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Reply | 5-0 ! Swans thrashed as questions will be asked for sure
at 09:04 25 Oct 2026
You can't go so open against teams regardless of their position in the league, one half of a game we look terrible, other half we look majestic, when and where to attack, when and where to defend Ipswich and Coventry last season, Southampton and QPR this season.
How many of us have asked for changes to personel and style of play? in all the games mentioned we tried that early press leaving gaps and have conceded early goals the same happened against West Ham but we were a little more cautious and didn't open up our defence until a little later in the game.
We all asked for or at least expected change when Luke William's first full season start to his campaign after a number of poor games, bore draws if I remember and Duff had and up down season until the Leicester City game with both William's and Duff they then threw the baby out with the bath water with changes that lost control of so many games there after, being unable to turn them around, Martin did the opposite he kept it the same got found out by other managers until he changed things to get positive results, we didn't have the players to suit his style of play but he didn't change it until too late to a stye that suited his players.
Matos has had injuries to key players some worked in our favour, some haven't, with the international break some of our players have had lot of game time if you include the number of championship games so players rested or rotated which would be understandable but did we play our strongest eleven possible yesterday? As stated before we all looked to pick " better" options in style or in personel. Matos gave us what some of us wanted with the personel but was that our strongest or most experienced starting eleven available to play against a team away from home, yes we could have scored early in the game but did we leave ourselves open defensively by all out attack, we have seen with Martin even with good forwards if you look to attack while leaving yourselves wide open to attack then against better opponents you will get punished even against poor teams as well. How many teams have you seen in this league get punished severely trying to chase games.
If you try and rationalise things you could say Opoku played well early door with Just alongside him and Just had a good understanding with his fellow countryman Stamenic people expressed concerns about how lightweight defensively that midfield has looked. Eustaquio looks composed on the ball but not a tenacious player in the Franco mode and still finding his feet or even his correct position in the team, we have said Stamenic looks better for the team further forward but are we looking for height or ball winners in that centre midfield, Widell out on the wing?
We asked for change it didn't work, a mistake by Matos in team selection or style of play away from home but once we started chasing the game we were picked off from the start and continued to be.
It is only one game but a painful defeat, in our efforts to be more positive to attack we have lost our defensive shape isolated defenders, the same could be said for keeping possession we have isolated our attackers as we have seen once teams lose the ball players can be out of position and quick ball forward from deep can take advantage of that, we are not doing that so much now, is possession football giving our forwards as many clear opportunities to take advantage of?
Matos has previously made little changes in team line up to solve problem when able. Maybe reverting back in style may be the answer? |
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Reply | Live music?
at 18:25 23 Oct 2026
Enjoyed Focus at Pontardawe Art centre a couple of weeks back, hadn't heard a lot of their music before going, a couple of years too young originally but a nice evenings entertainment a little different bipt of Prog. |
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Reply | Queens Park Rangers V Swansea City : Match Thread
at 13:19 22 Oct 2026
Difference in defence between, gaining points or losing them.
Seem to remember at times, Martin and Williams had no problem with our defensive setup because more often than not we didn't seem to have one.  |
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Reply | Queens Park Rangers V Swansea City : Match Thread
at 12:16 22 Oct 2026
I thought hexwas going to be played in that central role rather than more to the left, more than happy to players in the midfield being given licence to wander same as full back going forward but there has to be adequate cover when their search for that open space that will hurt teams takes them out of their position. I do worry that a high press if done wrong drags midfielders forward leaving gaps that if we don't press as a team gives opposition players time on the ball to pick their passes. |
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Reply | Queens Park Rangers V Swansea City : Match Thread
at 11:45 22 Oct 2026
Remember under Cooper, we had Fulton, Corey Smith and Grimes and defensively we were solidbut lacked a cutting edge, didn't we get to the playoff semisthe following year we had Gallagher instead of Smith and had a fine start to the season, we lost Gallagher and had Hourihane instead while we got to the final we lacked an energy or dynamic in the midfield which mean we struggled to link the play to the forwards.
Do think we have enough in the midfield to link with the forwards all about the mindset it should be a case we fear no-one which has been prevalent this season |
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Reply | Queens Park Rangers V Swansea City : Match Thread
at 08:21 22 Oct 2026
I think West Ham as per a number of teams are now playing a cautious game against us allowing us the ball deep, making it hard to get through the midfield, attacked with the long ball, changed tactics when we felt comfortable on the ball.
Their defensive strategy made us less willing to play through the middle to risk the pass resulting in the slower changes to the point of our attacks, when we had to risk it after conceding we upped the pace that we moved the ball, got closer to opposition players, that is harder to do against better teams but as we have seen we have been able to turn games around because of the quality of our squad, we are able to create chances to score goals to win games.
I think that as per a number of seasons back, we went on a good run, using Paterson, Platino to support Grimes giving us a better attacking feel but the played Leicester and tried to use those players in a more defensive setup and got beat, a young Patino got scapegoat didn't play for quite a while then came back against Birmingham and yes he did make a mistake for the goal but we did looked a well balanced team. As for the Stamenic, Fulton partnership against West Ham again we played them and as a team too cautiously until we conceded the goal, then we were able to build pressure on West Ham, for me we didn't exert enough pressure on them, we were far too passive too afraid to play through the middle, even after bringing on Vipotnik to go alongside Idah we played through crowded wings and left spaces in the middle and didn't really support our front men it took the presences of Cabango to pick up the loose ball.
We have seen that Fulton and Stamenic create things through the middle just think there needs to be better communication for them to turn and let them know when they cannot, better players don't needed to be told as often but even then they can be caught on the ball if they don't move it quick enough. Yes you need to be cautious but we have players who can hurt team why wouldn't you eneavour to get the ball up to them in space as often as you can?. |
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Reply | Matos To Palace?
at 14:25 19 Oct 2026
He has encouraged a number of good players to us with his contacts, like the fact they are permanent contracts to build towards a future with or without him. |
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Reply | Swansea City v West Ham United : Match Thread
at 14:14 19 Oct 2026
Anybody staying down long enough to stop play should go off except when a clear foul has been committed against them regardless of whether trainers come on or not. I also found it funny how Fulton encouraged Yeo to get up and not to stay down only for him to be awarded nothing after being taken out seconds later, also would question when later Yeo had his legs taken out from under him leaving them up in the air why it wasn't given.
Definite a case of the ref giving the ex-premier league team the benefit of the doubt. That often also dictates which team can build forward momentum and which teams can't. |
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Reply | Cabango
at 13:29 19 Oct 2026
For me there were chances and space for the midfielders to turn with the ball to get us attacking quicker but that often needs good awareness of players around you, options around you or good communication from players around you to let you know you can turn with the ball to ensure the right option is pick, the man playing the ball forward into the centre often being the best player to advised the player receiving the ball.
We moved a number of their forward player about but didn't unlock the midfield path through them and got a little too confident in our play and got caught.
As for Cabango it is about having the best available back four to do a job against different teams. Would you want to see Ronald as rightback permenantly not really happy to have Cabango in the middle to offer the height that Welsh can't add, having Lissah at right back in the team also adds the height meaning you don't have to play both Fulton and Stamenic at the same time. Lots of setups to be dealt with because of injuries and suspension and other teams strength, for the most part Matos has done well to pick defensively strong teams to counter the threats of other teams. |
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Reply | Swans stand the test but poor finishing means no points
at 13:10 19 Oct 2026
The player crossing the ball took his time to pick out his man, by that time Ronald had got back to mark the man at the back post which originally be of concern to Cabango it left us sitting to deep to block. [Post edited 19 Oct 14:17]
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Reply | Cabango
at 13:06 19 Oct 2026
To be fair to Cabango he had a decision to make after keeping the player onside does he go towards the player on the edge of the box or cover the player coming in behind him, by the time the ball came in Ronald had covered the man at the back post but if the cross came in early into the six yard box would the man on the back post have been covered? [Post edited 19 Oct 13:13]
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Reply | Swans stand the test but poor finishing means no points
at 11:10 19 Oct 2026
The defence and midfield had to work hard to get back to cover the quick break away with players kind of out of position, I think Fulton had the front post covered and Ronald had the back post and Vigouroux would have got anything get past Fulton so Cabango was the one needing to step out but he hadn't seen the player step out or not rush in it happens but as you say his goal scoring shot was not block as we normally do but is that down to the speed of their attack . All player make mistakes or read a situation wrong but it is the accumulation of errors even a well set up team against blood teams.
Ronald was damned if he tried to score direct and the goalie saved it and his option questioned because of its execution.
I think Ronald is a good play at this level it just seemed that his pairing with Key just needed guiding which Matos seens to be doing with them and many others in the team.
My comments are not complaints as such more observations or opinions if you prefer. [Post edited 19 Oct 14:16]
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Reply | Swans stand the test but poor finishing means no points
at 07:58 19 Oct 2026
The goal conceded was because of an accumulation of errors, Stamenic getting caught on the ball, Cabango didn't keep the defensive line during their subsequent attack even though he had sight of Welsh position and finally he dropped into the six yard box which has been the correct position with an opposition forwards coming into that area in other games but the forward dropped off to give himself space and wasn't picked up, three mistakes in a small space of time undid us.
As for the missed chances I though Cabango did well to turn and spin to get his shot away in a tight area and was very unlucky to hit the bar.
As for the other chances Idah shot narrowly missing it target but looked as if it would have been block if it was on target given the defender getting close to Idah.
Cabango's pulled shot if driven straight would have been more or less unstoppable missing the bblocking defender and requiring a good save from the keeper but as it been said a lack of composure, how many players even in the top flight have missed such chances, he took the wrong decision the same as Ronald at the death with his header who may have scored if directed at the goal but the keeper got into position to possibly save it or if Ronald had cushioned his header into an oncoming players path but maybe then a defender would have got to the ball first.
Lots of ifs and buts but you cannot make three errors as we did in our defensive third and you cannot keep playing so deep in our half without injecting pace into your possession play. Yeo did but was often doing it from deep, it all got to tight not opening the spaces up against a well organised team . We didn't change the point of attack quick enough as West Ham lost possession, our centre forward needed to challenge for the aerial ball in a cleverer or cleanly way instead of giving free kick by using his body to block the defenders which the referee often gave free kicks instead of just going for the ball but then he has to have players running off him or around him, wingers coming in or midfielders pushing forward we were too predictable after the first twenty minutes and got picked off by an organised team but we made mistakes and really didn't create enough problems for West Ham.
Still top of the league but at the moment, our home form needs a little more attention. A lot of tough games ahead which will be keenly contested I don't expect us to win every game but it would be nice to do so . COYS 🦢  [Post edited 19 Oct 8:02]
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Reply | Leo Walta
at 15:33 18 Oct 2026
It does give us food for thought would Heywood or Woodward have been given a game yesterday?
Don't think we can complain about the subs used but could question the long balls out wide late on if we can compete for highball in the middle coming in from the flanks why not quick straight ball down the middle given we had two centre forwards with possible players runners off them. |
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Reply | Leo Walta
at 14:30 18 Oct 2026
Matos trys different things to try and get results, at the beginning of the second half he had Fulton dropping to the rightback position while in possession of the ball to get Ronald further up the pitch, did going down the flanks work, the answer would have been yes if chances were taken.
Matos does mix things up but keeping things tight at the back is hard work against "better" teams but the answer would be, did we trust ourselves to push on to get control of the game earlier in the game? |
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Reply | Leo Walta
at 11:29 18 Oct 2026
It has resurfaced nany times, we have also seen the three that started in the midfield when pushing higher up the pitch cause teams problems themselves and they have been rightly praised, a question of how to keep the opposition under pressure while maintaining a solid defence, which for the most part this season we have done. |
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Reply | Leo Walta
at 09:45 18 Oct 2026
Don't think it was just the free kick there was a move that resulted in a goal, it involved quite a number of quick passes on the edge of the box it end with him and he slow things right dow, it was only one touch to control the ball he stood still the defence seemed puzzled as to what he was going to do and stopped, he then injected pace into the move which led to a goal. We haven't seen enough of him to be able to see what Matos wants maybe just a little more needed experience in the team which is why Eustaquio looks to be his preferred option.
I would like to see Walta back if possible . [Post edited 18 Oct 10:06]
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