclays Premier League Southampton 2-2 Swansea

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When we beat Arsenal a few weeks back, United dropped points away to Crystal Palace, which gave us a two point bridge until we slipped up against Southampton. Again then we're neck and neck with only goal difference separating us.

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With just six games to go, we're getting to the stage where you just can't afford to drop points. If we take a look at our run ins, the left one is our run in and the right is Uniteds. We have the much tougher fixtures, City away and Spurs at home are the toughest for me. When you look at Uniteds run of games, I could quite easily see them winning them all. They are still in Europe though, our best bet is hoping they beat Chelsea and have to deal with a congested fixture list, which might see them drop points in the league.

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It's been a good batch of results for us but after taking a look at our remaining games I can't help but wish we'd picked up all three points against Southampton, we had the chances. Next time we've got a chance to book our place in the Semi Finals of the Champions League, Arsenal stand in our way and there's a difficult game away to Man City but we have to win to stay in the title race.

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Champions League Quarter Final - Swansea 0-0 Arsenal

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Barclays Premier League - Man City 1-3 Swansea

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It was all or nothing here, we didn't concede an away goal in the first leg, which is good but playing away it was always going to be difficult. What an incredibly nervy match in London, It was such a tight game, Coquelin got himself sent off just before 90 minutes against his former club, not like him.

In to extra time and the tension went up a level, I celebrated like a mad man when Gomis put us ahead. They pulled one back as a short back pass from Williams left Lacazette through on goal, he finished the chance. Arsenal piled on the pressure and even had their own man sent off, with minutes to go the pressure was unbearable, Arsenal had chances but somehow we managed to hold out. We're through to the Semis with that away goal!!

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There's no easy draws at this stage of the competition and against PSG it's always going to be tough but we've got this far, we'll give it our best shot.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 3-0 Crystal Palace

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Perhaps the only downside to those results was that we didn't wrap up the game against Arsenal sooner, it was extremely close but we went through in the end. In the league, we were brilliant, an excellent performance away from home against Man City and a very convincing win against Palace. Next time we head in to May and the towards the end of the season, they'll be two very difficult games against PSG, what should be an easy win against QPR and a difficult away trip to Anfield, to face Liverpool.

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Barclays Premier League Swansea 1-1 QPR

At this stage of the season we couldn't afford to slip up and I'm so frustrated that we couldn't beat them, we really should be beating QPR. Elsewhere United didn't just win their game, they slaughtered Derby 6-0. Our remaining league games are Liverpool away, Tottenham at home and Newcastle away and United have Stoke away, Hull at home and West Brom away. I don't like to be negative put it's fair to say our chances of lifting the title are very slim after that draw, that could go down as the day we lost the title.

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Champions League Semi Final - Swansea 3-0 PSG

I couldn't quite believe that scoreline, I won't tell the team or the media this but the tie is virtually over with that incredible showing. It would take a monumental collapse to lose the tie from this position.

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Barclays Premier League - Liverpool 0-0 Swansea

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Champions League Semi Final PSG 1-2 Swansea

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We gave PSG a proper beating over two legs, I can't believe we've made it to the Champions League final in just three seasons with Swansea. We've got this far, I really hope we can win it but who else but our biggest rivals, Man United await in the final.

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Despite those frustrating draws against QPR and Liverpool we're still in with a very slim chance of winning the league title. We have to win our difficult games while hoping United slip up in their easy games.

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The less said about the league the better, United actually dropped points against Stoke, whilst we couldn't get the better of Liverpool. In europe though, two fantastic performances against a very strong PSG side, we battered them over two legs. Next time we've got the season finale, there's still a chance we could lift the title but right now I'm more interested in that Champions League in Germany, we can't let United have it all.

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Barclays Premier League - Swansea 2-0 Tottenham

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We have to win our game and 13th place West Brom have to beat Man United at the Hawthorns. It's very unlikely that will happen but you never know, all we can do is win in Newcastle.

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Barclays Premier League - Newcastle 0-2 Swansea

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We did our job but unfortunately United did also did their job, they beat West Brom 1-0. We've got to make sure we win the Champions League now, I won't be happy if we miss out on both trophies.

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That really does show how far we've come in the past three years. Swansea have never even won a trophy in Europe and in my lifetime they've never been near one. We've made history by making it to the Champions League final, we just have to win it now!

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It doesn't get much bigger than this, United are favourites but we've done well in the past with our underdog tag, hopefully we can do it again.

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I was so excited and nervous, I couldn't wait to get the game started, the wait was over. Our defense was at fault as United took an early lead, of all the people it could of been, Wayne Rooney with the finish. We were pilling on the pressure just before half time, I didn't want the whistle to go, Lozano leveled the score just before the break and I went crazy for it!

The second half was very nervy, United had a bundle of chances and they even hit the woodwork, Bony went close also hitting wood. I made some changes to try and win us the game but they couldn't do it for us. In to extra time and the tension was unbearable, Coquelin again got himself sent off in a massive game, I was fuming!

United with the man advantage again had chances but they wasted them. It went to penalties and I literally didn't want to watch, I can't watch my team take penalties in real life and this was almost the same. I had my list and my heart was racing. Sigurosson was first up, he smashed it hard and low, in to the right corner, Januzaj levelled the score with a perfect placed penalty.

At 3-3, Bertrand stepped up and nearly took the net out with a pile driver of a penalty. Hamsik was up for United, he hammered it to the left of the goal but Cillessen guessed right and saved!!! Of all the people to be taking it, it's young 18 year old David Haughton, I was going to have a heart attack, he took his run up... AND SCORES!!! What a brilliant penalty, sending De Gea the wrong way.

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We've just won the Champions League with Swansea! It's unbelievable! We could quite easily have lost, United had the chances and overall were the better team but we don't care about that, we did it!!!

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What a special way to end the season, yes we didn't win the league, United beat us to that but what about winning a Champions League to end the season on a high, incredible scenes. Next time we'll take a look back at the season, awards, stats and trophies, there's also transfers to think about, how much did we get? Who's leaving and who's on the way in?

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you certainly seem to have more than your fair share of luck with your style/tactics. but well done mate
 
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One final look at the league table makes me wonder how we didn't win the league, to take 92 points and not win it is ridiculous, we only lost two games all season. We'll just have to go one better next season! As for the rest of the table, fairly predictable finishes in the end, the surprise package was probably ourselves, we were predicted a fifth placed finish, despite finishing 2nd and 3rd in our last two seasons.

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Cillessen won the Golden Glove award this year, his reputation grows as one of the best goalkeepers around. On a personal level, I picked up the Manager of the Year award for the second year running and rightly so, it's been a brilliant league campaign with the Swans.

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Three Swansea men in the PFA Team of the Year, Cillessen, Bartley and Belhenda all had top quality seasons. No fewer than seven United players in the side, which might be some sort of record.

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Belhenda also made it in to the Champions League Dream Team, what a season he had in Swansea!

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Not much to talk about on the Swansea front with player stats this year, Cillessen of course won the Golden Glove and Bartley ranked 5th in the average ratings chart but that was about it.

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Big shock in the FA Cup as championship side Leicester lifted the trophy and to my frustration they had an easy run to the final knocking out Stoke on the way, that could've been easy silverware if we'd beat Stoke all them months ago.

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Overall Swansea player stats and another great year for most of the lads at Swansea, it was typical Peruzzi finishing with the highest average rating, despite a slow start to the season. Bartley chipped in with no fewer then seven goals from centre back and it was refreshing to see the team get so many goals from every area of the position.

I was incredibly impressed with Alli this season, he was extremely consistent and if he can chip in with a few more goals and assists, we've got one **** of a player there. Brilliant debut seasons for Lozano and Haughton, who really stepped up in the absence of Shelvey, Jonjo did pick up his form towards the back end of the season but I'm not sure what to do with him at the moment.

McAleny and Ajer both had poor seasons and their future is in doubt, the only player I know that will definitely be leaving is Jon Flanagan. He's struggled to settle in at Swansea and he's been complaining about football for months now. I let him have a run in the team in February and he didn't cut it, Peruzzi come in and performed so much better, Jon won't be happy sitting on the bench so I promised him he can leave, he has to go.​

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​Next time there's some predictable departures in Swansea with some huge names coming in, the board are letting us splash the cash, as you can see they've given us plenty of money to spend and oh we spent it. Find out what happened over a very busy summer at Swansea City, in the next update.

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The fans choose Dele Alli as their Player of the Year, I can see why he won it, this has been his breakout season and at just twenty one, there's big things ahead for this lad. My choice would've been Kyle Bartley, I've seen flashes of Alli's potential but Bartley surprised me this season and for that he deserves more recognition.

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We've moved from 12th to 9th place in the Club rich list, we're now ranked right up there amongst the top clubs and in to the top 10. We stormed up the European Rankings moving up from 55th to 28th, however we'll most likely be third seeds come the draw for the Champions League group stages, which could give us a tricky group.

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No surprise as Wilfried Bony is named our best shirt seller with 60k overall shirt sales over the last year, up from last years 35k. Our youth recruitment was yet again improved upon and perhaps the best news this summer, we've cleared our debts, providing we keep on winning trophies and performing in the league, their should be plenty of money coming in from now on.

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I tried to convince my back up keeper, Eduardo to stay on and not retire but he wanted to go, you'll see who we brought in to replace him in the next update. Finally Bony signed a new five year deal with the club, some of you might remember the non-negiotable clause his agent wouldn't budge on, matching the highest earner at the club. So i gave him a pay rise to get rid of that stupid clause because there's a massive signing coming on in 140k per week. Find out who it is in the next update.

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Brilliant on the Champions League win mate!!!!unlucky with the league but hopefully you can do it next season!
 
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