Swans v Charlton

Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
A critical game, we win could reclaim 1st, we lose we continue the slip slide. Cooper barks about performance. We haven't been seeing it, not in 90 minute fitness among key players, which is a concern at this time of the season, and in quality, and in conformance to the Swanselona way or the extension made by Potter last season.

Will changes be made for this evening?
 
ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
The fall off in the second half on Saturday was both puzzling and alarming in equal measure. We had an excellent first period and could have gone in at least a couple to the good but even then I saw sloppy signs with our passing, lack of movement, energy and bite. The signs were there. For me, the problems stemmed from midfield - from players I usually have a lot of time for in Celina, Byers and Grimes. But they fell away badly in that second half and Cooper has to address the problem asap.

Jonny Williams is going to test us tonight if he plays. He'll drive at our defence from midfield and generally be busy and disruptive in there. We have to match that and be proactive in our own right. I think Charlton are overachieving and not as good a team as us at our best. It remains to be seen if we are at our best and, if we are not, Cooper has to be ruthless and drop anyone who is not performing in games to come. That's what the squad is for.
 
Victoria Swan

Victoria Swan

Key Player
ivoralljack said:
Cooper has to be ruthless and drop anyone who is not performing
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Since the international break Celina has not performed. Time to drop him for the Charlton game. I wonder what it would be like to move Ayew into the CAM role - it leaves the wing open for one of our many wingers (Petersen, Routledge, Dhanda or even Garret) and allows him to do that roaming around thing that he can't help himself doing wherever he's put.
 
ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Victoria Swan said:
Since the international break Celina has not performed. Time to drop him for the Charlton game. I wonder what it would be like to move Ayew into the CAM role - it leaves the wing open for one of our many wingers (Petersen, Routledge, Dhanda or even Garret) and allows him to do that roaming around thing that he can't help himself doing wherever he's put.
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I think that Coops has to come up with an alternative and try something new because we're not quite firing yet. It's frustrating because we've shown in glimpses that this team has a good chance of promotion. The bookies think so thus far and have us to finish in the top 6 despite our not showing consistent form. If Cooper can tweak his options I think we could be in for a very exciting season because we have the talent. We just need to harness it properly and I remain optimistic. But the poor halves we keep throwing in HAVE to stop.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
After tonight's matches, we have dropped to 6th, 2 points behind Leeds at the top.

A serious champion contender goes away, wins away, and reclaims top. It's on us. Are we for real, or a fake top team
 
ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Yankee_Jack said:
After tonight's matches, we have dropped to 6th, 2 points behind Leeds at the top.

A serious champion contender goes away, wins away, and reclaims top. It's on us. Are we for real, or a fake top team
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We could be for real if we can play to the full potential of the talent we have available. Cooper is only getting sporadic episodes right now but in fairness he's a rookie manager and still learning. I've seen enough to believe that he will become a very good manager and I hope that behind the scenes Leon and Curt are lending their experience to his efforts. We'll know more after tomorrow night but I'd like to see the sort of effort that West Brom made this evening. Bilic has certainly got them revved up and I'd like to see more of that in our approach to games. But are we fit enough?
 
CroJack

CroJack

Key Player
A win tomorrow means we are again top of the league, and a draw means 2nd place. At the moment there are (too) many contenders for the play-off places and we must take the opportunity to reclaim the top spot. Of course, we have to improve in all departments: a) more pace, movement and creativity up front, b) more running in the midfield, and c) less stupid defensive mistakes.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Do we start Ayew or go for balance. I don’t think balance is possible with Ayew; he naturally works against it and doesn’t have the discipline to overcome it. Balance would mean, for example, playing Dyer and Routs out wide with Borja up top. Here we have two players that understand the shape and have been well schooled in it. They know how to support their FB, how to pass and move for a pass and so on. With Celina and Ayew we have something that looks a great idea on paper, but not so effective on the field in output and disruptive in other aspects of the game,
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Borini said:
This is what I have been saying for ages, put Ayew at number 10 and have two proper wingers.
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That's another option. As a #9 Ayew is at his best (e.g. v Sunderland, red card to Naughton, scores a solo goal). So we could put Ayew at #9 and give Borja the #10 role ... he has the discipline and nous to do that.
 
ivoralljack

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Talk Sport saying that they will have commentary on the game this evening for those of us looking for coverage.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Freddie Woodman;
Connor Roberts, Mike van der Hoorn, Joe Rodon, Kyle Naughton;
Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain);
Andre Ayew, Yan Dhanda, Bersant Celina;
Borja Baston.

Subs: Erwin Mulder, Declan John, Ben Wilmot, Tom Carroll, Wayne Routledge, Jordon Garrick, Sam Surridge.
 
Yankee_Jack

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Cooper persists with Ayew/Celina on the wings over balance.

Dhanda is preferred at #10 instead of Routs or Celina. Byers is not included in the line-up .... Still too knackered from Sat or carrying a knock. No Dyer anywhere.
 
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