Swansea City again fell to second half tactics which are now becoming a little for than frustrating due to their continual use by head coach, Vitor Matos. This of course wasn’t the only reason why the Swans let a lead slip yesterday against Southampton.

After a positive and very eventful first half it seemed that the polish was taken off the Swans positivity during half time. The start of the second period immediately signalling to everyone watching that the tactics had changed. Players turning their back on forward passes with a more lethargic attitude on the ball, and preservation of possession the priority were immediate clues. It was in complete contrast to the first half and slowly Southampton worked their way back into the game. It was immediately obvious this exceptionally negative tactic would backfire as it did when the Saints first equalised and then scored the winner to take the three points.

Some clever bloke mentioned it on the match day thread.

If this is going to become a strategy next season we won’t see any change in the team mindset and will experience another season as we have seen since Matos took over in November. There have been positives of course but there’s nothing worse than having to experience regression on the football field when everyone watching knows it’s a hopeless case of trying to win 1-0 for forty five minutes. Matos stated post match “We had good moments against a really good team. We started the game well, it was important for us to be organised at the moments when they forced us deep. There were good spells, but we needed to make a bit more of those good spells because that was the best way for us to try to control the game. Again we had good moments in the second half, but it was then down to mistakes that cost us goals and cost us situations, and we know we need to do better with that, and that’s one thing we have to do better for the future.”

On that he needs to toughen up certain players, as we reported previously match yesterday Leon Walta wasn’t preferred to to play. He has a slight knock but is planned to feature on Tuesday evening at Loftus Road. (QPR 7:45pm)

There seems little responsibility being taken for the continual difference and glaringly obvious changes in attitude within games. If Matos is blaming his players then clearly his information isn’t registering with them. Cameron Burgess placed his defence in a number of perilous moments yesterday., however his clearances with his head and feet are generally okay. The substitutions were not helpful, Sam Parker being removed as well as Melker Widell at a time when forward momentum was needed. Parker had already made two raids forwards before he was hooked. We can look at the changes here.

Liam Cullen had another so so game but his replacement, Gustavo Nunes gives the ball away too much and looks very average with the ball at his feet. Malick Yalcouyé who we understand will not be returning to Swansea next season is an exciting player, and you get the feeling that had he started far more games the Swans would be in a better league position. However, what’s the point if your own permanent players miss out ?

That seems to be the mantra.

We saw some excellent performances again yesterday from Eom below) Widell, Stameniċ, Tymon and Parker. Unfortunately what can Adam Idah do when the tactics change when he is on the pitch and he is the lone operator up front. He doesn’t enjoy the attacking side of the game that Vipotnik did before he left the field.

Loan signings this season haven’t gone as we all would have wanted so there’s hopefully less reliance on that market this summer. With recruitment specialist, Adam Worth choosing to leave the Swans and nobody appointed (basically leaving two positions vacant) that needs settling. Mention has been made of Gareth Jennings (a CF Cadiz shareholder) but that seems unlikely. Yes, some will work that out. There has to be a strategy this summer that all are in line with, but there only seems to be CEO Tom Gorringe holding the keys.

Yesterday was a failure of players not carrying out Vitor’s wishes, if he is to be believed. On the eye it looked very different. There was certainly a handbrake on tactics in the second half, not everyone was signed up to an effort to remove any hope Southampton had of winning the game. Reviewing the defensive make up of the Swans there were times when Ben Cabango and Cameron Burgess were far too deep leaving so much space ahead of them it was easily exposed.

It is most certainly the belief in some supporters minds that Cabango and Burgess hasn’t worked as everyone would have wanted this season. That is a weak area, and one which needs addressing, but not for the third choice to be sat there all season waiting for a cup competition. See Kaelan Casey for evidence of that. Had he played more, and had he flourished as it looked he could do there was a ready made player to sign permanently in the summer solving numerous issues. And not at a silly price.

Deflated is the word we have used a lot this campaign but really Matos has to get out of this defensive tactic when ahead and take responsibility that his tinkering and half time talks have to be a learning point for him. Not an excuse to blame his players.

⚽️ Swans: Lawrence Vigouroux 7 Sam Parker 7 (Joel Ward 60) 6 Ben Cabango 6 (c), Cameron Burgess 5 Josh Tymon 8 Marko Stamenić 8 (Jay Fulton 74) 6 Gonçalo Franco 7 Liam Cullen 5 (Gustavo Nunes 60) 5 Jisung Eom 8 Melker Widell 8 (Malick Yalcouye 60) 7 Zan Vipotnik 6 (Adam Idah 68) 5

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Leo Walta, Ollie Cooper, Ronald.

⚽️ Saints: Daniel Peretz, Ryan Manning, Flynn Downes (Shea Charles 46), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (captain), Finn Azaz, Ross Stewart (Cyle Larin 68), Leo Scienza (Samuel Edozie 90), James Bree (Cameron Archer 88), Nathan Wood, Caspar Jander, Kuryu Matsuki (Jack Stephens 90).

Unused Substitutes: George Long, Tom Fellows, Welington, Cameron Bragg.

⚽️ Referee: Oliver Langford : An atrocious performance which we have seen so many times before, his incompetence befitting of Sunday morning parks football with half the teams still drunk from the night before. Again we saw his flawed decision making go against the Swans, it isn’t the first time. The penalty call for a foul on Eom in the second half was blatant. Waving on play in the Saints favour at times was open to criticism. His failure to send Flynn Downes off after grabbing Widell and then pushing him down on to the ground was the start of his ninety eight minute bottle job. There’s more, and so much so it really has to draw a question mark over his ability to officiate Championship football matches, some would say even more. His continual lack of transparency gave the visitors confidence and in turn swayed the game in their direction. 0/10

Attendance: 17,776 (OS)

It has saved lives.

Photographs : Reuters : Swansea City AFC, Swansea Independent & PA