Rangel: Swans are united

Rangel: Swans are united

Published Oct. 19, 2012 9:15 a.m. ET

Angel Rangel has warned Wigan they will face a Swansea side determined to showcase their unity at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

The Swans have been stung by reports in the national media of dressing room unrest, which stated senior players were unhappy with manager Michael Laudrup's training methods and man management, and the players in question had expressed their concerns to chairman Huw Jenkins.

Right-back Rangel has echoed subsequent denials by Laudrup and Jenkins, and has promised the togetherness of the squad will be on display when they look to end a run of five games without a win against the Latics.

He said: "There is nothing wrong within the squad, sometimes the media exaggerates things.

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"Everyone is happy. If we were playing bad football and were bottom of the table I would understand, but we're not.

"Everyone is happy with how the manager is coaching on the training pitch and with games. I can promise you everything is fine.

"I was surprised because I cannot see any player going against the manager. These things don't happen here because we are a close family and everyone is honest.

"I have never seen any signs that there is not unity within the squad, everyone has always been together, but this will make us stronger.

"We haven't really talked about it, but we all know that a win on Saturday will show everyone that these things are wrong. Hopefully that will be the case."

When Swansea finished 11th in the Premier League last season, it was based on a solid defensive foundation which yielded 14 clean sheets.

This season the south Wales club have not been as watertight and have conceded 11 goals in their last five games.

Rangel does not believe all the blame lies with the back four, but admits it is important for Swansea to start registering clean sheets again.

"Maybe we don't press as much as last year but you don't concede goals because the defenders are playing badly just as you don't score goals because the strikers are playing well," he said.

"We are a team and sometimes we have been unfortunate with individual mistakes.

"We are not giving that many chances away, teams have just been clinical.

"Hopefully we won't give so many chances away and at the other end we have to score.

"We have to work on keeping clean sheets now because that is important."

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