Planet Swans ArchivesIf you actually sat down and thought about it a 1-0 defeat at runaway leaders Scunthorpe is on paper not a bad result. But you can’t think about it that way especially not after reading the comments of those that attended the game. Most will tell you that 1-0 severely flattered the Swans and somewhere in the region of four or five, or maybe even more goals, may have actually been a fairer reflection of the game that they saw yesterday.
There is a little bit of a worrying trend coming out at the moment as we face up to the fact that we have been beaten in three of our last four league outings. Nobody can deny that we are in third place in the league and the fact that we are potentially shows how weak this division is this time around. However, the pack has to catch us sooner or later unless we string results together and with so many games coming up in such a relatively short period of time, it could happen sooner rather than later.
Kenny Jackett admitted last week that he had room in his budget for new players when he talked about Goodfellow but you would assume now that his substitution yesterday after less than a quarter of the game means that a permanent move for the Bristol City man seems unlikely at best. Goodfellow fits the position that we want but maybe not the player that we want to fill that position. Most would also agree that aside from that we also need a striker and possibly an attacking midfielder to create more chances despite the good form of both Martinez and O’Leary in the middle of the park this season.
Our ratio of one goal per game is starting to look more and more worrying and I do admit that earlier in the season I did feel that maybe we would have overcome this lack of goals by now. It isn’t happening and I cannot see it happening at this moment in time. John Hollins side was renowned for being boring to watch and Kenny Jackett’s side is heading that way despite the fact that nearly everyone would tell you we have better players than those available to Hollins during his championship season.
We don’t create that many clear goalscoring chances and that is a pretty big reason for the lack of goals. Sure we have had chances and shots this season but think back and how many of them have been long range efforts or efforts directly at the keeper. We miss the finishing power that is required to score goals on a consistent basis.
We also do lack that left midfielder. Moving central midfielders into that position is, in my opinion, not the answer – we need someone who is accustomed to that position and not prone to run back into the centre where the space is lost and we are closed down too often. Bringing a natural balance to the side should see us create more and anyone with a left foot would be a major added bonus for this position. This would mean runs to the byline and a cross rather than having to cut inside before firing the cross with a right foot.
Martinez and O’Leary have played well this season but neither is the attacking force that we would like to see from midfield. Robinson can do the job at that if he is on form so maybe we have the player but until we get the left winger I just talked about we seem to feel his place is on the left and that is where we see him play. We have missed his goals this season and that has to be a concern to the management of the side. Why is that happening?
Following yesterday’s games, we are now the best supported team in this division meaning that we should have more income at our disposal than others. I honestly think that we have the opportunity now to step into the transfer market and spend some of the budget that Jackett has said he’s got and strengthen the side. We are in third place but that is not reason to rest on our laurels because we cannot afford to. A bad run over Christmas could see that change dramatically and this is why we need to take stock and make the signings that will change us into a side that is pulling clear rather than one that is slipping back to the rest of the pack.
The season is far from lost but continually making excuses for defeats
- 2 men off against Shrewsbury
- 5 missing against Bury
- 1-0 away at the league leaders isn’t that bad
is only going to ensure that we don’t address the issues that most are seeing at this moment in time. I remain firmly behind Kenny as a manger and have been impressed to date but now is the time for things to change and I would hope to see transfer activity before the man in the red coat and the white beard starts doing his rounds this year.
Long have we been told that promotion is the only option this season, let’s grab the chance that we have – the division is exceptionally poor, we may never get another chance like this presented to us. Let’s take it?
