Swansea City again displayed a lack of commitment to win a game of football in front a large crowd at the Swansea.com today. So much so the chances that were made, and there were a few were met with the same desire shown throughout this game. It wasn’t ill discipline but a lack of desire that lost this game.

It was a slow start by the Swans against an invigorated QPR this afternoon at the Swansea.com. The changes head coach, Luke Williams made finding it hard to settle into the game. The visitors had two decent chances to take the lead in the first ten minutes, one deflected by keeper Carl Rushworth the other a good challenge by Nathan Wood preventing a clear header on goal. The Swans needed some positive direction but Matt Grimes persisted in playing the safe pass during the opening quarter of the half.

Referee Sam Allison seemed to get the law book mixed up with reality on a few occasions as well, a blatant foul on Josh Key after a fifty yard run going totally unpunished. Grimes began to get into the game more turning on the ball to create momentum forwards and just that ‘action’ was opening up things for the Swans. However, QPR had pace on the break with Chair as he often is an issue out on the Swans right.

It was Josh Tymon who looked the most positive for the home side but his options in the box were limited with Jerry Yates not crossing in front of the R’s defenders to make a chance for himself. From set pieces the Swans were also failing to find their own players with the R’s able to get set to defend any issues. Tymon switched corner duty with Grimes on twenty five minutes but the end result was the same.

Ronald was body checked on twenty eight minutes by Clarke-Salter and how he got away with that is anyone’s guess. The frustrations were beginning to spill over, Tymon throwing his opponent to the floor. The Swans continued to press. The bad news came on thirty one minutes when Joe Allen went down off the ball with a right foot injury. It looked pretty much the end of his game when he took his boot off. However, it was Luke Williams shout and Allen was replaced by Jay Fulton. Another contractual issue to be talked about in the coming weeks for Joe. Fulton and Grimes were now the midfield pairing and you could add the word ‘defensive’ to that.

The Swans seemed to fall apart when pressurised down the flanks after Allen’s exit. First on their left by Jimmy Dunne whose cross was somehow cut out and the next move was cleared off the line by Harry Darling (below). Dykes really should have scored. Warning signs aplenty. On the break from that move art in saw a shot skim wide. Josh Key seemed unable to recover when the Swans were out of possession, his desire to get back and defend lacking. Ronald almost opened the scoring after a lovely ball in from Lowe but keeper Begovic somehow kept it out. It was the home sides best opportunity so far.

Josh Key who was being far more effective on the flanks crossed the ball on forty four minutes, it was met magnificently by Tymon and again the Swans were thwarted by Begovic. Three minutes of injury time were played but only a Key cross which ended up with a Darling shot was noted.

The second half starred with the Swans on top. A lovely cross from Tymon somehow flew off Jerry Yates head like it was shaped like a fifty pence piece. It was a shockingly poor finish. But the chances continued unabated. Yates had another chance after being put in by Lowe but his lack of strength determined he couldn’t make good of the opportunity. The passing and moving from Swansea maintained the pressure but it was to no avail. The urgency and desire completely lacking. And in turn this was having a direct affect on the crowd..

A free kick on fifty four minutes saw Fulton, Grimes and Lowe over the ball initially. Grimes took the free kick splendidly but it cannoned off the bar. Then Yates worked the ball well to put in Ollie Cooper but his shot was easily saved, it was far too weak. The visitors tried to slow the game down bringing on substitutes as we approached the sixty. Darling was still being industrious at the back and to an extent Wood was comfortable.

Josh Key earned his side a corner on the visitors left, his miss hit pass going in the Swans favour. Again it came to nothing. Luke Williams was holding off on his subs, and it was more than evident the Swans needed freshening up. A wonderful interception by Fulton set Yates up but his snatched shot was easily saved by Begovic. The two Liam’s Walsh and Cullen prepared to come on. Jamie Paterson too making it a triple change. But as we saw his introduction in a far deeper position was pretty ineffective. Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates and Ollie Cooper leaving the pitch. Yates had only completed nine touches in the game. By comparison Jamal Lowe had twenty seven.

Nathan Wood got lucky on a break by QPR with referee Allison applying his own laws again.

That inspired QPR to push on earning a corner on seventy minutes. And that set piece opened the scoring. Steve Cook hammering home a headed pass. The Swans asleep and as per the story of the game. The issue in this game was clearly the Swans continued to try and pick themselves through a packed and well drilled R’s defence. Passes were going astray, a lack of desire throughout and application also having a Bank Holiday off. For a decent crowd to see this when the club wants fans back in the stands was another hard one to take.

A Liam Walsh corner was met on the volley by Grimes on seventy five minutes but his shot went over the bar. What was also noticeable this afternoon was the lack of any Swans player getting across their marker in an attempt to make an opportunity. Then two fierce drives from Walsh and Grimes were well defended. It looked like that again it wasn’t going to be the Swans day.

Another corner on seventy nine minutes was taken by Walsh.

The game looked like it was fizzling out, however on eighty seven minutes Aimar Govea on as a sub crossed the ball. It deceived keeper Begovic and hit the keepers far post. Govea continued to want the ball out on the Swans right, causing as much trouble as the player he replaced in Ronald. As we entered six added minutes the Swans would have one more chance. A minute was taken for a QPR free kick, endorsed by Allison. The Swans were in desperate time of added time. The game was open and the Swans had defensive duties to perform as the visitors played keep ball.

In the last minute the Swans just kept up their passing and slow moving, there was literally no urgency in any of their play. The game was brought to a close by Allison to resounding booing from the home fans. It was a a poor display by the Swans, it really does signal the lack of desire in today’s side. And the result was never in doubt with the tactics or was it a lack of motivation employed by Luke Williams ?

It seems we have again seen a Swans side too pedestrian to win a game they really should have got something from.

⚽️ Swansea City: Rushworth; 7 Key, 6 Darling, 6 Wood, 6 Tymon, 7 Allen 6 (Fulton 35), 5 Grimes (c); 6 Ronald, 5 Cooper 6 (Walsh 67), 6 Lowe 5 (Paterson 67); 5 Yates 5 (Cullen 67) 5

Subs: Fisher, Cabango, Patino, Govea, Abdulai

⚽️ QPR: Begovic; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Fox; Colback (Hayden 58), Field; Smyth (Frey 82), Hodge (Armstrong 46), Chair (Willock 74); Dykes (Andersen 58)

Subs: Walsh, Dixon-Bonner, Cannon, Larkeche

Photographs with permission Dimitris Legakis

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