André Ayew will boost a squad that finished eighth last season but Garry Monk must hope Bafétimbi Gomis and Jonjo Shelvey can continue where they left off

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily Stuart James’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 8th

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 1500-1

It was three days after Swansea City had completed the double over Arsenal, the season was drawing to a close and Garry Monk was in his office at the training ground reflecting on another momentous result in a record-breaking campaign. He was also thinking about the future, outlining his fierce determination to kick on but giving a frank an honest answer in response to a question about how on earth the Welsh club could hope to improve next season.

“This is the concern for me,” Swansea’s manager said. “I’m ambitious, the players are ambitious, the club’s ambitious and the fans are ambitious. For sure, I’m going to push the players to take a step forward again. That is my sole aim for next season. But realistically it will be extremely hard to top what we’ve done this season, in terms of points, where we are in the league and how we’ve done it, and I think people need to understand and realise that.”

Swansea were exceptional in Monk’s first full season in management as they surpassed all expectations and made a few pundits look rather silly. They finished eighth, smashed their previous best points total in the Premier League, produced some exhilarating football along the way and beat Manchester United and Arsenal home and away. Can it really get any better?

One thing is for sure: what Swansea achieved last season was no fluke. Spend some time in Monk’s company, whether in his office or on the training field, and you quickly get an insight into the way he works, in particular the time and effort he puts into the job and how that rubs off on everyone else at the club, players and the staff.

If there is one anecdote that sums up Monk’s diligence, attention to detail and drive for self-improvement it is that he often wears a discreet microphone during training sessions so that when he goes home and watches the footage he can listen back to his communication to make sure that it is clear and to the point. It is, Monk says, all about accountability.

One of the more remarkable things about Swansea’s success is that they managed to cope so well with the loss of Wilfried Bony, their biggest asset and leading goalscorer, who joined Manchester City in the January transfer window. Despite not signing a replacement, Swansea picked up more points per game without him. Monk and the players just got on with the job.

The big question now is whether Bafétimbi Gomis can step up to the role of being the frontline striker. Frustrated for the first half of last season, and not afraid to speak out about his lack of opportunities, the Frenchman got his chance when Bony left and he finished the campaign with a flourish, scoring five goals in his last six games to take him into double figures in all competitions.

And, judging by his brief but insightful speech at the end of season dinner, when he picked up the top scorer award, Gomis is now settled in south Wales. “I am happy at Swansea. I am Jack Bastard,” he said.

Monk has also brought in Eder, another striker, from Braga and, in a statement of how far Swansea have come, signed André Ayew, the experienced Ghana international, on a free transfer from Marseille. Ayew is likely to be used out wide, but he is also able to play across any of the attacking positions, including in the No10 role, where Monk had been on the lookout for a player who can provide a little bit of competition for Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The decision to bring Sigurdsson back to the Liberty Stadium – he had spent the second half of the 2011-12 season on loan there – as part of the deal that took Ben Davies to Tottenham Hotspur last summer proved to be an inspired one and there is no doubt that the Icelander is one of the first names on Monk’s team-sheet. Swansea’s manager wants to have two options for every position, however, to create the sort of strength in depth that has been lacking.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The signing of André Ayew on a free transfer from Marseille is a sign of how far Swansea have come. Photograph: Huw Evans/Rex Shutterstock

The signing of Franck Tabanou from St Etienne for £3.5m is an example of that strategy, with the Frenchman recruited to go toe-to-toe with Neil Taylor for the left-back spot. On the other side of the defence Kyle Naughton will start at right-back, with Ashley Williams and Federico Fernández the first-choice centre-halves.

Fernández, signed from Napoli last summer, is an outstanding footballer and assuming he continues to perform at the same level, Swansea will do well to hold on to the 26-year-old beyond the end of next season. An Argentina international, he reads the game exceptionally well and is calm and composed in possession. “Reminds me of myself,” said Monk with a twinkle in his eye when he was asked about Fernández’s ability on the ball after the 1-0 win at Aston Villa.

Swansea’s easy-on-the-eye playing style is part of their DNA but Monk has worked on the defensive side of their game – all over the pitch, not just with the back four – and it shows. His team employ an effective pressing game, and from a tactical point of view it was a feather in his cap when Arsène Wenger accused Swansea of “refusing to play completely” in their 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in May.

That night proved to be a special one for Lukasz Fabianski, who kept his 13th Premier League clean sheet of the season – only Joe Hart beat that last term – on his return to the club he had left the previous summer. A few eyebrows were raised when Monk signed Fabianski on a free transfer and allowed the popular Michel Vorm to leave for White Hart Lane but once again, the Swansea manager got it spot-on. Fabianski was outstanding and was named the players’ player of the year.

Ki Sung-yueng won the supporters’ award and the South Korean will be looking to build on an excellent campaign during which he chipped in with eight league goals – only Bony scored more for Swansea in the top flight last season. With Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Cork also at Monk’s disposal, Swansea are blessed with some accomplished midfielders.

Cork signed from Southampton in January and slotted into the team so seamlessly that it seemed as though he had been playing for the club all his life. As for Shelvey, the talent of the 23-year-old has never been in doubt but it took a public rocket from Monk in December, when he told the former Liverpool midfielder to “wise up” and accused him of being “lazy”, to get him on track.

Shelvey finished the season as one of Swansea’s best players and was so determined to build on that form that he sat down with his agent and his dad at the end of May to discuss a plan to “get myself back to the top level”. He decided to hire a personal trainer in order to report back in the best possible shape and it will be interesting to see whether Shelvey can continue where he left off.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Federico Fernández has been outstanding for Swansea and the club will do well to hold on to him beyond this season if he continues in the same fashion. Photograph: Huw Evans/Rex Shutterstock

Monk has plenty of alternatives when it comes to the wide men. Marvin Emnes, Nathan Dyer – who started last season well but lost his way – Wayne Routledge and Modou Barrow are likely to be trying to displace Ayew and Jefferson Montero on the flanks. Blessed with pace and prepared to run at defenders and get to the byline, Montero is almost unplayable when he is on his game, as Arsenal’s Calum Chambers discovered last season.

All in all it is a decent squad with no shortage of talent, and there is every reason to think that Swansea should be capable of finishing in a comfortable mid-table position. Whether they can go as high as eighth again may depend on the form of Gomis and if they can keep their key players fit.

Monk would probably have wished for an easier start than travelling to Chelsea to take on the champions in the opening game. Then again, similar things were said about facing Manchester United at Old Trafford on the first day of last season – and we all know how that ended: Swansea raining on Louis van Gaal’s parade.

It was another landmark result for a club about to embark on their fifth season in the Premier League. Swansea have quickly established themselves in the top flight and are widely regarded as a model for others to follow, in part because of their playing style but also because of the way the club is run.

According to the most recent set of Premier League accounts, which covers the 2013-14 season, only five clubs had a smaller wage bill than Swansea’s £63m: Norwich City, Fulham and Cardiff City, all of whom were relegated at the end of that campaign; Hull City, who lost their Premier League status last season, and Stoke City.

Swansea’s debt column reads “nil”. They had £2m cash in the bank (and that was before Manchester City agreed to pay £26m for Bony). As for the ownership structure, Swansea have local businessmen running the club and there is fan representation on the board (the supporters’ trust owns 21%).

In short, it is the sort of set-up most supporters can only dream about and that is before we get to the club’s announcement this summer that they are putting £300,000 aside to subsidise ticket prices at away games, so Swansea fans will pay no more than £22 for a seat at any Premier League stadium.

In fact, Cardiff City supporters apart, who wouldn’t want to see Swansea finish in the top 10 again?