{"id":67463,"date":"2022-08-07T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-07T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/?p=67463"},"modified":"2022-08-06T21:50:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T20:50:52","slug":"possession-without-a-purpose-its-the-new-swansea-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/2022\/08\/07\/possession-without-a-purpose-its-the-new-swansea-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Possession without a purpose &#8211; it&#8217;s the new Swansea way"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the morning after the afternoon before and the dust has settled on the poor performance that saw us beaten 3-0 at home by Blackburn on what will prove to be one of the easiest afternoons Rovers will have this season.<\/p>\n<p>It was an afternoon where those who love the stats will point to more than 600 passes completed by the Swans with 71% possession but as the title of this article says it was possession without a purpose and Blackburn lapped it up in a clear pointer to everyone that we will face in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty aligncenter\"><a id='CgYFAmOWShtxYFzjFvSLLA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242345279' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'CgYFAmOWShtxYFzjFvSLLA',sig:'Aq9Dt1U2yAPUxixCSyWE6iBoNu0HA-CR3wzi8p5RWu4=',w:'582px',h:'594px',items:'1242345279',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/div>\n<p>It was clear very early on in the game that Blackburn were happy to let us have the lions share of possession as they accepted that much of it would be around the middle third and, more often than not, the defensive half of that middle third.\u00a0 \u00a0Passing between centre backs and the defensive midfielder is never going to harm the opposition when almost everyone in front of those four players is static and rarely &#8211; at best &#8211; looking for any space for the ball to be played into.<\/p>\n<p>Blackburn also knew that we were susceptible to a mistake and so it proved when they took the lead with five minutes of the first half remaining.\u00a0 \u00a0From that point forward the game became even more predictable as they lined up ten men behind the ball and waited to hit us on the break &#8211; something they did to great effect for both their second and third goals.<\/p>\n<p>In truth we know that for all the possession and passing we never really looked like scoring.\u00a0 \u00a0Maybe a 10 minute period just after the introduction of Jamie Paterson gave some hope for the Swans but it was nothing more than a short period of pressure of some sort in the middle of an afternoon which developed as so many games did last season.<\/p>\n<p>The commentator on Five Live summing up the game when reporting from the Swansea.com said it all &#8211; Blackburn were good and Swansea were, well typical Swansea with lots of possession but never likely to do anything with it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty aligncenter\"><a id='NEEnswF3Qx5dTCd7Buw0MQ' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242343197' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'NEEnswF3Qx5dTCd7Buw0MQ',sig:'J71hGU_IxNJB9S2pHBFSPCmVd7KNeYZU3haq5HZ89To=',w:'594px',h:'464px',items:'1242343197',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4\"><span data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-4.0\">&#8220;The way we play isn&#8217;t always going to please everyone,&#8221; said Martin after the game.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-5\"><span data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-5.0\">&#8220;I think pretty much everyone out of Swansea hates it because they&#8217;re desperate to stop it and beat it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\"><span data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6.0\">&#8220;Even a few comments from their bench towards it tells me the mentality towards it, because we dare to try and control things and pass the ball. That&#8217;s their prerogative.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">These are the words of course of the boss but not sure the opposition managers actually hate the way we play and many &#8211; as Tomasson showed yesterday &#8211; probably enjoy it as it makes it really easy for them to play against.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">&#8220;We played against a good side today who are strong on the ball so that&#8217;s why I chose to control the game out of possession,&#8221; said the Blackburn boss after the game.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">The problem that is facing Russell Martin is not so much the way that people take to the style of play but more the fact that the style of play is becoming increasingly easy to play against.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">Last season he talked much about his team being brave but there is nothing brave about watching a side so lacking in ideas and &#8211; more frustratingly &#8211; lacking in any movement to create the all important space.\u00a0 \u00a0The &#8216;Swansea Way&#8217; was much fabled in the times of Martinez, Rodgers and Laudrup but this is not the Swansea Way as we know it but the Swansea way of the post 2021 period.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty aligncenter\"><a id='j8vQ1S1qTmB_3gyBkOelew' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242343330' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'j8vQ1S1qTmB_3gyBkOelew',sig:'fliMsnIWY7-TiPIidJ4f8WPg2comv2UkXq6qZfOGHr0=',w:'594px',h:'441px',items:'1242343330',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/div>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">Under the previously named managers there was a purpose to our possession and we had players to take advantage of the space that our neat and quick passing created.\u00a0 \u00a0Here we have some neat passing, its not always quick and we largely do not have the players to try and make that space.\u00a0 \u00a0And even when they do make the space then all too often we won&#8217;t see the space as the natural instinct seems to be a sideways or backwards pass.\u00a0 \u00a0This remains an ongoing concern as it does not seem to be improving.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">We know that we need new players but that in itself proves to be a problem due to our desire to move on several players from the club and seemingly unable to do it.\u00a0 \u00a0The watching Jake Silverstein may decide he wants to place the club further into debt with a loan but frankly I am not sure we want to go down that route as our recent transfer record is not exactly glowing and that&#8217;s before you consider the implications of debt.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">Martin also talked after the game about not repeating their same mistakes but the problem he has is that it is exactly at the moment what we do.\u00a0 \u00a0We had a warning before Blackburn took the lead by conceding cheap possession and letting them in but yet we still contrived to do it twice for their opening goal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty aligncenter\"><a id='oeehu848Q6dOI5m_O62fWA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242345005' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'oeehu848Q6dOI5m_O62fWA',sig:'rr076bCRuIEFi0JOgEakZ7hVfAF5546GbQQXH6kcg50=',w:'594px',h:'540px',items:'1242345005',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/div>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">The next few weeks will be a real test of the steel of Russell Martin and his ability to lift a team who have not started the season as he would have hoped.\u00a0 \u00a0Should the likes of Blackpool, Luton and Millwall find their time against us as easy as Blackburn did then questions marks will be raised much more often against his style of play and the possession without purpose methods that we seem to be using at the moment.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">Add to those games the need to change the squad to bring in that personnel &#8211; did anyone say a right wing back at all? &#8211; which we need this makes for a massive month ahead for Martin and, very possibly, the biggest testing period of what is still a relatively young management career.<\/p>\n<p data-reactid=\".16nkhmqjw1s.0.0.0.1.$paragraph-6\">The question on everyone&#8217;s lips is can we deliver against his clear beliefs?<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty aligncenter\"><a id='MMpBEC45SQlbvsKxIX-qNA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1242199017' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'MMpBEC45SQlbvsKxIX-qNA',sig:'F8ktx8OARGCeG4ExQwhfZ86FX4y45C1SWTQv1flYyRA=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1242199017',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the morning after the afternoon before and the dust has settled on the poor performance that saw us beaten 3-0 at home by Blackburn on what will prove to be one of the easiest afternoons Rovers will have this season. It was an afternoon where those who love the stats will point to more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[293,49,203],"tags":[536,636,665],"class_list":["post-67463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first-team","category-news","category-opinion","tag-blackburn-rovers","tag-russell-martin","tag-the-2022-23-season"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackarmy.net\/wp67\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}