Phil SumblerI am sure right now that if anyone had given us the chance on the opening day of the season of being level on points with second place and eleven games to go we would have snapped their hands off and gratefully accepted what was coming our way.
That is the exact position that the Swans face at the moment as we head into those last eleven games which starts at Bournemouth tomorrow evening as we go in search of back to back wins on the road before we start thinking about the South Wales derby on Saturday evening at the Liberty.
Quite simply we know right now that eleven wins will see us promoted and that promotion is very much in our hands and under our control. As Matt Grimes said today “I mean people mention stuff like other teams doing us a favour or results going for or against us, but I don’t think you can spend your time worrying about what other teams are doing.”
Of course we know that the chances of us winning all eleven games are exceptionally remote but it doesn’t take away from the fact that, with a game in hand, we have the chance to turn our great work over the first 35 games of the season into exceptional work and another crack at the Premier League next time around.
What is even more incredible is that we have got ourselves into this position having hit nowhere near top gear over the past eight games. Five wins and a draw in that period tell only part of a story that has seen the side looking exceptionally jaded and, at times, seemingly unable to string a series of passes together let alone a series of wins. But we continue along the winning front thanks to last minute penalties, a strong defence and – thankfully – the difference in the opposition ahead of us.
The next few days could test that little run to the extreme. Bournemouth and Cardiff both harbour hopes of play off places themselves and will prove to be a test for us and both are likely to push us defensively more than Blackburn or Luton did last week. If we sit back, as we have done more so recently, then I think we could well be punished in those games.
That sitting back though will not be helped by the tiredness within the squad. This week’s two games will make it 18 games we have played since the turn of the year – 18 games in a little over 11 weeks will take it’s toll on even the most in depth squad and I think it shows in tiredness. If we can come through these two games and still in contention Steve Cooper can use the two week break as a chance to recharge some batteries, regroup and just look at what we need from the nine games that will remain at that stage.
Grimes isn’t using the fixture congestion as an excuse though as he went onto explain “The schedule is what it is, I feel fine myself. We are football players, and we want to be playing football. That’s the job.
“Every team in the league has to deal with the same sort of thing this season, so the focus has to be on ourselves and taking one game at a time.”
For all the criticism that has been thrown in the direction of Cooper and his team in recent weeks, the results have – in the main – kept on coming and you do start to wonder just what is needed. We have 69 points, you would almost assume (but not guarantee) that 90 would be enough leaving us to get 7 wins from the remaining 11 games. For that not to be enough Watford would need at least 21 points from 30 and Brentford at least 24 from 33.
Cooper all season has not talked about targets just taking each game one at a time but you will guarantee that in his head he has a target number of points but you will never hear him admit that publicly.
For now though promotion remains very much in our hands and that could mean a very large celebration may come our way in a little under eight weeks time. Let’s hope so anyway.
