We welcome back Trystan Bending to the Indy for yet another clever insight into the Swans. This time he focuses on Ronald Pereira Martins, the Swansea City utility winger who can play on both sides of the pitch and across the front line.
Swansea picked up all three points in Derbyshire on Wednesday, perhaps playing the best football the fans have been treated to under Luke Williams for the most part of the opening thirty minutes. Zan Vipotnik opened the scoring with a brilliantly taken volley, whilst Ronald made it two, making a good run found by Liam Cullen. The second half saw the Swans on the back foot, conceding chances and high pressure. This left a slightly disappointing feel to the game, but football is about results, and thanks to the defensive work, the business was done. Considering everything, this felt like an excellent result for Swansea. Pourtsmouth proved to be difficult task on Saturday, with the Swans yet again not taking their chances and some defensive decisoins to be questioned. Despite this a point was earned and can hopefully it will continue the ubeaten momentum going into the busy Decemeber schedule.
Ronald joined from Gremio Annapolis in January last season, and Luke Williams was the first signing in a new era of Swansea City. Whilst the rest of the side was in transition and lacking in confidence when he joined last year, the idea of a Brazilian wearing the white shirt of Swansea City on the wing certainly excited the Jack Army. I remember his first appearance at Leicester City. It was a very bleak defeat, but Ronald's introduction was exciting. His appearance and first couple of months showed that he was a winger with lightning quick pace, the ability to take men on and work hard for the team on the flanks. It was obvious that a move from abroad meant he needed to condition and work on his physical game. We saw the peak of his powers in a memorable away victory against Sunderland last season, where Ronald scored a brace. Despite the positive start, he faced criticism towards the end of last season and again fell victim to opinions this season.
On Wednesday, we saw Ronald take his chance well and celebrate with his classic Ronaldo 'Sui' celebration. Following this, he cupped his ears to the traveling Swansea fans. Following a short conversation with Franco, he grabbed the badge towards the fans to show his passion for the club. Whilst the celebrations varied, the cupped ears perhaps felt a reaction to the ongoing criticism around his name, almost a plea for respect. His social media followed up on this, posting two shushing emojis, a post perhaps aimed to his doubters online.
When looking at his statistical data, he does deserve more plaudits. He's now registered three assists and one goal in his last six games. This ranks him the highest in the squad in terms of goal contributions, showing that his output is crucial for this side to score goals. As we know, Luke Williams plays his full-backs very high, often exposing the flanks and relying on the wingers to make cover at times. Whilst this sometimes offers the opportunity for the opposition, it's a risk that sometimes pays off. However, Ronald has made 60 ball recoveries this season, ranking him in the top 11% in the Championship. If you watch games, it's easy to see that he does work his socks off, which is where he cannot be scrutinised. His defensive data across the board is generally very impressive and perhaps shows his development since arriving at Swansea.
As we know, he is a player who can make moments happen for Swansea. He has created 21 chances, averaging 1.25 per game, which is an excellent stat to his name. In the process of making things happen, he often takes a man on. He currently ranks in the top 25 for most succesfful dribbles in the League for the most successful dribbles, another statistic showing how important he is for Swansea. He has also has won a large amounts of fouls for Swansea, ranking him in the top 3% in the League. Some runs have seen him broguht down in good areas for the Swans to capatalise on, most notbaly the Leeds free kick which Harry Darling took advantage of.
While the statistics do put him in good stead, the criticism comes that he perhaps tries to take a man on too many times instead of playing the simplistic approach that Luke Williams endeavors. Opposed to the successful dribbles, he's in the top 30% for least successful dribbles. His finishing has also been at the pinnacle of his weaknesses, which perhaps struck the emotional reaction on Wednesday when he did find the back of the net. His goalscoring record is very weak compared to wingers in the league currently in the bottom 36.1%. His Expected Goals (xG) is higher at 2.00 for the season, maybe highlighting the lack of chances he has had. It’s an area of his game hich will surely improve over time in a Swansea shirt.
It is important to consider that he is a player who has moved overseas and perhaps still has parts of his game that are natural in the culture of Portugal and Brazil, such as notoriously taking men on. Often falling to the floor perhaps too easily may also be due to a lack of physical conditioning, which he is still adapting to or apart of his mentality where he is still maturing.
Overall, the majority of the Jack Army enjoy watching Ronald play in a Swansea shirt. He is a player making a massive leap in his career at such a young age. It is easy to see the potential. He has the work rate to go with it, which is why he will achieve success in his career. Ronald will improve with every game under Luke Williams and it was great to see him find the back of the net on Wednesday. Let’s hope he can continue his form and score more often.