Vítor Matos looked as drowned as his side were on the pitch after the 5–0 drubbing at Loftus Road. There was little he could say beyond promising to look back at the game and analyse what went wrong. He has a week to manage that after a day out in W12 ended after fifteen minutes.

However, the build-up play has become far too mundane and predictable. To play that way, Swansea have to be sharper and more precise. Since the Norwich City home game, the approach has become increasingly ponderous. The last three games have produced just one goal, reflecting how few chances the Swans have created. Matos wants pace and intricate passing patterns that allow his side to dominate the opposition, but neither has been consistently evident.

That approach works when everything clicks. Against a team enjoying almost everything they attempted yesterday in west London, it unravelled. Everything QPR did looked slick and creative. The Swans were sliced apart repeatedly, with a defence all at sea and a goalkeeper who looked new to the game.

Without Josh Key, Moussa Yeo, Ronald and Cameron Burgess, Swansea looked short of options and ideas. Yeo is out for at least three weeks and Ronald until December, while Stephen Welsh’s availability is another concern following his substitution through injury at half-time.

Josh Tymon knows he will be playing every week, with Tiago Parente seemingly regarded as cover should he get injured. As things stand, Filip Lissah, Ben Cabango and Stephen Eustáquio also appear assured of their places when available. Competition for selection needs to mean more than having another name on the squad list.

Žan Vipotnik and Adam Idah are used regularly, while a proven Championship goalscorer in Ross Stewart is overlooked. Regardless of the issues surrounding Jeremy Monga, surely there was scope to give him twenty minutes yesterday.

Stewart was left out against West Ham because of the homegrown player requirements, an issue that needs addressing. Explaining that decision, Matos said: “It’s a football decision from the situation that we have with the injuries of Cam and Keysey and Fil’s suspension. I don’t know why, but the Scottish players don’t count. Someone can explain that to me. Because of that, we needed to make a decision with the short term and that’s the decision I made.”

A recruitment issue?

The side looks stale at the moment. Defensively, the Swans merely participated. With the ball, they proved once again that possession means little without a cutting edge.

Here is what Vítor had to say after the match:

Read Liam’s in-depth match report from yesterday, including the teams, player ratings, exclusive photographs and much more below.

⚽️ That’s here —> QPR V Swans full match report

Photographs as per disclaimer