Swansea City

The odds were stacked against Swansea City in their matchup with Fulham, but the team pulled out a 2-1 victory and the resiliency it showed is an excellent sign of the club’s chances in the second half of the season. 

The Swans took the field on Saturday at Craven Cottage without their most dangerous attacker after Michu hurt his ankle in a mid-week matchup with Reading. The team’s inability to score against Reading—the Premier League’s second-worst defensive team—was also weighing down its spirits. 

Given the circumstances, this was an extremely difficult match for the Welsh side, and it earned a victory in a gritty performance.

The team also received a little luck. With first-choice goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer unavailable due to injury, Fulham turned to David Stockdale, who turned into a disaster. 

Swansea’s first goal featured an impressive finish from Danny Graham, but he never should have had an opportunity. Stockdale made a mess of a low shot from Nathan Dyer, and Graham was there to take full advantage of the mistake in the 19th minute.

Stockdale made another crucial error at the beginning of the second half with a shockingly poor clearance. This gave Swansea possession in a threatening area, and Jonathan De Guzman coolly place the ball in the far corner of the net from a shot just outside the penalty area.

This was a different type of victory for the Swans. Michael Laudrup has continued to implement Brendan Rodgers’ possession-based tactics with the team, and the Swans have controlled the ball for an average of 54.6 percent of their matches.

But against Fulham, they had possession for just 41 percent of the contest. The team showed the ability to sit back and defend effectively while capitalizing on its opportunities on the other end.

All four back-line players turned quality performances. Ashley Williams led the effort and continued his excellent campaign at centre-back. 

On the other end, the attackers were tremendously efficient. Swansea only generated 10 shots, put seven of them on target, and of course, two in the back of the net. 

In comparison, the Cottagers managed to take 23 shots while only putting six on target.

The victory kept Swansea in the top half of the table, and if it wishes to stay there and possibly challenge for a Europa League spot, it will need more performances like this going forward.

Players inevitably pick up injuries over the course of the season, and this will not be the last time that the club has to cope with the absence of a key player. Now that winter has arrived, there will also be plenty of matches in poor weather.

It is also unrealistic to expect the squad to be in top form for the remainder of the season, and there will be more matches in which a confluence of factors is working against the team. 

But picking up points in these games is crucial to success in the Premier League, and if Swansea to continue defend well and be efficient in front of goal in similar scenarios in the future, it will have an impressive 2012-13 campaign. 

Swansea City must target Barcelona forward David Villa in the January transfer window because the Premier League club should be able to offer him plenty of playing time and the opportunity to play alongside several other talented young Spanish players.

Working in Swansea's favor is the fact that their manager, Michael Laudrup, was a great player at Barcelona and has probably seen Villa play several times. He would be able to find ways for Villa to excel in a number of roles if the 31-year-old ever came to England.

A quick look at the Premier League table shows that Swansea are only six points away from fourth-place Arsenal.

A spot in the Champions League is a real possibility for Swansea, and if the club can add one or two quality players in next month's transfer window, a late-season run toward a top-four finish will certainly be possible. The club's recent draw with Manchester United proved it could compete with the league's best.

Villa would give the Swansea attack another goal scorer and playmaker that can create scoring chances for himself and his teammates.

Young Spanish striker Michu leads Swansea and the Premier League with 13 league goals, but no other player in the squad has more than four. Only five Swansea players have scored more than one league goal thus far.

It's clear that the club could use some attacking reinforcements, and this has been evident in Swansea's last two league matches against Tottenham and Manchester United.

Swansea scored just one goal in each match, and to take all three points from clubs of that caliber, Laudrup needs another world-class forward. In fact, since the month of November started, Swansea has scored more than two goals in a single match just twice.

Michu, Pablo Hernandez and Villa would be a fantastic attacking trio for Swansea in the final half of the season, and making a transfer for a player of Villa's caliber would energize the club's fanbase tremendously.

Villa would receive plenty of playing time at Swansea and would also be able to play with several talented Spanish players.

Going to a major club such as Chelsea or Arsenal may give him a better chance for trophies, but Swansea City is the best fit for Villa at this stage of his career.

Swansea defender Ashley Williams will not face any punishment from the Football Association following his incident with Manchester United striker Robin van Persie in the English Premier League last weekend.

During his side's 1-1 draw against United on the weekend, Williams struck van Persie on the head with his attempted clearance from close range—sparking outrage from Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson about what the 28-year-old could have done to the Dutch international.

Commenting via BBC Sport, Ferguson angrily said that:

Robin van Persie is lucky to be alive. It was a disgraceful act from their player. He should be banned by the FA.

Robin could have had a broken neck. You can clearly see that he could have been killed. He should be banned for a long time because that was the most dangerous thing I've seen on a football field for many years.

It was absolutely deliberate. The whistle has gone, the game has stopped and he has done that right in front of the referee, he could have killed the lad. It was a disgraceful act by the player, he should be banned for a long time...

Williams, however, denied the matter following the match—stating via BBC Sport that the incident was completely accidental and that he had meant no harm.

Former Swansea City manager and now Wigan boss Roberto Martinez also vouched for the player's actions, stating that the defender is "not a nasty footballer" and that despite a "very nasty situation," he would have never tried to injure an opposing player deliberately (per The Guardian).

In light of the Swans trip to the Madejski Stadium to take on last-placed Reading on the weekend, the Football Association has ruled that there will be no further instigation into the actions of Williams and subsequent reaction from those involved. 

Per The Guardian:

The Football Association will not take action against the Swansea City defender Ashley Williams for kicking a ball at the head of Manchester United's Robin van Persie, who denied malicious intent [of the incident].

Williams will captain Swansea against Reading on Wednesday and has already moved on from the van Persie incident in his mind—commenting via The Daily Mirror on how serious his team's upcoming game against the Royals is.

In many ways, Reading is an even bigger game for us [than Manchester United]. We want to finish the first half of the Premier League campaign on a high, but they are desperate for points.

These are the games where teams look to take points off each other. It will be a tough ask—playing at Reading is always tough—and it's a long way for our fans to travel at Christmas, but I guess it's about as close as we're going to get to a local derby on Boxing Day...

Reading have lost seven straight league matches and sit dead last on the Premier League ladder and shouldn't be too much of a problem for Michael Laudrup's men.

But, as we've seen throughout the season already, nothing can be taken for granted and even the most straightforward of fixtures can finish up the other way.

Either way, it seems we can finally put the Williams-RVP incident behind us and concentrate once more on the football to take place this week.

That includes you, too, Sir Alex.

Should Ashley Williams have been suspended by the FA?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter:  Follow @dantalintyre

As Michu scored his 13th goal in what has been a terrific first six months in English football for him, I couldn't help thinking about his international prospects.

Normally, a player putting in these consistently excellent performances would be a certainty for an international call-up.

Unfortunately for Michu, the Spanish side that he is trying to break into is widely regarded as the best international team in the history of the game, as they have won three tournaments in a row. They have an embarrassment of riches both in midfield and up front, which is the position in which Michu specialises.

After scoring yet another goal against Manchester United, it is about time he gets the recognition he deserves, and Vicente Del Bosque can hardly fail to take notice.

The big question for Swansea with the January transfer window looming is whether they can hold on to the player who has made the biggest contribution to Michael Laudrup's smooth succession to Brendan Rodgers.

All the big clubs, both in Spain and England, will be looking at the player and wondering just how much money it will take to prise him away from his Welsh home. Swansea have proved that they will always drive a hard bargain, as proved with their protracted negotiations with Liverpool over the sale of Joe Allen in the summer.

It could take a bid upwards of £20 million to prise him away from the club, and there are only so many clubs who have the financial capability to pay that kind of money. Of all the clubs in England who would benefit from a player of his ability, Arsenal would be the most obvious destination. They need a player with his drive, physical presence and outstanding talent and eye for goal. Whether Arsene Wenger has the funds to pursue a bid for the player is another question, but if Michu ever does become available, there will be a long queue of clubs trying to secure his signature.

Swansea paid Rayo Vallecano £2 million for Michu this summer. Extracting the 26-year-old from Spain was a calculated risk, one that Tottenham and several other clubs chose not to pursue (ESPN), but it is looking like a masterstroke. 

Michu has been a revelation. He leads the Premier League scoring charts with 12 from 16 games and his goals have propelled Swansea to eighth in the table. Without them, Michael Laudrup's team would be just above the relegation zone.

Michu is not just deadly, he operates with deadly efficiency. His chance conversation rate of 25 percent (whoscored.com) is higher than those of Robin van Persie, Demba Ba and Luis Suarez, and Michu has scored from 12 of his 20 attempts on target in the Premier League this season. As Arsenal and Norwich will attest, he doesn't need asking twice.

The Spaniard has played himself into the transfer gossip columns. In the last few days, reports have linked Michu with January moves to Liverpool (Mirror) and Atletico Madrid (BBC). We can expect other clubs to be mentioned before the window opens, for the commodity of a proven goalscorer is the most valuable of all in football.

Besotted Swansea fans will already be fearing the worst, despite their new hero's loyal stance in a recent interview. Said Michu, as per the Daily Mail:

Right now I’m happy, playing almost every minute and I’m very happy. It is always nice that you get talked about with teams like Atletico Madrid, one of the largest in Spain, but now I am very happy in Swansea.

Laudrup won't want to lose his best player, but he recognizes a very big offer would be hard to turn down for Swansea (ITV). How big? Well, the Swans manager gave us an idea when he said Michu should be worth twice the £15 million Liverpool paid them for young midfielder Joe Allen in the summer.

Based on their respective contributions this campaign, he might have a point. 

"Joe went to Liverpool and you know more or less what they paid for him, but a guy who has scored many goals must be worth a lot more, so you work out the figures," Laudrup told reporters, before adding he thought an offer in that region unlikely.

That values Michu at £30 million, a mark up of 1,500 percent—or 15 times what Swansea paid for him—and would represent a £28 million profit in six months for the Welsh club. Not a bad piece of business.

If a buyer did stump up that kind of money, Michu would become one of the most profitable signing in Premier League history. Here's a look at some notable comparisons to illustrate Swansea's temptation to offload their talisman for the right price.

Only players who have been bought and sold are included here, ruling out homegrown talent such as Andy Carroll (Newcastle), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), David Beckham (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Everton) and Jack Rodwell (Everton). The transfer amounts should seen as estimates, mostly sourced from BBC reports.

•Based on the potential of a deal, citing Laudrup's £30 million valuation

The most striking thing is the speed of potential return for Swansea. Tottenham's £19.1 million profit on Dimitar Berbatov took just two years to bring home. Swansea could make more than that in a quarter of the time—and without paying Michu's wages for as long.

But would it really make financial sense for them to sell? When you consider Swansea's very existence in the Premier League may end up relying on Michu's goals this season, there's an argument he's worth at least £28 million for keeping them up—especially when you factor in the new TV deal set to kick in.

Contractually, Swansea are in a strong position.

Michu signed a three-year deal in July. He was lured to Swansea by the presence of Laudrup, who he admires and says has them playing like Barcelona. Michu came not being able to speak English and with no experience of playing outside his native Spain, yet his footballing intelligence has transcended both language barriers

Playing in behind Swansea's main striker, Michu has found a niche that he seems fully equipped to exploit. He's strong in the air, makes great runs and has a technique that lends itself perfectly to Laudrup's purist philosophies at Swansea.

"Fortunately, I trust my first touch, which lets me take advantage of many situations," he told reporters in September. "Of course, playing for a team like Swansea helps me a lot; we like to keep possession."

The big question now, is whether Swansea can keep possession of Michu.

The Premier League season may only be three-and-a-half months old, but the folks in South Wales have already experienced more thrilling highs and crushing lows than the average football fan does in a full term.

Swansea City were very much Britain's in-vogue club for a short spell in August—the trendy kids on the block who seemed to have fused a sexy style of playing with a winning efficiency.

Managed by the legendary ex-player and real gentleman Michael Laudrup, the Swans' first two league games saw them outscore opponents QPR and West Ham by eight goals to none.

Summer signings Michu and Chico, bought for a collective £4.4 million, were already beginning to look like two of the bargains of the century.

Laudrup was also getting the best out of established Swansea players like Nathan Dyer, Leon Britton and Neil Taylor.

The Dane quickly earned the reputation of a player's coach—upon signing, loanee Jonathan de Guzman spoke of his previous experiences working under him as the key reason for his move to Wales.

Veteran defender Alan Tate revealed to TalkSPORT in August that Laudrup was the "best player in training."

His description of the manager's methods was, "more laid back. He gets his point across quietly and he's got respect because of how he was as a player."

On the sidelines the man seemed to exhibit an inner confidence and calm during games—no histrionics, no drama—he seemed to suit Britain's top league to a tee, an antidote to the Tony Pulises and Andre Villas-Boases of the game.

But three weeks after Swansea's first loss of the season—a 2-0 defeat at Villa Park—reports began to emerge that all was not well behind the scenes.

On October 10, the Daily Mail ran with a story that claimed that a cadre of the club's players were on the brink of rebellion:

Swansea players have been angered by Laudrup's demands for a change to their tactical approach and are reluctant to adopt his methods.

Jenkins is also considering complaints from players that Laudrup's training methods are not as advanced as those of the previous coach, Brendan Rodgers.

For naysayers, the Dane's unsuccessful stint at La Liga side Mallorca was referenced as reason for his impending doom in Wales.

An old report from local Spanish paper Diario de Mallorca was dredged up that claimed that he never had much influence over his players, couldn't motivate them and was tactically incapable of getting the team to play good defensive football (h/t The Daisy Cutter).

A far cry from de Guzman's comments—the two having worked together on the Balearic island.

Though there were voices from within the Liberty Stadium that dismissed such claims, it was impossible to deny that the club was in turmoil.

Since winning their first two games of the season, Laudrup's side only managed to pick up five league points from a possible 21 through September and October.

The team's tactics seemed to change as well.

No longer was the team playing stylish, free-flowing passing, but looked laboured in their attacking intent without the same energy and enthusiasm.

Deadline day signings Ki Sung-yueng and Pablo Hernandez were taking time to settle in, while the players who had previously made all the difference found themselves rotated in and out of the team and in unfamiliar positions when they did play.

Laudrup seemed to be struggling to decide on one definitive starting lineup, as well as lacking a clear plan tactically.

When Michu did play during this period, he was often dropped back into more of a marauding box-to-box midfielder behind an advanced Hernandez.

Danny Graham—a man born to play up front, was shifted out to the wing against Stoke City and unsurprisingly failed miserably in the position.

Then came a trip to Anfield in the League Cup and, for the majority of Swansea's players, a reunion with former boss Rodgers.

Liverpool were in the midst of a slump of their own at the time—a game that saw two teams on a slippery slope downwards collide.

Swansea won 3-1 on the day and haven't looked back since.

Battling draws with Chelsea and Southampton followed, then a win away at Newcastle, a Premier League point earned against Liverpool and a victory over fellow upstarts West Bromwich Albion.

This past weekend two late Michu goals (once again playing in the role that typifies the number 9 on the back of his shirt) gave the Swans a remarkable victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Through the delirious celebrations, there was an air of relief etched across many of the players' faces as the Spanish forward sealed the win in stoppage time.

For a team that appears capable of reaching thrilling heights, but also of suffering crushing lows, Saturday was very much a peak.

The team seems willing to graft again—to fight for points even when the passes aren't always hitting their targets.

A more consistent, structured tactical approach has led to a more succinct style of football—perhaps not as sexy as it once was, but one that will be far more effective over the course of a full term.

The team has thrived against some of the league's toughest opposition, and will certainly not be afraid of upcoming clashes with Tottenham Hostpur and Manchester United.

Oh, and Laudrup has got his team playing good defensive football too, something the Spanish press thought impossible.

Swansea have conceded only six goals in their last eight matches, keeping their opposition from scoring twice during a single game in that span.

They currently sit in seventh in the league standings, three points behind Chelsea in third, and four ahead of Liverpool in 11th.

Dark days may still lie ahead at the Liberty for Laudrup and his group of players. But the point is that they're now working together and picking up deserved points.

That's really all that matters.

What have you made of Swansea's recent return to form? Will it last?

Follow @MaxBentleyTowle

Saturday's English Premier League match between Swansea and Newcastle at St. James' Park featured one club who could not capitalize on their chances and one club who could.

The club who could, Swansea, came out of Tyneside with a 2-1 victory.

After a scoreless first half, the Swans broke the deadlock in the 58th minute as they took advantage of a mishap by Newcastle keeper Tim Krul.

Krul's clearance went right to the feet of Pablo Hernandez who directed the ball on to the head of Michu for the first goal of the match.

The goal was the seventh of the season for the summer signing and it was his first in four games for the club.

Swansea added to their host's misery in the 87th minute as Jonathan De Guzman took advantage of a rebound from a Danny Graham shot and scored from a nearly impossible angle to beat Krul, who was once again at fault for the goal.

Newcastle scored a goal late from the head of Demba Ba in stoppage time but it was too little, too late for a club that failed to capitalize on plenty of opportunities.

Ba had three chances on goal in the first half but he was unable to finish on any of them as he kept the visitors in the match.

The Senegalese forward was also involved in a few chances in the second half as well but he could not score until stoppage time.

It was clear that the Magpies were missing the presence of Papiss Cisse, who was not allowed to start because of a conflict between the club and the Senegalese FA after Cisse failed to report for international duty this week.

One player who did give a great effort for the hosts was Hatem Ben Arfa, who was involved in almost every attack but his teammates could not find the finishing touch when the midfielder provided them the ball.

Newcastle are now down to 12th place in the EPL table with 14 points as their disappointing season continues.

Swansea now sit in 10th place with 16 points as they head into a match against former manager Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool at home next Sunday.

At the beginning of the EPL season, Swansea City were an unknown quantity with new manager Michael Laudrup, who had never managed in England during his career, and new signings that were brought in from Spain like Michu, Chico Flores and Pablo Hernandez.

The Swans surprised everyone, maybe even themselves as well, with a brilliant start to the season as they scored eight goals in their first two matches and were on top of the EPL table for a brief spell.

Since that somewhat miraculous hot start to the season, the Swans have hit a cold streak of form with just five points from their last seven matches.

Although the Welsh club have cooled off since their hot start in August, they are riding a small wave of momentum heading into Saturday's home match at the Liberty Stadium with league leaders Chelsea.

Laudrup and company beat Wigan in the EPL two weeks ago and were only beaten 1-0 by Manchester City last weekend on the road.

On Wednesday, the club went into Anfield and defeated former manager Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool, 3-1, in the Capital One Cup to advance to the quarterfinals of the competition.

With three positive results in their past three matches, is it right to think that the Swans would be able to upset Chelsea on Saturday?

The quick response to that question would be no based on the dominance that Chelsea have had all season in the EPL, with the exception of their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United last weekend.

However, Swansea have been a good club at their home ground, they earned 31 of their 47 points last season at the Liberty Stadium.

This season has been no different with the Swans recording the majority of their points at home so far this season with eight of their 11 being earned in Wales.

But, their opponents on Saturday have been great both at home and on the road this season, which why Chelsea are the leaders of the EPL after nine matches.

In four road matches this season, the Blues have managed to earn 10 of the available 12 points, with the only slip up being a goal less draw with QPR.

Roberto di Matteo's club have had a few bumps in the road in the past few weeks with losses to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and Manchester United in the EPL.

However, Swansea is nowhere close in comparison to Shakhtar or United and are also without their best player in keeper Michel Vorm, who is out with a groin injury that he suffered last weekend against Manchester City.

The Swans still do have a slight chance of beating the league leaders at home but it is not likely given the fact that their top player is out for a considerable amount of time and Chelsea are a much better squad at the moment.

There is no doubt that there will quality players on both side of the Liberty Stadium pitch on Saturday, but Chelsea have a few more than Swansea do and that will be the difference in the match.

On paper, it seems like Chelsea has a significant advantage over Swansea City, but apparently nobody told that to Ki Sung-Yueng. The Swansea midfielder has said he's "not afraid" of Chelsea and thinks they can take down Robert Di Matteo's squad.

Chelsea currently sits atop the Premier League table with 22 points. Swansea has half as many points as Chelsea, 11, are is stuck in 11th place. 

Where: Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales

When: Saturday, November 3rd, 11 a.m. EST

TV/Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go 

Chelsea comes into this game knowing it is a must-win. While Swansea is a solid squad, they are an opponent that Chelsea has to beat, especially at this stage in the season, with Manchester United and Manchester City each trailing by a mere point.

If Chelsea relinquishes their first-place position, it may be difficult to get it back, especially if they move down to third.

They will count on Juan Mata and Fernando Torres, both of whom have scored four goals in the Premier League this season, to continue leading them on offense.

But this match will come down to the two goalkeepers. Petr Cech has been outstanding for Chelsea, conceding just nine goals and saving 31 shots in his nine starts.

His opponent in net would normally be Michel Vorm, but Vorm went down with a groin injury and will be replaced by Gerhard Tremmel, who is ready for his chance.

Last Saturday, in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Man City, Tremmel came in with about 30 minutes remaining, and he is prepared to lead Swansea over the next eight weeks.

Vorm had been spectacular, but was hurt diving to save Carlos Tevez's game-winning shot in the 61st minute. 

Before seeing Chelsea on Saturday, the Swans have a Capital One Cup match against Liverpool at Anfield, so Tremmel will get a little bit of preparation.

Swansea looked stingy against Manchester City last Saturday, and will hope to build on that momentum against Liverpool, so they should come out in great form against Chelsea.

Swansea also enjoys home-field advantage against Chelsea, but I don't think that'll be enough to hold off the European champions.

Prediction: Chelsea 3 Swansea City 1