Player by player performance this season so far

[CroJack]

This is how Whoscored rates our players:

​

1. Andre Ayew

Pros

He has scored most goals, has had most assists, and has been our most consistent player. Hats off to him for his professionalism and work rate.

Cons

I want him to cross the ball more often than he does and not shoot when there is a player in a better position to shoot.

2. Matt Grimes

Pros

One of the best players in the whole Championship for progressive passing. Second best for progressive passing of all defensive midfielders.

Most tackles, most interveptions and most key passes of all Swansea players.

Cons

Has to improve his passing accuracy. Some of his sloppy passes have cost are goals.

3. Ben Cabango

Pros

Most clearances (5.9 per game) and second best for interceptions. Better than Rodon and Wilmot at aerial duels.

Cons

Clearances are not always the best solution. Should improve his passing accuracy.

4. Joe Rodon

Pros

Best passing accuracy and most blocks. Second best for clearances and third best for interceptions. Good in the air.

Cons

Passing accuracy could and should be better.

5. Mike Van der Hoorn

Pros

Good in the air, great range of passing, scored one and assisted one goal.

Cons

Positioning. Gives too much space to opposition attackers. Doesn't uses his great range of passing any more. Doesn't run forward with the ball anymore. Should improve his passing accuracy.

6. Ben Wilmot

Pros

Scored as many goals as Celina. Second for blocks. Joint third for clearances.

Cons

More aerials lost than won. Passing accuracy only 77%, which is not good.

7. Bersant Celina

Pros

Second for key passes, third for dribbles. Good at progressive forward runs with the ball.

Cons

Misserable 2 goals and 1 assist in 23 games. Had 46 shots and only two goals??? Wasteful.
Not creative enough and selfish.
Passing accuracy not good enough.
Too soft.

8. Yan Dhanda

Pros

Scored two goals (516 minutes played). Excellent passing accuracy for an attacking midfielder. Has got pace and runs forward with the ball. Has a good shot.

Cons

Doesn't tackle. More creativity needed.

9. Freddy Woodman

Pros

Solid, but not spectacular. Not afraid of crosses and good on the line.

Cons

Positioning. Doesn't make himself bigger when one-on-one with opposition attackers.
Awful distribution.

10. Jay Fulton

Pros

Scored one and assisted two goals. Second best for tackles. Fourth best for interceptions.

Cons

Doesn't win any aerial duels and doesn't shoot enough.
Has to improve his passing accuracy.
Doesn't cross.

11. George Byers

Pros

Two goals and ok passing accuracy.
Third for both tackles and fouls. Joint fourth for key passes. 80% passing accuracy is good.

Cons

Doesn't dribble.
25 shots and only two goals is a bad conversion rate.
Doesn't cross.

12. Borja Baston

Pros

6 goals and 2 assists. Excellent passing accuracy for a striker. Apart from Sam Surridge, Borja has the best shot to goal conversion rate, though he scored a couple of goals from the penalty spot.

Cons

Too slow. Doesn't dribble and create on his own. Ayew wins more aerial duels per game than Borja.

13. Jake Bidwell

Pros

Good at closing down opposition players. Good at man-marking and blocking crosses. Good at crossing. Third for accurate crosses. Joint fourth for key-passes. Third for blocks. Not afraid of putting his body on the line.

Cons

Too slow. Awful passing accuracy. Lacks techique.

14. Connor Roberts

Pros

Two assists. Good passing accuracy.

Cons

Can't block crosses. Doesn't close down opposition attackers properly. Poor cross accuracy.

15. Wayne Routledge

Pros

One goal and two assists (played 637 minutes). Third for key passes per game. Third for successful dribbles.

Cons

Awful passing accuracy. Poor cross accuracy.

16. Kyle Naughton

Pros

One goal. Ok defensively.

Cons

Passing accuracy not good enough. Doesn't contribute much offensively. Zero cross accuracy.

17. Barry McKay

Pros

Played 74 minutes, has two assists. Celina has played 1984 minutes and has 1 assist.
His passing accuracy is excellent for a winger, 80.5 %. Best of all our wingers. Celina's pass accuracy is 77.5 % and Celina also played as ATM.
Doesn't get dispossessed.

Cons

Defensive contribution and lack of tackles.

18. Sam Surridge

Pros

775 minutes played, four goals. Which is excellent.

Cons

In almost 9 full games (776 minutes) he won 13 aerial duels. Brewster won 7 in 90 minutes.
0.1 tackle per game is miserable for a strong lad like Sam.
O.4 key passes per game is poor as well.
His hold-up play has not been good.

19. Nathan Dyer

Pros

Played only 526 minutes, but scored one and assisted one goal. Ok passing accuracy for a winger.

Cons

Poor dribble, crosses and tackles success.

20. Rhian Brewster

Pros

Fast, mobile and athletic. Won 7 aerial duels in his first 90 minutes for us in a difficult away game against Cardiff.
Made a couple of excellent runs which were not seen by Byers and co.

Cons

Passing accuracy.

21. Kristoffer Peterson

Pros

Dribbles and trickery. Most successful dribbles per game.

Cons

Poor cross accuracy and no end product so far. Needs a proper run of games.
Defensive contribution.

22. Tom Carroll

Pros

Joint fourth for key-passes per game.
Ok passing accuracy.
Not bad at tackling.

Cons

Should improve passing and be more creative, but that's the problem for all our midfielders.

23. Jordan Garrick

Pros

Speed and trickery.

Cons

Played only 53 minutes so it's difficult to tell.

24. Declan John

Pros

Speed, passing and going forward.

Cons

Played only 18 minutes this season, so it's difficult to tell. Deserves more game time.

25. Aldo Kalulu

Pros

Speed. Work rate.

Cons

Played only 159 minutes so it's difficult to tell.

 

[CroJack]

Discuss.
Some things are obvious:

1. Lack of creativity
2. Poor cross accuracy

 

[Yankee_Jack]

How do these numbers compare to last season. What’s the percentage drop off. This will speak to the relative merits of Potter v Cooper and their assistants in the area of practice.

 

[Jackflash]

Possibly in Ayews case he's seen a lot of his possible assists wasted. In all honesty we don't have a nailed on finisher up front. probably feels if he's done the hard work so may as well have a pop himself.

 

[CroJack]

How do these numbers compare to last season. What’s the percentage drop off. This will speak to the relative merits of Potter v Cooper and their assistants in the area of practice.

I don't know the exact drop off %, but I can tell you what we all know - apart from Ayew, all players have become worse under Cooper and I'm blaming the lack of clearly defined style of football under Cooper for that.

Our players (and everybody else) knew exactly how Potter wanted us to play: passing from the back, quick transitions etc. and now? Either hoof it, or make a couple of passes between the back four before the ball goes to Bidwell, and then to Celina, and then to nowhere.

I am not idolising passing football. I hate passing football played in slow motion and mostly in your own half. I'd rather watch good defensive football with super fast counter-attacks, the one Leicester played during their title winning season. Or high intensity gegen-pressing football played by Klopp during his first two years with Liverpool.

 

[ivoralljack]

Let's wait and see how our football progresses with the new players and give Cooper a break until then. I said before that the Wigan game might be indicative, although the new additions won't make an immediate impact for reasons we all know. But, whilst I expect us to win, I'm also hoping to see some evidence that our play has become more fluent and that basics such as passing, movement and pace of transition have improved.

However, if I see Brewster being used as a lone striker, back to goal and expected to hold up the ball, when his forte is using his pace to play off the last shoulder for through balls, then I really am going to throw my toys out of the pram. That would be proof positive for me that Cooper really hasn't got a clue. But you know what? I have a sneaking feeling that we will see an improvement in performance that would augur well for the rest of the season. I pray that my gut feeling is on the money and can't wait to see how we do against Wigan - a sort of litmus test if you like.