The new season of the "Premier" League will start on August 13th, which means there are only 11 days left until the start of the English championship. As the competitions approach, Eurofootball.com will provide you with a review of all twenty "Premier" League teams.
This time, we will review the team that finished in twelfth position in the "Premier" League last season - Swansea.
"Swansea"
History:
The team was founded in 1912 and will compete in the "Premier" League for the sixth season. Their best finish in this league is 8th place.
They will play in the "Premier" League for the sixth consecutive season.
Last year's season:
In the 2015-2016 season of the "Premier" League, Swansea demonstrated a very fluctuating game, and eventually finished the season in twelfth place.
Changes after last season:
At the beginning of the summer, Swansea said goodbye to two forwards - Alberto Paloschi and Eder. The first moved to "Atalanta" for several million euros, while the Portuguese player, who scored a decisive goal in the European Championship final, will represent the "Lille" team, which paid a sum of 4.5 million euros for him.
The club also has two newcomers - center-back Mike van der Hoorn, acquired from "Ajax" for 2.5 million euros, and defensive midfielder Leroy Fer, who arrived from QPR for 6 million euros.
Players worth paying attention to:
Ashley Williams. A key player in the Welsh national team reaching the semi-finals of the European Championship, Williams is undoubtedly important for Swansea. Leading the entire "Premier" League last season in interceptions in dangerous areas, the team captain was crucial for Swansea's defense. After a great performance in the European championships, the center-back will be motivated to demonstrate a similar form in the "Premier" League, but it is not yet clear if he will remain in the current team. There are rumors that Everton would like to acquire this player.
Gylfi Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson, who has been sought after by various European clubs, will remain in the Swansea team. Today, the midfielder signed a new contract with the team and will continue to lead the team to victories. In the 2015-2016 season, he not only scored 11 goals but also created the most chances for his team. After a good performance with his national team in the European Championships, the Icelander promises not to stop, and he should be the most dangerous player for Swansea again this season.
Andre Ayew. Moving from France to the Premier League, Ayew did not need much time to adjust - he scored three goals in the first four rounds, and in the entire first season, he demonstrated his skill by scoring 12 goals. It seems that English football suited the Ghanaian national team player, as he was so productive even in his best years in the Ligue 1 championships. Repeating such a performance in the upcoming season will not be easy, but Ayew is good enough to finish the year with more than 10 goals once again.
Team strengths:
Goals from set-pieces. Swansea liked to punish opponents from set-pieces last season. Often, Sigurdsson takes these standard situations, and he has proven his ability to score from set-pieces many times in his career. Last season, Ayew also showed that he can turn these situations into goals. With Sigurdsson in the team, Swansea fans can be confident that they will be dangerous after set-pieces next season as well.
Coming back late in games against opponents. Before last season, Swansea could not relax even when leading, and in total, they managed to earn 13 points while trailing. The fact that this team did not ensure victory even when leading was confirmed by teams like Manchester United and Arsenal, which finished the matches against them in a draw after initially leading. The "Swans" did not give up even after conceding two goals and twice ended such matches in a draw.
Teamwork. Although this team has two attacking leaders - Sigurdsson and Ayew, the team shared the ball, and opportunities were created not only by these two players. In total, at least 15 Swansea players made at least one assist in the "Premier" League, and eight of them made 2-3 accurate passes to score a goal for their teammate. With no player standing out in terms of assists, their gameplay became much more unpredictable.
Interesting facts about Swansea:
In the 2012-2013 season, Swansea won their biggest trophy in the history of the club so far. They triumphed in the English League Cup tournament;
This team is the only one in the current "Premier" League not based in England;
In the 2002-2003 season, Swansea narrowly avoided relegating to the fourth division of England. They were saved from relegation by a victory in the last round;
In 2011, Swansea became the first Welsh team to enter the "Premier" League;
Since entering the "Premier" League, Swansea has never fallen out of these competitions;
In 1996, Kevin Cullis became the shortest-serving coach of this team. It is said that during the long break in his second game in charge, the players took control of the team, so Cullis worked at the club for only a week and a half of matches;
Wilfred Milne played the most matches for the club - 586. Scoring the most goals in the Swansea jersey was Ivor Allchurch - 166.
