Phil Sumbler
Swansea City’s home record in 2023/24 has been poor by anyone’s standards. Eight defeats in seventeen outings at the Swansea.com Stadium is a record that has seen us pick up an average of just one point per game at home with only Millwall (16 points) and Rotherham (15) having picked up less in front of their own fans.
Contrast that with our away form that has seen us take twenty-two points from the same number of games on the road and you have the reason pinpointed for our struggles this season and it is something that Luke Williams will want to correct in the last six home league games of what is a vastly forgettable campaign.
With a win ratio at home this season of just 23% it is broadly half of the average win ratio in the Championship (44%) and certainly not a level that we should expect as supporters when parting with money for season tickets every season.
It is little wonder then that the attendances at the stadium are dropping on a regular basis and Saturday is not shaping up to be a huge attendance once again although the figures are always helped along by ticket sales for the game always accounting for all season ticket holders and not just those in attendance.
Only West Brom, Preston, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday have left the Swansea.com Stadium pointless this season and the visit of Blackburn will see the Swans needing to try and end a run that has seen them lose the last four matches at home albeit three against sides pushing hard for promotion to the Premier League.
To make it worse, the Swans have scored just eighteen league goals in those seventeen games to date with only the 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday being a game in which we have found the back of the net more than twice. Again, statistics that Luke Williams will want to end starting with the weekend visit of Blackburn.
It is certainly not something that is lost on the star performer of last weekend Ronald who wants more of the same from the side this weekend.
“We have had some tough results recently but we are working hard during the week and are focused and concentrated on putting in a good performance as a team,” said the Swans winger. “Everyone is together in trying to improve each week. We’re looking forward to being back home on Saturday and we hope the fans will be with us.
“We have had a good win and performance away from home. We’re looking to put in another good performance at home.”
Saturday’s 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light was a welcome relief for the Swans but results elsewhere meant that we still go into the weekend with just a four point cushion over the relegation places in the Championship with Stoke currently sat in the last of those three places.
A win Saturday though will move us up the table with Blackburn arriving in SA1 on the same number of points and above the Swans only courtesy of having scored more goals – there will probably never be a better chance to turn around a home record then on Saturday?
The game represents the first of three games for the Swans in just over a week with away trips to Watford (Wednesday) and Bristol City (Sunday week) to follow before the small matter of the South Wales derby in just over two weeks time.
