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Plymouth Argyle 1 v 2 Swansea City
EFL Championship
Tuesday, 10th December 2024 Kick-off 19:45
Plymouth pre match: Grimes spotlight and surely now it’s time to turn the screw ?
Monday, 9th Dec 2024 08:00 by Keith Haynes

It cannot be said that Swansea City are not currently on a satisfactory trajectory since going five games without a goal. The issues are coming from a lack of composure and ability from wingers and indeed from those selected around captain, Matt Grimes. (below v Luton on Saturday)

Grimes has been a constant at the Swans for many seasons now, his prowess to sniff out a pass and turn defence into attack makes him one of the best if not better players in the Championship. And you can forget any rumours of him leaving the club in January or indeed the summer, it just isn’t going to happen. He has sworn his career to the Swans with his family all settled and content in the city.

He commands the biggest salary at the club which has already made him a multi millionaire, and there is no way he is going to uproot his family, there is simply no need to. Based on that you can expect to see him in every Swans first eleven under any manager that cares to take the job at the Swansea.com stadium. The focus for all of the Swans attacks generally go through Grimes, yes he can be frustrating when on the ball, often playing safe when a bit more positivity to his game is required. But he is the linchpin in most of the strategy implemented by head coach, Luke Williams on a match day.

When you look at his options ahead of him as it stands today he generally has Myles Peart-Harris as a left sided option or Josh Tymon backing him up. To his right or ahead of him he can call upon close interplay with Franco and Cullen. But a beleaguered looking Ronald of late seems tired. Supplementing this he has Josh Key who possesses pace and guile going forwards. Ahead of them Liam Cullen, who has left a good month in November in his wake and Zǎn Vipotnik as potential goal scorers. That can be boosted by Florian Bianchini.

The back looks after itself these days but we have seen some very shakey decision making of late from keeper, Vigouroux, Ben Cabango and Harry Darling. Basically that’s the first choice eleven with Joe Allen as a midfield option or late appearances from Azeem Abdulai and the afforementioned Bianchini. Fortunately we have Eom back and getting fitter plus Josh Ginnelly in the early stages of rehabilitation in physical training at Fairwood. As everyone knows it’s a bare bones squad.

However, that hasn’t stopped Swansea City dominating games even when they are playing below average, the game at Luton a prime example. So many chances made but not converted is the only failing, the issue there is it happens time and time again. These chances in the main come from Grimes, Tymon, Franco and now and again Ronald. They rely very much on Vipotnik, Cullen and to an extent Peart-Harris, and really none of them are skilled at taking those chances. So, for all the good work from players behind them none can really capitalise regularly as a result. That’s the weak spot going into tomorrow’s game away at Plymouth. The Swans have been unable to put together a winning streak of more than two games this campaign, and as we experienced in October couldn’t find the net at all. That again evidences that the Swans are tardy in front of goal to the point of being hopeless.

It’s a sad fact but true.

The table now reflects the Swans still in thirteenth having blown the three points at Luton but still with a plus one goal difference. Far better than any team below them, and the likes of Norwich, Watford, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday above them. That’s based on the good start defensively this season and of course no defeat being by more than the odd goal. The Swans are the ‘absolute’ mid table side with seven points separating them from the bottom three and the play off spots. We all know that the league position should be far higher, points dropped away at Sheffield United and Wednesday ( both appallingly rostered as midweek away matches ) and you could even go to the referee missing what looked like a pretty nailed on penalty at Luton late on in the game. West Bromwich Albion as well, and of course the host of chances that saw points dropped against Stoke City, Cardiff and Bristol City.

The other rather annoying issue is Luke Williams win rate in the forty two matches he has taken charge of. That is just fifteen matches won since January with eighteen losses. The fixtures ahead look a bit better.

What should the Swans take from them ?

The basic points tally for a team hoping to turn the year positively and looking upwards has always been thirty five. There are plenty of opportunities to do so, but the Swans need to start winning at places like Plymouth and Hull and earmarking their home game against QPR as an essential win, along with Luton Town, This weekends home game against Sunderland will be the hardest game of the month on paper. Find consistency and confidence and turn domination and territory into goals and there’s no reason why at least four wins cannot be taken. That would mean thirty six points with Portsmouth to come on New Years Day.

This now has to be a constant not a hopeful wish.

January will be a busy time for the Swans, we know there are players coming in, who and how much (or loan) we are working hard on, especially the obvious one. Possibly news on him on Wednesday.

For Plymouth Arglye these are treacherous times, again fighting relegation they and Wayne Rooney will be determined to win at all costs against Swansea City tomorrow. They have conceded thirty eight goals this season, that is truely shocking, with a minus twenty goal difference. It is one of those games which if the Swans get it right can put them on the right track to continue their decent form on the pitch, bar the goals.

Those stats above are even more infuriating when you look at two dropped points against Burnley and Leeds. Two games which the Swans should have taken something from. The referee deciding the outcome of the Burnley game with a very strange handball decision. Then we saw the Swans with only themselves to blame for again conceding into stoppage time to lose at home to Leeds 3-4.

Plymouth (stats above) haven’t had it good conceding ten goals in their last two games. However, taking a point from Derby County and Watford is a warning for Swansea City. The Pilgrims didn’t play on Saturday and they aren’t even in Wales. Extraordinarily extraordinary indeed.

The good news for all players in the Swans squad is they go back to zero on bookings from this game onwards, that will bring a sigh of relief, especially for Franco.

The game kicks off at 7:45pm at Home Park tomorrow evening.

Photograph ©️ Licensed from Reuters



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