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So many changes in two years against Hull – where do we go now?

ByRob Davies

Jan 30, 2022

Following yesterday’s disappointment of a 2-0 loss at Hull City, cast your minds back to the eventful 4-4 draw in our last fixture away against the Tigers.

Back then, both clubs were on very different pathways; Steve Cooper’s Swans were fighting for a top six place – but on a poor run at the same time – whilst Grant McCann’s Hull hadn’t won in the previous six.

Today, just one place separates the two sides on the same points, although the momentum for the rest of the season looks to be with the side from the North East, with new ownership and management to push them forward.

The 4-4 draw was a game before Covid had taken over our lives, and looking at the two squads the change is quite unbelievable. Notably, managers have changed and 27 different players in the 18 man match day squads.

Just four players remained in the match day squad for the Swans; for Hull it was five, one of which scored in the 2020 fixture and yesterday – the less than prolific frontman Tom Eaves.

Goals from Routledge, Brewster, Naughton and Garrick saw a topsy turvy game that day end 4-4, with the Swans conceding a 95th minute equaliser on Valentine’s Day. Here is the difference between the two line-ups:

So just some brief analysis there and whilst it’s difficult to compare some positions (4-3-3 vs 3-4-2-1) it’s quite easy to see that the squad of today is considerably weaker than that of 2020.

Some positions cancel themselves out (Grimes is still Grimes) but the quality difference in others is clear. For example, Guehi, Ayew, Gallagher and Routledge were all a cut above this division and the substitutes bench is an even bigger indicator in the difference we see now:

The bottom line is that the squad we had playing two years ago was far stronger than what we have today. Bear in mind players like Mike van der Hoorn and Joe Rodon didn’t play in that match due to injury. That is a squad that could, and possibly should have delivered promotion looking back, but times move on and we are where we are today.

Whilst it is fair to say we should be doing better than the lowly 18th we find ourselves – after today’s draw for Birmingham at Derby – it is also a reminder for us that what we see before us is not of the calibre we used to see at what was the Liberty.

There is a lot of work to be done, but the sheer amount of change that we have seen in departures and arrivals over the past few years is something that isn’t sustainable for a team with ambitions. You’ll always lose star players, but the regularity in which players come and go is alarming to be perfectly honest.

Cast your minds back to the Martinez and Rodgers era, only a few tweaks were actually needed between the League One promotion season and the one which saw us get to the Premier League – 3 years!

That core was undoubtedly stronger but it’s a blueprint for where we need to be, as there is clearly too much deadwood still in this squad that needs changing before we can start talking about a consistent base for years to come.

Why we are in this position, well is anyone’s guess. Poor club management? Poor team management? Poor recruitment? You decide.

There are many reasons why we are where we are, no parachute payments, books need balancing etc – the list goes on. Whether Russell Martin will get what he wants as he tries to shape a squad, we are about to find out…