Premier League crisis team of the week: Swansea
By Gary Pearson
Swansea haven’t won since opening day in the Premier League and are coming off a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, making them this week’s team in turmoil.
Swansea have lost their last two games by a combined score of 6-2. They’re level on five points from 11 games at the bottom of the table with Sunderland, who won their first match of the season against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Swansea are entangled in a downward spiral, losing seven of eight matches. Only a 0-0 draw with Watford on Oct. 22 saved the Swans from losing eight on the bounce. It’s a woeful run of form only Sunderland can relate to.
American Bob Bradley made his Swans managerial debut against Arsenal on Oct. 15, a game that resulted in a 3-2 defeat. The Swans showed energy and spirit in their defeat at the Emirates. It was the kind of performance you’d expect from a team trying to impress a new manager.
Unfortunately for Bradley, the free fall has gotten progressively worse in the weeks since their valiant North London performance. Swansea have taken one point from a possible 12 since the American’s arrival.
Swans porous defense
The Swans defense is in tatters, one of the main reasons they’re cemented to the foot of the table. They’ve allowed 21 goals in 11 games, which is level with Sunderland for the title of league’s second worst defense. Only Hull, who conceded 11 goals in two matches against Bournemouth and Liverpool, have a worst defensive record. They’ve allowed 24 goals.
The Swans have allowed three goals in their previous four contests. That kind of defensive record will need to improve for Swansea to climb out of their perilous position.
Lack of goal production
Like most struggling teams, Swansea’s lack of scoring depth is of real concern. Two players, Leroy Fer and Gylfi Sigurdsson, are responsible for six of Swansea’s 10 league goals. If my simple arithmetic proceeds, that’s 60 percent of the team’s entire offensive output.
I’m sure you noticed that neither Sigurdsson or Fer play up front. That means Swansea’s entire strike force is responsible for two goals. Strikers Borja Baston and Fernando Llorente have scored one goal each in the Premier League. That’s just not good enough for any Premier League team to stay afloat.
On the bright side
It’s not all bad for the Swans, statistically speaking. The Swans have the 10th most shots on target, while completing the ninth most passes in the top flight. Furthermore, Swansea have the sixth most crosses, 230, in the league.
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Play it long
They’re 17th when it comes to number of long balls played, which directly correlates to their desire to keep hold of the ball. They’re not your run-of-the-mill relegation-threatened team. They don’t merely punt the ball downfield hoping for a knockdown. This team likes to possess the ball in good areas, which shows their positive intent.
Only Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal have played fewer long balls than Swansea. These teams, however, have the personnel required to play possession until the cows come home. Swansea do not.
In theory, it’s always best to maintain possession of the ball.
But sometimes, when you’re fighting for Premier League survival, it’s often better to put as much pressure on the opposing defense as possible. In other words, knock the ball long, get down and get dirty.
Burnley, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace knock the ball long the most in the Premier League. These teams are similar in many ways to Swansea.
So maybe, just maybe, the Swans should take their lead and hit the ball long more often. It might make the world of difference.
I’m not usually one to advocate kick-and-run soccer, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Finding that delicate balance between playing possession soccer and hitting it long will keep defenses guessing, while ensuring opposing center backs are consistently put under duress.
It’s a strategy that’s employed often for teams in the danger zone, sometimes with great effect.
What’s on tap for the Swans
The Swans Premier League fate could be decided by the turn of new year. Battling teams in close proximity in the standings for the foreseeable future, the Swans can ill-afford to continually drop points.
Everton, after the international break, are up next, followed by games against Crystal Palace, Spurs, Sunderland, West Brom, Middlesbrough, West Ham and Bournemouth. They’ll be expected to get something out of at least six of these eight matches.
Most of Swansea’s games up until New Year’s Eve are winnable. The next six weeks could, and probably will, determine whether Swansea will keep their tenuous position in England’s top flight for the 2017-18 campaign.