Rob DaviesThink back to the summer of 2019 and it was all change as usual at what was then the Liberty Stadium, out went Graham Potter, Dan James and Oli McBurnie and in came Steve Cooper, Andre Ayew (well back from a loan stint in Turkey) and Borja Baston (also back from loan) .
Whilst Potter and James have enjoyed varying degrees of success since leaving, the case of McBurnie is quire intruiging – six goals in his maiden Premier League season after 24 in his breakthrough season at Swansea but only 1 in the season and a half since.
The Swans banked nearly £20m for the frontman who Potter never really knew what exactly to do with. He didn’t seem to fit or showed enough discipline to play up top on his own so seemed to enjoy a free role when scoring the majority of his goals.
That’s not to say he wasn’t an exceptional player for that one season in 18/19, but it seems that he has failed to kick on ever since under the management of Chris Wilder, Slavisa Jokanovic and now Paul Heckingbottom.
But former Sheffield United defender Chris Morgan has backed the striker to end his league scoring drought, a record which stretches back fourteen months since a goal against Leicester City in the Premier League.
Speaking to SUTV, Morgan said: “He does everything right (McBurnie).
“He pulls off the back of the defender, he gets up early and he’s looking to guide it into the far corner.
“It’s fine lines, a couple of yards past that post where a fit, on-song Oli McBurnie is at least getting that on target.
“He’s still trying to find his match legs, he’s been out a while and it’s that match sharpness, certainly in and around the penalty area.
“That’s what strikers who are playing week in week out they don’t need to look where the goal is, it’s instinctive but at this moment in time the chances that Oli is getting he’s thinking about them and not doing it instinctively.”
The Swans head to Bramall Lane with two recognised strikers on the books, Joel Piroe and Michael Obafemi. The Blades have no less than four, Billy Sharp, Oli McBurnie, Rhian Brewster, David McGoldrick and (up until last month) Lys Mousset who has now gone out on loan.
An embarrassment of riches some might say, let’s hope that our former Swans don’t find their scoring form this weekend.
