Let’s see what you are made of – your chance to prove talk isn’t cheap

The Swans entertain Stoke City at the Swansea.com Stadium with the words of Luke Williams seemingly ringing in their ears as he talked about an unacceptable performance at the weekend in which the Swans had “nothing”

Much has been written since then about the fact that those words could have been used many times over the past few seasons but tonight none of that matters, all the players have to do is deliver on the pitch both with style and result.    It is time to see a performance where they look like a group of players intent on earning their lucrative salaries and also a group of players who care about the badge that they are fortunate enough to wear.

We do not want to hear the usual rubbish of “togetherness” and pointless words that reflect into a performance on the pitch that makes more people want to switch off from watching a game and makes people reluctant to attend games with the smallest crowd of the season expected this evening given the midweek date and the forecast for yet another wet and miserable day here in South West Wales.

What frustrates more is that the team showed against Cardiff what they are capable of but we seem to have created a position where more than a couple of the squad believe that beating Cardiff is the be all and end all.   It’s important to us but we need to put in more than a couple of performances every season.   Five games remaining this term require five performances and everyone should believe that they are playing for their futures.   It’s not that difficult is it?

For the rest we will leave it to Luke Williams and his programme notes – “We return home knowing we simply have to do much better than we did against Middlesbrough at the weekend.

“The performance at the Riverside Stadium was simply unacceptable. We were completely lacking in energy and conviction.

“In the lead-up to the game I spoke about the importance of mentality, and wanting to make sure we have the hunger and appetite to keep pushing to reach a higher level.

“There will be those of you who will have watched our last few performances and feel you have not seen the same levels you saw in the win against Cardiff City. I want you to know I agree with you.

“We thoroughly deserved to win that day, but you cannot perform in that manner – on the back of building up to that sort of display – and then allow yourselves to dip.

“We have to strive to be more than just an okay team. To me, that is soul-destroying. We simply have to always want more.

“This club has a proud history, and it is a huge responsibility to work and play for Swansea City.

“We have wonderful supporters who travel far and wide to cheer on this team, and they deserve far better than the display we served up on Teesside.

“We have to be better, it’s as simple as that. We cannot have a repeat of that. 

“The nature of football means you may not always perform as you want to. You can play well and lose or play poorly and win, but there are certain elements you simply have to have when it comes to energy and intensity; and they were not sufficiently there on Saturday.

“We want to turn in a vastly-improved showing against a Stoke side who are in a similar part of the table to us.

“We have to do better for you, and for this football club.”

Those are the words – now deliver on the actions.

JackArmy.net Predicts: Swansea City 2-0 Stoke City

The Swans game against Stoke kicks off at 8pm this evening and is live on Sky Sports Football.