Monk upset by Hodgson snub
THE mystery of why the Welsh club at the end of the M4 is apparently out of reach for an England manager continues to confuse and irritate Garry Monk.
swansea’s boss admitted last week that he was puzzled by Roy Hodgson’s ongoing absence from the Liberty stadium, a feeling exacerbated on saturday when Wayne Routledge’s wonderful goal against West Brom was sandwiched by two well-taken strikes from Nathan Dyer. With Jonjo shelvey also performing close to his best, and the injured Leon Britton yet to receive a call-up, it is not lost on Monk that the latest snubs come at a time when England are crying out for players comfortable in possession.
‘We all talk about how we want England to play nice, expansive football, a passing game with attacking football,’ Monk said.
‘i do feel when we are at our best there are not many better than us in terms of doing that. so to have those boys within that team who are English and performing well does make it strange. it is out of our hands. The players can only keep doing what they are doing. Hopefully something comes of it.’
For swansea, such matters are trifling in comparison to their concerns of last season, when they flirted so close to relegation that Michael Laudrup lost his job. Monk has reacted to his elevated status by winning his first three Premier League games of the season, though he continues to talk of the ’40-point mark’.
‘We have had a very good start but that’s all it is,’ Monk said. ‘We are not a Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton or whoever.
‘We always want better but we understand what we are, a team that tries to secure Premier League status as soon as possible and after that we reassess.’
West Brom’s concerns are perhaps a little more realistic, having started the season without a win and Alan irvine’s 11 signings taking time to settle.
irvine will now lose ‘12 or 13’ players to international duty at a time when he is desperate to increase his squad’s cohesion and fitness, and he has put pressure on scotland and Greece to justify their respective call-ups for James Morrison and Georgios samaras with playing time.
‘i am desperate the guys who go away on international duty, like Morrison and samaras, get that (playing time) in the international games. if they don’t play i will be bitterly disappointed as they could have been back here.’
SWANSEA CITY (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6; Rangel 6, Amat 6, Williams 6, Taylor 5.5; Ki 6.5, Shelvey 7.5 (Carroll 84min); Dyer 8, Sigurdsson 7.5, Routledge 7.5 (Montero 65, 6.5); Bony 5.5 (Gomis 76).
Subs not used: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Fernandez, Richards. Booked: Ki. Scorers: Dyer 2, 71, Routledge 24.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-2-3-1): Foster 5.5; Wisdom 5.5, Dawson 6.5, Olsson 5, Davidson 6 (Gamboa 72, 6); Gardner 6, Mulumbu 6; Berahino 6, Dorrans 5.5 (Sessegnon 46, 6), Brunt 5 (Morrison 72, 6); Ideye 5.5. Subs not used: Myhill, McAuley, Yacob, Baird. Booked: Dorrans, Gardner.
Man of the match: Nathan Dyer. Referee: Paul Tierney 5.5.