The Swans were comprehensively beaten this afternoon on their last pre-season warm up by a good VIllarreal side who ran out 3-0 winners on an afternoon when quite simply it should have been quite a few more.

Two very good goals and a comical third that probably made Rickie Lambert's winner for Southampton look a contender for goal of the season were more than sufficient reward for a Spanish side who bossed the encounter from start to finish and seemed to cut through our defence with ease on more than one occasion.

We were probably unlucky not to get a goal of our own but it would have put some respectability on a scoreline that did not flatter the visitors at all.

It is always difficult to gauge too much from a pre-season friendly and you never know just how squads and teams will step up to the real action which starts competitively next weekend at Old Trafford. However, there were good and bad signs from the Swans today that suggest to me at least that there is some work to be done next weekend and possibly moves into the transfer market needed. But the reality is that is not something that should come as a surprise to as from assessing the squad that we have been left with after a busy summer at the Liberty Stadium.

Defensively it just looked too easy for Villarreal and - after the departure of Chico Flores - I would assume that the defensive line up today will be the same line up that will take the field for the opening Premier League game next Saturday. Rangel, Taylor, Bartley and Williams looked like a unit that had been hastily assembled which is worrying in itself as none are new to the club although they won't have played too often as a unit. The quick and crisp passing of our visitors split the defence on more than one occasion in both halves today which left us horribly exposed at times.

Fabianski was probably unable really to stop any of the three goals although he did his best with two or three saves in the lead up to the third but by that time the home defence was just looking a mess and if it hadn't have happened when it did it was probably only a matter of time until the third goal arrived.

In midfield we had Shelvey, Ki and Gylfi as the trio and I am not sure that this as a trio is an answer. Ki does not battle to win the ball back for me at the same level that say Leon does and the midfield looked disjointed although I don't think that helped in that we almost seemed to be trying to shoe horn Gylfi, Gomis, Montero and Bony into the same side which again is not something that I think could happen too often.

The key to playing well in the Premier League is built around a strong squad and whilst I would be happy to see those four players in the side I am not sure that having them all in the same line up helps our style of play and it may be best to use the dreaded squad rotation quite a lot these season with these four in particular.

Gylfi was wasted on the right hand side of the pitch as a result of getting them in but there was enough for me to say that him and Shelvey will combine well this season and Montero will make some good defenders look average at times as his pace will take him past defenders which must be an exciting thought not just for the fans but for the likes of Bony and Gomis.

Worryingly today the bench looked light when you consider that we have Nathan, Routs, Leon and Marvin all missing through injury which means midfield options are few and far between which suggests that we need more depth in this position. Jonathan De Guzman would be ideal but it seems as if the club have been priced out of that particular deal and we won't be seeing De Guz any more in a Swans shirt.

Today was a pre-season game and as I said above there is no point in pressing the panic button as a direct result of it or getting down too much over the result today. There were positive signs that suggest we will score plenty this season but it certainly at the moment appears that we may concede plenty as well.

Work to be done this week - probably both on and off the pitch.

Photo: Action Images

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