Rob DaviesNot for the first or probably the last time this season Swansea were embarrassed on the road at Sheffield United in yet another typically unacceptable display.
Four goals, two of which were of course scored by an ex Swan Morgan Gibbs-White, were enough to ensure the Blades move into the play offs and keep the Swans towards the bottom of the table.
The home side were everything we all wish Russell Martin’s team were; tenacious, creative, committed and strong all over the park compared to a meek, weak and timid away team.
There is a significant difference in the net spend in both squads granted, but our team is nowhere near as bad as what has shown as of late, particularly since November where the performances and results have been less than acceptable.
Martin made a couple of changes to the line up that defeated Bristol City last weekend, in came Joel Latibeaudiere and Olivier Ntcham for Hannes Wolf and Michael Obafemi.
Fisher
Burns – Cabango – Manning
Christie – Downes – Ntcham – Grimes – Latibeaudiere
Paterson
Piroe
It’s been said a few times but again this is one of many difficult reports to write. Let’s give full credit to the home side but the Swans couldn’t have been more generous opponents.
It should have been far more although the two first goals were well worked and well finished with the obligatory poor defending thrown into the mix – it’s only what we are used to these days!
First it was Gibbs-White, the loan player from last season who benefited from some generous work by Latibeaudiere to benefit and finish past a weak Andy Fisher for the opener. That was within the first fifteen minutes.
The second soon followed a few minutes later when right back George Baldock – who scored against the Swans the last time we played at Bramall Lane – met Rhys Norrington-Davies’ (former academy graduate down in SA1) ball across the box to slam home emphatically with the aid of the underside of the crossbar.
That sort of start is what we are used to. Martin’s side were being outfought and outthought against a side happy to press when necessary and also let the Swans have the ball at the back where there’s no threat of an attack. It’s becoming a well known tactic to play against a Martin team…
The timid display continued when a third goal arrived when 50 year old (well he surely is by now) striker Billy Sharp lobbed a stranded Fisher from Gibbs-White ball to give the first half a fair reflection of the chances created by the Blades.
Thankfully Gibbs-White took pity on his former teammates many times, inexplicably missing with a header and back heeling to Sharp earlier in the first half when clean through – otherwise it should have been worse.
It was over as a contest by this time and in the second half, there was no Luton Town style comeback as the Blades continued to turn the screw with Baldock having a goal ruled out for offside not long after the interval.
Gibbs-White, who never really had the opportunity to show the quality we knew he had, finished the rout on the 88th minute with more shocking defending.
It should have been five in added time but inexplicably Oliver Norwood missed an open goal.
This is yet another typical away day and quite honestly it isn’t acceptable for the club, fans or anyone else associated with the club for these performances to be a regular occurrence.
Russell Martin needs to make a firm decision on how he wants to setup his team, dropping Obafemi was a weak decision which won’t have done his confidence any good after a superb game last weekend.
3-5-2 clearly doesn’t work. The two up top system has brought two home wins in the last three, but Martin decided again today to go with a stranded Piroe as he seems to prefer for away fixtures. It didn’t work and hasn’t worked. We haven’t won away since November.
Sheffield United will do well towards the end of the season and are on a long unbeaten run but have struggled for goals at home of late, drawing the last two. They needn’t have worried today as away from home in particular we couldn’t be more generous.
The stats aren’t pretty reading, two corners all game, first time we have failed to score in three consecutive away games (excl Premier League years) since 2002 and in the bottom four for away results this season.
To make matters worse Sheffield United fans are confident that we are the worst team they’ve played all season, just like the Stoke fans said a few weeks ago.
I’d like to say onwards and upwards, but there’s been a very downward trend since that 4-0 loss at Bournemouth last year. Lucky we’ve got an easy three points at home to the same opposition on Tuesday, agreed?
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