Swansea signed Netherlands international Leroy Fer on loan from Championship outfit QPR in February 2016 with mixed opinions from fans.
The midfielder had been relegated from the Premier League half a year before with The Rs, and had also suffered relegation from the same league with Norwich the season before. It is obvious, therefore, that the player carried a fairly pejorative reputation.
Furthermore, he was widely regarded as one of the laziest players by fans, and was heavily criticised for this. Not only were many QPR fans glad to see the back of Fer, but some Swansea fans were dreading his arrival. That being said, there were still some that were happy about his arrival, but they may have been the ones that were unaware of his past.
This is what the fans had to say:
@LeroyFer10 @steakokidney @SwansOfficial thats swansea relegated
— Stacey Drennan (@drennan_stacey) February 2, 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial maybe you’ll pull your finger out now ??
— tony broadstock (@hoops1975) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial don’t let the door hit you on the way out
— (@alfiebryant8) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial relegation specialist!!!!
Am off down the bookies in the morning to lump on Swansea going down— toffee boy andy (@toffee_boy_andy) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial bothered your last two clubs say you’re laziest footballer ever?That insult is the worst a pro-sportsman can have
— Kev (@Kev_Norfolk) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial #YJB Go prove the doubters wrong. Put a shift in and you won’t find a better set of supporters!
— &REW OWEN (@FlyingButcher) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial QPR fans are saying you are lazy and go missing during games! ! Prove them wrong and don’t be another Shelvey
— Wayne Richards (@Wayne74511443) 2 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial pic.twitter.com/YPqxwfFT2f
— Dan Jermy (@jermy118) 2 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial another relegation on the cards
— Chris Mullins (@hashtagMullins) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial 3 consecutive relegations on the way. Don’t try too hard, you never have anywhere else so far
— Kev (@Kev_Norfolk) 1 February 2016
@LeroyFer10 @SwansOfficial You going for your third relegation in three years mate?
— Matty Howard (@mthoward13) 1 February 2016
Almost three years later, and those fans turned out to be right, although they didn’t seem to be at first.
A decent start to his time at the Liberty Stadium saw Fer sign permanently for The Swans. His 2016/17 started off with a bang, with the midfielder going on a strong scoring run.
Fer went on to score six Premier League goals in 34 appearances, helping the south Wales club to a 15th place finish in the table.
However, a serious injury in February this year ruled Fer out for the rest of the 2017/18 season. In his absence, the club were relegated, but he has recovered to feature for The Swans in the Championship.
So, while Swansea did technically get relegated, as some fans predicted, it was perhaps Fer’s absence that caused it rather than the player himself.
