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Should Swansea City survive in the Premier League there will be many lessons to learn from what their talisman Gylfi Sigurdsson describes as a strange season. The recent years of impressive progress at the Liberty Stadium looked as if they might come to a juddering halt when an autumnal run of one win in 13 league games sent them into relegation danger.I dont think anyone saw that coming but it happens in football and its down to the players to get us out of the position were in now because, at the end of the day, we cant get relegated, says Sigurdsson. We want to stay in the Premier League and its a massive thing for the club to stay up next year with the television money coming in. And for us as players, we dont want to have a relegation on our CV. Sigurdsson believes Swansea have more than enough to retain their Premier League status The 26-year-old has been a key performer since the turn of the year, his seven goals in the last 11 matches going a long way to alleviating relegation fears. So, has Sigurdssons form turned things around for Swansea? Or has the teams improved performances brought the best out of the player?I think its both, he says. Personally 2016 has been a very good year. Ive been scoring a lot of goals but I think it comes down to the team playing better football as well. Were picking up more points. Were playing a little bit better than we were. In October and November we were playing really badly but now were doing better and creating a lot of chances. Its just down to the players up front to put them away now. We hear it said in the modern game that certain teams have an identity. It was used as a stick to beat Sam Allardyce during his time at West Ham, when supporters were less than happy with performances; that wasnt the West Ham way, they said. Former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers often used phrases like Our DNA during his time at Liverpool, as if to claim some unique characteristic that set his club apart. These are blurred areas, often mistaken for simpler distinctions between winning and losing. Gylfi Sigurdsson has been in good goalscoring form for Swansea since the turn of the year But there is no doubt Swansea gained a reputation for a particular style of football since Roberto Martinezs arrival in 2007, which saw them through to the Premier League under Rodgers. The side has continued to evolve, but Sigurdsson believes that was part of the problem earlier this season.I think somewhere along the line we went away from what were all about. Because if you look at the last six or seven years and what Swansea are known for, I think we didnt perform like we used to. We didnt pass the ball like we used to and defend like we once did. We used to win the ball high up the pitch then keep the ball. Sigurdsson found the net from the penalty spot against fellow relegation rivals Sunderland When Garry Monk departed in December, it was club hero and long-serving coach Alan Curtis who took temporary charge. His first match brought an unlucky defeat away to Manchester City, but from that game on the team started to return to the style Sigurdsson talks about. After a long spell on the sidelines, Leon Britton had been restored to the starting XI in the final games of Monks reign, and his tenacity and passing in the midfield holding role helped the team build from a solid base once more.Curtis was ready to take a backseat again when Francesco Guidolin arrived from Italy to take charge of the team in January. But an illness to the 60-year-old Italian thrust Curtis into the limelight once more. Alan Curtis has been in the dugout in the absence of Francesco Guidolin Hes been fantastic, really good, Sigurdsson says of Curtis. All of the boys look up to him and he knows the club inside out. He knows what it means to the club and the city to stay in the Premier League. But of course hes also very experienced and very calm and hes done very well in the absence of the manager and the time before that when he and Dave Adams were taking charge of the team. When Garry left, Curt stepped in and steadied the ship. He took charge for a few games and our performances improved. I think hes very important for us.So what do Swansea need to do between now and the end of the season to ensure their survival for another season?Its a case of just going back to what were good at and playing the football that we used to play; exciting attacking football and keeping the ball with a lot of pressure in the team. If we can do that well be more than fine.Watch the full interview with Johnny Phillips and Gylfi Sigurdsson on Soccer Saturday from 12noon on Sky Sports News HQ, and watch Swansea v Aston Villa on Saturday Night Football from 5pm on Sky Sports 1 HD Also See: Guidolin back for Villa visit Mersons predictions Premier League questions Live on Sky Authentic Custom Colts Jersey .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. Colts Jerseys China . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. http://www.customcoltsjersey.com/ .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Wholesale Custom Colts Shirts . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Cheap Colts Jerseys . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Mark Cavendish has triumphed in 30 stages of the Tour de France, won road racings world title and captured dozens of other important races to become one of Britains most successful cyclists.The one thing missing was an Olympic medal.The sprinter from the Isle of Man finally accomplished that feat Monday night, taking silver in the mens omnium behind Italian rider Elia Viviani at the Rio de Janeiro Games.Im happy with it. I couldnt have done more, Cavendish said. I made every day count. On another day I might be closer to gold, but I have to be happy.Especially the way things have gone in previous trips to the Olympics.Cavendish and teammate Bradley Wiggins were the reigning Madison world champions when they headed to the Beijing Games in 2008. But in the event, no longer part of the Olympic program, the duo could do no better than ninth, leaving Cavendish the only British track cyclist without a medal.Four years ago, he headed to the London Games backed by a powerhouse road team to tackle a course that suited him perfectly -- he even won a test event on it. But on race day, the British squad missed the key breakaway and Cavendish wound up 29th, reduced to being a footnote in the race report.So in that context, silver isnt such a bad result.Its always disappointing not to win, Cavendish said, but I did all I could. And the guys behind me did all they could. So yeah, Im happy.His performance was impressive by any measure: Not only did Cavendish nearly overcome Viviani in the last event of the six-event omnium, he also held off reigning Olympic champion Lasse Norman Hansen of Denmark, who had to settle for the bronze medal.But perhaps making it more impressive was the fact that Cavendish squeezed in training for the omnium while continuing his successful road career. When other riders would take a break from the grind of professional cycling, he would hop on a jet to compete in a track cycling World Cup event, then hop right back on a plane to rejoin his Dimension Data at the next big race.Cavendishs performance never faltered on tthe road, either.ddddddddddddIn fact, the sprinting specialist earned the yellow jersey in the Tour de France after winning the opening stage, then won three more stages to stamp his mark on the sports biggest race.But Cavendish said all along that one of his priorities this season was that elusive Olympic medal, so he found himself abandoning the Tour in the final week to transition to the track.The past few weeks, he had been fiercely focused on succeeding inside the velodrome.I think gold would have been a fairytale but I dont think you can be unhappy with his ride, British Cycling coach Iain Dyer said. Its not easy gig by any stretch of the imagination but I think hes done himself proud here and I hope in the hours and days he will appreciate it.His effort in the six-race omnium was hardly without flaws.The biggest may have come in the elimination race, one of his better events, where he appeared to let up before the line and was knocked out by the Brazilian rider. Cavendish knew immediately how costly those lost points would be, slamming his palm on his handlebars during his cool-down lap.More trouble occurred in the points race Monday night, when Cavendish failed to see a South Korean rider next to him. Cavendish swerved down the banking of the track and collided with him, sending not only the Korean rider to the ground but also causing a pileup that caused Viviani to crash.Cavendish accepted the blame for the crash, but it ultimately didnt affect his standing.The bigger problem for Cavendish in the points race, where points are earned for intermediate sprints and bonus points are given for lapping the field, was that Viviani was marking him the entire time.Cavendish could never make a move to overcome his Italian rival.Still, he walked away from the Rio Games with the medal he so long desired, the glaring hole in his otherwise imperious resume finally filled -- even if it was filled with silver rather than gold. ' ' '