Phil Sumbler
Michael Duff was a happy and relieved man last night as he reflected on a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday that gave him his first league win as Swans manager and moved the side out of the relegation zone in the process.
Goals from Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates and Charlie Patino were the difference between the Swans and a Sheffield Wednesday side who look almost certain to return to League One and now find themselves rock bottom after yesterday’s game.
Three points from seven games was the return that Duff took into yesterday’s game and the pressure was mounting as the Swans boss faced calls for his departure not just for the points tally but the style – or lack of one – in which is team was playing.
And for large parts of the game it was fair to say that all those criticisms were justified and, even after the end result, could well still be so but it is the relief of a first league win that is likely to have at least bought Duff some more time even if not known how much.
Wednesday were downfalls of their own destiny with a strong desire to play the ball out of the back that made all the mistakes we made doing the same last season look rare with the Swans gaining at least three or four key possessions from this kind of tactic.
But when you are a manager under pressure it is probably fair to say that it is more about the result than the quality of the actual performance and that is why it was a relieved Duff that took the questions after the game.
“I am happy and proud, and relieved. I am proud of the players, and I am really pleased for the supporters, too,” he said.
“We have been in a difficult moment, with lot of ups and downs, things have gone against us.
“But the supporters got right behind the team and that is going to be so important for us, so I have to thank them for that first and foremost.
“I thought the way the players stuck together was great. We had an injury in the first three or four minutes, and you can think it is a case of ‘here we go again’.
“But they stuck at it, and the subs came on and impacted the game really well.
“It could, and maybe should, have been more. But a clean sheet, three goals and three points, with some really good performances, and the thing I was most proud of was how everyone stuck together.
“It’s been a tough period but you could see the togetherness, we have been working really hard. People don’t see how hard they work in training and you could see how together they are with how all 11 players celebrated the goals together.
“There is still miles more improvement to come, but it’s a monkey off our back to get our first win.”
There were suggestions ahead of yesterday’s game that even the win may not be enough to save Duff in SA1 but a 3-0 win will test that rumour/theory ahead of the Swans next game at Millwall next weekend.
