da bwin： The Premier League is much less exciting this season than it was last time around. The champions are Chelsea, that we know. We also know which teams are going to be in the Champions League next season.
da premier bet： We know two of the relegated teams, and Hull’s position looks increasingly dire after defeat in the most winnable of their final fixtures – at home to beaten Burnley.
The relegation race still has some bite to it, but not as much as it did have a couple of weeks ago.
Now all that’s left is the race for the Europa League. Southampton and Spurs were the only teams we were keeping our eyes on only few weeks ago but now Swansea are gatecrashing the two horse race.
It may be dull for the rest of us, but for Swansea fans, the season finale might yet have them on the edge of their seats.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a bad word about the Welsh club. From their owner’s brilliant managerial appointments to Monk’s more direct – yet still easy on the eye – style. They’re a great set-up and even the stadium screams Premier League – maybe even Europe. And that’s the direction they’re heading in; the foundations have been laid and the Swansea star is on the up.
But that star has risen beyond the clouds. There’s been no hoo-ha hovering over the Liberty Stadium this season. Definitely not in the way there has been around St Mary’s and White Hart Lane where two new managers have done good jobs.
Tottenham look better this season than they have done, but wins have eluded the lillywhite outfit in Mauricio Pochettino’s debut season in North London. Ronald Koeman has taken a potentially relegation-tipped team to the brink of Europe to much media glee and good felicity.
Saints were never ‘relegation-tipped’ after their summer signings, of course. It was more of a media knee-jerk reaction to the loss of some big players. Still, Ronald Koeman has surprised a few and shocked still more.
Yet under the radar, Swansea are right up there with them. Realistically, they can still finish as high as 6th. Mathematically, they can even come 5th. But if Arsenal win the FA Cup – and there’s a higher-than-evens chance of that – then all Swansea will need is a 7th placed finish before they can book their flights to suave and exotic European destinations from the start of September. A series of exhausting, sapping, potentially progress-killing sojourns.
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Just how they have done this so quietly is typical of the club, really. They play neat football without being brash or showy. They stick by their managers until Huw Jenkins feels he has absolutely no choice. And when the managers are poached, there’s no sour grapes. Not really, anyway. Roberto Martinez gets a bit of a ribbing when he comes back, but it doesn’t make you think any less of the club.
Their progress is sensible progress. Typical of Swansea, it doesn’t show off but it’s definitely there. And sooner or later you’ll have to take notice.
In 1966, Manchester City won the second division under the mythical stewardship of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison. The pair precipitated a golden era for the club where they won everything domestically and took on Europe with their fabled attacking trilogy of Bell, Lee and Summerbee. A partnership almost as revered as Mercer and Allison themselves in Blue Manchester.
The first season back in the top division, City finished 15th as Manchester United won the league. Malcolm Allison heralded the season as a success for the newly promoted side, even though City were tipped to do better than their 15th place. All Allison wanted from his side was to ‘establish a foothold’ in the first division as he put it.
The next season, with City now well established as a first division club, they went on to win the league beating United to the trophy by two points.
Swansea have been a Premier League club for much longer, of course. They are an established club, they’ve won the League Cup and they’ve played in Europe. But that’s only the foundation for this club. They’ve established their foothold, and now it’s time to climb.
And they’ve made progress. Not as far as winning the league – that would really be some progress – but as far as challenging for Europe. Consistent rather than spectacular in their form this season, perhaps. But that’s the perfect characterisation of their progress this season too, and also of their progression as a club over the last ten years or so.
It is still a big ask for Swansea to qualify for Europe. They have two very tough games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace and you feel that they’ll need at least four points. Maybe even more if Aston Villa beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.
But given that this season has been one of great progress for the Swans, it doesn’t seem like such a huge leap to suggest that they might push on next season.
Garry Monk has established a firm foothold as Premier League manager and whatever happens this season, his side have made progress. The next step now is for the club to establish a foothold as a European club. After all, the price of success is greater expectations.
The end of the season may be boring for the rest of us, but it won’t be boring in South Wales. If you’re a Swansea fan these are exciting times and you might be in for some exciting years to come.
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