Nathan Jones has yet again been the master of disaster when it comes to Swansea City. His overall match day tactics and strategy won this game for his side. Even before the game the warning signs were there as Luton came in search of their first win of the season.
The home Swansea City support will once again be increasing in their anger and frustration as yet another game ticked by with little to cheer about at the swansea.com stadium. With Luton manager Nathan Jones the disruptive influence the hatters did more than enough to deserve the plaudits from this game. Tactically Jones got it right, and sadly once again swans manager Russell Martin didn’t. The slow training game pace was really all that summed up the first half as Luton were more than capable of swallowing up all that the swans had on the table. And it wasn’t enough.
Apart from Luton’s opening goal which came from an Andy Fisher defensive punch which fell to Campbell who drilled his shot under the swans keeper, a shot he really should have saved. It really was an afternoon which summed up all that Russell Martin’s has achieved as Swansea manager. The possession and slow build up with no end result is the best that can be said about this season so far.
It’s just not good enough.
With five games now gone and very little sign of an improvement from the end of last season this was the swans third home game - and only one point secured from those contests. The away win at Blackpool the only bright light from their travels that has earned them three points. The other game a 1-1 draw at Rotherham.
Luton stayed as they were for the second half as Swansea huffed and puffed with little to show for their efforts. The slow passing continued, the loose passing increased and the frustration grew all around the ground. Witch little or no pace in this Swansea side the wide areas although utilised had nothing to add in attack. Again we saw Matt Sorinola bullied off the ball and isolated. Nathan Wood tried to assist with deeper runs in to the Luton half but clearly he too is lacking in pace. The style of Martin’s football cannot ever be criticised, but the players and the ability to carry out the strategy can be.
Luton Town’s second goal was on stand by as soon as Nathan Jones switched his front three and made his substitutions on sixty minutes. From there on in the swans pedestrian play was never going to make a dent in the hatters defence. When sub Morris fired in the second against a watching swans defence that signalled the end of the game. Were there bright moments to be taken from this game ? Most certainly the performance of Cameron Congreve when he came on and the midfield industry without support from Oli Cooper. That aside, nothing.
The swans still haven’t won at home since beating Derby County back in April, the real start of the decline under Russell Martin. Joel Piroe summed up the game with a tame header when he should have buried the chance, it was really as poor a miss as we’ve seen by the swans this season. Bar Obafemi at Rotherham. The question has been asked regards Russell Martin’s future at the club since the final whistle blew this evening. Who can say ?
We are told his job is currently not under threat but do the majority ownership now spend the money to increase the strength of the squad or use that to pay him and his staff off and start again. What a waste of time that would be over the last thirteen months. It was yet another exceptionally poor game again under Martin’s stewardship, and many now will be asking the question ‘Can Russell Martin really turn this around ? " The noise is increasing for him to go, and the resistance to that is getting quieter. This was a must win game for the swans, it really was a disappointing day, and for every swans fan around the world a very worrying time.
Swansea City: Fisher; Wood (Naughton 46), Darling, Cabango; Manning, Allen (O Cooper 76), Grimes (C), Sorinola (Congreve 67); Ntcham, Piroe; Obafemi.
Subs not used: Benda, Fulton, Cullen, Thomas.
Yellow card: Obafemi 82
Luton Town: Horvath; Bree, Burke, Lockyer, Potts (C), Bell; Campbell, Clark, Freeman (Osho 60); Muskwe (Jerome 60), Adebayo (Morris 60).
Subs not used: Macey, Berry, Woodrow, Thorpe.
Goals: Campbell 14, Morris 73
Attendance: 16,323
Referee: John Busby