Alan Sheehan.

[magicdaps10]

As I said before no way these owners invest 20M to be happy with a mid table finish and under par performances, imo anyway.

It's the championship, 20M ploughed in from our previous level just helps secure us as a solid mid table team. If the owners are expecting more than that, they need to sit down and realise this league isn't as straight forward as they think it is.

My take on Sheehan, he's doing a steady job but for us to do something in this league then we need to be different and pro active. This pragmatic approach won't work with the squad we have, we don't have an Ayew that can make the difference in these games where we are just going to be tight and work hard.

Fans won't take this type of football for long, Sheehan has shown he can play a decent brand(last season) but seems to have gone back to "don't lose" type of approach.

The board have been proactive but if they are going with or being advised on this pragmatic football being the way forward, I fully expect the board to hit a point and think "hang on, it's not working".

Hopefully Sheehan wakes up a bit or is advised to to take the handbrake off because it's feeling like it has an air of eventuality with what the outcome will be.

 

[magicdaps10]

Yesterday's performance was unacceptable, the squad at Sheehan's disposal is arguably the strongest we have had since the drop. His refusal to take Key out of the firing line is bordering on incompetent. He needs to up his game, and soon, this can't be allowed to continue much longer.

The squad is strong but the weak area that is Josh Key, we don't really have a serious contender pushing him for his place. Does Key realise this maybe?

 

[Swanjaxs]

The squad is strong but the weak area that is Josh Key, we don't really have a serious contender pushing him for his place. Does Key realise this maybe?

Galbraith would make an excellent right back, unfortunately he's an even better midfielder.

 

[Swans Jack]

The squad is strong but the weak area that is Josh Key, we don't really have a serious contender pushing him for his place. Does Key realise this maybe?

I noticed Burgess ripping key apart a few times yesterday in relation to his defending, while Cabango cleared up for him. Same goes for Cabango having a go at him during Leicester game. Something has to give with Key.

 

[magicdaps10]

Galbraith would make an excellent right back, unfortunately he's an even better midfielder.

We know he can play at RB but he seems to be our only real creative midfielder.

I do believe we need to change the system. We need to go 2 holding midfielders and play a 10, someone who can help with the creativity and not just rely on the wingers to supply and support the striker.
The only real option at 10 for me is Cullen. I would stick with Stamenic and Franco as the 2 midfielders and put Galbraith out at RB.
It's a shame that Galbraith might need to go out to RB but the recruitment has been to focused on similar midfielders and probably one more than we actually needed given they were planning on keeping Fulton on board. I think the insistence to go with the midfield we have, that just gets them working hard with lots of energy but limited creativity and not basing it on being comfortable with the ball is disappointing.......let's face it, our passing and acceptance of the ball as individuals has been the worse I have seen for a couple of seasons now.

I think the powers to be need to hear the Harry Griffiths phrase about how Swansea City plays football and it's currently not what is being witnessed by myself. I dare think what Curt, Leon and others who wore our clubs badge are thinking about this at the moment, we all know that this Swansea way was over elaborated but we always prided ourselves on playing football and attacking teams.

 

[magicdaps10]

I noticed Burgess ripping key apart a few times yesterday in relation to his defending, while Cabango cleared up for him. Same goes for Cabango having a go at him during Leicester game. Something has to give with Key.

It's been happening a lot from certain players towards Key in the last few games.
Most fans can see that he needs a rest or just straight up dropped.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

I thought we'd picked up a real star of the future when we signed Key, but this is his third season now and he's not improved a jot. Certainly in the final third he offers nothing.

 

[magicdaps10]

I thought we'd picked up a real star of the future when we signed Key, but this is his third season now and he's not improved a jot. Certainly in the final third he offers nothing.

Something just went wrong with him last season and currently he's been awful and it's not great for him that his own players seem to be having a pop at him every game.

Sheehan was on in the week regards fans having pops at players on social media, he needs to realise that he isn't helping the players by picking them when they clearly need a rest or similar. It's just the same thing but a different angle.

 

[cadleigh]

Agree with most of the above. Stamenic, Franco and Galbraith are all good players but too similar IMO. I do think Galbraith is too good to just replace Key at RB (no disrespect to RBs…) which is why I suggested trying 3 CBs, Galbraith and Tymon as WBs with licence to roam and both Vipotnik and Idah up front. And Inoussa or Widdel to add creativity in MF. This also gets Ronald out of the starting XI.
Failing that, switch Galbraith to FB and try Widdel at 10?

 

[cadleigh]

But talking about relegation is just ridiculous.

 

[K23]

Galbraith would make an excellent right back, unfortunately he's an even better midfielder.

I agree but we've got a lot of good midfielders however, at the moment, we don't seem to have any good RBs. We also haven't got the balance right in midfield so by taking an obvious starter like Galbraith out of there, we might just stumble on a better balanced midfield involving Melker or Malick without having to leave a good midfielder on the bench. After yesterday, something definitely has to happen.

 

[monmouth]

I thought we'd picked up a real star of the future when we signed Key, but this is his third season now and he's not improved a jot. Certainly in the final third he offers nothing.

He used to attack, shoot, cross, overlap. Even defend. He’s been ‘repurposed’ and lost all his confidence. That’s management (choose who) pure and simple. Sheehan’s currently doing him no favours by simply sending him out week after week with current tactics. He can’t do right for doing wrong.

 

[tardylum]

I agree but we've got a lot of good midfielders however, at the moment, we don't seem to have any good RBs. We also haven't got the balance right in midfield so by taking and obvious starter like Galbraith out of there, we might just stumble on a better balanced midfield involving Melker or Malick without having to leave a good midfielder on the bench. After yesterday, something definitely has to happen.

I am leaning towards this too. We are overstocked in midfield and short on depth or quality elsewhere. Other than Idah starting it feels like the only tinker we can make.

 

[sit_down_jack]

On the midfield, Stamenic looks like a deep lying playmaker, his longer passing when he lifts his head up looks excellent. He is also the only midfield ‘destroyer’ we have (although Fulton is still an option to us), he breaks up play well although it’s not his main draw for me. Surely we’d benefit from playing Galbraith next to him? Similar to when we had Grimes and Downes together, except Stamenic seems to have more of a passing range than Downes did. That seems like a good foundation to work from to me.

The two 8s often leave Stamenic with too much to do and that’s why he sometimes looks like a walking yellow card.

 

[K23]

On the midfield, Stamenic looks like a deep lying playmaker, his longer passing when he lifts his head up looks excellent. He is also the only midfield ‘destroyer’ we have (although Fulton is still an option to us), he breaks up play well although it’s not his main draw for me. Surely we’d benefit from playing Galbraith next to him? Similar to when we had Grimes and Downes together, except Stamenic seems to have more of a passing range than Downes did. That seems like a good foundation to work from to me.

The two 8s often leave Stamenic with too much to do and that’s why he sometimes looks like a walking yellow card.

I agree with you about Stamenic, we don't have anyone else like him although I think he's done too much travelling in the last few weeks and seems to have lost a bit of the edge he first showed but I'm sure that will return. However, I just feel we are lacking a 10 to join all the dots together between our 9, the 2 wings and whoever plays as our 8 or 8s. Some have said Eom would make a good 10, some have said Melker can play there and Galbraith looks like he would be good anywhere but it needs Sheehan to want to try it and at the moment, he seems to prefer playing without a 10 and it's showing in the poor number of chances we are creating.