OPPO VIEW: SWANSEA

As we approach our first game since officially achieving a play off spot, we spoke to the lads at the Swans Cast Podcast to see how things are going in South Wales. 

14th in the league, nine points off the relegation zone and 11 from play-offs. What's been the story of your season?

As seems to be becoming all too regular for Swansea City of late, the season has been a rollercoaster! Luke Williams opened the season, which was always expected to be a year of transition for the Swans as he looked to build a squad to suit his possession based style of patience. As expected, results were mixed for large parts of the first half of the season, if anything it left us thinking of what could have been more often than not, where the squad often performed strongly for large spells in most games but being unable to see it through 90 minute performances. A work in progress, but over the course of the first half of the season, we did not lose a game by more than a single goal in the league, showing a platform was being built and we were always able to remain competitive even when not playing well.

Things changed at Christmas when the Swans seemed to be building momentum, looking up the table, and talks of a playoff push started to become more of a reality but were shattered just as quickly as they became a possibility after Luke Williams was linked with a move to West Brom. Failure on his part to shut these links down, and if anything he overly entertained them, seemed to significantly derail all of the progress he had made with the squad, as the team became a shadow of its former self the second fireworks were seen to start the new year. A New Year’s Day 4-0 defeat away at Portsmouth was only a sign of the coming weeks. He was later sacked after a run of one win in nine, replaced by Alan Sheehan who took charge of Swansea on an interim basis for a second time in 14 months. Sheehan managed an immediate response from the Swans, who at the time of his takeover were at risk of being dragged into the relegation battle, and he has made the team hard to beat again. The mood in the fan base has calmed as focus changes to next season, and a big decision around who will lead the team which will be made in the summer.

Luke Williams was sacked in February, what was he like and what went wrong for him at Swansea?

Mentioned above, Luke Williams was the master of his own downfall at Swansea. He was doing a fine job at the club, and it looked like things were on the up going into Christmas as his system really seemed to start to click into place with the players, producing some very good performances especially at home, including that against Sunderland back in December. Links surfaced to a job at West Brom, and his head was turned, for reasons we may never know officially (probably money). What actually happened from this point on behind the scenes is speculated, but what we know for sure is he did not play these links down, almost encouraged them in the media, before he was forced to stand in a conference and apologise for how he handled them, claiming his response was a joke that went wrong, and how he thought the questions of a potential move to him were a wind up. The stark change in fortunes on the pitch that followed went hand in hand with this weird off the pitch situation, and his handling of the media just continued to get worse with each defeat, including a brutal defeat to rivals Cardiff City. It was clear he had lost the dressing room, likely as they felt the manager was not committed to the club, and his sacking became inevitable and essential.

What are your thoughts on caretaker manager Alan Sheehan?

Alan Sheehan made an instant impact as caretaker, starting with a 3-0 home win against Blackburn. The form has dramatically improved since his appointment, and he has primarily made us hard to beat again, and has largely cut out the individual errors that were costing us so dearly. He has shown he can be flexible in his tactics, operating with multiple formations to suit different opposition, and kicks every ball with the players on the touch line through every game. He will no doubt want to keep the job come the summer, and although I will reserve my judgement until the season ends, he is doing himself no harm, with his stock arguably rising with each game at the moment.

With pretty much nothing to play for in mid-table, have you found that the team is playing with more freedom and are able to express themselves, or is it more a case of the players mentally being 'on the beach'?

The mentality has certainly not been one of being on the beach. As we head to Sunderland, the table looks far more favourable than it did even a week ago for Swansea. The last two results have been wins against Derby and Plymouth who are both fighting for their lives below us. Take away those six points, and we are well within that mix considering how other results at that part of the table have played out. Had Derby beaten us, at the time they would have been just a point behind ourselves, and it was obvious that was on the players mind going into that game as they played out a dull and unspectacular 1-0 win against a Derby side on a four game winning run, the best in the league. A far more comfortable, confident and enjoyable win against Plymouth followed as the pressure lifted, which has now afforded the team the luxury position of being relieved of the pressure of looking over their shoulder. We were not in the worst position, but there was still a realistic chance we could have been dragged into a dogfight, which we can now say is almost certainly not going to happen. Will this mean the players could display an ‘on the beach’ approach in the remaining games? Potentially. But considering Alan Sheehan is essentially partaking in a live interview process, I cannot see him allowing it to be the case.

Liam Cullen is your top scorer with 10 goals, what kind of player is he?

Liam Cullen is a poaching forward who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to bag a lot of his goals. He has transitioned to play as more of a number ten this season for Swansea, and whilst he is by no means an out and out ten, he has found some success in the role this term, probably operating more akin to that of a shadow striker. He can be strong at transitional link up play, and always puts in an exceptional shift on and off the ball, but often he overplays the ball, can drop too deep and give possession away in less than ideal situations as a result. He is a good player for Swansea, and Wales this season, but there is often a sense of what more he could produce if he managed to operate at his best more consistently.

Other than Cullen, who are some of your standout players?

The stand out players currently have to be found in Swansea’s midfield. Gonçalo Franco, who joined last summer, very much unknown, has been an immense signing for the Swans. He is tenacious in midfield, snapping at the heels of the opposition all game, causing a nuisance as he runs himself into the ground week in week out, breaking up play and causing disruption. He has been partnered since January by Lewis O’Brien, who joined the Swans to rediscover the form that he once displayed at this level for Huddersfield, and that is exactly what he has done. Matt Grimes left in January, and Swansea were left with a massive hole in midfield that O’Brien hasn’t only filled, but made his own, in his own way, which was something no Swansea fan expected. He offers a more direct style of play, with high energy and work rate and just pure quality in his operation on and off the ball. A very intelligent footballer at this level.

With play-offs confirmed there's a fair chance it'll be a rotated squad from ourselves, but which Sunderland player worries you the most?

It is hard to answer this question without looking towards Sunderland’s midfield operations. Not to pick one out, but Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil and Chris Rigg put in brilliant second half performances at the http://Swansea.com Stadium earlier this season, and are definitely the players that worry me going into this game.

What's your score prediction and who will get the goals?

I have gone for a 2-1 win for Sunderland in this one. I do think there is an opportunity here for the Swans as Sunderland look to maintain a healthy squad for the play-offs, but think Sunderland will have just enough to secure the points in a tight game.

Goals by Bellingham, Isidor and Cullen

Where do you reckon both sides will finish?

I think it is safe to say Sunderland are a nailed on bet for fourth at this stage. For Swansea, I’ll be optimistic and say we’ll rise to twelfth.

Finally, do you think we'll go up via play-offs?

It will be difficult for whoever is in the play offs to overcome the team who ends up finishing third, but if I had to choose a team to do it, Sunderland would have been my pick. I think you have a good chance with the youth in the squad, so I will be optimistic for you and say yes, the Premier League awaits!