Silenced The Critics?

What a difference a week makes. This time last week there was a mass outpouring of anger as the team capitulated at QPR in the Carling Cup, this Tuesday after two league wins in three days, the side sits in a play off position and wondering what all the fuss was about.

No matter what your thoughts were seven days ago, you cannot take anything away from Kenny Jackett in what he did to his team, formation and tactics over the weekend. It takes a strong man to admit that things needed changing and he did that. Not for the first time and yet again he draws the credit for doing so and especially two wins and two clean sheets in the process.

I have lost count of the number of managers that I have seen at the Vetch in the last quarter century or so but many many of them never had the ability to change what wasn’t working. John Hollins didn’t, Brian Flynn didn’t and I don’t even remember Molby doing it that often? But Jackett did. He sat back, accepted the criticism and realised what needed changing.

Of course there are some out there who will say that the fans made him change it. I hope not. If they did, we have the wrong manager. Jackett has over 30 years behind him in this wonderful game and he will have seen the problems for himself in the way the game was being played. He is also man enough to bring a man back in although I dispute the comments in tonight’s Evening Post that Martinez was the driving force behind the two wins. The two wins were gained through solid defensive performances all round rather than a creative spark from midfield.

Yesterday we put to bed the myth that so many who weren’t prepared to give Jackett a chance told us. His preferred game is not long ball although he is happy to see it from time to time but as he has openly said “If it takes one more pass, it takes one more pass”

Yesterday was not a pretty game of football for periods but that was mainly down to the tactics that we knew Lincoln would adopt. Keith Alexander doesn’t change his ways and his side never will so for long periods the ball was in the air but this time we were on the receiving end and we coped admirably.

Izzy, in the side for Tate looked to be forming a formidable partnership with Garry Monk who yet again played a good game. Add to that Ricketts, Austin and Gueret and do we have a defense that can match the tightness of the championship season of 2000? Connor for me worked endlessly up front against the giants of the Lincoln defence and Trundle for periods towards the end of the game looked back to the brilliant best that we saw at the start of last season.

In midfield though I am still not convinced that we have it right. Clamours for Alan Tate to be in there but I am not so sure. The absence of Maylett through injury didn’t help but it was a better game from Forbes and if he can get an end product on some of his runs then there is goals in us for sure. I am still not convinced on Andy Robinson on the left, it’s not his natural position and I don’t think we see the best of him there. Andy’s best games of last season came in the middle and this is I think where he is suited more. I hate to say this as I think he has done well this season but that would mean sacrificing Kris O’Leary to the bench to accommodate Andy in the middle. It is a harsh decision but one I think would give the midfield a better balance at the moment. Andy does seem to drift into the middle to become more involved and an involved Andy will help us along. I am not an O’Leary knocker but that is my opinion at the moment of balancing the side. On the left I would choose Britton or Forbes when Maylett is fit.

But all in all the signs are promising especially after the weekend. We are not the finished article at the moment but I would hope that Swans fans would agree at the moment that we are getting there and if we pick up points in the process then that is even better.

The hysteria has ended, the season is starting to settle down and the Swans are in a good position. I still believe we have the right man at the helm and he still impresses me when he is prepared to change.

The future looks bright(er)?