One last time – the Swans head into last game of the season looking to end on a high

Swansea City head into the final game of what has been a hugely disappointing season knowing that a win over Millwall this lunchtime will secure a 13th place finish and take them to the sixty point barrier.

To put that into context it is one point less than we achieved in the first season under Russell Martin and should be taken as some kind of decent end result given the fact that we wasted the first thirty odd games of the season making some pretty dismal decisions which included the appointment of Michael Duff and the signing of many players who simply did not fit into our team.

Those behind the scenes at Swansea City will be more than aware of the work that they have ahead of them this summer in the transfer market but for now we have to aim to finish the season with another win that will mean we would have ended the season with a pretty impressive thirteen points from the last fifteen available.

Last weekend’s draw at Norwich may have ended a run of three straight wins and clean sheets but it was the manner of the performance that was as pleasing as the result as the Swans showed a real intent to want to win the game, an intent which is something Luke Williams has spoken much about since he signed on at the club back in January.

Any level of performance that matches that today will send the final crowd of the season home happy and it is certainly something that Luke Williams wants to achieve “We have spoken about wanting to finish the season strongly and, in this recent run of form, we have shown a lot of good things that we want to be part of the identity of this team, and a bare minimum requirement for what it means to play for this team and represent this club.

“People have been saying for a few weeks that we have nothing to play for, but the players and the staff have certainly not seen it that way. Every day we come to work, every time we play, it has to be with the aim of constantly striving to get better and improve.

“The message has been the same this week, we have to be preparing to play at full tilt.

“We have spoken about wanting to have the good run to take into the summer, to have that optimism ahead of next season.

“We have a chance to do that by finishing unbeaten, so we have to take this opportunity to make a really good performance.”

Williams will be forced into at least one change today with the news that Harry Darling has undergone surgery so that means that there is likely to be a start for Nathan Wood who came on for Darling in last week’s draw.   Wood has been an interested observer in the Swans recent run of good form and Williams admitted yesterday that it was plausible that Wood would be sold in the summer.  There was certainly speculation last year that he could have been on his way with reports of a bid but the Wood of 2023/24 has been very different to the one of 2022/23 and that will surely impact player interest this summer?

In the opposition corner, Millwall have also been on a good run of form which has led to Neil Harris being nominated for the April manager of the month.   Four straight wins for the Lions has lifted themselves clear of the relegation zone and Harris will be more than aware of the fact that a win will see them end the season ahead of their hosts today.

The game of course could be the final swansong for a lot of players today with transfer/contract positions unknown and with those players potentially departing SA1 today for good they surely will want a performance for people to remember them by as much as anything.

JackArmy.net predicts: Swansea City 3-1 Millwall