So, our top goal scorer is heading to The Etihad, and from a Swansea fan’s point of view I’m gutted; devastated, in fact. Bony is arguably the best player to have ever played in a Swansea shirt and that’s an opinion shared by the majority of our fans. Coming from a relatively ‘small’ club like ours people might be quick to assume that Bony doesn’t have what it takes to make it in a club like City, but after seeing him dominate Premier League defences for over a year now I’m confident that he can do a job for you.
First of all, it would be easy to look at Bony’s obvious attributes and assume he’d play as a target man. I’m sure he could play in that sort of role, but he has so much more to offer than that. Perhaps the most obvious comparison to someone in your current squad would be to Edin Dzeko. They’re both powerful, both good in the air and they both know where the goal is. I’m a huge admirer of Dzeko but, without being biased, I don’t think he’s quite as good as Bony. In front of goal, in the air or even when looking for a pass I think the Ivorian would come out on top.
What I find particularly strange is that after reading through my Twitter feed there seems to be an awful lot of people labelling Bony’s transfer fee as ridiculous, and this again is mainly to with us being a small club. £28m is massive for a club like ours, but almost peanuts to yours; we had no choice but to let him go. Anyway, I think what you paid is a reasonably fair price in the scheme of things, considering he is very much proven in the Premier League and is currently at the prime of his career. You paid £27m for Dzeko four years ago this month, which again I feel justifies Bony’s price tag.
Something else I’ve come across on social media is people saying that Bony wouldn’t get a game once Aguero is fit. Of course, if you’re planning on playing with one striker then it would be silly to think that Aguero would be benched for Bony, but in his current form there isn’t many players who would make your starting eleven over him. With two up front however, it’s a whole new ball game.
Bony and Aguero could be a dream strike partnership and I’m struggling of who would stop them, or how they would go about doing so. One of my favourite things about Bony is that he won’t wait around on the last man, waiting for that ball to be played for him – that’s not his game. He’ll drop back and pick up the ball in midfield, causing a real problem for most midfielders, as they simply cannot win the ball back from him. He draws players towards him creating space further ahead where in your case, Aguero, Navas, Silva and co. would run riot.
I’m sure you’ve experienced a similar sort of thing with Yaya Toure, but when Bony picks up the ball, as I said, he needs more than one player to take it from him, and even then it’s a struggle. He’s had The Liberty Stadium in hysterics on numerous occasions just by using his strength to hold off multiple players, then walking off with a huge grin on his face! In case you’re yet to witness him in full force, I’ll give you an idea of just how powerful he is. On his first day training with Swansea, our manager (then player) Garry Monk went to push him off the ball, the outcome? Monk broke his finger.
Of course he’s a striker, so there’s more to his game than just his playmaking efforts. Maybe City fans will argue, but I’m confident that Bony has the hardest shot in the Premier League. You only have to look at his goal against QPR on New Years Day to know that his finishing is up there with the best in the league, and that goal was no fluke. The power he can get behind what is nothing more than a snapshot is crazy. On top of his clinical finishing, with his back to goal I haven’t seen many strikers as good as Wilf; he could quite literally turn on a sixpence. His close control is another attribute that puts him a step ahead of many players of his size. His goal at your place earlier this season is a perfect example of what he’s capable of, and with the players you have to supply him he could be a revelation for you.
With the wingers and fullbacks that you possess, having someone as good in the air as Bony could honestly bring a whole new aspect to your game. He might not be as tall as Dzeko, but give him a ball to jump for and nine times out of ten he’ll win it. Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, there aren’t many players I can think of that can get so far off the ground from a standing position. That, paired with the power he can get behind a header, is something that even the best defenders around the world will struggle against.
Of course no player is perfect, and one thing I will say about Bony is that until he gets a couple of goals under his belt, I doubt you’ll see the best of him. As a person he’s someone who very much thrives off the atmosphere, but after visiting The Etihad for our most recent clash, I have no worries about that. Give him the support he needs and he’ll pay you back eventually. He didn’t get his first league goal for us this season until October and has scored nine since, which pretty much sums him up.
A player with class, power, rather large thighs and a suspect dress sense, I really hope that Bony proves himself in Manchester. If past Swansea to Man City transfers are anything to by then I’m sure he’ll be a success; Scott Sinclair has been great for you! But in all seriousness, I’d happily bet on Bony to be a success with you and when he starts scoring, I hope you enjoy his dodgy dance moves as much as we did.
