Rob Davies
The Swans take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside this afternoon bidding to get back to winning ways and arrest an alarming run of form which has delivered one win in eleven.
It has been a difficult few weeks to be a Swansea supporter with little in the way of positive news; no new signings, no money and a team bereft of ideas along with a manager who seems to be buckling under the pressure of his under achieving side.
Martin himself would tell you otherwise but it can’t be denied that the run of form the team has been on isn’t acceptable with the likes of Joel Piroe, Michael Obafemi, Olivier Ntcham, Joe Allen, Harry Darling etc to choose from.
But match day brings fresh optimism and the hope that the Swans can go to Wearside and bring home three points which may calm the build up of tension and frustration amongst fans after some dour displays.
They take on a Middlesbrough team winless in this season just as Luton Town were last weekend but that means little when the match kicks off. Hopefully we won’t do as we have of late and give Chris Wilder’s men an easy afternoon.
Team News
Jamie Paterson again won’t be available for the game as he is not ready to return to the first team squad whilst Liam Walsh is on the long term treatment table.
Joel Latibeaudiere will be out until the new year at least meaning that there is unlikely to be many changes throughout the team.
Kyle Naughton wasn’t fit enough to start the defeat to Luton but is likely to feature from the beginning today after shaking off the knock he took against Millwall.
That could see Nathan Wood drop out making a back three of Cabango – Naughton – Darling with Ryan Manning one side and Matty Sorinola on the other.
In midfield Matt Grimes and Allen are shoe-ins in the centre of the park and you would think the front three the same in Ntcham, Piroe and Obafemi.
Perhaps Martin may be adventurous and look to the bench in the form of Oli Cooper and particularly Cameron Congreve both of whom made impacts after coming on against Luton Town?
Predicted line-ups
Swansea (3-4-3)
Fisher
Cabango – Naughton – Darling
Sorinola – Allen – Grimes – Manning
Piroe – Obafemi – Ntcham
Middlesbrough (3-5-1-1)
Steffen
Fry – Lenihan – Clarke
Jones – McNair – Howson – Mowatt – Giles
McGree
Forss
The Managers’ comments
Russell Martin: “When we look statistically, the team is improving on a performance level, results aren’t quite there yet though,” said Martin.
“We really believe if we carry on in that fashion, the results will eventually reflect the performance.
“We’re fixated on working with the players and developing them and the team. Hopefully, all the work and what the players give us every day will be more than enough to keep on improving.”
Chris Wilder: “If anybody has talked about it tactically (if Middlesbrough’s tactics have been found out) they haven’t got a clue. I think it’s small details and little periods of games. It’s nothing to do with the tactics. You’ve got to implement them right and play at the right speed.
“I’ve certainly never asked or instructed the players to play as slow as they did at Reading, and the players recognised that themselves after. If I thought our issues were tactical I would change it. I’ve coached different shapes – 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, a ten and two 9s. But it’s nothing to do with tactics – 75% possession, 700 passes, xG second highest in the division, xGA fourth best in the division.”
Planet Swans prediction:
Middlesbrough 3-1 Swansea City
