It wasn’t so much embarrassing as it was pathetic, even disgraceful last night at the Vitality Stadium. The whole game was over after seven minutes as more lapses in concentration and giveaway goals stamped themselves all over this FA Cup tie. It was quite simply shocking.

The Swans started comfortably enough in the first few minutes, patient passing and trying to get a glimpse of the home sides goal. However, Bournemouth capitalised from a pointless foul by Nathan Wood out on the Swans right. David Brooks swung in the cross and it was met by Lloyd Kelly who aimed a beautiful shot far beyond Andy Fisher in the Swans goal. Kelly was alert as the Swans defence froze. It wasn’t what the Swans wanted of course but from the restart they pressed to no avail. With Kyle Naughton in defence, and he possibly came out of this the better compared to his peers - and poor decision making by Wood this game became even harder.

Unfortunately the Swans would fall further behind when Brooks started a move on the Swans right. The Cherries pressed and looked confident and comfortable. Brooks again menaced the Swans defence with a lovely move passing to an unmarked Alex Scott making late run he easily placed his shot beyond Fisher. Then VAR kicked in, the crowd waited and the decision was made. From what looked like an offside position when Brooks received the ball, the goal was given.

Then more disaster.

On twelve minutes Luis Sinistera bagged a third. This came from a ridiculous pass out from Fisher, adding to his list of calamities for the Swans. The pass was intercepted and Sinisterra was easily found unmarked who calmly placed his shot in to Fisher’s net. It’s very hard to say why Fisher was included last night, every shot at goal he had let in and then for the third he actually assisted the home side. The Swans tried to respond, a Charlie Patino corner was easily collected by Bournemouth keeper Travers who was unchallenged.

The Swans now looked uncomfortable on the ball, and on eighteen minutes Kyle Naughton conceded yet another silly free kick on their left. Fortunately the ball spun out of play. Dominic Solanke fluffed his lines with Fisher transfixed and the Swans escaped another raid. David Brooks was the Swans main tormentor out on the visitors left. He was direct and quick and this Swansea side had no answer to his trickery. Solanke and Brooks combined on twenty two minutes which should have resulted in a fourth before Naughton intercepted. The corner was poorly taken.

The ball wasn’t sticking for Jerry Yates, Joe Allen was well off the pace and the disconnect between the midfield and defence was significant. Yates again couldn’t shake off his marker as the ball bounced back to a Bournemouth player, again had the defining pass been onside the Cherries would have been in on goal.

It has to be said, this was appalling football from Swansea.

With the Swans chasing shadows and Bournemouth confidently passing the ball around the pitch you really did feel more home goals were coming. A Swans free kick on twenty seven minutes was earned by Patino. The outcome was multiple chances for the Swans, first Fulton hit the post, then Travers saved a placed shot from Nathan Wood. The Cherries were at last under pressure.

But really that was about it for the game.

Bournemouth then went up a gear as the Swans again messed up their passing at the back. Every mistake in this game by the visitors was leading to more recovery work. Fulton was next to give away a free kick bringing down Ryan Christie. A clever move from the set piece nearly earned Solanke a goal. It has to be said it was coming. Next up was David Brooks to embarrass the Swans. From a Swansea free kick over halfway they conspired to mess the whole situation up, give the ball away, and Brooks ran through to score a Cherries fourth. It was miserable decision making, appalling play and totally unprofessional. At close quarters the Swans had a distinct lack of strength. Allen then had a chance to shoot but he decided not to. That indecision and poor thought was reflected again on forty minutes as the Swans conspired to help the Cherries out with a fifth goal. Poor passing again the enemy. What was really going on here was a complete lack of effort and awareness. Late in the half the Cherries keeper was able to amble to the edge of his area totally unchallenged by a Swansea through ball. Yates and Cullen just watched. They may as well have been in the stands observing the worst display from a Swans side in years.

Joe Allen was next up to give the ball away that lead to the home sides fifth goal. Then Grimes tried put in Solanke for a goal, it was appalling. From there a move was swiftly completed by Solanke, simply, with ease and little concern.

Five nil. Five different scorers.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half saw a Swansea side looking for longer balls and clearly having been told to ‘go out and win the second half’ The problem there was the shadow chasing continued. Harrison Ashby picked up a yellow for a dangerous challenge to go with Wood’s efforts in the first. It was a breeze for the Cherries. When a chance did arise the cross was poor or delayed too long. Brooks continued to be a menace, but the Cherries were walking their passes about the pitch and still earning corners. Again there was no determination to chase down the opposition, Yates back to jogging around with no purpose. The only positive being the score was still 5-0.

On seventy seven minutes the Swans had a free kick. It ended up with a chance for Jamie Paterson which went begging. Yates had an excellent opportunity just before that, but after getting in to a scoring position he blindly passed to nobody. He was just three metres away from goal. More frenzied ( or flurried ) defending by the Swans followed at regular intervals, more poor passing or ball control leading to chances. Kiefer Moore flicked a header on across goal on eighty five minutes, really it could have easily been double figures this evening.

Swans Indy verdict : This Swans side is cruising through the season with too many players who have no connection or care for the club. There are loan players that should be returned and numerous others who we should cut loose and send them on their way. Luke Williams is clearly shell shocked after this completely incompetent display. His thoughts are linked below. It’s not so much the embarrassment as we said at the start it’s the complete lack of regards for the travelling fans and those who genuinely love this club.

That’s the real issue.

Read Luke Williams post match response minutes after the game ended.

Click —> ⚽️ Williams in shock after cup defeat

⚽️ AFC Bournemouth: Travers, Cook, Kelly (Kerkez, h/t), Brooks (Tavernier, 71), Solanke (Moore, h/t), Christie, Scott (Sadi, 82), Sinisterra, Hill (Kilkenny, 57), Senesi, Zabarnyi.

Unused subs: Radu (g/k), Mepham, Kluivert, Semenyo.
Booked: Scott.

⚽️ Swansea City: Fisher, 3 Fulton, 3 Allen 4 (Cooper, 68), 5 Grimes, 4 Yates, 3 Patino 5 (Bolasie, 57), 5 Cullen 4 (Paterson, 76), 5 Wood, 4 Naughton, 5 Ashby 4 (Lissah, 76), 5 Humphreys.5

Unused subs: Rushworth (g/k), Pedersen, Darling, Ogbeta, Kuharevich.
Booked: Wood, Ashby, Allen, Fulton.

Referee: Darren England. 6/10. He won’t have an easier night this season.

Att : 10,166
Approx 400 away.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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