Bauza faces up to promotion priority

Jan 25 2008 by Steve Tucker, Western Mail

PERHAPS in a perfect world Swansea City striker Guillem Bauza would be playing at Anfield tomorrow against his old partner in crime, Liverpool’s £26m frontman Fernando Torres.

Bauza and Torres often formed the strikeforce for Spain at U17 and U20 levels, most significantly helping Spain take the U16 European Championship title in 2001.

If things had gone as expected, Bauza and his team-mates would be facing the Reds in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend, but the little matter of Havant & Waterlooville and the “romance” of the world’s oldest cup competition unfortunately intervened.

But Bauza, known as “Bussy” at the Liberty Stadium, is a young man not to have his head turned by glamour and is fully aware of the greater importance of the Swans’ big League One clash at Doncaster tonight.

“I didn’t even talk to Fernando after the FA Cup defeat. I was very angry with myself, I did not want to speak with anyone. I just wanted to forget it,” said 23-year-old Bauza

“The most important thing is that we need to get promoted. It would have been nice to have a day out at Anfield, but it was not the type of game we would have expected to win.

“But we are very focused on the league and getting promoted that is what matters to us.

“Playing Doncaster now is the most important game for us and getting three points from that game if we can.”

Bauza and his Swans’ colleagues find themselves eight points clear at the top of League One as they go into two tough away days at high-flying Doncaster and Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

But Bauza said the side was taking nothing for granted, despite a palpable buzz of confidence around the dressing room.

“We are in a great position which obviously everyone else in the division would like to be in,” said Bauza, who signed for the Swans on a free transfer from Espanyol last summer.

“One of the things that brought me here was the fact that when I spoke to the gaffer he told me Swansea City was a club ready to go up to the next league.

“Of course, I thought about promotion at the end of the season, but maybe not being in as good a position as we are now.

“But I understand there is still 16 weeks to go, we are all looking at that and focusing on getting promoted.

“There is no space to lose hope and everyone is mentally prepared to keep going.

“We have two tough away games coming up now, but we have six points from our last home games and that will give us confidence now.

“We have no fear. We are talking in the dressing room and we are confident wherever we go we can go there and get the three points.

“We have the quality to win all our games, let’s see who is capable of beating us.”

The answer being not many sides, obviously, as Swansea continue on an excellent run of form that includes seven straight wins at the Liberty Stadium.

Bauza is in little doubt as to the reason behind Swansea’s success, manager Roberto Martinez’s astute mix of experience and youth within the squad.

“We do have a very deep squad where everybody seems to have a chance. Everybody is playing well and the whole team is working for each other,” said Bauza, who is also a trained teacher.

“There is a good work-rate and a winning mentality which is giving us the belief we can go into every game and take the points.

“There is a hunger to keep winning and that is what is keeping us at the top now.

“A lot of players in the squad have experience and they know we must keep going, there is no chance of anyone thinking they can relax or take it easy.

“Then, another part of the squad is young and has a great desire to prove themselves, so the performances have always to stay high.

“There is a good balance between the experience and the young players in the squad.”

If anything can take the shine slightly off Bauza’s sunny disposition, he was born in the Spanish holiday resort of Palma de Mallorca after all, it is his own inability so far to hold down a regular place in the Swansea starting line-up.

Despite a slew of cup appearances, he has managed just four league starts and has seven goals to his credit in all competitions so far.

If the Spaniard has his way they are a series of statistics set to improve on all fronts.

“It is not frustration, but when you join a team of course you want to be in the first XI,” added Bauza.

“There was a period where it was difficult, the team were doing well and there was a lot of competition for my position.

“I trained hard when I was not in the side and tried to show what I could do when I was given the chance in cup games. You have to show the gaffer you are a player he can choose.

“All I can do is keep working hard and keep believing I can get into the first XI.

“It has not been difficult moving here from Spain and I feel I have adapted finally to the game here.

“You do need time to absorb things into your mind and to your game.

“I feel I am playing at a good level, but I am still improving and, although I am happy, I want to get better.

“I have never been a top scorer, but I know how to score and, with so many games to come, if I can stay in the side, I am hopeful of giving more to the side.

“We do create chances so I am confident of scoring more.”