MATCHWATCH : Swansea City (h)

[RoyalBlue]

Teams breaking their play-off curses recently, first Brentford, then Forest.

2021 - Brentford
2022 - Forest
2023 - Reading?

I hate to ruin a perfectly good present worrying about the future, but can you imagine the number of points gained next season if that were to happen ?

We'd probably have to go on a Forest style recruitment drive - they may well drop but they are competitive

I think it might also require the owners to take a very tough, and probably very unpopular decision, to pay off Paul Ince and appoint a new manager familiar with what is required to survive in the EPL.

I'm beginning to think that somehow a double miracle might happen (the first being avoiding relegation) and that we will make the promised land this season, not least because I've stupidly booked to be out of the country on Play Off Final Day!

[RoyalBlue]

And a ridiculous tackle from Loum!!

Lucky not to see red

Only had to make a tackle because moron McIntyre tried keeping the ball in when all he was ever going to be able to do was play it to a Swansea player.

Maybe but perhaps he didn’t need to cut the guy in half

He slipped as he went in for the challenge didn't he? I suspect the ref may have seen that and shown some leniency because of it. Incidentally I thought the ref had a very good game last night and was even alert to what was happening in the Swansea end when the medical emergency occurred.

The Assistant on the East Stand side was pretty poor though and offered very little assistance even when blatant fouls occurred right under his nose.

[Hound]

The ref was decent enough. Felt he fell for a number of the Swansea dives but overall he was pretty good

Don’t get the Loum was poor comments. Thought he was excellent bar a couple of misplaced passes out of touch. Looks much quicker and more energetic than when he first joined.

[Royal_jimmy]

Teams breaking their play-off curses recently, first Brentford, then Forest.

2021 - Brentford
2022 - Forest
2023 - Reading?

In the unlikely event that did happen, could it be argued to be a greater achievement than the 106?

Not for me because 106 was record breaking with a bang average team. However it worked with guile and fight and a whole lot more.

This however would pip McDermott.

That team was not bang average. We oozed quality in that team and finished 8th in the prem with hardly any new signings

[tmesis]

In the unlikely event that did happen, could it be argued to be a greater achievement than the 106?

Not for me because 106 was record breaking with a bang average team. However it worked with guile and fight and a whole lot more.

This however would pip McDermott.

That team was not bang average. We oozed quality in that team and finished 8th in the prem with hardly any new signings

Exactly. If it hadn't been a good team it would never have got anywhere near 106 in the first place, and it would have been found out very quickly in the premier league.

To call it 'bang average' is comical.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

In the unlikely event that did happen, could it be argued to be a greater achievement than the 106?

Not for me because 106 was record breaking with a bang average team. However it worked with guile and fight and a whole lot more.

This however would pip McDermott.

That team was not bang average. We oozed quality in that team and finished 8th in the prem with hardly any new signings

This, yes it’s true that it was one of those seasons where everything just clicked, Mr Mad and Coppell, the squad gelled brilliantly it was one of those unique seasons everything just worked see also the following season

But having said that, yes it wasn’t a team of superstars but no way was it bang average we had quality all over the park

[Half Time Pizza]

Paul Ince post match was obviously not happy with Meite`s penalty miss- he said something like - he has to hit the target. We have proven penalty takers in the team and he won`t take another !!

Admittedly a fairly low sample but don't think Yaks has missed one before for us. He has definitely scored a few. As a striker I'd expect him to be volunteering to take one.

I'm guessing the other obvious candidates to take one would have been Carroll and possibly Ince

[Royals and Racers]

Paul Ince post match was obviously not happy with Meite`s penalty miss- he said something like - he has to hit the target. We have proven penalty takers in the team and he won`t take another !!

Admittedly a fairly low sample but don't think Yaks has missed one before for us. He has definitely scored a few. As a striker I'd expect him to be volunteering to take one.

I'm guessing the other obvious candidates to take one would have been Carroll and possibly Ince

That`s who he mentioned.

[Zip]

Paul Ince post match was obviously not happy with Meite`s penalty miss- he said something like - he has to hit the target. We have proven penalty takers in the team and he won`t take another !!

Admittedly a fairly low sample but don't think Yaks has missed one before for us. He has definitely scored a few. As a striker I'd expect him to be volunteering to take one.

I'm guessing the other obvious candidates to take one would have been Carroll and possibly Ince

Yaks missed one when we beat Cardiff 3-0 under Gomes on the day Puscas scored twice.

[Mr Optimist]

I thought Swansea looked a decent side. Admittedly our game plan was to sit back and let them have possession in two thirds of the pitch and then press them until they lose the ball, but thought they had some decent players who are comfortable on the ball, and if Piroe was in any kind of form at the moment we’d have lost that game quite easily.

Their fans seemed to be moaning about Joe Allen being a sentimental signing and him being well past his sell by date but I thought he was running the midfield and was glad when he went off on the hour, amazing how you see things differently from the other side, certain players etc.

Agree with others re Loum, inspired one minute, a liability the next. Thought he was going to see Red last night, and that would have knackered us up for the last 20 minutes or so.

Andy Carroll just showed he still has something to offer and his experience is important to us at the moment along with his ability to hold the ball up and relieve some pressure, especially last night when we were happy to concede possession to the other team for much of the game.

Glad we held on and we are showing we are a united hardworking team, which will hopefully see us to a comfortable mid table finish by May.

[blythspartan]

The ref was decent enough. Felt he fell for a number of the Swansea dives but overall he was pretty good

Don’t get the Loum was poor comments. Thought he was excellent bar a couple of misplaced passes out of touch. Looks much quicker and more energetic than when he first joined.

I agree with you about Loum. He looks much fitter now and I thought he looked decent last night.

Overall, I was happy with our performance and it was a better turn out than I was expecting but I’d still like to see 2 or 3k more.

I am not sure if I am delusional but at times I think there’s much more to come from this team but we always fall back into grinding out a narrow win. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take that all day long but I’d love to see one or two more Blackburn type performances.

[Hound]

Think Ince has it right that we still play like we are 4th bottom hanging on for vital wins like we did last season.

At 2-0 and against Swansea’s poor defence there was definitely scope to really push on and win by 3 or 4-0. We still don’t seem to have the confidence to do that and go back to the default of scrapping and holding on

What Ince didn’t mention of course is his own part in that. All the talk of only trying to avoid the drop, and some defensive subs (ie McIntyre taking Meite’s positions, Hoilett replaced by Mbengue) obviously add to that.

Not a major criticism tbf because it’s worked but would like to see us really push on rather than hanging on to narrow leads

[Royal_jimmy]

The ref was decent enough. Felt he fell for a number of the Swansea dives but overall he was pretty good

Don’t get the Loum was poor comments. Thought he was excellent bar a couple of misplaced passes out of touch. Looks much quicker and more energetic than when he first joined.

I agree with you about Loum. He looks much fitter now and I thought he looked decent last night.

Overall, I was happy with our performance and it was a better turn out than I was expecting but I’d still like to see 2 or 3k more.

I am not sure if I am delusional but at times I think there’s much more to come from this team but we always fall back into grinding out a narrow win. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take that all day long but I’d love to see one or two more Blackburn type performances.

What was the attendance? For a game on TV I thought it was a solid turn out. Maybe the fans are slowly coming back now we're seeing a team of resilience and steel.

[Royals and Racers]

The ref was decent enough. Felt he fell for a number of the Swansea dives but overall he was pretty good

Don’t get the Loum was poor comments. Thought he was excellent bar a couple of misplaced passes out of touch. Looks much quicker and more energetic than when he first joined.

I agree with you about Loum. He looks much fitter now and I thought he looked decent last night.

Overall, I was happy with our performance and it was a better turn out than I was expecting but I’d still like to see 2 or 3k more.

I am not sure if I am delusional but at times I think there’s much more to come from this team but we always fall back into grinding out a narrow win. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take that all day long but I’d love to see one or two more Blackburn type performances.

What was the attendance? For a game on TV I thought it was a solid turn out. Maybe the fans are slowly coming back now we're seeing a team of resilience and steel.

15452

[Snowflake Royal]

Rarely make it easy for ourselves do we? the subs were poor, what is the point of defending with no outlet? surely NGW instead of baba

agreed, we were devoid of anything and everything on the left in their half once Meite went off.

Maybe at 2-0 up, the Baba introduction was made deliberately to make it that way

Good point. Lots of criticism of Yaks tonight but he keeps the opposition on their toes and we were weaker after he went off.

With Meite you just have to accept he's a bit of a blunt instrument who'll struggle with his touch and control frustratingly at times, safe in the knowledge he'll rough up the defence and create chances as a result, and tuck away important goals.

I would not want to be a defender trying to pass out with Meite and Ince to contend with.

[Zip]

agreed, we were devoid of anything and everything on the left in their half once Meite went off.

Maybe at 2-0 up, the Baba introduction was made deliberately to make it that way

Good point. Lots of criticism of Yaks tonight but he keeps the opposition on their toes and we were weaker after he went off.

With Meite you just have to accept he's a bit of a blunt instrument who'll struggle with his touch and control frustratingly at times, safe in the knowledge he'll rough up the defence and create chances as a result, and tuck away important goals.

I would not want to be a defender trying to pass out with Meite and Ince to contend with.

Yep.

[Snowflake Royal]

Teams breaking their play-off curses recently, first Brentford, then Forest.

2021 - Brentford
2022 - Forest
2023 - Reading?

In the unlikely event that did happen, could it be argued to be a greater achievement than the 106?

Not for me because 106 was record breaking with a bang average team. However it worked with guile and fight and a whole lot more.

This however would pip McDermott.

What the hell are you smoking? Bang average!?

Sidwell was consistently one of the best few midfielders in the division for years, Kitson was one of the consistent highest goalscorers for years and Shorey was easily the best fullback. Not to mention anyone else.

[Snowflake Royal]

The ref was decent enough. Felt he fell for a number of the Swansea dives but overall he was pretty good

Don’t get the Loum was poor comments. Thought he was excellent bar a couple of misplaced passes out of touch. Looks much quicker and more energetic than when he first joined.

The thing is, he made 3 / 4 really poor errors. And I can't say I really noticed a lot of particular quality he did. Though I was watching on my phone, so less than ideal conditions.

Two terrible passes under no pressure to turn over possession in fairly quick succession first half. Like, the sort of simple passes I'd be ashamed of mucking up that badly, let alone a pro.

Then there was the terrible scything tackle. And I think there were a few other things. They stick in the mind and overwrite all the generally ok mundane stuff.

[Snowflake Royal]

Think Ince has it right that we still play like we are 4th bottom hanging on for vital wins like we did last season.

At 2-0 and against Swansea’s poor defence there was definitely scope to really push on and win by 3 or 4-0. We still don’t seem to have the confidence to do that and go back to the default of scrapping and holding on

What Ince didn’t mention of course is his own part in that. All the talk of only trying to avoid the drop, and some defensive subs (ie McIntyre taking Meite’s positions, Hoilett replaced by Mbengue) obviously add to that.

Not a major criticism tbf because it’s worked but would like to see us really push on rather than hanging on to narrow leads

I think it'll come. We just need to finish 16th or above and have a similarly solid next season and I think that ghost will be put to rest. Whilst 2/3rds of our seasons are regularly relegation scraps, I expect it will continue.

[RoyalBlue]

Think Ince has it right that we still play like we are 4th bottom hanging on for vital wins like we did last season.

At 2-0 and against Swansea’s poor defence there was definitely scope to really push on and win by 3 or 4-0. We still don’t seem to have the confidence to do that and go back to the default of scrapping and holding on

What Ince didn’t mention of course is his own part in that. All the talk of only trying to avoid the drop, and some defensive subs (ie McIntyre taking Meite’s positions, Hoilett replaced by Mbengue) obviously add to that.

Not a major criticism tbf because it’s worked but would like to see us really push on rather than hanging on to narrow leads

Unless I was imagining things, I think Paul Ince mentioned in the post match interview how for some reason he starts to feel worried and negative at 2-0 up and starts to worry that we are going to concede. If that is the case then this is not only likely to be reflected in his tactics and substitutions but also transmitted to his players as a lack of confidence.

I was bemused by his first substitution in particular and had we not managed to get all three points would have been blaming his tactics and substitutions more than Yak's penalty miss.

At half time the guys behind me were saying it was probably a good thing that Yak had missed the penalty because if we had gone 2-0 up at that point we would have spent the majority of the game trying to hold onto 2-0! They weren't far wrong as it proved either.

Surely the best way to overcome fear and lack of confidence is to really go for the opposition when they are 2-0 down and have to take chances as they push forwards to try to claw something back? We had the firepower and talent on the bench to allow us to do that too.