Phil SumblerThe agony of a play-off final defeat can linger on strong over the course of a summer and maybe even more so when you know that your team has done nothing like justice for themselves with their performance which was the case for Steve Cooper and Swansea this afternoon.
Steve Cooper was certainly not looking to make excuses for his side’s performance but at the same time was not going on the offensive with criticism afterwards when he made his comments to the official club website on the 2-0 defeat to Brentford.
The simplistic fact is that yet again the Swans went through 90 minutes without having a shot on target which, for such a big occasion, is an unacceptable outcome that extends beyond the result itself.
“We are disappointed we did not win the game, but I am not going to sit here and criticise anything because of the season we have had,” said Cooper.
“There is nothing I can say that will make anyone feel any better at the moment, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that to get this far was an unbelievable effort.
“I don’t want to take any of that away from the players, we have to take it as it is.
“Brentford got the win, congratulation to them.
“There were things we could have done better in the game, but I don’t really want to focus on those now.
“I want to give the lads the credit and respect they deserve for their efforts this season.”
As a Brentford fan, I can really feel for the Swans. Right now, the euphoria of breaking the ‘curse’ of nine play-off failures outweighs anything else… but we’ve been where you all are now and know the pain. You’ll be back!
Another Bees fan here. We feel your pain, having been there so many times before. Your boys didn’t do themselves justice, just like us the previous season against Fulham. You can bounce back with a few fresh faces and the experience of Saturday, again, we did so why not Swansea? You already have a good stadium and fan base. Stop loaning big clubs youngsters which just develops them and earns you nothing. Sell on some and invest for the future. Take a middle term view and plan for 2-3 years ahead. The Championship will be an even contest next season, the relegated clubs will lose half their teams due to loans, so you’ll have as good a chance to go again as any.