[jjamez]

 

So, just when you think we've seen enough snow for one year, we get another set, and hey presto the whole country looses its mind.

now thankfully, those that are paid to stick their head out of the window have guessed that it is done for now, so hopefully we wont have a snow affected game on saturday. mind you, the under soil heating will help matters, so it all balls down to the ground staff getting on with their job and preparing a decent pitch. In other good news, the egg chasers are away so that shouldnt knacker the pitch up too much.



So onto the game, and what a big game it is, mind you, they all are now, but any game against a team that are on and around where you are in the league is a big game. A few month ago, swansea seemed to be cut adrift along with west brom and crystl palace, whilst  town were steadily dropping but a good start to the season gave town that little cushion. fast forward to the present day and swansea have had a change in fortune. they sacked off professional number two Paul Clement and replaced him with failing sheffield wednesday manager Carlos Carvahal. A decision that was questioned at the start has for now turned out to be rather inspired. He has managed to get the side breaking free from the relegation chains, as well as getting them further in the fa cup, albeit by a replay. The team he left continued their slump, probably hinting that it was not he that was the problem but those elsewhere in the club.

Since he joined the swans on the 28th of decemeber, they have become a more solid outfit, with the swans winning his first game in charge against watford. January saw them be resolute, losing once to tottenham but coming out with wins against liverpool and arsenal. February was also a solid month with only one defeat coming at the hands of brighton, they did however only register one win in the month against burnley. There was plenty of fa cup action too, dont think i've ever seen so many replays. This month is still very early, but it began in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win over west ham, with 4 different scorers get on the scoresheet in the process.

now the reason for the upturn in form is hard to pin point as there hasnt been a mass overhaul of the squad as such, with andre ayew and andy king joining on deadline day with minimal other deals, so would it be the mad man carvahal himself? possibly, as has been said, they have become a more solid outfit, which has probably helped with the results picking up. Clement has always seemed to try and over pass the ball too much with his sides, and the swansea side didnt seem to be either able to do it or willing to do it, which ultimately cost him his job. so a return to more basic tactics probably came as a bit of a refreshment for the players.



Now Carvahal seems to be able to get his side to defend manfully against footballing sides, whilst often hitting on the break. We've had a bit of experience of this during his time at wednesday, with wagner not being on the favourable end of a result in normal time, now extra time and penalties is a different story...  



So saturday could be a bit more chess like, although i still believe that town will attack much like they did against bournemouth and manure, but i dont see swansea coming at us all that much, they may press early on but i would imagine that they will drop back into defensive block and wait until we over commit and hit on the break with a bit of pace, they may even play our arch nemesis tammy abraham seeing as he enjoys bagging a goal or two against us. But who knows what carvahal will do, sometimes you have to question whether he himself has much idea.

Whatever happens in the head of Carvahal?


Now obviously saturday will see town return to the john smiths stadium for the first time in a couple of weeks and we go into it on the back of an expected result down at wembley and you'd imagine the highly intellectual and clued up pundits will predict something like a 2-0 swansea win as town dont score many goals at home or some other bs. but we as fans will have wield them clacker thingys and smack them until they break and make it feel like the fortress that dw wants.

now for a bit of 'fun'  

numero uno- Which former player left town for swansea in 2007, scoring one goal in 19 appearances for the swans, having helped town to promotion a few years before?

dos- This midfielder had two spells at the swans, one on loan before joining permanently in 2007. He was one of stan ternant's first signings but left not long after lee clark took over?

tres- This canadian defender started his career at newcastle but joined the swans on loan from burnley, featuring in 5 games. The player joined town on loan from birmingham but failed to set the world alight, coming across as a jack of all trades, master of none sort of player.

quattro- This player came on loan to town after they had been relegated to league one (then div 2) and nearly helped the side bounce straight back. He went on to join swansea from brighton and helped the swans reach the playoffs before leaving for mk dons.

errmm five- This individual had a fairly nondescript playing career, playing as a midfielder for the likes of scunthorpe, donny and swansea, before retiring into a backroom roles at clubs like huddersfield, swansea, celtic and crystal palace.

six- this player featured for town after joining from nottingham forest via bristol rovers. left to join swansea and played a part in their progress in the late 80's and early 90's. he has since retired and has managed teams like hednesford and boston, and has been an assistant at clubs like leeds, mansfield and crawley amongst others.

sevaaaan- this midfielder joined town from bradford in the mid 90's before leaving to join oldham in 97 after playing 77 games. he played a year at swansea as his career petered out, playing 20 games before eventually retiring and becoming afan lido manager in 2012.

acht- this defender started his career at swansea, after joining from cardiff. he joined town on loan under mark robins and made a handful of appearances. he switched back to cardiff in 2016 after having a spell at fulham.

neuf- this right back was a trainee at town and turned professional in 1986, he featured for teams like hull and swansea before retiring

dix- nothing to do with town, but he likes dvds...

lastly- this welshman played for and managed the likes of leeds and bradford and also acted as a player and player manager for swansea. he later joined town as assistant manager and returned for a second spell because he liked it so much. he now avoids the footballing lime light

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, jjamez.

Sevaaaan - Paul Reid

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Lastly - Taffy Yorath

[jjamez]

Two correct there for you snoots

[WakeyTerrier]

2- Mikcky Flynn
4-Leon Knight
6-Paul Raynor
7-couldn't remember his name but signed with Sinnott just before Xmas
8- Bloody right back/left back, can't remember his name either.
9- Graham Mitchell
11- Old Drink Driver himself...Tezza Yorath

[Lord Snooty]

Tres - David Edgar

[theo_luddite]

I'm not sure I'm supposed to answer in broken Spanish, German, French, Black Coontray (am I allowed to write it like that?) or Yorksha. So I can't be bothered translating into all or any of those.
Apart from that I can only remember my own name because my mum insisted on writing it in my undies, and everything else I wore to stop the other kids nicking them (why they'd want to is beyond me) in games lessons at 'Grammar' school. I'd struggle to remember the 11 that started last week at Spurs without Googling it, and that's not the spirit of these things is it? (Other browsers are available and can be more fun).
There's 'appen good chance of a Taff, Dai, maybe a Iwan or Emyr (maybe, maybe not) in there. Don't see any that relate to that fine upstanding Welsh Winger Dick Krzywicki though. Cracking Welsh name that if ever I saw one, but he didn't play for, Coach or Manage Swansea that I recall so that probably explains why.

Apart from that, who are we playing this weekend? Oh yes, The Saucepan Bashers. 3 points Wagbo, no messing around this weekend please. Seen enough of that on my travels this season as I wander round from pub to pub.

Fine effort jjamez by the way.

[Lord Snooty]

Is no8 Jazz Richards?

[jjamez]

2- Mikcky Flynn
4-Leon Knight
6-Paul Raynor
7-couldn't remember his name but signed with Sinnott just before Xmas
8- Bloody right back/left back, can't remember his name either.
9- Graham Mitchell
11- Old Drink Driver himself...Tezza Yorath

Flynn wrong
Knight right
Raynor correct
Mitchell wrong
Yorath right

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Correct on richards snootsy

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As fer you theo....

Read it in any language you like

[theo_luddite]

[Lord Snooty]

1. Pawel Abbott
2. No idea!
3. David Edgar
5. No idea!
7. Paul Reid
8. Jazz Richards
9. Simon Trevitt
10. Garry Monk