“This team is building and growing” – Grimes says the Swans are showing progress

There have been moments in the last few months where it is easy to see that progress is being made within the squad but there have also been very obvious times where it doesn’t feel like progress is being made at all.

When you watch performances such as the one at Sheffield Wednesday where possession was high but the phrase “possession without purpose” came to the front of the mind as the ball was passed often around our backline rather than any form of pushing forward in attempts to score goals.

It was the kind of performance that has become somewhat synonymous with the Swans in recent years and even Monday there was a sense that QPR were happy to absorb us having the balls for long periods knowing that they could hit us on the break especially with our fragile defending against set pieces.

Luke Williams admitted after that defeat on Monday that he was seemingly saying the same thing after each game such was the pattern of play and that will frustrate him I am sure as much as it frustrates us watching as fans.

As the Swans go into their latest fixture later today at Middlesbrough, skipper Matt Grimes believes that progress is being made though and told the club’s official website “We just want to finish the season as strongly as possible, we’ve made good strides and we’re starting to look like the team the manager wants.

“Monday against QPR was a gut-wrencher, I thought we controlled the game in the main, but we concede a sloppy goal. I think it’s small lapses in concentration that are costing us.

“I’m confident in the future. We had a tough start under the gaffer, but I’m sure everyone can see the strides we’re making. We’re implementing the style the manager wants to see.

“There have been a lot of difficult moments this season, but this team is building and growing.

“It’s been a drastic change to training and style, but it’s a positive one. Bit by bit, we’re improving.

“We’ve played some top teams, and our aim is to compete with them. We’re not there yet, but I’m confident we’ll get there under this manager.

“He has got us back to the basics of making everything we do about us. There’s so much clarity and vision that it’s not hard to understand what he wants.

“I know it’s been a tough season for everyone involved with the football club.

“The season has been disappointing, but there’s so much to look forward to under this manager; his ideas and how he sets us up is fantastic.

“The lads have stuck together, they’ve been outstanding and we want to finish as strongly as possible and show the progress we believe we are making.”