I may be repeating some of my thoughts from my previous post, but I have no editor to wrap my knuckles for flogging a dead horse to death. Last December, Swansea City were at the bottom of the Premiership table, five points adrift from safety. Following the dismissal of Paul Clement, Carvahal, who had recently been sacked by Sheffield Wednesday, was given the poison chalice of trying to preserve Premiership status. Against all the odds, he achieved a minor miracle and turned fortunes around. So much so, that a couple of weeks ago, the Swans were five points clear of the relegation zone.
Unfortunately, they have not won a game since March 3rd, and have only picked up three points from their last six games scoring only two goals in the process. At the time of writing, they lie one precarious point above the relegation zone with three games remaining. They play Bournemouth away tomorrow, Southampton at home on Tuesday and Stoke at home on Sunday week in the final game of the season.
If I was to ignore the results from the month of April, I would be very optimistic of picking up four points from the remaining three games to secure another season in the Premiership. Regrettably, the last two losses against Manchester City and Chelsea fill me with foreboding. We failed to score a goal in those two games, didn’t appear likely to score, and conceded six.
Should they succumb to the inevitable or go down in a blaze of glory? Playing five at the back, as they have been doing recently, reduces your chances of scoring goals. A 0-0 draw gives you a point, but to win you have to score at least one goal which they appear incapable of achieving right now.
There are certain players who have been selected recently for the starting eleven have no business pulling on a Swansea shirt. Kyle Naughton, Nathan Dyer, Tom Carroll, and Sanchez should be given plane tickets and told to begin their summer holiday sooner rather than later. Ki is out of contract at the end of the season and a couple of suitors have shown interest in him. His play of later resembles a man whose his mind is elsewhere, possibly in Russia, where he will playing for South Korea in the World Cup.
I would select a team for Saturday in a 4-3-3 that at least as the possibility of scoring a goal or two. Assuming these players are fit, my starting eleven for tomorrow’s game would be: Fabianski, Roberts, Mawson, Fernandez, Olsson, King, Britton, Clucas, Andre Ayew, Abraham and Jordan Ayew. Ki would replace Britton if he’s not fit enough to play.
May the force be with them. I will be biting my nails down to the quick.