What does the future hold for Ashley Williams?

Ashley Williams has been a true revelation in South Wales, as the Swansea skipper has lead the club to a top half finish in the Premier League, cup glory in the Capital One Cup and Europa League football next season.

The Swansea captain has since been heavily linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium, with Arsenal rumoured to be his club of choice.

Just a few weeks ago, Williams was reportedly very close to finalising a deal to join the Gunners though the transfer has seemingly stumbled in recent weeks.

Despite this, the speculation surrounding Ashley Williams’ future has been on-going with several newspapers publishing articles claiming that the Swansea and Wales captain is ready to quit the club in search of a new challenge.

Although the main club that look to be chasing Williams’ signature is Arsenal, both Merseyside clubs - Liverpool and Everton - have also been linked with moves for the man who completed 86% of his passes last season in the Premier League.

Liverpool, and manager Brendan Rodgers in particular, are reportedly keen to link up with Rodgers' former defensive star, Ashley Williams, as a replacement for Martin Skrtel, who has been heavily rumoured with a move away from Anfield.

Everton have also emerged as a destination for Williams since the appointment of former Swans’ boss Roberto Martinez as the club’s new manager. Martinez was the manager to first notice Williams’ talent as he spent around £400,000 on the former Stockport centre-half.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Ashley Williams as a replacement for an outgoing centre-half that is currently on the Arsenal books.

The two players who may be heading for the exit door at the Emirates are Thomas Vermaelen - who is said to be keen to push a move through after falling out of favour with manager Arsene Wenger towards the end of the season - and Laurent Koscielny, to whom Barcelona and Bayern Munich are said to be interested.

Williams would undoubtedly be a good fit for Arsenal should he decide to move to the North London club. He has won more aerial duels than Per Mertersacker, made over 100 more accurate passes than Vermaelen, and has also won more ground 50-50s than Laurent Koscielny.

With Swansea’s style of play being similar to the style of play that Arsenal are famous for, Williams looks a perfect replacement for either Laurent Koscielny or Thomas Vermaelen.

However, Swansea will not let one of their prized assets go for anything less than £10 million, while Chairman Huw Jenkins has reiterated the fact that the club are in no rush to sell their best players. This reluctance to sell seems to have put off Arsenal from purchasing the man who has 41 international caps, and is most likely the reason why the deal has stalled recently.

The Swans are of course used to seeing players come and go, with former stars such as Joe Allen, Gylfi Sigurdson and Scott Sinclair all top performers who have recently left the club.

If Williams did leave the Liberty Stadium outfit, the on field captaincy would more than likely go to club stalwart and midfield maestro Leon Britton, with Gary Monk remaining as Club captain.

The current Champions, Manchester United, are heading to the Liberty on the opening weekend of the season and it is not yet clear whether Williams will still be playing for Wales’ top footballing side. If he did go, who does Laudrup see as his successor at the back?

Sevilla defender Alberto Botia looks the likely candidate to fill Williams’ boots with Michael Laudrup confirming interest in the player, and Botia himself claims that Swansea did make a bid for him in the January transfer window.

Espanyol defender Jordi Amat has also been rumoured with a £2 million switch to the Principality as Laudrup once again looks to the good value Spanish market to replenish his squad. 

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Cardiff capitalise on rivals’ blips to increase Championship lead

Cardiff City’s 2-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (March 16) tasted all the sweeter with news of defeats for Hull and Watford, and then Crystal Palace on Sunday (March 17).

The Bluebirds increased their lead at the top of the table to seven points again courtesy of Don Cowie and Matt Connolly goals, while Hull crashed 2-1 at home to Nottingham Forest and Watford went down 1-0 at Barnsley. Palace were them thumped 3-0 by fierce rivals Brighton at lunch time on Sunday.

Those results brought a sense of relief to Cardiff fans who were starting to get a bit jittery with their own team’s recent stuttering form. But the match wasn’t without its share of heart in mouth moments, particularly when former Swansea striker Leroy Lita had the ball in the net in the final minutes as the linesman raised his flag for offside.

“It’s another three points towards where we want to go,” said boss Malky Mackay, whose side still have a game in hand over the chasing pack. “We’ve been top since November 24 and it’s a long time to be there and be shot at, discussed, debated – I’m very pleased with the mental strength of our players to deal with that.

“They just keep taking on the team that’s in front of them and going on to the next one. You have to keep entering into those battles and eventually you start to win them. We kept at it and got the result we deserved.”

In the Premiership, Swansea City lost their second successive fixture as Arsenal avenged their victory at the Emirates earlier this season with a 2-0 win.

Nacho Monreal and Gervinho scored in the last quarter of an hour to inflict Swansea’s third home defeat of the season, whose best chances were squandered by Michu and Angel Rangel, a heavy touch ending the full-back’s one-on-one chance with Gunners’ ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Arsenal could even have had a third, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saw his effort rattle the crossbar after cutting inside Rangel.

Captain Ashley Williams expressed his dismay at the Jacks’ “flat” performance, urging them not to ruin what has been a brilliant season for the club.

“I don’t think we played very well,” he said. “It was the same as last week, maybe even worse.

“It’s disappointing to lose 2-0 at home. It was flat, I’m not too sure why. I’d never question the lack of effort, there was just no intensity, no tempo, no urgency. In the second half we never looked like scoring.

“We’ve got to find that motivation. If that’s what some people are lacking, they’ve got to find it. I can’t imagine that they are, but it’s important for us [to win] as much as anybody else.”

In the Conference, Newport’s game against Macclesfield was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Rodney Parade, while Wrexham were held to a goal-less draw with Luton Town at the Racecourse.

The result saw the Dragons blow the chance to climb back above Mansfield to the top of the table, as Luton cleared efforts from Dele Adebola and Martin Riley off the line, while veteran Hatters ‘keeper Mark Tyler stopped efforts from Adebola and Brett Ormerod.

Stephen Wright could have nicked it at the end, but he nodded wide from six yards.

The top two were due to face each other at the Racecourse tonight (March 19), but that game has been called off due to an unplayable pitch.

Newport, on the other hand, return to action with a crunch promotion clash with play-off rivals Kidderminster Harriers tonight (March 19). A win for The Exiles would move them within two points of their visitors, who currently sit third in the table, but Newport do have four games in hand over them and Wrexham, and three over Mansfield, whom they trail by eight points.

In the Blue Square North, Colwyn Bay’s mini revival under player/manager Frank Sinclair was further halted with a disappointing home defeat to Altrincham.

Former Chelsea defender Sinclair saw red after 83 minutes for using what the referee deemed to be an elbow in an off-the-ball clash with the league’s leading goalscorer, Damian Reeves, to round off a miserable day for the strugglers.

The visitors shaded the first half, and took the lead after 22 minutes. A low cross from Shaun Densmore saw Reeves fire home from close range.

They got their second on 54 minutes when Reeves converted a Nicky Clee cut back, but almost immediately, Bay pulled one back when substitute Jason Lampkin scored with almost his first touch.

Any hopes Seagulls fans had of a comeback were then halted when Duncan Watmore beat two defenders and expertly finished inside the area to kill the game on 80 minutes, before Sinclair’s dismissal three minutes later.

They remain in the relegation zone going in to tonight’s game with promotion contenders FC Halifax, four points from Corby and safety, although with two games in hand over them.

“We’ve given it a go, tried to be positive and been a bit unlucky at times, but it was always going to be a hard test because they are a good side and are not fifth in the table for nothing,” said Sinclair after the Altrincham defeat. “They’ve got the league’s top scorer in their side, and unfortunately we have caught him at a time when he has just started scoring goals again after a lean spell.

“But we go again. These aren’t the games that will get us relegated. We’re still in touch with teams immediately above us which is important, and we’ve got some big games coming up against teams that are down there with us. It is the results in those games that are going to decide things.”

Finally, Merthyr Town’s Evo-Stik League Southern Division One South & West match away at Didcot Town also had to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

They sit fourth in the table as they chase promotion, but hold games in hand over most of the sides around them.

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Halfpenny, Dyer and James star in stellar weekend for Welsh sport

Leigh Halfpenny, Nathan Dyer and Becky James were just three names on the lips of Welsh sports fans this morning (February 25) after a memorable weekend for sport in the country.

It was a weekend that saw the Six Nations continue its upturn, the first British cyclist win four medals at one World Championships, and Swansea City become the first Welsh club to bring the League Cup across the Severn Bridge in to Wales.

There were glory tales all over the country, as Wrexham, Cardiff City and Newport County also contributed to 48 hours of celebration.

James kicked off the celebrations early with two bronze medals at the 2013 Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk earlier in the week, continuing the country’s love affair with the sport since the heroics at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Her first world title then came via a thrilling fightback to beat Germany’s Kristina Vogel in the sprint final on Saturday.

The 21-year-old from Abergavenny lost the first race but then levelled and memorably won the decider to send the travelling British contingent in to raptures.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I can’t believe this has just happened to me. I’m world champion and I can't believe it!”

Meanwhile, in Rome, the Welsh rugby side were restoring their country’s faith in the national sport with a solid if unspectacular 26-9 victory over Italy to keep their hopes of a Six Nations title alive.

Leigh Halfpenny kicked 16 of Wales’ points – four penalties and converting tries by Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert - which put Wales in a commanding position on the hour.

Then the defence stood up to the mark and continually repelled the Italian attack, who only registered three penalties through the boot of Kris Burton for their efforts.

The win secured Wales’ fourth successive away victory in the championship, a feat not achieved since 1979, and coach Shaun Edwards was delighted with the Welsh efforts in horrendous rain at the Stadio Olympico.

He said: “If you’d come up with that scoreline when I saw that rain in the morning, I would have bitten your hand off. It was such a wet day and we knew there were going to be a lot of scrums and I thought our scrum was outstanding.

“Whenever we don't concede any tries I am usually pretty happy.”

In football, Wrexham followed the lead of Cardiff City, Newport County and Swansea City in the past year by securing their place at Wembley.

Their path comes via the FA Trophy final, beating Gainsborough 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-final despite a 2-1 loss at the Blue Square Bet North side in the second leg.

Leading 3-1 from the first leg, Danny Wright extended that advantage with a 20-yard strike before the home side fought back to take the lead on the day.

Despite a second-half onslaught, Wrexham held firm to secure their first appearance at the English national stadium in their 120-year history against Blue Square Bet Premier promotion rivals Grimsby Town.

Player-manager Andy Morrell now wants the club to push on for a historic league and Cup double in the closing months of the season. He said: “York did the double last year so there’s no reason why we can't do it this year.

“The league is the priority so we’ve got to try to stay up the top. We’re still top after this weekend and it’s on to Tuesday and to Barrow away – there’s a comedown for you!

“It’ll be a very similar challenge to Gainsborough and we’ve got to be bang at it to get anything from it.”

Elsewhere, Newport continued to challenge Wrexham at the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier table, beating bottom side AFC Telford 2-1 at Rodney Parade to move in to third, just two points off leaders Wrexham and with a game in hand.

Christian Jolley and Danny Crow got their goals and it could have been more, with Jolley in particular a threat, and former Swan Scott Donnelley striking the post for the Exiles.

Manager Justin Edinburgh said: “I thought we were very efficient on a difficult surface, controlling the game from start to finish.

“I’m disappointed to concede the late goal again for the second week running, but overall I was pleased with the team’s performance.”

Then on Sunday, Cardiff continued the weekend of celebrations by returning their lead at the top of the table to eight points, with a game in hand over second and third, thanks to a tight 2-1 win over luckless Wolves at Molineux.

Frazier Campbell continued his incredible start to life at the Bluebirds with a brace to make it five goals in five games since his January move from Sunderland, before a deflected Bakary Sako free-kick signalled a late Wolves flurry the visitors had to defend against.

Cardiff received some of the luck that had evaded them in the midweek loss at home to Brighton, principally when Wolves striker Sylvain Ebanks-Blake somehow hit the crossbar from close range when it was probably easier to score.

Cardiff boss Malky Mackay was pleased with his team’s defensive efforts, saying: “It was never going to be easy here and I have never had an easy game at Wolves. They have players with Premier League quality and I was delighted with the way that we played and controlled the game to get our three points.

“We knew that Wolves would throw caution to the wind after half-time and they did, and I thought we handled that well. I was pleased with the way we saw the game out in the last 10 or 15 minutes.”

Then came the two biggest results of the weekend.

Swansea City defeated League Two side Bradford City 5-0 at Wembley to win the Capitol One Cup for the first time.

Nathan Dyer and Jonathan de Guzman both scored braces, while Spanish sensation Michu added the fifth to cap a perfect if bitterly cold day for the 33,000 who had travelled along the M4 to witness history.

It could even have been more had it not been for a combination of Bradford heads and feet, and even the crossbar at one point, but the winning margin was the greatest in the competition’s history.

The travelling Jacks were in fine voice throughout, and can now look forward to playing European football next term after securing a place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League – where they could even draw opposition from the Welsh Premier League.

Danish boss Michael Laudrup paid tribute to his opponents whose own run to the final added to the fairytale, saying: “This final will be historical, for us as well as Bradford, because I think what they have done this season is incredible.

“[To win] 5-0, and our first season here, I think it’s absolutely great. And now, [time] just to enjoy it!”

Then, finally, James came back to the fore by securing her second gold in as many days in Minsk to put the cherry on top of a sumptuous cake that Welsh fans had gorged on all weekend.

This time it was the women’s Keirin that brought victory as she fully stepped out of the shadow of Victoria Pendleton after the Olympic hero’s retirement from the sport.

She led from the front, fighting off continued attacks from her rivals to finish with the same number of medals as the entire French team for the event.

She was equally dumbfounded second time around, saying: “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it. Wow. It’s going to take a good week for it to sink in, or two weeks, or a month.

“I just need someone to pinch me and tell me if it’s really happening to me. I feel like it’s a complete dream, apart from the pain in my legs.”

The 12 months of 2012 were labelled as an unbeatable year for sport in Britain, but this cold, dank February weekend showed that Welsh sport isn’t ready to stop partying yet.

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Michu extends Swansea stay

Swansea City’s Spanish sensation Michu has signed a contract extension with the club that will keep him at the Liberty Stadium until 2016.

“It was an easy decision for me,’’ Michu told swanseacity.net. “I am living a dream here at Swansea. I’m probably enjoying my football more than ever. It’s easy to play with this team and tonight [against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg, January 23] I have the chance to reach the first final of my career.

“I’m really happy here in the city with the people, the club and the fans. Everyone has been so nice to me since I arrived.

“I think the club are happy with me because they have given me a new contract. I am certainly happy with the club.’’

The 26-year-old has hit the ground running in the Premier League, netting a brace in the club’s 5-0 win at Queens Park Rangers on the opening day of the season. He has gone on to bag 16 goals in 28 appearances since his £2.2m move from Rayo Vellacano in July, leading Swans boss Michael Laudrup to hail him as the “bargain of the season”.

Michu has this month been linked with a move away from south Wales, with a return to Spain and Atletico Madrid mooted. But he has now committed himself to the club, adding:

“I’ve read and listened to all the speculation, but it doesn’t interest me, and that’s why I’ve signed a new contract. I’m enjoying myself too much because the team always tries to play football. All I think about is the next game and helping Swansea be successful. This is my life.”

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Rangel an Angel for Swansea homeless

Swans fans have been used to cheering Angel Rangel’s battling performances in a white shirt, but on Friday night they were singing his praises off the field.

The Spanish defender took to the streets with wife Nikki to deliver food to the city’s homeless as the snow battered south Wales and other parts of the UK.

Using social networking website Twitter, the 30-year-old asked his followers where he would be able to find the less fortunate in the city as he and his wife “got food going spare”.

It has been reported that Mr and Mrs Rangel had been at a food chain when the manager informed them that the leftovers would be thrown away when they closed. Shocked, the pair drove the streets with the food looking for those in need, and ended up at a homeless shelter.

But he didn’t want to take all the credit, telling the world: “Thanks so much for the suggestions. It was @MI55Y_28 [wife Nikki’s account] idea so we are driving around. Terrible to be out in this weather.”

Shocked Twitter users lavished the pair with praise. BBC favourite Juliette Ferrington beamed: “especially when players are criticised so often it's good to hear about @arangelz giving out food.”

The Times’ Tony Barrett added: “The coldest night in a long time & Swansea City's @arangelz has been out on the streets giving food to the homeless. #topclass.”

One Swansea fan described them as “role models”.

Rangel later Tweeted to those singing his praises: “Wow we r amazed at the amount of tweets we r receiving. Thanks a lot but it was just a little gesture we drove for only 1 hour and felt great.”

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