The Swans may have not put their visitors away as clinically as they threatened yesterday afternoon at the Swansea com, but it was another victory at home and a huge sigh of relief for many.

Like in many of these cases the supporters of the team who lose generally blame their side for not being on form, poor or not good enough. They look for scapegoats, it’s a general footy fan thing to do. Prime target yesterday was Morgan Whittaker, his bottom lip more obvious than usual, this after he had an error strewn game and was substituted in the second half. Since his arrival at Middlesbrough he is yet to score a goal and the fans are getting restless. The only smile this year will have been from Swans Chairman, Andrew Coleman when he received a cheque for £1.35M from Plymouth when Whittaker went north to the Boro at the start of the last week of January. And this after rather similar behaviour witnessed at Swansea before he moved to Argyle. Whittaker throwing the usual sulks that are reminiscent of a child who cannot get his own way.

Anyway let us take a look at what feedback those hardy Boro followers had for him post match. The ‘One Boro’ forum is a good place to start. These are fans from a hard area of England, anyone who has visited there will know, and they won’t hang around wasting words when they don’t have to. They’ve always struck me as a solid club, a good owner and a bedrock of support in the area. Almost too honest at times. Players like Whittaker will quickly find out that a bottom lip and poor behaviour won’t be tolerated by those paying fans. They see things quickly whereas certain elements of the Swans support took a whole lot longer with Whittaker. Michael Carrick is also on a knife edge, but that doesn’t concern us here at the Indy. For the first time since Christmas there is a certain hope within the Swansea support, but I will stop at expectation.

I’ve got some bad news for Dynamo Kev above, the figures that saw Whittaker come to your club were around seven and a half million pounds including add ons. That extra Whittaker money will also please Coleman, after the most embarrassing transfer window in memory. A hit and miss last few days of that window was shocking to witness so he will feel slightly less pressurised. Anything is better than what Luke Williams brought him.

We also shouldn’t forget that those North Yorkshire eyes will be jealously looking towards Lewis O’Brien who last season wore a shirt for the club. Twenty three games all told. A player who in his first five games for the Swans on loan from Nottingham Forest has somewhat excelled. A key lynchpin in the midfield with Gonçalo Franco, a player who continues to learn as he snaps away at any players heels he can find. He and O’Brien work well together. No longer the slow and ponderous possession which we witnessed for so long - the leash for now is off.

Myles Peart-Harris injury has returned to his parent club Brentford for now. That limits Sheehan’s options if nothing else. Myles will be devastated that at such a key time for him this season it has gone wrong again. Much the same as it did at Portsmouth.

Interim head coach, Alan Sheehan was almost smiling post match, “Some aspects of the first half were exceptional and the game could have been over, there's different ways to attack different teams, but if you're passive against this team, they can really, really hurt you Again, we showed the we're a good team, I think it was going to sum up the game I'd probably say it's probably halfway between the Blackburn and Preston games. But I thought the game could have been potentially done at half time, I think we had nine or ten shots which is very pleasing against a team like this”

That’s a fact, and he is right.

Despite that it took a goal of proper quality from Eom to win the game, what was again pleasing was to see Zān Vipotnik full of confidence. He has been in all three of Sheehan’s starting eleven selections, it is giving him confidence and that’s more than evident. Yesterday he got shots away and looked full of it. He is most certainly due a goal. With all this happiness - and there has been some smiley faces over the last week for sure there has to be hesitation. What we have seen again under Sheehan is very much what we all wanted to see. However, in football we also know this won’t last, there will be something coming around the corner that wants to do you some harm. That will be when we see Alan Sheehan at his best. How does he handle and oversee the squad when things go slightly awry ? He has proven how good a coach he is when he is making the decisions and they go well, his test will come when he is under pressure. For me, I’ve got a feeling that Sheehan may not be the right man for the permanent Swansea job. Is it him or his persona that doesn’t fit right ? I wouldn’t want to see him on the receiving end of a sacking at Swansea. Of course it could be me, a sceptic of many a Swansea City season, battle hardened for that final pull of the carpet.

What I really want though is not for the Swans to be fighting for something bad not to happen, it’s been too long with that in mind. I want to see our club fighting for something good, a goal that brings with it success. Not being happy to have survived another season under a tenure that has promised much and delivered little. An ownership which thinks cheap and sells assets to ensure we stay average won’t do. We see who is at the club and what they can bring. This season still needs securing, it will be I’m certain, but there are ten games left to go. And just getting there is not good enough. I want to see what we have now, and come this summer what exciting times may be ahead. I want to see our team be ready, not in August but when this season closes. With promise. I think this Swansea support has acted with humility for too many years, we know what we can do, so let us do it.

With Alan Sheehan for now.

Swansea City face Watford in a Championship fixture at Vicarage Road KO 7:45pm this Wednesday evening.

Yesterdays full match report, stats and all the facts here ⚽️ Swans 1 Boro 0

Photographs Swansea City FC & open source

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