Phil SumblerProbably the headline that you never believed you would see but when you have a Rhino and a Wolf in your side it will always mean that the other side will come up against it as proved to be the case in yesterday’s victory over Preston North End at the Swansea.com stadium.
Ryan Manning’s second half strike and the introduction of Hannes Wolf for his debut were all part of a second half that was much more open than the caginess (appropriate pun) of the first half and certainly enough to give the Swans their first three points since the end of November.
It may not have been the most fluent display of Russell Martin’s reign but it was more than enough to see off a Preston side who never lived up to any of the pre-match expectations that we may have had of them. Manning’s strike was straight out of the top drawer and he could have had a second shortly afterwards whilst Wolf could have had one of his own had he chosen not to pass to an offside Joel Piroe just before the Swans leading scorer was taken off to be replaced by Kyle Joseph.
Whilst the Wolf references today were always going to be obvious it was perhaps the Rhino one that would have been less so as Manning celebrated his goal he made the shape of a horn which he revealed after the game was in relation to a nickname given to him by one of the Swans’ backroom staff.
“You’d have to ask Minty (soft tissue therapist Matt Murray), he was the one who started this whole thing of calling me Rhino,” he told the club’s official website.
“He started it last year so I had a celebration with it and that has become his thing now, he is always on about it.
“He was on at me because I didn’t do it against Reading, so if I didn’t do it this time he probably wouldn’t give me any treatment any more!”
It has been a good season so far for Ryan Manning who has found himself more often on the left hand side of the Swans back three but clearly that does not stop his attacking play – his goal yesterday was his second in three home league games after an equally spectacular strike against Reading.
And his performances are drawing strong praise in many quarters, not least as you would expect from the man who keeps picking him, Swans boss Russell Martin “I love Ryan as a character and as a player,” he said.
“He is really important to what we do, playing in a position I think a lot of people have been surprised to see him play in.
“I think he has grown in a lot of ways since the start of the season and he is a young man who knows he still has plenty of room for improvement.
“I am so pleased for him, he deserves a moment like that because it was a superb strike to win a game.”
The performance of Hannes Wolf may not have drawn the same plaudits as that of Manning but there was still enough to see for the Swans fans that there is a good player in there and, as he works more with the team, enough to say that we will get the benefit out of what appears to be an excellent transfer move.
Putting his wrong decision to one side, he battled hard for the ball at times, was always willing to link up with the attack but also tracked back in the closing stages of the game adding another defensive option in the closing stages.
A good afternoon for the Swans and Russell Martin yesterday with some bigger games to come – it is a good platform for whilst the animals can watch for the next prey!
