S25/26 | The Official Match Thread | Swansea 1 Ipswich 4 | Att: 16,783 | 08/11/25 | The EFL Championship | The Swansea.com Stadium

[monmouth]

Sheehan booed - all over for him

I think that’s a shame. The booing I mean. I’ve still no real preference for what we do managerially, but it’s hard to see how he claws it back now. Ipswich, like Southampton and Leicester just monstered us all over the pitch. They are not doing it to other teams. You can’t sack all the players, so it’s unlikely things will change, but if you don’t change manager, certainly nothing is going to change.

We should have learned from Scumbo. Never put an interim in charge. Not ever.

 

[bakajack]

Can’t argue with the comments I’ve read summing up today’s game. Tried to look for the positives and always a fan of giving managers time but this season is heading towards all the poor parts of the last 4 seasons.

International break usually a chance for a reset (whether changing manager or not) but with half the squad away on international duty there’ll not be any time on the training ground.

As someone mentioned there’s still a reasonable gap to the bottom 3 (plus Oxford & Portsmouth look poor) but all of a sudden we’re 4 points off mid table and 8 from the top 6 with no sign of us putting back to back wins together to close those gaps.

For me the biggest issue is an insistence on 5-4-1 with players being asked to play positions that are completely ill suited to them. One of Key's biggest defensive issues is his lack of positional discipline, a problem that was further exacerbated by Williams asking him to drift into central midfield leaving gigantic gaps down our flanks.

Tymon and Key as wingbacks gives him exactly the same excuse to go missing, and Ipswich and Charlton before them exploited that time and again. The only reason it wasn't obvious against Man City is because we were backs to the wall defending for 80% of the game.

Widell's game is clever touches, quick distribution of the ball to invite players to attack. He doesn't have pace and trickery to play on the wing and so asking him to play as a left winger and then ditching him for Cullen at half time the instant we switched back to 4-3-3 was beyond harsh.

Some mitigation has to be offered for Staminic on compassionate leave but Galbraith's best games are when he is free to play as a box to box midfielder. You cannot have him lurking ahead of three center backs with 40 yards between them and the full backs and attacking players and expect to get any kind of a tune out of him.

All of the above problems can be directly attributed to Sheehan. He picked the formation and the team and the tactics, he has insisted for 4 games with this 5-4-1 formation and hasn't won a single match with it losing all but one and even that came from a goal out of nothing from Idah to rescue a draw.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

He deserved the chance, but there's been no signs of improvement.
It is fair to question whether the run last season was partly due to the experience of O'Brien
Or Fotheringham as assistant.

Everything is on the table I think he's trying his best but we can't keep giving points away so many times

O’Brien so obviously was the difference last year I still can’t believe anyone questions it. Although I couldn't at the time.

We have no one who can fill that position. And it’s not Galbraith before anyone mentions it again. He was as bad as anyone today. )well, perhaps not as bad as Key, but anyone else).

 

[Smurph]

Who is going to be in charge of picking the manager?

The people who own the club along with those they employ to make these decisions.

 

[3swan]

Something needs to change and I have a feeling it is the manager.

It's the usual outcome or he needs a very experienced assistant.

I've already posted we lack experience on and off the pitch

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

For me the biggest issue is an insistence on 5-4-1 with players being asked to play positions that are completely ill suited to them. One of Key's biggest defensive issues is his lack of positional discipline, a problem that was further exacerbated by Williams asking him to drift into central midfield leaving gigantic gaps down our flanks.

Tymon and Key as wingbacks gives him exactly the same excuse to go missing, and Ipswich and Charlton before them exploited that time and again. The only reason it wasn't obvious against Man City is because we were backs to the wall defending for 80% of the game.

Widell's game is clever touches, quick distribution of the ball to invite players to attack. He doesn't have pace and trickery to play on the wing and so asking him to play as a left winger and then ditching him for Cullen at half time the instant we switched back to 4-3-3 was beyond harsh.

Some mitigation has to be offered for Staminic on compassionate leave but Galbraith's best games are when he is free to play as a box to box midfielder. You cannot have him lurking ahead of three center backs with 40 yards between them and the full backs and attacking players and expect to get any kind of a tune out of him.

All of the above problems can be directly attributed to Sheehan. He picked the formation and the team and the tactics, he has insisted for 4 games with this 5-4-1 formation and hasn't won a single match with it losing all but one and even that came from a goal out of nothing from Idah to rescue a draw.

Can’t argue with any of that.

 

[bakajack]

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him gone this weekend

 

[theallseeingdai]

Paul Raynor was the best footballer at chesting the ball. I seem to recall.

Fuck yeah

 

[Londonlisa2001]

I think that’s a shame. The booing I mean. I’ve still no real preference for what we do managerially, but it’s hard to see how he claws it back now. Ipswich, like Southampton and Leicester just monstered us all over the pitch. They are not doing it to other teams. You can’t sack all the players, so it’s unlikely things will change, but if you don’t change manager, certainly nothing is going to change.

We should have learned from Scumbo. Never put an interim in charge. Not ever.

As an aside.

It took some guts for him to walk over and face the booing. Most managers wouldn’t. He’s a good guy.

 

[Pentyrchjack]

Just a different perspective - the Tractor Boys brought a massive support and filled the away end. They are all elated. Just a pity that feeling is all too rare for us.

 

[Smurph]

Do you still want to give him more time?

I think his time is done. I certainly don't take any enjoyment in having another manager on the verge of getting sacked.

 

[FearOfAJackPlanet]

Despite all the patting on the back about our wonderful summer of recruitment, this is still fundamentally the same team that struggled for most of last year, so I guess it's not a total surprise we're not camped out in the top 10 after taking a punt on some spreadsheet signings to replace all those that left.

Defensively, Burgess is the only real change and he's...alright. Missing Darling's goals and ability to bring the ball out of defence.

Midfield is largely the same. Galbraith is...alright, doesn't really put his stamp on games does he? not a difference maker, just a tidy player. Stamenic. I think we're missing his stability in there, need him back.

Inoussa has shown some glimpses, but is nowhere near a 60 min player, let alone a 90 min player
We're still relying on Key and Ronald for our attacks down the right (yikes!)

Vip is a good player, but we're back to Williamsball where we're treating him like a lepper we dare not get close to and interact with. Maybe try giving him the ball more than twice a game and it might look better. Maybe having a central midfielder who can drive forwards with the ball through the middle would help with that? (Stamenic's run to set up Vip against Norwich springs to mind).

Sheehan clearly got caught with his pants down tactically today, that whole 1st half was us playing handicapped by the way we'd set up. Looked like the adjustments made at half-time (that should have been made after about 10 minutes) were going to work, but it just wasn't to be. Just before an international break is not a great time to put in your worst performance and result. Lots of time for decision makers to ponder decisions...I doubt they'd sack him at this stage though, but nothing surprises me anymore.

 

[Swansea93]

All I’ll say about that embarrassing performance is, can anyone let me know when the Ipswich fans say we’re the best team they’ve played this season.

 

[3swan]

O’Brien so obviously was the difference last year I still can’t believe anyone questions it. Although I couldn't at the time.

We have no one who can fill that position. And it’s not Galbraith before anyone mentions it again. He was as bad as anyone today. )well, perhaps not as bad as Key, but anyone else).

Yes on the pitch it definitely was O' Brien how we.need him now

 

[ARQS]

Despite all the patting on the back about our wonderful summer of
Defensively, Burgess is the only real change and he's...alright. Missing Darling's goals and ability to bring the ball out of defence.

The two goals he scored today weren't enough for you, no?