Planet Swans ArchivesI suppose we can point to last season’s corresponding fixture – won 4-0 so handsomely by the visitors as a benchmark but in truth, Kidderminster are nothing like the side that tore us apart last season but on this display we were very similar indeed.
The Swans welcomed back into the fold Brad Maylett who immediately returned to the starting line up whilst Roberto Martinez settled for a place on the bench at the start of the game, leaving the Swans to line up as
Freestone
Jenkins O’Leary Iriekpen Howard
Britton Wilson Johnrose
Maylett Nugent Robinson
Now for those readers with a short attention span, this is the general gist of today’s game.
1st Half: Nothing
2nd Half: Nugent hit post – should have scored. Williams almost snatched for Kidderminster bar good save from Roger.
For those of you that are still reading it is hard to elaborate too much on the action points of the game as this just about summed them up. Nugent’s chance came with around 10 minutes to play and he should have scored but he hit the post and Williams almost capitalised on predictable hesitance in the Swansea defence with two minutes left and it was Roger at his best that saved the point for the Swans.
In truth, we never got out of the starting blocks today. We lacked ability to pass the ball with any accuracy more than twenty yards and we panicked too often. The midfield bunched with Wilson, Britton and Johnrose consistently grouping together failing to give the Swans any width. It was difficult to see who had been given the instruction to play wide left – Johnrose or Britton although it became more evident it was Britton after Martinez was re-introduced to the fray on the hour mark.
Lee Jenkins was guilty of bad distribution for most of the second half and failed to strike any understanding with Brad Maylett who all too often was found on the wing in acres of space. A trait of a winger and we should look for him more often but at the same time surely he should wander in field and look for the ball rather than expect a 40 yard pass to land at his feet?
Michael Howard was awful this afternoon. I have defended this guy and watched him closely today and he lacked. Too often he allowed the ball to slow down and looked for the long ball when the potential to run was on and all too often he found himself out of position making runs when in reality there was no need.
O’Leary and Izzy at the centre of defence were poor each. Izzy’s trick is to clear by stunning the ball just outside his area and causing us more problems whilst O’Leary I honestly don’t believe found his man with a pass of more than 10 yards all afternoon.
Wilson. OK then someone tell me why Middlesborough paid £1m for this guy/ He cannot deliver a dead ball past the opening defender and yet he is allowed time and time again to keep trying it. Does the squad have a bet going on when he will clear that defender as this seems to be the only logic in it. Johnrose and Britton fared little better against a side that were there to be beaten and anything like the performances previously seen at the Vetch this season would have seen them beaten,
Nugent up front battled hard, got little by way of protection from the referee and even picked up a yellow card for a challenge none worse than what he was receiving. Robinson was missed in midfield and makes me wonder if he could be a striker.
Martinez looked assured when he came on but was really not ready for this outing in my opinion and never got into the game all afternoon.
Paul Danson, refereeing the game, did not help it as a spectacle with some strange decisions and pickiness in the way he handled the game but gave out a flurry of yellow cards to ensure his nice sharp pencil didn’t turn blunt in his pocket.
Today was the day that the play was crying out for something different to9 be tried to try and get three points out of the game but we definitely have a game plan for each game and when that doesn’t work we still stick to it regardless. Sitting behind them I thought Flynn and Reeves were quieter than they have been in some of the comfortable victories of this season which seemed a bit odd.
This to me was a big two points dropped today against a side in a position we occupied for most of last season. We need to get back to winning ways at the Vetch and soon otherwise the pressure will start for us to get more wins away from home but to get those victories then it has to be a marked improvement in play as today we simply did not turn up.
Disappointing all round but it’s a point and a point can make the difference at the end of the season (trying desperately to take a plus from the game)
