Planet Swans ArchivesThe optimism and confidence that was around the club when Lee Trundle lobbed Chris Weale in front of 19,000 at White Rock has long since disappeared to where we are today – a general feeling of doom despite the club being less than a half dozen points away from the top place in the division.
The statistic at the top of 12 points in 12 games is worse when you consider we took 5 points from the first 3 of those games meaning just 7 points of the last 27 have been secured. Anything like a half decent return would see us topping this division by a comfortable margin at the moment. But it hasn’t happened and we are now faced with a side low on confidence and a support that will slowly dwindle as the gap between Swansea City and top place widens.
But how did it happen. Back in November, we were winning games with some to spare – Chesterfield, Southend and Yeovil were all beaten in the preceeding three games to this slump. We fought back from a poor 45 minutes to take a point at Tranmere, we then beat Scunthorpe. Why have we become so bad in that period of time?
Well, injuries and suspensions didn’t help. Red cards at Doncaster and Brentford meant we picked at the bare bones in some games. Injuries to OTJ and LT10 at Swindon were costly and we’ve only won 1 of the last 5 games at home. The obvious factors and the ones that happen during a football season – unless of course you are Reading!!
Then you get the unexplainable. Leon Britton, our most potent attacking option being dropped against Bristol City. Then the same player playing right back against Gillingham. Poor performances from other players but seemingly them getting picked assuming they are fit. And there has been the loss of form of Lee Trundle as well – maybe a little distracted by the talk of the moves. Thank the transfer window is closed.
We are here on the opening day Of February with our squad as it stands. The players we currently have on the books will be the ones that see us through to May. A strong squad, boosted by the spending in January and a squad that is ultimately stronger than it was in the glorious form days of September through to November. And a squad that really needs to get back to what it was good at back then. Playing football. And playing it well.
The introduction of Rory Fallon should not mean our only option is to kick it long to him. The introduction of Leon Knight doesn’t mean that him and Trundle can’t play in the same side, even alongside Fallon. And the introduction of Darren Way shouldn’t mean that we have to move/drop Leon Britton to accommodate him. It’s a squad game and they are all good players. And will get their chance.
We are capable of turning it around and certainly we don’t warrant the doom and gloom and predictions of relegation that we are getting at the moment. Nobody can dispute that we are not playing well but just as nobody expected it to get this bad back in November, people can’t see it getting that good now. Whether it will remains to be seen. But for it to stand any chance of doing so then we have to remember
- All players need to be united behind the common cause and want it
- Never try to mend what isn’t broken – if a player is playing well in a position then leave him in there
- We are far less effective playing long ball route one football
- As fans we should back not barrack during the game as hard as this may be at times
As much as I would have liked to see us stroll Reading-esque to the title, it was never going to happen as Swansea City but what we can hope now is that we turn it around and quickly. Did I say quickly? I meant Friday!
