Swansea's last relegation battle, in 2002-03, was back in the old Third Division, and almost saw them drop out of the football league entirely. That fight was won, and since then the club has seen remarkable progress, with high finishes in every league, and three promotions. This is the first that the upward mobility has been seriously threatened, and with an air of uncertainty around the permanent managerial situation, it is not the best time to be looking over their shoulder. Current interim boss Monk joined the club as a player in 2004, with Swansea still a the bottom rung of the Football League. He has seen nothing but success, and must rightly feel he has played his part in something special. However, he is used to pushing onwards and upwards, and it is possible that lifting last season's Capital One Cup could have been the glass ceiling of achievement for Swansea, particularly with the added fixture pile-ups that the Europa League has caused. The remainder of this season will call upon the fighting qualities that got them promoted and to their lofty recent positions. Instead of looking up though, Swansea are now looking down, and it remains to be seen whether they can steady themselves.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
