Post by QPR Report on Jan 19, 2010 10:08:55 GMT
This is South Wales
Sousa setting sights high – without big budget transfers
Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 10:00Comment on this story
SWANSEA manager Paulo Sousa turned a few heads when he confidently predicted the team success in the play- offs.
If his team can find the performances to back up the big claim, Sousa and Co will get nods of approval from up and down the land.
Reaching the Premier League this season would be a sensational achievement for a club who were gutted last summer and have based the rebuilding job, as usual, on careful financial decisions.
Yet as the business end of the campaign starts to come into view, Swansea look a side with a genuine chance of making it to the top flight.
Proud
They are fourth in the pile after last weekend's win over Leicester City, when Sousa purred about his players like never before.
"I am so proud of them," he said.
No wonder, really, as Swansea's progress so far this term has been greater than anyone could have hoped for.
As has been pointed out before, nobody was thinking about promotion when Roberto Martinez went to Wigan and took a bag full of Liberty gems with him.
And it was relegation to League One, rather than promotion to the highest level, which was on Swansea minds as they waded through the first six weeks of this campaign.
But to the credit of Sousa, plus the squad of players under his control, Swansea have improved so dramatically that a failure to finish in the top six would now trigger some disappointment.
And that is despite the fact that they are punching above their weight in a division where there are many with bigger budgets.
Look at those above Swansea right now.
Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton is reportedly a little unhappy after being told by the chairman that he cannot pay any new signings more than £30,000 a week.
At Swansea, that sort of money would cover at least half a team.
Like Newcastle, West Brom have the benefit of Premier League parachute payments as they look to bounce back from relegation.
Their financial clout is incomparable to Swansea's, and the same is true of a Nottingham Forest side linked with the likes of Gareth Bale and Victor Moses this month.
Market
"We are always looking for new players who can improve us," Sousa said.
"We are in the market all the time because new players can help the others grow.
"If we can bring someone in to help us, we will do it.
"But we need to respect the philosophy of this club, and that means it is very difficult for us to compete for signings with other clubs at our level."
Hence Swansea deserve praise for the way they are going.
There is no shame in being behind Newcastle, Forest and the Baggies, especially when you consider some of the clubs who are currently in Swansea's wake.
The likes of Cardiff — although they don't have much spending power right now — Sheffield United, Leicester, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough have all thrown more money at succeeding in the second tier than Swansea.
And there are others, like Coventry and Ipswich, who have spent more time looking down than up this season.
Swansea's success has not been built on the size of the chairman's cheque book, but on the passing style introduced by Martinez and taken on by Sousa.
Swansea may not be quite as good to watch this season as they were last, but they are six points — and six places — better off than they were after 25 games in 2008-9.
That is quite an improvement when you consider how excited Swans fans were about their team's efforts last season.
Martinez's Swansea did get better, finding their best form around this time of year before fading late on in the race for the top six.
Sousa reckons the current crop can get better, which probably means scoring a few more goals.
If Swansea could hit the target just a little more often, they would be in with quite a chance given the organisation and defensive know-how Sousa has instilled.
Hanging onto the likes of Leon Britton and Ashley Williams this month will help the cause, and the good news is that right now, there are few signs of any significant departures.
There is no great indication, however, that there will be players heading in the opposite direction either.
Sousa wants another striker, someone to add firepower to a team who have scored only 22 goals in their 25 league games.
But at present it seems Swansea are struggling to identify a viable target.
Perhaps they don't need anyone else — the table suggests as much.
Some would say Swansea should speculate to accumulate, that they should splash some cash now on a classy centre-forward and watch the pounds come in when they are promoted.
But that it is not the Swansea way.
And besides, Sousa's claim that Swansea will definitely win the play-offs if they get there tells you that in his eyes they are good enough already.
gareth.vincent@swwmedia.co.uk
www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/sport/Sousa-setting-sights-high-8211-big-budget-transfers/article-1721385-detail/article.html
Sousa setting sights high – without big budget transfers
Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 10:00Comment on this story
SWANSEA manager Paulo Sousa turned a few heads when he confidently predicted the team success in the play- offs.
If his team can find the performances to back up the big claim, Sousa and Co will get nods of approval from up and down the land.
Reaching the Premier League this season would be a sensational achievement for a club who were gutted last summer and have based the rebuilding job, as usual, on careful financial decisions.
Yet as the business end of the campaign starts to come into view, Swansea look a side with a genuine chance of making it to the top flight.
Proud
They are fourth in the pile after last weekend's win over Leicester City, when Sousa purred about his players like never before.
"I am so proud of them," he said.
No wonder, really, as Swansea's progress so far this term has been greater than anyone could have hoped for.
As has been pointed out before, nobody was thinking about promotion when Roberto Martinez went to Wigan and took a bag full of Liberty gems with him.
And it was relegation to League One, rather than promotion to the highest level, which was on Swansea minds as they waded through the first six weeks of this campaign.
But to the credit of Sousa, plus the squad of players under his control, Swansea have improved so dramatically that a failure to finish in the top six would now trigger some disappointment.
And that is despite the fact that they are punching above their weight in a division where there are many with bigger budgets.
Look at those above Swansea right now.
Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton is reportedly a little unhappy after being told by the chairman that he cannot pay any new signings more than £30,000 a week.
At Swansea, that sort of money would cover at least half a team.
Like Newcastle, West Brom have the benefit of Premier League parachute payments as they look to bounce back from relegation.
Their financial clout is incomparable to Swansea's, and the same is true of a Nottingham Forest side linked with the likes of Gareth Bale and Victor Moses this month.
Market
"We are always looking for new players who can improve us," Sousa said.
"We are in the market all the time because new players can help the others grow.
"If we can bring someone in to help us, we will do it.
"But we need to respect the philosophy of this club, and that means it is very difficult for us to compete for signings with other clubs at our level."
Hence Swansea deserve praise for the way they are going.
There is no shame in being behind Newcastle, Forest and the Baggies, especially when you consider some of the clubs who are currently in Swansea's wake.
The likes of Cardiff — although they don't have much spending power right now — Sheffield United, Leicester, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough have all thrown more money at succeeding in the second tier than Swansea.
And there are others, like Coventry and Ipswich, who have spent more time looking down than up this season.
Swansea's success has not been built on the size of the chairman's cheque book, but on the passing style introduced by Martinez and taken on by Sousa.
Swansea may not be quite as good to watch this season as they were last, but they are six points — and six places — better off than they were after 25 games in 2008-9.
That is quite an improvement when you consider how excited Swans fans were about their team's efforts last season.
Martinez's Swansea did get better, finding their best form around this time of year before fading late on in the race for the top six.
Sousa reckons the current crop can get better, which probably means scoring a few more goals.
If Swansea could hit the target just a little more often, they would be in with quite a chance given the organisation and defensive know-how Sousa has instilled.
Hanging onto the likes of Leon Britton and Ashley Williams this month will help the cause, and the good news is that right now, there are few signs of any significant departures.
There is no great indication, however, that there will be players heading in the opposite direction either.
Sousa wants another striker, someone to add firepower to a team who have scored only 22 goals in their 25 league games.
But at present it seems Swansea are struggling to identify a viable target.
Perhaps they don't need anyone else — the table suggests as much.
Some would say Swansea should speculate to accumulate, that they should splash some cash now on a classy centre-forward and watch the pounds come in when they are promoted.
But that it is not the Swansea way.
And besides, Sousa's claim that Swansea will definitely win the play-offs if they get there tells you that in his eyes they are good enough already.
gareth.vincent@swwmedia.co.uk
www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/sport/Sousa-setting-sights-high-8211-big-budget-transfers/article-1721385-detail/article.html
