Rocky Mountain High.

Rocky Mountain High.

........although we did come down to earth a little.

The pre-game Presser at the Swans first conference in the States had included an interesting Q&A from both Michael Laudrup  and Gary Monk .

Both performed honestly, confirming the fact that in our new Manager and the on-going Club Captain we have admirable professionals who bring an enlightened and open aspect to the rote relief of disseminating information to us, the fans. This is good in itself, and as GM illustrates, it contrasts to being a "million miles from where we've been." Fine stuff, from both.

That the fixture took part at the Dick's Sporting Arena, situated just 12m from the appalling and tragic events of the Aurora shootings was painful in the extreme, and both Swansea City and the Colorado Rapids wore black armbands in respect.

Prior to the Club jetting out to the States, excellent news was posted in relation to a concrete commitment to develop a Training Centre at Fairwood, in conjunction with Swansea University.       

Great news indeed, developed in conjunction with the upgrade at Landore.

Exciting times, and Gary Monk's pertinent contrast to 10 yrs ago nails it, particularly when he talks about the journey we're still on. ("Puffs chest out whilst throwing salt into Satan's Karmic eye over the left shoulder").

A word here, too, for our very own Local Hero, our estimable Chairman Huw Jenkins, who obviously co-ordinated the Club's dignified and pertinent statement re the Joe Allen farrago. No more need be said than this.

The only comment I'll make is this - if Joe Allen is a "limited player" (as I've read and heard on more stunted outlets) - how come he gets to start ahead of Aaron Ramsey and other Midfield luminaries for Team GB in their first game tonight. Stuart Pearce, like others before him, has seen the quality. Get your cheque books out all you wanters. He's ours till you cough up the readies.

As for the first game on Tour, it ended as we know in a 2-1 defeat, but contained a wonderful free-kick goal from Jonathan de Guzman, which promised to continue the threat that Gylfi Sigurdsson gave us last year. Encouraging, to say the least. get a full report from the OS here.

The Team moves on now to the sunnier climes of California, to take on Lower US League side the Ventura County Fusion, before moving on the West Coast to play their last fixture against the San Jose Earthquakes.

So, in a more general sense, where do we go from here?

Well, the first thing to stipulate is that we're on the right track. Let's be realistic - the years have gone by when we went on a Pre-Season tour either locally, or nearby in Continental Europe. As a member of the Premier League, we're nowadays a good deal more attractive opponent in the International Market, and long may this be so.

Similarly, in the off season we've not only engaged a truly world class ex-player and prominently engaging Manager in ML's replacement of BR, but we've only signed 3 players who all have PL Class stamped upon them by their previous progress. You must agree, it's a pretty good start to the year.

Here's the bonus.

Take a look at the Olympic Football Tournament for men, because it's a cracking advert for top-class young players. A veritable feast of quality and opportunity. Bet your life that our Scouts (and others) are watching it too.

Subsequent to our USA Trip, pleasing Home fixtures are set up against FC Stuttgart on the 11th August    and Blackpool, previously,  on the 7th August, a particularly pleasing contrast between the Bundesliga's prominent Club, and Ian Holloway's near-missers from the Championship, built very much on our model.

Our opening PL fixtures , of course, see us sent to the West London Millionaires for our first up, before we get to come back to the Lib to welcome Sam Allardyce's equally recent arrivistes, who, I may add, are still arguing internally about their "style". Nonetheless, it would be unfair to include either of the joint Chairmen, David Gold and David Sullivan in this curfuffle, as both they and Karen Brady are more likely to be counting the Shekels having "arrived".

Am I being overly cynical? I don't think so, since WHU's outlook on life in the PL is so very very different from ours, "Legacy", and the Olympic Stadium included. I suspect you'll forgive me for a little cynicism there.

It leads nicely on to our recognition and advantage of being a member of this global elite.

I've written previously of the necessity to secure long term fruition and advancement of our current situation, and both Landore and Fairwood, along with Stadium expansion are testament to that. As I've said before- kudos to the Board.

This Season, above all others, it is absolutely vital that we remain where we are.

On that basis this American Tour will at least give ML a chance to assess his squad in detail, and also to plan any additions and releases he deems necessary. From a personal viewpoint, I would love to see an addition of further attacking, scoring talent, and I don't doubt from ML's quotes that he has his eye on anything less.

Having laid off earlier from an in-depth appreciation of where the Joe Allen deal lies, I will say this. £15m, if it's that (and it should be), buys us a certain amount of influence, to do what we want.

I am minded to trust our Manager and Chairman.

As I hinted earlier, retention of our PL Status will not only be pleasant and enjoyable, if it matches last year it'll be fantastic. Most of us Swans will have had a tremendous experience where we saw our Club surpass it's previous, admirable, efforts. To think we could do it again is both frightening and encouraging. Plus, the rewards are not only personal and pleasurable - they are quintessentially key.

This is about survival, this is about progress, this is why Football matters.

Onward, Swansea City
##
My best regards and support to the Portsmouth FC Supporters Trust. They are trying to do for their Club what our wonderful Trust did for ours. Please support them in any way you can.

The Summer ramps up.

The return of our squad after their brief holidays is always a keynote moment for we Swans, and was complemented this season, of course, in their welcome by Michael Laudrup, our new Manager, and the rest of his staff.

As well as getting his first glimpse of his squad, and getting to know his playing staff, there is also the key element of adding (or not) to the base group. A key time all around, without question.

The first two signings were encouraging, adding Chico Flores and Jonathan de Guzman to the squad as arguably, direct, relacements for Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker.

Laudrup's initial appraisal has justifiably drawn pertinent interest, and it will be fascinating to see the outcome of this reported regard.

Today's acceptance by Rayo Vallecano for an agreement to transfer Miguel Perez Cuesta,"Michu", to the Club was a genuine "buzz-out" moment. Subject to personal terms agreement, this could prove the key signing of the summer.

Since then, of course, the signing is confirmed, so Welcome to Wales, Michu.

These signings are in advance of our previous efforts. Over the last few years , we Swans have been privy to a progression of better and better footballers, all designed to (succesfully, mainly) progress our club.

The change has come in the level of achievement.

We're a mere newcomer to the Premier League, but it would be unfair to say that our last couple of seasons have been anything other than sensational.

The degree to which we're successful this year is likely to influence a great deal more than just Swansea City fans.

Think on this.

In a division in which the majority of British Football fans still think it's important to have a Sugar-Daddy type ownership (think Nottm Forest very recently) where all will be solved by an injection of capital, the way that our Club operates is different. Some would say better, but I'd better be somewhat less smug for Karmic reasons alone. (sic)

The Board's approach over the recent few years has been exemplary. Think about it. Never once have we been indebted to circumstance, either individually or collectively, and each and every signing has made both football and commercial sense.

It's the way that a modern Football Club has to operate - with a view both to the incumbent present and the need for success balanced against the long term viability of the Organisation - and it's a trick achieved by very few in the modern age.

The key, as always, is the field of play.

We of the JackArmy have been both privileged and blessed in the recent past. Subsequent to our flirtation with oblivion in 2002, is it mere coincidence that financial probity allied with on-field skill has resulted in Cty's propulsion into the so called "best League in the World"?

 I don't think so.

The evidence shows that on each year since their flirtation with non-existence, the Swans have progressed.

Argument continues as to which Manager set them on the current stream of crowd pleasing football and it's difficult to suggest other than Roberto Martinez, who, when he took over in 2006, made a recognisable on-field difference.

Say what you like, what is unarguable is that Martinez's on-field transformation was more than noticeable to us Jacks.

Here was a team that played 4-3-3 when 4-4-2 was the norm (not always successfully) but at least played the game differently. We began to realise that to have possession was an end in itself - since it meant simplistically that when we had the ball the opposition couldn't score. It took some time, but people got on board.

If Tabloid journalism of the sensationalist sort got a broadcast voice it would certainly end up as talkSPORT, sensible British Sport's perpetual curse, but eternal addiction.

This is a station where the 24 st Alan Brazil, a footballer from a former age, criticizes the modern Andy Carroll for his "lifestyle". Yes, I know. Where Adrian Durham (a Journalist? ) and Darren Gough ( an ex-cricketer and TV Reality dance star) criticise Arsene Wenger for not signing RvP to a long term contract.

You couldn't make it up, really.

I highlight this outlet for a reason - in the modern age, PL football is a 24/7 reality, and the web just adds to this.

So this week sees our Club jet off to the USA for it's pre-season tour with games against the Colorado Rapids, and the San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS lined up, cushioned by a match against the League lower  Club, the Ventura County Fusion.

It's not insignificant to comment that the upper echelon quality of the Club's pre-season schedule is in advance of  previous years (without being excessive) and simply reflects our nowadays stature as a PL Club.

Partly true, I think, but I prefer to view it as another example of the well-paced development of the whole : aptly and precisely monitored by our excellent Chairman, Manager and Board. Kudos, to them all.

There has been a great deal of speculation about our top class Midfielder, Joey Allen. Btw, if you're interested when he came across my radar, get it here.

Whatever the outcome, there's no doubt that this is a young player who's shown that he's ready to play at any level. Currently a member of Team GB's Olympic Squad, we may not have seen the best of him in the friendly 2-0 defeat against Brazil, but hey, that could have been said for most of the GB Team.

Rumours persist that both Brendan, and Liverpool, are keen. Let's be realistic. When an Iconic Club comes to call, as we saw with BR, it's hard for the lesser party to resist, either individually or collectively.

That doesn't mean, however, that it's a done deal. As HJ showed in the BR changeover, if you want the best you have to pay. I've seen Joey compared to Jordan Henderson -  fine player that he is -  and who LFC paid £18m to Sunderland for : a not-quite-yet-successful transfer.

I think we can all agree that they paid an inflated fee, and prices nowadays are more realistic, but £15m seems to me to be the minimum we can expect to receive, and then he goes with both my blessing and best wishes.

Now's the time to remind all of us of the loss of Ferrie Bodde to a freak injury. Take some time to think what could have been, and then send your best regards to Ferrie. Huge, huge, RESPECT.

Last Saturday the team played it's first pre-season friendly locally at Port Talbot Town, and ML came away with his first win as the Swansea City Manager from a 5-0 besting. Get a report of the game here.

These are fantastic times for we JackArmy members (officially and not), and I look forward to providing regular updates as the side "does" America and the new Season gets closer and closer.

Doncha' just LOVE being a Jack?

Onward, Swansea City.

Guaranteed to keep us all awake.

We Swansea City fans have learned from both bitter and sweet experience that when the Season closes, and we all get a Summer Holiday, at our Club it leans toward a different pattern.

This Summer we've at least had the benefit of the Euro 2012 Finals, and Spain's victory over an ever valiant Italy brought to a close a genuinely decent Tournament.

For us, unsurprisingly, there were a lot more things going on.

Just 3 years ago, please think back, we had finished a creditable 7th in the Coca Cola Championship, after suffering (?) a season in which Paulo Sousa had made us defensively resilient for sure, but maybe at the expense of a little of the free flowing football first introduced by Roberto Martinez.

Just 18 months previously, of course, we'd had to suffer the Summer snaffling of RM from us to the Cloob of his dreams, Wigan Athletic AFC, and Sousa had been introduced to a trumpeting of  "Class player, Continental, good contacts" etc., only for truth to pervade the fortuitous expectation.

Then, when Huw Jenkins pulled another rabbit out of a hat, the excellent Brendan Rodgers took us that last half mile - into the PL via the Play-offs, and then proceeded to keep us there, playing, along the way, some of the most delightful Football on view in the PL last Season, ending with a deserved 11th in the Division placement.

So here we go, again.

Having Huw Jenkins pull yet another Managerial success story is not a nailed on certainly, but the appointment of Michael Laudrup is at the very least enlightened, and longer term may prove even more beneficial.

This week, the Players reported back for Training for the current season, and just 2 days into the Official start, we Swans can reflect further on the Club's careful and significant forward planning when the signings of both Jose Manuel "Chico" Flores from Genoa for E2.3m and Jonathan de Guzman from Villareal on a season-long loan (with a view to buy).

This saw us address immediately the significant loss of Gylfi Sigurdsson ( to Tottenham), and Steven Caulker (returning to the same) with a replacement of players of equal (and maybe better) quality.

To see our Club perform on this stage is truly enlightening.

If you doubt the quality of our two recent imports, I recommend a listen to the estimable Sid Lowe, the Guardian's Spanish Football expert who says of Flores  ".......at 2m  Euros, this could be the signing of the season".   

Meanwhile, Jonathan de Guzman, the Canadian born Dutch u-21 International promises to add the box to box flair and power of the recently departed and fondly remembered Ferrie Bodde, and the practical import of Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Welcome to Swansea City, both.

I've had a quiet couple of weeks, enjoying the Euro 2012 Championships in which Spain flourished, magnificently, I thought, but it's getting to that time of year when I'll be glad to get back to the reality of watching my team perform.

For us Swans, of course, the last few years have been nothing short of magnificent, culminating in our projection into the Premier League, and our proud and proffered status as not mere survivors, but competitors.

Can it be as good this season ?

Who knows, but what is immediately evident is that it won't be for lack of trying. One can never be certain in predicting the upcoming season, but the portends appear promising.

The official site posted this super report of the first day back at Training, which, for us fans is meat and drink. Have a read, take a look at the photos, and feel excited - we're in for another roller coaster ride and we wouldn't have it any different.

The fact that it's our second season in this most cruel of Leagues will see us have to repel a predictive volley of  Media scrutiny which will start with claims that we've been "found out" and have to battle the "Second Season Syndrome" headlines almost guaranteed already.

We can do no more as a Club but to continue to play our football in the fashion to which we've been privileged, and to again put enough points on the board that will see the more fickle of the national press take a more analytic and less condemning (I told you so) type line.

Ah, we can but hope.

Along with the two early signings of Flores and de Guzman which seem to address immediate needs, I suspect there's a few more tweaks to come, both in "clearing the register" of faithful but fading stalwarts, and an injection of quality in advance of quantity.

Consider this.

Does one Matt Jarvis of quality add equal to the release of a Fede Bessone, Scott Donnelly, Stephen Dobbie trio.

Personally, I think it does.

The U-21 nature of this year's Reserve League will mean a lot more game time for players like Darnell Situ, Rory Donnelly and Gwion Edwards - players who are likely, if successful, to form an important part of our future.

Coincidentally, it seems to me, that what I've read about ML's preference for retaining and playing a 2 for 1 position squad balanced by Youth and development from within seems like eminent good sense - it is, after all, the approach adopted by the very best - from Barcelona to Man City even - and just because we are a smaller unit doesn't mean we're constrained from adopting very best practise.

Dare to dream.

Further lovely news received over the Summer has been the Clubs' commitment to develop an infrastructure that embraces Youth and Internal development ( at RTB) along with a first class upgrade of First Team facilities at Fairwood etc. Those plans, allied with controlled and phased Stadium Development seems to me to be the right way to ensuring that there is a LEGACY to be delivered to us as fans of our excellent club that has both relevance and significant impact long term.

Put it this way, if you like, - it's the proper way to "do football", and knocks the shady moves of very many Clubs nationwide to ride their fans for all their worth.

Newton Heath to the Cayman Islands via the New York Stock Exchange ??????

Do me a favour.

So, an exciting year in prospect, and I say hand on heart that it's another Season I intend to enjoy on this fantastic journey.

I'm back up and running, and would love you to join on what will prove to be another eye-opener.

Fancy coming with me??

Be really pleased if you'd read the regular blogs, and hopefully get as much pleasure from our performances as I do.

See you soon,and..........

Onward, Swansea City. 

Pass Masters Scintillate.

1) Tiki-Taxidermy = Opposition gets stuffed.

2)Tiki-Taxi for the doubters.

3)Tiki-Taka delights, again.

Just occasionally, think Brazil 1970, England 3 v 6 Hungary  1953, the game of football transcends the ordinary and lapses into the fantastic mode.

Add to that , Spain at Euro 2012, because in this game the World Champions put to bed any argument to their being boring in a performance of sustained brilliance that brought them the Henri Delaunay trophy in a 4-0 besting of a talented Italian side, and should have silenced any critics that are foolish enough to question their style.

Del Bosque had been true to his belief - Spain started with Fabregas as the "false 9" and no putative striker on the pitch. Prandelli's Italy were almost stubborn in response - no changes for them.

As the game settled into a rhythm, what was immediately obvious was that the Spaniards were more than confident, knocking around a flurry of one and two touch passes that bordered on the outrageous - constantly threatening, immediately comfortable - it felt like they were showing what they are - supremely confident in their ability.

Italy were forced onto the back foot, frustrated to rely on breakaways to a policed Balotelli and Cassano, and often forced to suck up the response to those failed raids.

What was noticeable in this first half was the relevance of what they were doing - each and every first time lay-off almost inevitably led to a position controlled, or a chance created. The metronomic efficiency of the pass and move was not just strangling, but smothering Italy.

Coupled with that, the high fast press was forcing Andrea Pirlo, Italy's orchestrator, deeper and deeper, and no team scores or even threatens from 70m to the goal.

Spain's opener was an absolute vindication of Del Bosque's set up.

From an intense shuttling of short passes, Andres Iniesta played a sublime ball to Cesc Fabregas, overlapping outside on the right. He still had some work to do - his excellent first touch took him outside Chiellini, and a fantastic cut back saw the advancing David Silva head the cross into the top left corner. A truly stunning goal, which was still rising as it hit the top corner.

A word here on top class players lost to abroad.

Whilst we've assimilated the like of Silva into the PL, we've also lost some gems. For me, and  recognise this is personal, this is the best player ever who has gone elsewhere (abroad). Thierry Henry to Barca was a stunner, but Cesc following him out the door from a cosy Arsenal , cost Wenger, and us fans, far more.

 Don't forget, this is the Xavi Hernandez of the next 10 yrs. Cesc Fabregas is a player who plays with his head up - one who will stop the ball and watch his opponent slide past, to terrific effect.

I don't need to tell you about the specifics of the game, simply get the highlights here and watch it again. It's worth it.

Better still, watch it all all again.

TEMPO??

One of the first things noticeable in this performance was the Tempo of the game. Regular readers will have heard me bang on about this before. Think back to our best performances last year.

Arsenal and Tottenham at Home, Fulham Away, and what becomes clear is that we did all of these performances at a far higher tempo than some of our lesser successful ones.

 Pass and move + fast pace (higher tempo) = greater reward. Spain did precisely this.

Whilst we're talking Tempo, think on this.

Fernando Torres ended up with the Golden Boot. For someone who'd been having a bad season, he's ended up having a rather good season.

Shock/Horror...............Golden boot goes to Spain's non-striker team.Smirk, and move on.

As beaten finalists, Italy can be proud of their team. From the eternally combative Daniele de Rossi, to the sublime (but negated) Andrea Pirlo, topped off by the fizz/bang/pop of Il Postino, Mario Balotelli, this is a team that did credit to their nation.

So , when we look back at an excellent Tournament, what can we remember as stand-out moments. What about these.

Best Player.
Joint award to Andrea Pirlo and Andres Iniesta.  From the sublime to the ridiculous.Think upward.

Best Match.
Germany 1 v Italy 2
The putative tournament winners were shocked and horrified to be turned over by a team playing at their creative best.

Highlight.
Pirlo's " Panenka ". Sergio Ramos doing it, too.

Best Quote.
Pirlo versus Joe Hart. " Their goalkeeper looked fired-up. I thought 'Now I give him the spoon.'".

Best Goal.
Jakub Blaszczykowski's equaliser against the Russian machine. Onward Polska!

Worst Moment.
Every single kick off that went 10,9,8,7...........etc. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Kill it.

So, a wonderful tournament that shows Michel Platini why he's so wrong to go from 16 to 24. A tournament where we saw why Spain are indeed a " team within a generation ", and moreover, one I've thoroughly enjoyed.

See you in a couple of weeks, when I'll get up and running on Swansea City.

Have a nice Summer break.