Planet Swans ArchivesBack after that first six we were sat proudly on the top of the league having just won at Leeds but since that first international break we have managed to secure just one win in the next six, an impressive win at Charlton.
Home defeats to Nottingham Forest and Stoke with draws against Bristol City, Reading and Barnsley sees us clinging onto our position near the top of the table but in a division where nobody really seems to want to put a run of form together that could see them opening up some clean air between them and the chasing pack.
With two home games in a week, we have an excellent chance of being the team that does that as well as, of course, securing the South Wales bragging rights after the derby next Sunday. Two wins and the table could start looking very favourable for us a the clocks go back and October becomes November.
To do that though I am firmly of the belief that we need to see some personnel changes in the team with the classic phrase of ‘square pegs and round holes’ feeling appropriate with us not getting the best out of what could easily be one of the most potent attacking line ups in the Championship.
To see Bersant Celina and Andre Ayew out wide just seems like a waste of two talented attacking options as well as losing us obvious width within the team with both players having the tendency to move themselves infield at the first opportunity.
Both these players seem more suited to roles in the middle but we have a position where Steve Cooper wants to pick them and – up until yesterday – Borja Baston to lead his line. It’s an understandable position given that two of them were signed as Premier League forwards but it is upsetting the natural balance of the side and that has to change because I do think that this division is here for the taking this season and there is no reason why we couldn’t be that team if we play things the right way.
Using Celina or Ayew in the Number 10 role behind Baston, Surridge (or even Celina behind Ayew) would seem a good way of ensuring that squad rotation in a long hard Championship season becomes effective. Whatever way you cut the side at the moment, the midfield isn’t creative enough and moving either of these players into the middle should see that change.
We have some quality wingers in the squad then that would create the width that allows our full backs to overlap and with a quality player in the Number 10 role then he can create the space for whoever is leading the line in any particular game.
Garrick, Petersen, Routledge and Dyer could all have game time and worry defenders – particularly at the Liberty – and the side all of a sudden feels balanced without three similar midfielders in the team which is what we are seeing at the moment with any combination of Fulton, Grimes, Byers and Carroll.
Watching Celina in action at Barnsley yesterday I saw a player who looks frustrated by his position within the team and we certainly aren’t getting the best out of him. Similarly for Ayew – despite his recent goals and performances – we can get more out of him and this simple – but I think obvious – change will see that happen and us start to pull away from the chasing pack.
As it stands now we are as close – points wise – to the top as we are 10th place which just shows the competitiveness of this league but let’s put the square pegs in the square holes and become the side that everyone wants to emulate.
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