There are times when you watch a game of football and you shake your head at what you have seen and today was clearly one of those. We knew the Swans were to be depleted today and yesterday's rumours about Trundle proved to be true although they sparked a fresh batch of their own today.
Whilst yesterday the rumour mill suggested it was a hamstring that would keep Trundle out of the game, today it was a potential move to Sheffield Wednesday that did the rounds pre-kick off - surely a rumour easily dissolved by anyone that saw Trundle at the game today. Anyone?
Anyhow, Jackett's team formation was of no major surprise as he lined his injury and suspension hit team up as follows
Willy
Tatey Edwards Kev Sam
Britrton Martinez OTJ Macca
Bayo Freezer
Subs: Murphy, Connor, Thorpe, Anderson and Gurney
We always knew this was to be a tough test and so it proved in the first half with Doncaster having much the better of the play in the first half hour and pretty much controlling the game. Swansea's midfield was narrow with Macca being the only natural wide outlet whilst Britton consistently looked to move inside to his preferred role of the centre. At the back, no understanding between Edwards and Austin caused us a few problems but everything Doncaster threw was dealt with comfortably by Willy.
The Swans slowly started to come back into the game with Martinez and OTJ getting some hold in the midfield and Bayo having a couple of long range shots on goal. I have to comment here on Freezer who looked a world beater in pre-season and an egg beater now the season has started. Is that the change in formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 or did he just have a couple of good games? You call it, I can't.
The Swans took the lead with a minute left on the first half clock. A cross from the right by Britton was met perfectly by McLeod who headed the ball back across the keeper and into the net to wake up the crowd of 12,744, disappointingly 4,000 down on the Tranmere game.
At 1-0 at the interval, we knew we were lucky but there was always a chance that we could hold out. And we were doing more than that. We were creating chances, moreso then we did in the first half, highlighted by Ricketts hitting the post from just outside the area and Goodfellow being too slow to pounce on the rebound.
At this point we were in control but several very odd tactical decisions changed it. First off the depth of the falling out between Gurney and Jackett was evident with Tate struggling with injury and no sign of the former Swindon man. And then it was a replacement of Connor for Goodfellow on 64 minutes. That one I could just about comprehend but I struggled to get my head around Thorpe for Bayo. This was the evidence that we always knew was there. If you cut into our squad deep enough we have league two players who eventually will play at league one level and look out of their depth. Thorpe refused to jump for an aerial ball, Doncaster broke quickly and a shot was bent past Willy into the net. 1-1, and that one too came against the run of play.
Macca struggled with cramp, was replaced by Anderson and suddenly the side had a look of a team that would struggle this year. Too many important faces missing and being replaced by people, I'm sorry to say, who were out of their depth. The offside trap was broken, Lewis Guy broke and scored with some ease. 2-1 to the visitors.
And that we knew was going to be that. Urgency caused us to give the play away, the mistakes crapt in more and more and Dave Penney had stolen all the points from us.
In eleven days time the transfer window closes, hell we'd better use it as loan signings are not the definitive answer. And if those pre-match rumours about Trundle are true then we have to move even quicker.
It could have been so different and we have to ask questions of Jackett's mindset when making those substitutions?
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