2. Swansea On The Grow
When Brendan Rogers departed, Swansea fans would be forgiven for experiencing some pangs of trepidation, wondering whether their team could build upon their splendid debut season in top flight football. They neednt have panicked, for in Michael Laudrup they have found a manager who has not only equalled the achievements of last year, but taken The Swans to the next level. Under the stewardship of the Danish icon, Swansea won their first major trophy in their 100-year history, securing a place in the 2013/14 Europa League, after rollicking League 2s Bradford City 5-0 at Wembley Stadium. They also look set to better their previous finishing position of 11th, currently residing in 9th, with their nearest challengers, Fulham, lagging seven points behind. Under Rogers, the team played slick, continental football, adopting a similar mode to Catalan giants, Barcelona, garnering much applause in the process. With Laudrup in charge, their philosophy has not changed, but after some astute signings last summer, particularly the £2 million capture of Michu from Rayo Vallecano, Swansea have become a more formidable attacking force. As expected, Laudrup has been linked with some high-profile jobs of late, with his old-club, Real Madrid, said to be one of his admirers, but the Dane has recently put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at the club until 2015. If they can hold onto him for the next two years, who knows how far Swansea can go?
Jack Flahavan
A university graduate with a keen enthusiasm for culture, sport, and outrageous news. My heroes are Charles Bukowski, Jimi Hendrix, Robert De Niro, and the magnificent Zinedine Zidane.
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