We give our verdict on the relegation run-in, why the Swans will stay up and who will go down…
We gave our verdict for the Guardian on the relegation run-in, as a fan of each of the bottom 8 clubs gave their verdict on the fight against the drop, who’s feeling most up beat as we head into the last 12 games of the Premier League season.
You can read the Guardian’s full article here – featuring all of the bottom 8 clubs’ fans’ verdicts. The majority seem to think it’s Newcastle United who will join Norwich City and Aston Villa in the Championship next season. Do you agree?
Check out the link above and see how the Guardian edited and shortened our original submission below:
1. Are you going down? If so, why? If not, why not?
No, it`ll be very close but I`d like to think that the other teams below us won`t get 3 more points than us out of the remaining games – which is what they`ll need to finish above us. We`ve got a tough run-in, arguably the toughest out of the bottom six, but we actually tend to perform better against the better opposition. Our defensive record and goal difference is also much more superior than our closest rival and that tends to be another sign of who is most likely to survive or get relegated. It`s so close at the bottom that it could be goal difference that splits and ours is significantly better than the likes of Norwich, Newcastle and Sunderland.
2. Which players have struggled most?
The likes of Bafetimbi Gomis and Jefferson Montero both have struggled since our unbeaten start to the season. Gomis scored in his first 4 games whilst Montero was playing brilliantly at that time, but our season suddenly hit the buffers and we`ve been on the slide ever since. Gomis has gone from being our regular lone striker to only managing a handful of substitution appearances in recent weeks, while Montero didn`t even make it on the bench for the game against Southampton.
3. How much is the manager to blame for your league position?
Garry Monk is of course somewhat to blame for a poor start to the season, but a lot more blame and responsibility has to be put on the club for poor recruitment in the Summer and lack of spending. The Swans spent only £18m on players and it`s just not survive at this level. Only Arsenal spent slightly less than us. The players also stopped performing for Monk, as they showed a remarkable improvement at Manchester City following his sacking.
4. If you went down, what would it take to bounce straight back?
It would be extremely tough to bounce straight back up as the Championship is becoming more and more competitive every year. Some clubs have big transfer budgets and are prepared to spend more money on transfer fees and wages than we would be. The squad would also need an overhaul, a number of players would move on to stay in the Premier League and excellent recruitment would be essential to rebuilding a hungry squad that is keen to get back to the top flight.
5. What would you miss most about the Premier League – and what would you be glad to see the back of?
I`d certainly miss the sense of being proud of the club being in the Premier League, and the sense of occasion you get from playing some big clubs on a regular basis. The other thing and perhaps most important though is about the Premier League being all about money and not just about the game. The TV money for next season is simply ridiculous but that`s why it`s so vital we stay up this year. You also can`t forget the impact it would have on the city as the Premier League has helped the economy in Swansea with increased tourism and job opportunities. I certainly wouldn`t miss the overhyped media coverage of the Premier League, ridiculous ticket prices – and is the standard of referees better in the Championship?!
6. And please predict the bottom three, in order.
18th. Newcastle.
19th. Norwich City.
20th. Aston Villa
