No lack of confidence
SWANSEA fans are quietly getting excited for next season while one of their star players is anything but quiet when it comes to proclaiming his own excitement for the future.
The past month has been a lot of fun for the Jack Army and neutral observers alike.
More than a quarter of Swansea’s points this season have been accumulated in the past seven games.
It’s Russell Martin’s longest unbeaten streak since he was appointed back in August and it’s been achieved in an extremely entertaining way.
The Swans have scored 15 goals in these games, the majority of them of outstandingly high quality, and their flowing attacking play has at times been dazzling.
This is the type of exciting, intricate and beautiful football fans hoped to see when the former MK Dons manager replaced Steve Cooper last summer.
Seeing the players enjoy expressing themselves in this way has understandably pleased the Jack Army. Fans are already starting to contemplate what may be possible next season if the club can keep hold of most of its star players (which we all know from past experience is easier said than done).
Supporters are cautiously, even hesitantly beginning to fire up the hype train ahead of the summer but according to one of their star players, it’s full steam ahead.
During a mid-week press conference Flynn Downes said: “I think next year is really, really promising.
“I am more than excited. From what we have done this year, if you just give us a bit more time and we have a full pre-season together, I think it could be scary.”
Then with the kind of gold-plated self-confidence you’d usually expect from a contestant on The Apprentice, he claimed the target was to win the league, nonchalantly adding: “why not?” Wow, we’re not used to hearing that kind of language from Swansea players.
Making such bold claims has its risks. Remember when Jonjo Shelvey foolishly said the Swans had a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League in 2015? They went on to finish 12th in that campaign.
But it’s refreshing to hear one of our star players speak with such enthusiasm about what this squad can achieve.
And while there’s obviously a fear this kind of brash statement could leave us with egg on our faces, it’s easy to see why a young player like Downes would feel this way.
Their passing is magnificent, they’re creating chances and players such as Joel Piroe and Michael Obafemi are scoring for fun.
Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to do before the Swans can be considered a serious force in this league.
The 4-4 thriller at Reading on Easter Monday showed the best and worst of Swansea City.
As brilliant as the goals were, and as entertaining as the attacking play may have been, some of the defending was almost comically shapeless and this isn’t a one off.
Only six teams in the entire Championship have conceded more than Swansea this season. It was the fifth time Russell Martin’s men have conceded four or more goals in a single game. Only Reading have a worse record when it comes to shipping that many goals at once.
Swansea have also conceded at least three goals in a quarter of their league matches this season, which is hardly promotion material.
Carelessness and naivety at the back has been Swansea’s biggest weakness and it won’t be fixed overnight, so the recent unbeaten run is by no means a surefire sign that the Swans will be dining at the Championship’s top table next year.
Nevertheless it’s great to hear such positivity from one of the club’s top players when looking to the future.
In a sport where players are mediatrained to death, ballsy remarks like Downes’s the other day are about as rare as penguins in the Sahara, so this was no throw-away comment. He clearly believes what he says.
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this type of statement because for the vast majority of my time supporting this club, Swansea have been the underdogs looking to overachieve, rather than the ones touted for success. Even our most confident players have never openly backed themselves in quite the style Downes did.
It feels so strange to hear a player speak with such brazen confidence about the team’s potential but it’s also reassuring.
These players have a clear understanding of where the club’s at and what Russell Martin’s project is all about.
They’ve obviously bought into the process and recent performances will only reinforce that feeling that we’re on the right track.
Self-belief is key in football and while it’s definitely possible to have too much of it, it’s also heartening to hear one of Swansea’s most talented players speak about the club in that way.
Time will tell if Downes’s confidence is misplaced or not.