Michu certainly deserves the plaudits for his goals, but there is more to Swansea than the mop-haired Spaniard.

The naysayers were in their element when Brendan Rodgers abandoned the Liberty Stadium ship for Liverpool in the summer. Highly-rated midfielder Joe Allen left with Rodgers, while Scott Sinclair and Gylfi Sigurdsson were seduced by Manchester City and Tottenham respectively. Most were convinced the Swans would be lost in the abyss without the leadership of man who'd taken them to the Premier League.

Fast-forward to the status quo, the Welsh club are not only surviving, they're flourishing and are ahead of the Reds in the Premier League table. In fact, Swansea stand a good chance of finishing the season with a piece of silverware, which is more than anyone can say for Liverpool.

Like the Welsh side's version of Luis Suarez or Gareth Bale, Michu would be picked by most fans as the reason behind the team's admirable campaign.

Michu has adapted incredibly fast and well to the Premier League since his arrival from Rayo Vallecano in the summer, starting with a brace against Queens Park Rangers and continuing his form as the season has progressed.

The 26-year old has since hit the back of the net 18 times in all competitions, one of which helped Swansea to a berth in the Capital One Cup finals for the first time in their history.

However, while Michu's scoring exploits merit a lot of praise, it would be rather unfair to attribute the Swans' splendid performances only to their number nine.

Technical quality from La Liga

A few astute football observers earmarked Michu as a possible star for Swansea when he made the move to Wales. After all, he was La Liga's highest scoring midfielder in the previous campaign and they expected his strong build to come in handy in combating the physicality of the English game.

The arrival of Chico, Pablo Hernandez and Jonathan de Guzman was a different story. Swansea might have shelled out a club record fee for former Valencia man Hernandez, but the trio were an unknown quantity in England and most Swansea fans were wary of the sudden influx from Spain.

In the six months that have since passed, Hernandez and de Guzman won over supporters by racking up nine goals and 13 assists, with the duo's creativity and support proving pivotal in the run-up to several of Michu's goals. Alongside Wayne Routledge, Hernandez and de Guzman have done spectacularly well; erasing the hurt caused by the departures of Sinclair and Sigurdsson.

Not much of a goal-scorer from his position in the heart of defence, Chico has seen much less of the spotlight compared to his compatriots, but he has formed an impressive partnership with captain Ashley Williams. In fact, Chico's defensive contributions have eclipsed the Welshman's, averaging 3.3 interceptions per game compared to Williams' 2.3.

Like any good Spaniard worth his salt however, Chico's biggest attribute is his passing. While other center-backs lose possession as easily as they win it, the former Genoa man boasts a 90.4% passing accuracy, placing him just behind Manchester City's Yaya Toure. His confidence on the ball is a major factor in how well he has found his footing in this Swansea side.

Laudrup's way an enhancement of Rodgers'

When the Swans were promoted to the Premier League under Rodgers, they astounded many with slick possession football. Keen for the club to retain that identity, chairman Huw Jenkins appointed Michael Laudrup, a man who was arguably one of the best passers of the ball during his playing days, as Rodgers' replacement.

On the surface, Laudrup's Swansea play very similarly to that of his predecessor. The Dane's team averages 55.3% possession, 3% less than when Rodgers was in charge but the efficacy has not dipped.

Swansea have an average passing accuracy of 85.3% per game, equal to that of Rodgers' era. Such a statistic hints at Laudrup's success in turning Swansea into a more efficient side, as the team have maintained their precision passing despite seeing less of the ball.

Consequently, the Swans continue to be well-represented in the list of top ten passers this season, namely by Leon Britton and Ki Sung-Yeung. Korean international Ki has slotted in effortlessly alongside Britton in central midfield, taking the place of former Swans favourite Allen. The deep-lying playmaker has proven himself the perfect foil to Britton's systematic passing style, with his inventive through-balls upfield.

Expanding on Rodgers' style, Laudrup has urged Swansea to do more than just hold on to possession. He has emphasised pressing early and hard when the ball is lost - and that has been key to the Swans scalping the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea in their impressive season to date.

Swans on the brink of glory

Under Rodgers, the Welsh outfit struggled at times to achieve results despite bountiful possession, but the team's performance against the Blues in the Capital One Cup semi-finals was a good indication that Swansea have matured with Laudrup at the helm.

Demonstrating focus and hunger in the first leg of the tie, the Swans raced to a 2-0 lead by capitalizing on Chelsea's defensive errors, before cementing their place in the final by turning in a determined display to hold off Rafa Benitez's men in the return leg.

It might just be another Michu strike that wins Swansea the Capital One Cup when they take on Bradford City at Wembley, but Laudrup's outfit is far from a one-man show.

Source:

Source: Fox Sport

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