Rob Davies
Perhaps the poorest performance under Russell Martin amongst many other contenders came on Saturday as Blackburn Rovers arrived in South Wales and had an easy afternoon.
It’s as hard a match report to write as any for a while not because the Swans were so bad but Blackburn weren’t fantastic themselves. They just could see an easy way to pick off a side sorely lacking of any direction.
Goals from debutant Sammie Sczmodics, Ben Brereton Diaz and Lewis Travis along with two assists from Swansea academy product Ryan Hedges was enough to see the stadium empty after 80 or so minutes.
Russell Martin made a couple of personnel changes to the team in the shape of Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Manning who came in for Jamie Paterson and Matty Sorinola.
Fisher
Wood – Naughton – Darling
Latibeaudiere – Fulton – Grimes – Manning
Piroe – Obafemi – Ntcham
It’s probably forgotten about but whilst at 0-0 but the Swans did at least look to attack albeit at snail pace with little of note changing between the QPR game at the end of last campaign and yesterday.
There were a couple of signs that perhaps passing had been worked upon with a few crisp moves all within the centre circle or further back. But as per usual nothing more penetrative going forward.
Martin seems to really appreciate our possession play in the middle of the park but it’s not something the fans appreciate and grumbles could be heard well before a trademark defensive howler allowed Ryan Hedges to run clear.
Before that, Piroe sent an effort wide and that was about it in an attacking sense. Perhaps you could count a wicked Ryan Manning cross that whizzed across the box just an inch away from Piroe but otherwise it was poor.
Harry Darling had made a few forays forward but he was guilty of losing possession just inside his own half where Hedges scurried away. As the Swans defence hurried back they seemed to ignore the awaiting Sczmodics on the edge of the area. Allowing a pass and side foot finish to make it 1-0.
Why can’t we score that easily?
A few boos at half time were expected and despite a threat of a revival in the second half – Kaminski saving from point blank range from Piroe – it was soon game over. The boos got louder.
Blackburn broke at pace – Russell Martin may need to Google that – and found Brereton Diaz who easily held off a rusty looking Nathan Wood to dink over a stranded Fisher for 2-0.
I don’t particularly feel any better about the game today as the image of the players’ resigned reaction to each goal is a staple of yesterday’s memories. No leadership, no fight, no desire.
Perhaps the highlight of the second half from the Swans was a Renato Sanches esque pass to the stand from Darling. It was impressive.
To put the icing on a rather rotten cake substitute Paterson played a loose pass 35 yards from the Blackburn goal and if ever a team was going to concede from that position, it’s this one.
A swift counter attack followed by a pass from Hedges again allowed new Blackburn captain Lewis Travis to slam home from the edge of the box into the top right corner. Perhaps Fisher could have done something; it didn’t really matter.
It was a bad day amongst many bad days in Russell Martin’s tenure. Eight games without a win and a new season has brought little in the way of positivity to the fanbase.
I’ve never felt as bored at a football match as yesterday. I spent the majority of the time on my phone. This football is largely boring and it doesn’t get results.
It needs a massive turnaround to get a result at Blackpool. But will that change anything? I’m not too sure after this one…
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Hedges didn’t assist the third, Dolan did
Neither Dolan nor Hodges assisted the third goal – it was Hedges
Let’s try that it again – it was Travis