Season 24/25 | The Official Match Thread | Swansea City vs Wycombe Wanderers | The Carabao Cup

[monmouth]

As shocking as the player performances have been this for me is all on LW. There was so much fundamentally wrong with the team line up.

I don't know how much more evidence that he needs that Fulton and Grimes is a recipe of disaster, it happens 100% of the time and never fails to disappoint.

Playing Pedersen on right sided centre half when he is predominantly left footed was always going to break up momentum.

Playing Abdulai as left winger and then later as attacking midfield and then again later as right back was baffling for a player who is a central defensive midfielder.

Can't really judge Bianchini because the above was always going to make it difficult to flow and get him in positions where he could get in behind.

Likewise for the Eom experiment, he was poor but the ball came to him so infrequently he could never grow into the game.

Same with Vipotnik, we didn't play it to his feet once until the 60th minute.... the SIXTIETH fucking minute. How you can expect him to bring others into play or be relevant in the game if you don't play it to him is beyond me.

I’d wager Fulton and Grimes have been on the pitch together at some point in almost every single game he’s managed. He’s a joke.

 

[Gors Buster]

I can’t believe what I’ve just watched.
We really look like we don’t belong in the opposition’s half.
Well played Wycombe, thoroughly deserved.

 

[NWJack]

I worry that even if Luke gets the tactics right, the quality of the players is not up to delivering them. I can't handle another season of avoiding relegation

 

[legoman]

Just what was the point of that? What did LW learn from it? Only that tomorrow is Thursday.

 

[sainthelens]

It’s not his fault our recruitment is diabolical.

I'm sorry, but if he's not capable of putting out a side ( of a fully fit squad) to beat a LG 1 side who were severely understrength ,and also fail to muster a plan to get a shot in target...then big questions need answering.

 

[cadleigh]

I like Luke. Seems like an honest, down to earth guy. He understands the club, its history and the supporters. And I like what he has to say about how he wants his team to play. I want him to succeed.

I am happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for Sunday. I truly believe his substitutions were driven by necessity due to knackered players from the first half’s high press, rather than a deliberate intention to go negative.

I am willing to believe that today he underestimated the opposition and started too many players who barely knew each other’s names. I honestly believe that Abbey, Bianchini and Eom are quality players who will deliver for us given a chance.

But I have to say that the decision to start Fulton and Grimes together, and to play Abdullai out of position yet again, is seriously undermining my confidence in our manager.

 

[CygnusX1]

I worry that even if Luke gets the tactics right, the quality of the players is not up to delivering them. I can't handle another season of avoiding relegation

Luke needs to get us playing what we are capable of doing, not what we could play like if we had better players.
It’s like the Emporer’s new clothes

 

[bakajack]

The biggest problem when we play Fulton and Grimes together is that Grimes is dropping in a third centre half when we got the ball. That would be fine if...

1. The full backs were pressing up and offering overloads with the wingers (the whole point of a 5-4-1 formation)

2. Fulton was actually dropping into CDM to offer an outball

3. On the rare occasions he did do so he didn't just ping it immediately straight back to the defender who gave it to him

The combination of these three problems means that the "wingbacks" as it were when Grimes drops in don't get to offer overloads, instead the ball is played behind them forcing them to turn back to their own goal where their only option to play it is the keeper and three defenders.

Similarly the wingers, striker and number 10 (in this game Eom) are completely and utterly isolated, the only way they get the ball is when they end up being doubled up upon or have to drop so deep to receive it they can't do anything with it.

 

[eteb]

I haven't felt this level of contempt for a performance / manager since duff last year, and that was bad.

I thought Williams was a good fit for us but I'm rapidly losing fairh

 

[Longlostjack]

Didn’t watch the game thankfully. But the Grimes Fulton partnership has to be put to bed. It just doesn’t bloody work.

 

[eteb]

The biggest problem when we play Fulton and Grimes together is that Grimes is dropping in a third centre half when we got the ball. That would be fine if...

1. The full backs were pressing up and offering overloads with the wingers (the whole point of a 5-4-1 formation)

2. Fulton was actually dropping into CDM to offer an outball

3. On the rare occasions he did do so he didn't just ping it immediately straight back to the defender who gave it to him

The combination of these three problems means that the "wingbacks" as it were when Grimes drops in don't get to offer overloads, instead the ball is played behind them forcing them to turn back to their own goal where their only option to play it is the keeper and three defenders.

Similarly the wingers, striker and number 10 (in this game Eom) are completely and utterly isolated, the only way they get the ball is when they end up being doubled up upon or have to drop so deep to receive it they can't do anything with it.

Your first point is a huge difference I've noticed since last year, our full backs don't attack at all

 

[Skippyjack]

At this rate crowds will drop below 10k before the clocks go back. Loyalty and habit aside there’s no reason to go to watch the Swans these days. There’s no joy in it. It’s drab. There’s very little to cheer and the whole ambience reeks of apathy from fans, players, managers and owners. Awful.

I didn't even watch the game, you can easily predict what's going to happen before it starts.. was Grimes and Fulton playing one twos about a yard apart between each other and occasionally one to the back four.. and Grimes attempted a forward pass about 5 times and none came off

 

[PSumbler]

What I dont understand is that the style of play never reflects how Luke Williams says he wants his team to play which can only be for one of a few reasons

1. the players are incapable of playing the way he wants
2. the players completely ignore what he wants them to do
3. He is talking shit and just says what people want to hear

He has learned much from his former master

 

[cadleigh]

I didn't even watch the game, you can easily predict what's going to happen before it starts.. was Grimes and Fulton playing one twos about a yard apart between each other and occasionally one to the back four.. and Grimes attempted a forward pass about 5 times and none came off

I’d bench them both for the next three games and play some combination of Allen with Franco or Abdullai in midfield.

 

[monmouth]

I like Luke. Seems like an honest, down to earth guy. He understands the club, its history and the supporters. And I like what he has to say about how he wants his team to play. I want him to succeed.

I am happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for Sunday. I truly believe his substitutions were driven by necessity due to knackered players from the first half’s high press, rather than a deliberate intention to go negative.

I am willing to believe that today he underestimated the opposition and started too many players who barely knew each other’s names. I honestly believe that Abbey, Bianchini and Eom are quality players who will deliver for us given a chance.

But I have to say that the decision to start Fulton and Grimes together, and to play Abdullai out of position yet again, is seriously undermining my confidence in our manager.

Nice guy, zero evidence he can manage a football team since he’s been here, I’d love to see a full list of the “we need tos” that happen every time we don’t win which is most weeks. Plus when we win and play crap, he bigs it up beyond ridicule. We’re stuck with him, but there is zero reason for optimism based on what he’s shown so far, and nothing in the players to dig him out of any hole. Not picking the players you’ve highlighted would be a start for sure. Getting them playing the way he does makes it even worse. Not really sure where we go from here. Crossed fingers that it miraculously improves I guess.