Do not go gentle into that good night.
by Bulldog Drummond
There is a rule within the Fifarian kingdom that all clubs should play in the league of the country they have their base in, except when they don’t. Thus Swansea being in Wales does not play in the League of Wales. Nor do Cardiff and Newport who both play in the Football League. Nor come to that do Wrexham are the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional football team in the world. They play in the Conference. It’s a funny old game.
Swansea’s big rivalry is with Cardiff – its a first and second city thing. In 2011, Swansea were promoted to the English Premier League, becoming the first Welsh team to play in it since its formation in 1992. On 24 February 2013, Swansea beat Bradford City 5–0 to win the League Cup their only major trophy.
In their three seasons in the Prem they have come 11th, 9th and 12th. In 1977/8 they were in the 4th division, in 1981/2 they were in the first. In 1986/7 they were back in the 4th. They are thus a yo-yo club, or in Welsh, a Clwb Yo Yo.
The manager is Garry Monk who played for between 2004 and 2014 thus playing in all four divisions for the club.. He also played for Torquay which makes him a Good Chap. After Swansea’s 2–1 defeat to Stoke City on 19 October 2014, the manager said it was “disgusting” of referee Michael Oliver to award a penalty to Victor Moses who dived. The FA warned him bout his interview technique, and he was not charged which makes him either a Lucky Chap or a Chap with Friends in the PGMOL which I do not like the sound of.
Swansea was the home city of one of the greatest British poets of all time – Dylan Thomas. Moderate at school, a lively journalist, a drinker, a raver and one of the all time greats. He is buried at Laugharne about 35 miles from Swansea
A brief gander at the league table shows this…
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P
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W
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D
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L
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F
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A
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GD
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||||
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1
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Chelsea
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10
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8
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2
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0
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26
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10
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16
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26
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|
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2
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Southampton
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10
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7
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1
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2
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21
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5
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16
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22
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|
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3
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Man City
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10
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6
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2
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2
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20
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10
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10
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20
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|
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4
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Arsenal
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10
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4
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5
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1
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18
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11
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7
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17
|
|
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5
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West Ham
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10
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5
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2
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3
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19
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14
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5
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17
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|
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6
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Swansea City
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10
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4
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3
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3
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13
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10
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3
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15
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Swansea have made their best start to a Premier League season with 15 points after 10 games. Not in this table are Man U (who have used 37 players to create their worst start in 28 years), Liverpool nor Tottenham H. How careless.
Swasean will have our old chum and grateful cup winner, Fabianski in goal. Amat, Britton, Donnelly, Richards, Shelvey, and Tiendalli will all miss the party having been very naughty boys.
Arsenal
Szczesny;
Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs
Wilshere, Ramsey;
Walcott, Sánchez, Cazorla;
Welbeck.
The alternatives: Oxlade Chamberlain, Flamini. Martínez, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott, Podolski, Campbell, Akpom, Bellerin
Our injury list is Arteta (hamstring), Debuchy (ankle), Diaby (calf), Giroud (but he is back in training next week!), Koscielny (Achilles), Ospina (thigh), Özil (knee),
Latest return dates are
- Arteta 22 Nov
- Giroud 29 Nov
- Koscielny 10 Dec,
- Debuchy 15 Dec
- Özil 15 Dec
- Ospina January
- Diaby (not known)
The uncertain cross references (by which I mean it depends which source you look at) are Sanogo and Gnabry. They are either injured or just lacking fitness.
Paul Merson will be on hand and will be attempting to exceed his record of saying “clueless” 11 times in four sentences. The world awaits.
And so to Theo.
“If I decide to start he can start,” said Mr Wenger. “He’s available. He has been chosen and he needs competition. He has been out 10 months – people think it’s like a machine but these are human beings and to get back into the rhythm of top, top competition it takes time.
“Every time you have a big injury there is a bigger chance of having the next one. He has been taken care of well but have to give him time to come back.”
Sadly Theo has been included in England’s squad for the game against Slovenia and the friendly against Scotland. We may only have Theo for this one match.
Of mid-week Mr Wenger said, “We can learn a lot from what happened on Tuesday. We have special incidents. Some things we can correct, like the second and third goals. But we cannot influence the first goal. When the goalscorers are one yard offside, we cannot influence that.
“I do not know what the guys behind the line are paid for. That is a general feeling shared by everyone who watches football. They should buy a seat for them, and give them a good book!”
MR Wenger also says Aaron Ramsey (who will be booed for having come from Cardiff) has to focus on getting his “priorities right. It’s not about goal-scoring. Goal-scoring is a consequence of playing well first so focus on playing well.”
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
I am pleased to see that Mr Wenger has had a blast back at the idiot Merson, about time too.
Can anyone tell me why theo is allowed to join up with England if not fully ready?
As for Merson, good article in today’s arseblog……basically suggesting that today’s increasingly shrill pundits are not in any way analytical, and are in fact nothing more than highly paid trolls…..with big mortgages, or maybe debts. Thought wengers response to Merson was quite withering….he said he “tried” to manage this guy, who is actually a boyhood Chelsea fan. Merson once wore the shirt with distinction, but history shows he is the last person to be referring to anyone as clueless.
Still, he gives comfort to the noisiest voices out there whose dearly held agenda is purely wenger out, most of them have probably never given the issue a moments thought, just follow the herd.
Our attack should be too strong for them today, just as long as we don’t do silly things at the back.
An article re Merson and Mr Wenger will be published soon.
Nice one Tony, will look forward to that one!
Mandy, I think I recently saw OGL quoted as saying that being called up would be good for Theo’s confidence but adding the stern caveat that he should not have more than a cameo 10 minutes or so playing time so as not to risk his rehab programme.
Shocking PGMOL official Mason books Begovic (Tots v Stoke) in 27th min for time wasting!!
sorry not Mason (he’s at Ev v Sun)
Re: Merson. pundits, and the rest of that breed.
I noticed that Lawrenson (or “BBC Sport’s football expert” as he is laughingly billed on their website) was offering management tips to AW on the BBC website last week. I’m sure AW will be over the moon to have been given the invaluable advice of a bloke who managed (highly unsuccessfully may I add) for two seasons at Oxford and Peterborough. Doesn’t Lawrenson realise what a complete idiot he makes himself look? And before you reply to this comment………….I know he doesn’t; he’s too stupid to realise even that (as seemingly are the BBC).
Having said all that I think Lawronsen’s real ability was rather well highlighted in his predictions column last week when he managed three correct results from 10 Premier League games, including one perfect score. His total score of five points was beaten by Countdown co-presenter Rachel Riley, who got six correct results including two perfect scores.
So basically a 28 year old Essex girl with no experience in football whatsoever appears to have more nous about the game than him…………why am I not surprised. AW would clearly benefit more by taking advice from Rachel methinks!!