Whatever happened to the Swansea way?
Rewind back to 2011 when Swansea were taking their first steps in the Premier League. Pundits heaped praise on Brendan Rodgers and the whole team for the attractive style of football they had nailed in the Championship and bravely carried over into the top flight.
And this style wasn’t altered, no matter who the opponent. Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea - Swansea claimed victories against all these teams and more while playing the brand of football we had all come to love.
‘The Swansea Triangle’. ‘Swansealona’. Remember that?
But now it seems like a long, long time ago. Swansea haven’t played that way for well over a year now, if not longer. There have been a few moments, but generally it’s safe to say that the Swans no longer have a footballing identity.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the famous Swansea way started to disappear. Looking back, it seems to be around the time it began going wrong for Michael Laudrup.
When the great Dane was in charge, the club reached the peak - playing sensational football in the Premier League, the League Cup and even in Europe. Lest we forget, we beat Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla playing a sensational style of passing football.
But then the team suddenly started to lose matches, Laudrup began to lose the dressing room, and Swansea ultimately lost their way.
Garry Monk took over when Laudrup left, and instilled a little style back into the club, but he too seemed unable to replicate the glory days. When he was eventually sacked, Francesco Guidolin arrived but - as we now know - he too doesn’t play the Swansea way.
The current brand of football the team play on a weekly basis is… well, it doesn’t seem to have an actual name. There’s a bit of passing (mainly inaccurate), some hoofing the ball into the box in hope, lots of bad moods, and plenty of tracking back when possession has been lost. Oh, and not many goals. Or triangles.
I’m sure most Swans fans will agree that we were spoiled with the football on offer during those first few years in the Premier League. The kind of football that won games, won trophies, topped giants, and made us proud.
Now Swansea have faded into a middle of the table team (if we are lucky) - undoubtedly shadowed by fresher teams like Leicester - and have lost the style that once made us special.
While no-one knows what will happen to Francesco Guidolin, it’s imperative that whoever comes in next fits the same mould as managers of the past - young, hungry and armed with a philosophy that suits the Swansea way. I’m genuinely not sure why we have stopped using that winning formula.
Whatever happens at the end of this season, having the passing, possession and attacking brand of football back will be a hell of a lot more entertaining and dignified than the current state of the side - even if we are playing it in the Championship.