Swansea City have travelled up to the midlands to first rest and then prepare for this evenings testing encounter at Derby County (8pm) The squad is very much in need of some recovery after the seven goal thriller against Leeds United on Sunday.
Tonight will be the first of two home games for Derby before they travel to first Leeds and then Burnley in the Championship. It’s worth noting that Derby County have released their financial figures for the period to June 2024, and they don’t make pretty reading. This time around they reflect over fourteen million pounds in losses compared to 2023 when it was around eleven million. They are very much on the financial fair play brink, not much different to Swansea City. League one rules are different. Already this year Derby have been called out on their spending and financial ability by Fair Game CEO, Niall Couper calling Derby ‘catastrophic’ It is expected when the Swans do release their accounts they won’t be into seventeen million pounds as per last year. When Derby County went down to League One they collected an £800,000 parachute payment, yes they do apply in smaller numbers as you drop down the leagues.
We can only hope the Swans have their house slightly better prepared.
On the pitch Derby County have two loan players in Tawanda Chirewa and David Ozoh who will face some fitness tests today. Ozoh though is highly unlikely to make the squad. Ryan Nyambe Is definitely out and returning players are Callum Elder and Ben Osborn. On loan striker, Jerry Yates (from the Swans) is ineligible to play. We have noted the more negative side of the Swansea support making a few wild claims about Yates. The fact he is back in the goals and the Swans may have made a mistake letting him go. Well, on the goals front file that in the bin, he scored more goals for the Swans at this point of the year last season than he has for Derby to date.
In any event it doesn’t matter, but those negative financial figures Derby are dealing with will rule out any move for the Swans player in January for sure. However, it is alleged they are owed money to the tune of around three million pounds to come. The Rams have drawn five of their last seven games, the other two a win at Coventry City and a loss at Stoke City.
The Swans have had two players getting what has been described as pretty normal treatment after Sunday. No further news on that. Eom is still out, as is Ollie Cooper and Josh Ginnelly. Having two international players out of action would impact on any side, and it is on Swansea. Goalkeeper Andy Fisher is taking longer than expected to retake his place back on the subs bench. If indeed Jon McLaughlin isn’t deemed a better option on Fisher’s return to fitness.
The Swans have only lost by the odd goal in all the fixtures they haven’t won this season. That’s six games lost. Away at Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Burnley. All by 1-0 score lines, and anyone watching those games will know points were dropped. But there’s some top teams in there. Millwall somehow got a win at the Swansea.com before the International break, 0-1. And then there was the 3-4 result from Sunday. It has been tough but the Swans have been the masters of their own downfall on so many occasions this season. In their last three fixtures they have conceded in injury time (ninety plus minutes) and that 3-4 on Sunday coupled with those other last minute losses really does have a Russell Martin flavour about them. Losing at home to Birmingham City 3-4 in similar style in his last season, in amongst so many other catastrophic performances. Auston Trusty (below) now at Celtic scoring the winner on ninety seven minutes. This time though there does seem to be some forgiveness from the Swans support towards head coach, Luke Williams.
Many or most can see how close Williams is to getting it right, and are looking towards January to fill the gaps he is having to plug. It will depend now on Williams and how he perceives the Rams condition and of course vulnerability. We will return later with another run down on the match officials from Gwyn. After that team news and we hope weather permitting a match report soon after the game finishes. Either way, you will know by now the place to be for the latest Swans news.