Michael Duff is under pressure after a disappointing afternoon at the Swansea.Com Stadium. The Swans missed a large number of chances throughout the game and were saved by a ninety fourth minute equaliser from Charlie Patino.
The crowd jeered the Swans head coach at the end of the game and aimed their anger towards the directors area and we have seen this before. It’s a slow build up that the club aren’t addressing and despite people within the club pointing out how these things quickly escalate it’s being met with contempt.
So be it. Maybe some intimate pillow talk will be censored enough to project more false hope.
On Michael Duff his response to the game was . "We've not won enough games at home. They're probably just as frustrated watching the same game as everyone else is. We had eighty per cent of the ball, twenty three or four shots, Carl's made one save in the game with his feet. It is what it is. The emotional side is 'oh it's not good enough', but it’s very rare you dominate a Championship game to that level. When you do you have to win it. They are showing their frustration. I think in the cold light of day, they've watched the same game as us. we haven’t won enough games at home, we get that.I can make all the excuses in the world but you have to win. That’s part of my job. You get clapped when you win and you get booed when you don’t. It is what it is."
The issue at the moment is yesterday Duff spoke about what he knew about Huddersfield. And it seemed he knew how his game plan would pan out. Everything he knew about the opposition occurred, but whatever he said to try and counter the Terriers - it still happened.
We are not advocating his removal, otherwise the current ensemble will look again for a cheap solution protecting their investment, whatever that is. Duff went on. "If we play that game 10 times, I think we win nine with the numbers we had in terms of possession, shots, opportunities - everything. We knew what they were going to come and do, that's the way they've had their success in recent weeks.We talked in the week about giving poor goals away and they have done nothing to score a goal. That makes it doubly difficult. But we have had ample opportunities to go and win the game. It’s very rare you dominate a Championship game like that and you have to win it. The positives were they kept going, the subs impacted the game, we scored in the 94th minute so the lads haven’t down tools and started blaming everyone else. To be fair to the supporters, they came with them as well in the second half. Obviously there’s emotion at the end because it’s frustration."
Unfortunately the supporters reaction as things go from bad to worse is becoming the focus, and it will continue to bomb as this month or so gathers pace. Rotherham away next time around won’t be in any way easy, in fact Duff needs to draw on what gave him the excellent wins against Plymouth away and at Millwall. Where were the positives from those games that he can draw on ?
The next two games are away, as we said Rotherham first and then Stoke on the following Tuesday. Nothing from those games will be seen as disastrous, but let’s not forget who are overseeing this process, and giving the Swans the worst season ( to date ) they have had for many a year.
Watch the three minutes that the club allowed in to the public domain below.