Trystan Bending, our senior football writer explores Swansea City this season as we again have two weeks of no club football. We don’t let that get us down as Trystan gets to grips with some excellent detail on our club with succinct delivery & comprehension.
Swansea City currently sit in eleventh place in the Championship, a start which has perhaps come as a surprise to some, with a difficult run of fixtures to start off the campaign. The statistical data surrounding Luke Williams side is impressive from a defensive aspect and in terms of keeping possession of the ball, Swansea rank as one of the best sides in the division. In the opening nine games this season, Swansea have conceded just six goals. Luke Williams has been the first to admit that his coaching staff have focused hugely on limiting chances created, which has not always been a consistency in typical Luke William’s sides. It is easy to see that there is a real sense of belief and character engrained in this squad, a team that looks set for war every time they set out. Ben Cabango and Harry Darling have been exceptional at the back, making some incredible tackles and keeping Swansea City alive in games. Despite the defensive solidarity, the data and chances at the other end have not all been positive holding an XG of 1.08, scoring below the expected rate. And whilst this is a current problem, I do believe this has caused a slightly false narrative about what this side can achieve. I hope these six reasons I have Included below can help you to understand the ongoing issues at the club, but also highlight the key improvements this side is benefiting from under Luke Williams.
Reason one: ‘Street Smart’
Continuing on the topic of the defence, this leads me nicely into the first point about this side becoming more ‘street smart’. Whether you like Gary Neville or not, he recently spoke out about teams taking more risks in their own box nowadays than in the opposition box. His point is definitely valid when looking at the modern-day possession-based footballing sides not only in the EFL, but worldwide. Former Swansea manager, Russell Martin is certainly a manager you would apply to this narrative, and Williams would also fall into this category, two managers who commend the courage to take risks at the back.
However there has been a change of approach at the back this season, and I think the defensive line becoming more ‘street smart’ is a good way to put it. By street smart, I mean that Swansea have possessed a better instinct on when to play out from the back and when to get rid of the ball, sensing the dangers earlier on. The key men behind this have been Ben Cabango and Harry Darling, who continue to grow as a partnership, individually placing themselves amongst the best in the division at the back. Two defenders who win a large number of duels both placing themselves in the top twenty percent in the League. How they have not been offered a new contact yet is unbelievable, and certainly needs to be acted upon before the club loose two core members of this squad.
Reason Two: Lawrence Vigouroux
The Chilean international raised a few eyebrows throughout the fanbase when he signed in the Summer. Luke Williams is clearly the anchor behind the signing, using his network effectively. There was general disappointment amongst Swansea fans because of the failure to resign Carl Rushworth, who won the supporters player of the year award and players player of the season, last year.
I am all in favour of trusting in Lawrence as the number one. A key difference between Rushworth and Vigouroux is of course the age difference. I spoke above about the way the Swans have been more ‘street smart’, and the experience of Vigouroux may well be the key turning point which enabled this, constantly howling at his two centre backs. Notably we have also been exposed to his strengths when distributing the ball. His experience to find the wide man and remain composed under pressure has been welcomed and is brilliant to see. He’s already completed 84 long balls, obscene for a goalkeeper. He has made some big saves, recording an 84.4% save percentage so far, preventing 3.80 goals already this season. The Swans have secured Lawrence on a long-term deal and this will hopefully put an end to the saga of finding a loan deal every season, one that Swansea fans will grow to love.
Reason Three: Systematic Development
Luke Williams is one of the brightest young managers in the English Football League system in terms of creating possession branded football with an attacking approach to creating chances. Many declare that his brand of football aligns with ‘The Swansea Way’. Prior to Williams, Michael Duff was the man in charge. Two brands of football which differ greatly. Duff favoured a more direct no nonsense approach. It was a system that ultimately failed to win over the Jack Army and the hierarchy at Swansea. Fans often forget that in the Summer of 2023 the ownership and Chairman Andy Coleman bought into Michael Duffs style of play and invested in players to fit this system. This has made the transition into William's system a great deal harder for him. However, he’s turned things around quickly at Swansea and we are beginning to see the potential his system can have. He deserves enormous credit and plaudits for this. The inverted full backs is one that I love watching. Whilst it does leave Swansea exposed to a counterattack, it is great to see so many players available to go forward and get on the ball. I will not go into every detail of Luke William’s system, but the work ethic and general understanding amongst the group has certainly developed from last season. It has been a difficult start to the season for Swansea in terms of fixtures. Its fair to say that no side has completely dominated us for the full 90 minutes in each game, and you could argue that we have been on the front-foot in the majority of the games. In conclusion the hard work over the summer and consistent development is proving itself and I do not think it will be long until we see the system pay off in terms of creating more chances and scoring them.
Reason Four: International Recruitment approach requires patience
This summer the recruitment team found an alternative to buying from the English leagues, a new approach which explored the international market. This comes after the incoming of Ronald, who was signed in January and who has quickly become a fan favourite here with his Brazilian flair.
⚽️ Swansea City’s International signings:
Florian Bianchini – Signed from SC Bastia (Ligue 2)
Nelson Abbey – Signed from Olympiacos (Super League 1)
Gonçalo Franco – Signed from Moreirense (Liga Portugal)
Eom Ji-Sung – Signed from Gwangju FC (K League 1)
Zan Vipotnik – Signed from Bordeaux ( Ligue 2)
With five new incomings from outside England, there comes the added responsibilities for each player to settle into unfamiliar surroundings, new culture and a different approach to playing football. In the extensive research of sports psychology, there is a consistent finding that player welfare has a direct correlation with player performance, hence the need to use more psychologists in the game. There is no label on how long it takes to settle into new surroundings, however with the approach of recruiting internationally this should be considered when expecting a player to perform straight away.
This is why I have put this as a positive. I firmly believe that Slovenian International Zan Vipotnik, will prove to be the package that we have been missing since Joel Piroe, which may seem a stretch to hear at this early stage of his career here. He has incredible data in front of goal, and we can only hope he’ll start to punish opponents and win us games. The general noise around his name, the goal scoring record and international experience all shows that he is a top player. Give him time and he will succeed here. This is the same story for the players listed above. They have all been brought into the club for distinct reasons, signings aligned with the Luke Williams approach. With time they will only improve and start to perform and win games for Swansea, it’s way to early to throw shade on their names. The future is bright.
Reason Five: Players returning from Injuries
It is no secret that Swansea suffered massively on the injury front towards the end of last season. Credit must go to the medical team and sports scientists who have most likely been working overtime during preseason and the start of this season. Swansea signed Josh Ginnelly last summer, and unfortunately for him he has been injured for the majority of his career here, only playing 6 games for the Swans, all under former manager Michael Duff. You could look at his injury record prior to Swansea and label this a poor signing, and it most certainly was a risk to bring him in. However the prospect of him returning fit and performing in a Swansea shirt, would feel like a new signing walking through the door. His return will make a massive difference when looking at our attacking options. Although cut short, he was impressive in his short spell last season. He offers a more experienced player to the font line, quick and confident to shoot, he is a profile the Swans have massively missed last season and at the start of this season. Joe Allen was another big name to be sidelined for an extended duration, and he has been introduced back to the first team now in a bid to return to full fitness. The others, two academy prospects that made an impression last season, Aimar Govea and Sam Parker. These two although not core members of the first team have been big losses to Swansea. The potential both possess is huge and there is no limit to what they can achieve with Swansea. They will be eager to get back and build good form here. Andy Fisher and Kristian Pedersen also remain out, Fisher long term. The point to the rehabilitation is that when you consider the names that Swansea started the season without and the names you consider when they return to full fitness, Swansea have a much improved overall squad, Aimar, Sam and Josh all adding firing power to the frontline, which let’s face it, is where we have been poor this season. The squad depth is often analysed and whilst the return of these players won't solve every issue, it will certainly improve the options Luke Williams has to pick from and also bring on from the bench.
Reason Six: Exploring the Free Agent Market
Swansea now enter another international break. This gives the recruitment team and Luke Williams a slight breath of fresh air and presents the opportunity to reflect on the squad, and what Swansea need to do to improve performances. The returning injuries will be a huge positive, however the possibility of recruiting a player from the free agent market would be immediate and cost effective. There are plenty of names with immense quality, who are currently without a side and would love the opportunity to play for Swansea. The free agent market holds a different dynamic nowadays. The PFA do a wonderful job in inviting players to their training facilities, to keep fit and best present themselves to scouts and potential buyers. This means that when players are signed they are fit and ready to make an instant impact. Luke Williams has declared that Swansea will explore the free market and has admitted that an addition would be necessary. As I mention above, Swansea’s build up play and passages of play at times is exceptional, however when the chances fall, they fail to put the ball in the back of the net. This has to be the priority when exploring the free market in my opinion. Liam Cullen has picked up a couple of early knocks this season, leaving us with just Zan Vipotnik to lead the line. Poor recruitment to this position in the summer has led to this, and you would expect Swansea to have another available striker for this exact scenario. It will be interesting to see who Swansea decide to bring in over the next few weeks, rest assured it will be a massive addition at this point of time.
Overall, the six reasons I have presented all hold a different sense of understanding. This is to see the bigger picture with Luke Williams and what this side is in the process of achieving. I’m not for throwing players under the bus early doors. It takes a huge amount of responsibility and courage to move to a different country, and it is unreasonable to expect miracles so early on. Swansea have relied heavily upon this strategy, so patience is needed this season for these players in particular to come to terms with the demands and conditioning needed to excel in this league. Luke William’s approach will continue to improve the squad’s development, a process that needs patience and one that you need to believe in, because it will in the future come together, given time and resources. The return of players from injury and the possibility of bringing in a couple of players from the free market present an exciting rest of the season for us, with additions that can impact football games and move us higher in the table.