SWANSEA CITY V READING.

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Britton is a bonehead. Reading didn’t deserve their win .,,, really. They scored 3 goals and gave us nothing. We refused to cross the ball into the box and made it easier for them.
 

CroJack

Key Player
We can't afford so many sloppy passes, and we definitely can't afford so many defensive and goalkeeping errors anymore. Reading punished us and there is no doubt other teams will punish us in future if we don't sort these things out.

Here are the stats.

Stats.jpg
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Our defending was a shambles. As for that colander, Ben Hamer between the sticks, the sooner Benda comes back the better. But it's likely that Martin will sign one of his old keepers in January and it's obvious why. We need a keeper who doesn't appear to have roots embedded ten feet in the ground.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
We don't appear to have much shape at the back ... or rather our shape is difficult to define. We have to classic CBs playing as old time half backs. We have Naughton playing a central role who is not a CB. We have two WBs that are practically wingers .... Manning is a poor impersonation of both a winger and a left back and Laird likes to think he can take defenders on but recently is meeting his match (Montero he is not) and both are lazy at getting back. Bidwell plays the LWB role well and is solid at both ends of the park.

The Hamer experiment has to be over. Hamer is not a Prem quality keeper. Benda has the tools to be a Prem quality keeper and needs game time to practice and perfect his craft. Benda has been unjustly set aside. He bore the brunt of the early matches when the players in front of him each thought the ball was a hot potato and none (Bennett in particular) had the confidence and calm to play the Martin way in front of him. Benda did exactly what Martin asked of him ... yes, he fucked up once or twice, but for the most part his keeping was excellent and his distribution distinctly superior. Benda needs to be brought back.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Note that RM has been roasting the team in respect of their lack of intensity and work-rate (running). It's what we've been complaining about on here for yonks. He said the other day that they were tired possibly due to strenuous training sessions. What's the excuse now? If any player isn't fit enough to play the game properly and make a telling contribution, then I suggest we get rid immediately.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
I'd like RM to consider a Plan B and that would be to play two up front from the off - Piroe and Cullen. I noticed in the team ratings that YET AGAIN Cullen was rated as N/A as he didn't have enough time to earn a rating. I'm getting fed up of reading this - Cullen is usually brought on too late to influence the game or he's not used at all. Frankly I don't think Russell Martin has a clue about how to use him.

By consensus at the club, we all know that Cullen is rated as the best finisher we have. He needs games and he needs to start them. Our tactics should then be to get the ball into the box as often as possible because that's where Cullen does his business. NOT dropping deep, Russell Martin, NOT playing out wide either. I know I've said all this before but I'm saying it again because it's true.

Cullen needs minutes and a lot of them. Sure, like any striker he'll miss his fair share but the more he plays the more he'll find his rhythm and confidence. Natural goalscorers are a rarity and I don't think Martin recognises that he's got one. It's about time that he did.
 

Behindthegoal

Key Player
Time and again we see it. The opposition pretend they’re trying to win the ball but in fact they’re conserving their energy, waiting for the lack of concentration or sloppy pass. Then wham!they have the ball and are in our box like a ferret up a drainpipe.
Perhaps we’re not good enough to move the ball at pace?

I wrote this after the Barnsley game. This time the ferrets finished the job.
 

CroJack

Key Player
I'm curious. How did the ferrets win the ball if they just pretended they were trying to win the ball?
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Ian Holloway agrees with Russell Martin, us and virtually everyone else about our lack of workrate and failure to do the basics of the job.

Pundit blasts lacklustre defending

Swansea failed to do the basics right when it came to their defensive display against Reading, according to Ian Holloway.

The Swans shipped three soft goals - two of which came a minute after the hosts netted themselves - as their eight-game unbeaten run at home in all competitions was ended.

And TV pundit Holloway says Russell Martin's men were guilty of switching off after Jamie Paterson and Ryan Manning's goals on Saturday.

"You should be talking about winning the ball back from them and doing something with it to keep your lead, " he said on EFL on Quest.

"You've got to get the basics of the game right. The concentration is terrible.
"They're not even defending correctly. Not one of them has pressed the ball. Not one of them is doing their job because they're still in the last moment, you can't be like that."

Defeat to Reading was only Swansea's second home loss in the Championship this term - with Stoke City taking all three points in the meeting between the sides in August.


There seems to be something missing from certain players in our squad. Call it character, attitude, energy, guts or what you will. But whatever it is, it could be terminal in the context of our push to get out of this division. Is Russell Martin too cosy with his players? Are some of them taking his good nature for granted? There's no doubt that some of our players decided to phone in a performance against Reading. Passing was sloppy; workrate went missing; basics were ignored and the attitude of the team stunk to be honest about it. It was a thoroughly unprofessional performance that has no place in the Swanselona vocabulary and WE WANT TO SEE NO MORE OF IT!!!

By normal standards these players enjoy a fat salary and a privileged way of life that they obviously feel entitled to. They are NOT. When they play like that, slipshod with no energy or commitment, no respect for their job OR FOR THE FANS, they are just taking the piss. Russell Martin needs to address this attitude wherever he finds it in whatever players and stamp it out. He needs to be ruthless and tell the freeloaders that there is no place at our club for anyone who can't be bothered to do their job properly. The likes of Fulton, who WILL do the job properly, are waiting in the wings and there are plenty of out of work players who would kill to get a job. Our lot should take notice because enough is enough. Knuckle down and put in a shift or get the fcuk out of our club. We don't want you!
 

CroJack

Key Player
There seems to be something missing from certain players in our squad. Call it character, attitude, energy, guts or what you will.
Russell Martin needs to address this attitude wherever he finds it in whatever players and stamp it out. He needs to be ruthless and tell the freeloaders that there is no place at our club for anyone who can't be bothered to do their job properly.
The trouble is it was Grimes and Naughton's sloppy passes that led to 2 of the goals we conceded. Sideways passing into dangerous areas is just something it shouldn't be happening. I'm not sure Martin is going to tell Grimes and Naughton to "get the fcuk out of our club if they don't do the job properly."

Also, it's Martin's crazy setup that keeps putting us under pressure, so he shouldn't be surprised when our slow centre-backs, who play as wing-backs, can't catch opposition attackers. Bennett and Williams lack pace and they are not suited to play there where they play. And if Fulton can't get a place in the midfield why doesn't Martin try to play him as centre-back? I am pretty sure he would've been better than Williams and Bennet.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Fulton as a CB ... now that's an interesting idea. Very comfortable with the ball at his feet, not timid about putting himself about, can head the ball, solid in the tackle.

If Martin's system is going to work then he needs total footballers in every position. Fulton is a one touch player.
 
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