Bound impressed by Swans

26th November

Club

Vetch old boy Matthew Bound is keeping fingers crossed for a Swansea City win against West Brom on Wednesday (7.45pm) having been impressed by the work of Graham Potter.

Bound, who will be the special hospitality guest in the 1912 Lounge for the Albion game, likes what he has seen from Potter’s Swans so far this season.

The Swans were well beaten by Norwich City at the weekend, but that was a rare low point in a campaign which has offered plenty of promise so far.

Former centre-back Bound made 176 league appearances for the Swans, and played a crucial part in the club’s Division Three title-winning campaign in 1999-2000.

He returned to Swansea after retiring as a player and keeps a close eye on his old club.

“I’ve been really impressed with the side that Graham Potter has put together this season,” said Bound.

“I think the team have gelled brilliantly despite the fact that there have been a lot of changes.

“I think they’ve adapted really well to life in the Championship and done a lot better than a lot of people thought they might back in the summer.

“When a lot of the big-name players left at the beginning of the season I think people were expecting the worst, but the new manager has come in and he’s got his side playing some really exciting football.”

Bound was heralded for his contribution to that promotion-winning success under in 2000, when the Swans claimed a first title in more than 50 years.

John Hollins’s team built their triumph on a watertight defence, with Roger Freestone keeping a the club-record tally of clean sheets in that campaign.

Bound, who was a key part of Hollins’s rearguard, has been impressed with the defensive efforts of regular centre-back pairing Joe Rodon and Mike van der Hoorn so far this season.

“As a defensive unit you need to have continuity, so you can get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” he added.

“You get an idea of what your defensive partner is going to do in a certain situation and it helps you to read the game.

“I think Joe Rodon and Mike van der Hoorn have been very good in the heart of that defence and they’ve really developed that understanding at the back.

“The whole back line has done really well.”

While the Swans’ defensive record has been impressive this season, they can expect a stern challenge against a free-scoring West Brom side.

“It’s going to be a tough game, there’s no doubt about that,” Bound said.

“The Swans’ main problem this season has been that they’ve created a lot of chances but not converted as many as they’d like to.

“But I think Wilfried Bony coming back will give the squad a huge boost and hopefully give the manager a few extra options in how he sets up.

“I think it could end up as a score-draw, maybe a 2-2 or something along those lines, but I’m hoping that the Swans come out of the game with 3 points.”

After his guest appearance at Wednesday’s game, Bound will be travelling to Spain to take part in the Valencia marathon – the first of three events he is aiming to complete in aid of local charity, Maggie’s.

“I’m doing a lot of fundraising work for Maggie’s, who offer support to people with cancer and their families and friends,” he said.

“I’ll be running the Valencia marathon on the Sunday after the West Brom game, then I’m doing an arctic trek in February.

“The arctic trek consists of trekking 75km in three days whilst pulling your own sledge, sleeping in tents and basically being very uncomfortable!

“Then to finish it all off, I’ll be doing the London marathon in April to try to raise as much money as possible for the wonderful people at Maggie’s.”

*If you’d like to support Matthew Bound in his efforts to raise money for an excellent cause, you can do so through his JustGiving page HERE.

*There are still spaces in the 1912 Lounge for the West Brom game. The details are:

Hosted by one of Wales’ most popular performers, Kevin Johns MBE and club ambassador Lee Trundle, each matchday promises to offer the peak of entertainment, including the exclusive opportunity for you to meet Swans stars from the past and present. The 1912 Heritage includes: