Eight changes were made to the side that beat the same opposition on Sunday and boy did it show.ย ย In came several fringe players and despite Roberto trying to keep a spine to his side in Dimi, Monk and Bodde it backfired on the Swans boss who was helpless to watch his side slip from the competition.
Too many passes went astray, Watford were simply stronger than us on the night and too many players were just not playing the way that the manager – or indeed the supporters – had imagined.
Questions will be asked after the game of the selection the manager did and no doubt there will be much debate over the next two days or so about the merits of many players who played tonight.ย ย It was diappointing to see below par performances from players who we have great hopes of and as someone remarked to me at half time “how can three strikers on the pitch be less effective than Scotland as one is?”
And it was hard to argue as Pintado, Brandy and Bussy I don;t think had a meaningful strike at goal during the game.ย ย The closest the Swans came to equalising was a late free kick from Gomez that came back off the inside of the post and somehow stayed out whilst Ferrie had a couple of trademark long range efforts but the Watford keeper was rarely troubled.
The Swans were never helped by Andy D’Urso falling for many time wasting tactics and his inability – along with most referees – to stamp down early enough on time wasting only added to the frustration of the evening.
The Swans lined up as follows
Dimi
Tateย ย ย ย Monkย ย ย ย Serranย ย ย ย O’Halloran
Brandyย ย ย ย OTJย ย ย ย Boddeย ย ย ย McDonald
Bauzaย ย ย ย Pintado
Such was the disjointed look of the Swans in the first half it was difficult to predict what the formation was at times.ย It looked as if everything was interchangable but it also looked as if it didn’t go together at all.ย ย OTJ and McDonald both seemed to give the ball away too often and there was no real outlet on either wing that was ever effective on the night.
At the back Tate and O’Halloran were far less effective going forward than Bessone and Rangel had been on Sunday and it was o major surprise when the annoying and childlike Williamson yet again opened the door of the defence and gave the visitors the lead with what was to prove to be the crucial goal.
Lets make no mistake here, Watford were little better than the Swans but the difference was they were better.ย They won the loose ball, they created space where we failed and they dealt with what little we could throw at them.
Ferrie tried to do what Ferrie does best but clearly he was missing his midfield partners in crime in Pratley and Britton and it showed.
The crowd grew increasingly frustrated and with every rise in frustration level the Swans seemed to let more passes go astray and you knew reasonably early on that it was not to be our night.
Gomez and Gower replaced Bauza and OTJ whilst Scotland was a late sub – some would argue too late – for Brandy but it made no difference as five minutes of injury time may as well have been fifty such was the poor level of performance
Watford go on in the Carling Cup, we concentrate on the league but the post mortem will continue both in the dressing room and no doubt on the forum of sites like this
On the night, the Swans were just not good enough and it hurts to say that.