Filed under: Swansea, Premier League, Football
As the Swansea players celebrated on the Wembley pitch following their play-off triumph, Brendan Rodgers believes the bookmakers were already taking bets on his side suffering instant relegation from the Premier League.There is still some way to go before Rodgers' Welsh side defy those doubters for good, but they are certainly not looking out of place in the top-flight.
A testing sequence of away games, with trips to Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, was always going to stretch them.
Three defeats and nobody batted an eyelid.
But the home form at this level has always been the secret to survival.
And a haul of eight points out of a possible 12, and not a goal conceded in their four games at the Liberty Stadium, is a stat that shouldn't be scoffed at.
Arguably the visits of Wigan, Sunderland, West Brom and Stoke were games you would view as winnable when adapting to a new level.
Yet they still have to be put to bed and successive home wins, and becoming the first promoted side to keep four clean sheets in the process, will only raise hopes they can actually beat the drop.
Rodgers said: "We are learning every week, but you have to be quick learners as this is an unforgiving league.
"We are under no illusions how hard it is to win games at this level. I think we will need 10 wins at home.
"I think we can go away and get points, but it's critical in your first season that you win at home.
"That's what keeps you in a division. But it's not about us proving people wrong, we just want to better ourselves."
While Swansea can pass many teams off the pitch, their Achilles heel has always been their inability to cope with an aerial bombardment.
Renowned for their eye-catching passing game, they had to mix it with Stoke's physical and direct approach on Sunday.
They passed that test with flying colours as they ran out deserved 2-0 winners.
Despite being dwarfed by Stoke's giants, the likes of Joe Allen, Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer all coped without problem.
With their lengthy injury list finally showing signs of improvement, aided with the help of the fortnight's international break, their start can only bode well for what lies ahead as they move into the dizzy heights of top half of the Premier League.
Swansea will do well to remember the start Blackpool made, another side seen as cannon fodder, before they fell away badly and were eventually relegated last season.
But Rodgers' men, who are now raising expectations as well as eyebrows, added: "We have a winning mentality here.
"But you only get that if you work your socks off and fight.
"We want to stay at this level, but with the finances tight here it means rinsing everything out of this group."
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/10/03/swanseas-home-form-means-brendan-rodgers-side-can-defy-the-dou/
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