Home form key to Swansea City's success says Neil Taylor
28th June
Neil Taylor believes Swansea's "feeling of invincibility" at the Liberty Stadium inspired them to their best-ever Barclays Premier League season.
The Swans lost just five home games during their record-breaking 2014-15 campaign, while they upset the odds to beat top-flight giants Arsenal and Manchester United on home soil.
And Taylor, speaking in the Swans' seasonal review Record Breakers: History Makers, believes ensuring the Liberty became a place opposition sides feared was key to their successful season.
"One of the targets we talked about in pre-season was getting that home feeling back," said Taylor.
"We didn't have that feeling of invincibility at home. In the Championship, in particular, teams would come here not expecting to win because we played that well at the Liberty.
"So we wanted to make the Liberty a fortress again for the supporters, and I think we've gone a long way to achieving that this season.
"We've beaten Arsenal and Manchester United at home, which isn't easy, while we only lost a few."
The 26-year-old left-back also felt that Swansea's ability to adapt to different situations and alternative formations made them a force to be reckoned with.
Most notably, Swans boss Garry Monk made a tactical switch ahead of his side's home fixture against Manchester United, where he opted to change from Swansea's synonymous 4-3-3 system.
"When we changed to the diamond we weren't playing so well in the 4-3-3 formation," Taylor added.
"The management sat down and looked at training footage and coverage of games and they felt the overload in the centre of the pitch would work well for certain games.
"Defensively it was very hard work, but we got to grips with it and it brought the best out of certain personnel.
"We are far more adaptable now and we certainly aren't as one-dimensional as some people said of us.
"We've exceeded expectations. To be in the top ten for the whole season was a fantastic achievement when you consider the size of the clubs below us."
Order Record Breakers: History Makers today to get the DVD at a special price of just £9.99 - which includes FREE delivery within the UK - instead of £11.99.
Click HERE to order your copy or buy it from the Swans Club Shop today.
