We take a look at Swansea’s prospects leading up to the new Premier League season.
Manager: Michael Laudrup
Stadium: Liberty Stadium – 20,532
Nickname: The Swans
2011/12 League Position: 11th
Summer Signings
Chico – Genoa – £2m
Michu – Rayo Vallecano – £2m
Jonathan de Guzman – Villarreal – Loan
Key Players
Danny Graham – Following Sigurdsson’s departure, the goal scoring burden now rests heavily on the shoulders of Danny Graham.
Michel Vorm – The Dutch keeper singlehandedly won games for Swansea last season.
Michu – Losing Sigurdsson was a big blow for the Swans, but Michu’s goal record speaks for itself. 15 goals in the La Liga is certainly impressive, he’ll be looking for a repeat performance this year.
Likely Line-Up
Team Tactics
- Laudrup should stick to the 4-2-3-1 that worked so well for Swansea last season.
- Britton is vital to the Swans passing game, while Dyer and Sinclair are quick and direct out wide.
- New boy Michu should replace Sigurdsson in the role behind the striker.
Opening Fixtures
August 18th QPR (A), 25th West Ham (H), September 1st Sunderland (H), 15th Aston Villa (A), 22nd Everton (H), 29th Stoke (A)
Verdict
The big question ahead of the new season is whether Michael Laudrup can work the miracles ex-boss Brendan Rodgers did at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea fans will also be hoping that Muchu can replace Sigurdsson’s goal contribution that we witnessed so often last season.
It’ll be a tough season for Swansea, but I think they’ll do really well! 10th