Whilst much has been written about the lack of goals at one end of the pitch, very little has been written about a defence that has been breached just four times in the last nine league outings – six of them resulting in clean sheets.
Factor in the two Carling Cup games and the Swans have shut out their opposition seven times in their thirteen games to date and league wise have conceded six goals less than at the same stage last season.
And skipper Garry Monk knows that they are more solid all round as he told the Western Mail “I’ve played in games before when we still haven’t been able to find a way through against 10 men, but now we’ve shown we can kill a team off when we want to.
“It’s happened too many times where we either haven’t been able to find that goal or gave away a rubbish goal at the end.
“But we avoided both and to get another clean sheet is a great positive in my view.
“That’s seven so far this year, six in the league and I think that’s an amazing record for us.
“It suggests we’re more solid this year than we were last and I certainly think that’s the case myself.
“Dorus de Vries has been in great form and the saves he pulled off on Saturday before we got the breakthrough was testament to that. But we’ve also been a lot more tactical in training under the new gaffer and I think people can see the benefits of that defensively for themselves.
“I think we’ve shown we’re a lot more solid at set-pieces especially, but certainly in open play too.”
Only Newcastle United with seven have kept more clean sheets in the league this season, a statistic that should not be lost on Swans fans as the team head into the international break having picked up 7 of the last 9 points available.
“We’ve been working hard on the training ground but I do feel it was coming anyway,” said Monk.
“Last year was the first full season me and Ashley Williams played as a partnership and we’re developing together and learning from each other. What we’re seeing now is a bit of progression from all of us at the back.
“Yes, under Roberto there might be more of a tendency to go a bit more attacking or bring on extra forwards when we’re 1-0 up rather than shutting up shop.
“But I don’t think we’ll see too much of that under the new manager.
“We might have been too gung-ho at times last term, but we’re a lot more patient now.
“The QPR result has hopefully cheered everyone up and we can go into the break on a positive note and a healthier position in the table,” said the 30-year-old.
“The draws haven’t helped us to this point and there are a few games we’ve deserved to win but haven’t had the goals.
“But I’d still rather draw than lose a game and we look at any kind of unbeaten run as a positive.
“There’ll be a lot more ups and downs but we are taking steps forward and with more bodies coming back we can really push on.”
