Jamie Paterson made what could only be described as a timely return to the Swansea City starting eleven on Saturday, and not only because he supplied the assist that won the game. But did he really make that much of a difference ?
Surprisingly it wasn’t the swans fan base that greeted him with expected animosity, and maybe that’s what spurred Jamie on to play this game in the way that he did. He really didn’t look like a player with any issues at all other than to prove a point. The cross for Michael Obafemi’s goal was inch perfect, the execution even better. We have not seen a goal of that nature pretty much all season, that is a cross met by a striker who puts away his opportunity. The majority of Swansea City’s goals this season have come from pretty decent interplay before slotting home a goal.
And yes not from a corner, a penalty or a free kick.
To climb the table and get those five or so wins to guarantee championship football next season the swans need to seriously do a lot more. For us it is clear Jamie’s involvement was key to the win, despite his absence and whatever anyone thinks about it. The debacle that was Luton and the extremely different three points gained against Preston really do bear little resemblance to Saturday. Against Luton with just one creative player extra the three points would have been in Swansea City’s favour. That creative missing player supplied the cross for the winning goal on Saturday. Against Preston it was more about a determined effort that could have gone either way.
The chances that Blackburn failed to take don’t come in to it, that’s their problem, what mattered on Saturday was the chance that was taken. After that it was about defensive organisation and pure commitment, and Ben Cabango was the real catalyst for those three points to be taken. We always rely on the striker or the match winner to take the headlines but Ben Cabango and indeed Cyrus Christie made sure the three points were going to the home side. For anyone in any doubt just look at that tackle from Christie when the swans were backs against the wall in the final minutes.
It was a superb team effort overall made so much better by a Jamie Paterson contribution that won the game, would the swans have won it if he wasn’t on the pitch ? For us again it’s unlikely, and putting all his sideshow issues to one side there can only be one answer.
He delivered, and Swansea City won the game.
If he is that much better and able to perform like he did on Saturday, and of course if the swans defence can also be that tight and organised then why wouldn’t we look for another three points at Stoke City on Tuesday ?