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.

And then there were 2.

The Euro 2012 Semis - an appreciation of the games that got both Italy and Spain to the Final.

The two Semi Finals of this remarkable Tournament have given us 2 fantastic contests, and the outcome of both hinged on the narrowest of margins.

In the first, between Spain and Portugal, here were two teams that were prepared to play. The number of passes seemed to have become the yardstick that debates on the efficacy of approach had been based , and there was an interesting variation here.

Prior to that, the major point at issue was Del Bosque's decision not to use a No 9, or even a "false 9" as he had done previously, and Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo, (an alternative 9 maybe) started, and led the line.

In truth, his performance turned out to be very quiet, which allowed the Pundits to concentrate on the performance of CR7. Whilst certainly lively, with dribbles, shots, and free kicks aplenty, this wasn't really the key to why Spain were more stretched than is usual.

More, it was about a side that for once took Spain on, toe to toe.

The Portugese pressed high, hard and fast, and, moreover, were prepared to test their skills against the putative leaders of the pack. 

The initial surprise for the World Champions was that here was a side not ready to be cowed immediately, and the impact was seen in the Spanish lack of that key element, the control.

The game settled into a rhythm, with the Potugeezers generally on top in the normal 90, whilst Spain, made better by the introduction of Fabregas and Jesus Navas for Negredo and Xavi (a brave decision), could well have won it in extra time.

Ultimately, it came down to the penalty shoot out, and Portugal and CR7's decision to place him fifth up came back to haunt them, as Cesc buried the Spanish fourth to put Portugal out and to further frustrate Christiano, who didn't even get to take his kick.

The fact that Ronaldo had indeed had a chance to win it in the very last minute of normal time was forgotten, but it's something that still intrigues me in appreciation of this great (but not the greatest) footballer. Hey, Messi would have scored.

There have been large tracts written about how the Spanish approach is "sterile" and "killing the game" even.
Do me a favour. Please ignore such nonsense. And switch talkSPORT off, now!!

In the second game there were at first team line up surprises.

Italy less so, with Chiellini again fit, but some shock at Germany, less with Gomez and Podolski for Schurlle and Klose, but for Toni Kroos's inclusion, and more in the way that he was asked to play.

My feeling was that he wouldn't play on the right,(as was being suggested pre match) but centrally, thus allowing the wandering Ozil (who has a free role anyway) to drift right as he so often enjoys, but is less effective when started there.

Jurgi Low is nothing if not original, and this choice surprised most, myself included.

Here's the deal.

When you start Ozil centrally, as RM do and as have Germany mostly, his influence on the game is augmented by his allowed freedom to go right (particularly) or where the space allows. Muller, Khedira, Schweinsteiger even will then become the pivot, allowing Ozil free reign to attack at will.

Yesterday, Kroos played the central pivotal role, and Ozil became just another wide attacker.

I'm being harsh here, since this wasn't always the case, and the German creation was better when Ozil slipped into playmaker duties centrally. Still, it wasn't enough, and Toni Kroos's drive going forward was seriously complicated by the Italian diamond passing around and through him.

The classic example was Montilivio's picking up of a Buffon punch on the left, and playing a dagger-like through ball that Balotelli took forward to crash home one of the goals of the Tournament to put the Azzuri 2-0 ahead.

He had already capitalised on a super Cassano cross to crash the game's opener past Neuer with a powerful header.

Despite, or because of the changes to the German line-up, Mario Balotelli, bad boy extraordinaire, was a constant menace, so that first header on 23m to give Italy the lead, was original, but no surprise.

Italy's midfield diamond, anchored by the sublime Andrea Pirlo, gave a classier example of Joe Royle's "Dogs of war" Everton from many years back.

Germany were genuinely stunned for 10m or so, and with Pirlo again playing the Trequartista, Marchisio and Montilivio alternated as the Fantasista (the No 10) leading to that wonderful second Balotelli goal.

Put clear of a high line by a cute pass, he advanced and struck a rocket that was still rising as it ripped into the German net. Goal of the Tournament, redux.

As Germany did their damndest to get back into the game, the quality of Italian substitutes (Motta for Montilivio for instance) left a limited time for Reus and Klose to effect the same on the German change.

More importantly, I still think the first choice XI was wrong.Toni Kroos, a quality player, nevertheless but changed the shape of the side.  This was a gross mistake.

In the previous games, Ozil had always started centrally and wandered at will to the right when it suited him. In this game, Kroos took the middle leaving Ozil less effective starting on the right where he doesn't get to pull every string.  Almost like Italy moving Pirlo wide - it's just not done.
Despite Germany's late penalty, the Azzuri advanced to meet the tiki-taka maestros (who have taken some very very foolish flak in the English media) in a final of two teams of quality in a Tournament of the same. Sunday night we get to see the outcome.

Bring it on.

## 
Much debate ensues about Spain's choice of a No 9 or not for this game. My feeling is that both Torres and Pedro will start, at the expense of David Silva and Fabregas. Still, what do I know? We'll see. It promises to be a cracking game.See Sid Lowe's classic debate above.

Four Strong Teams left.

The pleasing thing from this EURO 2012 has been the real reward reaped by strong teams prepared to prove that this is the case - and all 4 Quarter Finals passed this test.

In the first of them,Portugal squared up to the Czech Republic, and whilst the Eastern Europeans were tactically and technically cute in the Group stage, come the knockout they came up against the irresistible force that is CR7.

Christiano Ronaldo is an entoxicating mix - a playground bully crossed with the kid who stands at the back and cries. His fantastic physique is testament to the work he does. He's one of those players of intense, advanced skill who follow one of two paths.

You can keep your skill and end up as a Luis Nani- fabulously talented but somewhat lightweight and slim - or, like the Portugeezer Supreme- you can add to it by becoming an almost "Hulk" - and I mean the Bruce Banner version. He IS an ABSOLUTE BEAST physically.

What this means, of course, is that allied to his intense talent he has a physical presence that is likely to see off even the best of defenders.

One of the criticisms of CR7 previously has been his failure to drag his team further into Tournaments by his disappointing performances - but that something that can't be levelled at him this time around.

Against Holland he was excellent, his two goals confirming the Portugese superiority. Against the Czechs, who set out to play negatively, he was better still, capping the performance with a superb late game goal that showed his aerial prowess. Coupled with the teams' settled and varied tactical sweep it was enough to show the door to the Czechs.

The middle 3 of Meireles, Moutinho and Veloso had been excellence throughout - couple that with the freedom of expression of Ronaldo and Nani, and Pepe's snarling resistance at the back and you have a team that will give the semi-final a real go.

In the second game up, the German team gave an exhibition of why they've been the most attractive side on view thus far. Their 4-2 besting of Greece could, and perhaps should, been a result that could have been greater if not for their profligacy in netting the end result.

This is a side that could replace their front 3 of Podolski, Gomez and Muller with a trio that is arguably better.

The fantastic Marco Reus played right, Miroslav Klose led the line and Andre Schurlle showed Ashley Young how to play wide left with a threat.

Shweinsteiger and Sami Khedira were excellence personified in setting the defensive/destructive tone, whilst the player of the tournament, the divine Mesut Ozil, ran riot in pulling the strings. There is something rewarding in seeing an attacking MF'ef go on to shape a game- god knows we Swans have been lucky enough to see 2 top class performers in Siggurdsson and Bodde over the last few years, but here is a player who makes even those top class performers seem ordinary in comparison. Ozil is, in my eyes, the MF equivalent of Messi - a sort of Xavi Hernadez or Andres Iniesta with greater goal threat.

 You will glean from this I 'm rather impressed by this boy. You are not wrong.

It was a question in this game of when, not if, the Germans would score, and having broken the ice with a terrific strike from Philip Lahm, it was then a question of how many, and when.

A gutsy Greece pulled one back in the second half, with a late penalty consolation, but by then the 4 German goals only begged the question of a settled outcome from a plentiful opportunuty. Through they went.

The third QF was the most disappointing of the games thus far- primarily because Laurent Blanc appeared to have a brainstorm, limiting his team by their starting line up alone, almost ceding to Spain the dominance and initiative.

It seems to me that this is possibly the WORST approach to advance against the Spanish, since they will pass you to death ANYWAY, so you might as well have something of a limited go. Whatever. Blanc's option of a 4-5-1, with the brilliant Mathieu Debuchy, Lille's rampaging RB deployed wide right in a defensive set-up (where he'd never played before!!) being the worst of a sad approach.

Perhaps the most surprising stat to come out of this game was France's overall possession stat of 44% against Spain's 56%. This was significantly BETTER than any other team had achieved against the Iberians- what was tragic was that they did NOTHING with it.

Del Bosque had once again chosen Fabregas as a "false 9", but France's ineptitude and stumbling advance created almost nothing. I felt at one stage that Blanc may have been aiming for a 1-0 or 2-0 defeat so that they weren't necessarily embarrassed. Well, they got what they asked for in a 2-0 shoeing, with Xabi Alonso for Spain answering his occasional critics by getting both.

Spain's 4-6-0, of course, is nothing of the sort since the front 4 constantly rotate to put a target up front - it's just that it can be tenous and extremely fluid, and France's 4-5-1 became a REAL 4-6-0 as they were pushed further and further into a corner. It was painful to watch. Debuchy's slip to let in the Jordi Alba cross for Alonso's first goal was perhaps the best illustration of where France were going wrong. Ah well, this may have been a lesson learned.

That the second goal came from a last minute penalty from Alonso (again - how apt) was immaterial.

It seems to me that the key issue here was one of CONTROL. Spain have evolved a system where we Swans are more familiar in it's regard than many British fans. The key is the ball. When Spain have it, the opposition can do little but defend. Given that they usually top the 65% mark in most games, it's not rocket science to predict that the 35% opportunity is likely to be less successful than the team that is dominating you. WOW. Who Knew??

Well, Vicente Del Bosque for one, and the eleven Spaniards on the pitch too, as their settled and patient probing was like watching a Boa-Constictor strangling, rather than swallowing whole, a goat.

A word here for those critics who find this style a little barren. have you ever considered the teams who line up AGAINST the Spaniards and their outlook?

Almost inevitably, they do so by "parking the bus", and it seems to me that this is one of the more futile approaches they could take. If it takes until the 89th minute or longer- take this approach and the Iberians WILL strangle you.

The last of the last-8 saw the incessantly hyped England take on the Azzuri, and a more one -sided contest you couldn't have wished for - even if it did take a penalty shoot-out to decide.

I sat down to watch this match with a completely open visage- bring it on, and whomsoever played better would undoubtedly win - and, the first 15m were at least competitive, where for each Italian chance there was at least an English riposte. From then on, it can only be said that that Italy dominated, and but for England's persistent and lucky resistance, would surely have won by 2 or three goals. There will be some who praise the English defence, but, for me, the saddest thing was to see a Home Nation team so utterly and abjectively DOMINATED, with a huge propensity to be unable to keep the ball, and to see Andrea Pirlo, the elder statesman as it were, show England how to take over and run a game against International opposition. A truly stunning display, capped, and we'll come back (surely, in this Tournament) to it, by a sublime "Panenka" in the shoot-out phase.

Here's a salutary tale - make of it what you will.

Whilst Christiano Ronaldo was ripping his physique in the Gym, Wayne Rooney took his pasty body to Las Vegas just a month before the tournament. Tonight, Ronaldo faces Spain in the Semi-Final. Rooney, presumably, can go to Vegas again.

Coincidence????

You decide.

Anyway, a Spain v Germany final if there's any justice.

See you soon.

And then there were 8.

So the Group games are completed, and what has been a fascinating Tournament thus far promises to get more interesting still.

From the sublime (and inevitable) Spanish progression, to the hysterically hyped English performances, all 8 teams who have made it thus far have at least some sort of argument that whilst their performances to date may not have been totally convincing, their arrival in the knockout stage means all bets are off.

Within limitations, of course.

In Group A, Russia's initial tonking of the Czech Republic, and Poland's stuttering 1-1 against the sterile Greeks led to the CSSR then sharing the spoils with their Polish hosts, while the Czechs almost sent the Greeks home with a 2-1 win.

All outcomes were still, surprisingly, open, on the third Match round.

That led to an nervous last night , on Saturday last, where the fanatical Poles were obliged to beat their neighbours the Czechs (in Wroclaw, just a 100km from the Czech border) to secure a place in the last 8....., whilst over in Warsaw, Poland's capital, the Russians met the Greeks, again to determine who went where.

Methinks the Polish FA missed a trick here. Poland's draw in the second round of games against Russia had at least partly been secured by the fanaticism of the Home crowd, who almost sucked  the phenomenal Blaszczykowski equalizer into the net.

In a fantastically tense game, the Czechs kept their nerve and secured a 1-0 win to take them through, Jiracec scoring. More surprisingly perhaps, Greece did the same to Russia, and from looking down and out, Greece rallied to send the disappointing Russia home. Wow. A phenominally motivated Greece had proved that whatever the pundits decree, it's what you do on the pitch that counts. And count it did, as the Greeks resisted mightily, and snatched a 1-0 win that put many in mind of Portugal 2004.

Group B had followed an equally schismed course.

The relentless and talented German team had bested Portugal in their first game, and had triumphed over the disappointing Dutch in round 2. Given that Holland had equally surprisingly been turned over by Denmark at first, who then succumbed to the Portugese second up, it left a group where Die Mannschaft were supreme and through,  and meant last year's WC Runners up were clinging on by a fingernail, and having to beat the Portugese, whilst hoping the Danes were crushed by the Deutsch. Wow times two.

The supremely confident Portugal, inspired by a remarkable performance from CR7 sent the Dutch home with their tails between their legs, whilst Deutschland just rolled over Denmark and made sure they and Portugal would be the ones going forward.

Group C in it's early days , saw a more refined and predicted course. The World Champions, Spain, shared the points with Italy in a fascinating game, (the best of the Tournament thus far)  and then crushed the RoI 4-1. Croatia, that ever surprising newish-nation showed again their resilience, comfortably beating the Irish, and coming out even with Italy.

So for it's outcome, in Group C, the World Champion Spain needed a degree of stability in their game against the impressive Croats, whilst Trappatoni's RoI squad had nothing but an encounter against the nervous Italy, twitchy that a biscotti of Calciopoli proportions in the Spain/Croatia clash  might see them off.

How did it turn out?

Well, in a game when they were playing for pride and little else. the Irish put up a brave fight, but went down 2-0, whilst the atmosphere at the genuinely big game between Spain and Croatia at Gdansk made you glad you were a football fan. It was electric .

The game wasn't half bad either, with Croatia giving as good as they got for almost all the game, only to see the cute Spaniards find a way, again.

They replaced Torres with the" false 9 " Fabregas, and his delightful chip put Iniesta clear who was able to square for Jesus Navas to smash homethe winner in the 89th minute.

From this game I took the comfort of seeing how Espagna can be beaten - the opponent must have the confidence to cede the inevitable possession, but utilise their rare moments of superiority by attacking for the jugular, which,incidentally , Croatia did. Btw, it also helps to have Luka Modric in your team.        

Group D, of course, contained England, ever debatable, but who, from their 1-1 draw against the technically more proficient France, went on to lay the Swedish ghost of latter years and put themselves in a promising position prior to their meeting with the co-host Ukraine.

France meanwhile, were comfortable winners against the same, and on 4 pts each, these European rivals looked like the favourites to go through, particularly as Sweden were now cooked and booked onto the plane home.

The last night was a typically fraught evening, especially where England are concerned.

For a start, the game was shown on ITV, who seem to have of late a propensity for getting it wrong - from the interminable adverts to the Adrian Chiles/ Roy Keane duopoly of dullness, backed up by the spark that is Gareth Southgate (sic) and the Liverpool scally supreme Jamie Carragher.

What an effort, or should that be affront. The games were better than the presenters, not surprisingly.

France performed like an "England-lite"- going down to a hugely depressing 2-0 loss to Sweden, already condemned to the exit themselves, and will now reap the reward of a Quarter Final against Spain.

England, meanwhile, almost stumbled to a 1-0 win against Ukraine, and their reward as group winners is to meet Italy in Kiev on Sunday. My personal feeling is that they both got what they deserved. From the group of death to the group of dearth, as it were. Boom-boom.

So with a line-up of Portugal v Czech, Germany v Greece, Spain v France and England v Italy, now we are 8.

The biggest reward of the Tournament thus far has been the quality of the football. It has generally been of a high standard, and without any 0-0 draws, exciting too.Quality players have been allowed to shine, and what is hard to argue against that it's a Tournament of genuinely decent teams.

Which is why, of course, that UEFA will seek to expand it, for money, whatever the arguments otherwise.

Predictions?

Here's mine.........

Portugal, Germany, Spain and Italy.

## Warning ##   The value of Internet Punditry can go down as well as up.

Incidentally, here's link to 10 of the best goals from the Group Stage. 

Back in a couple of days with a Swansea City piece, talking about tele-visual treats and the recently released fixture list. See you then,

Onward, Swansea City