PUNDIT: SWANSEA NEED TO SPEND OR ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE

Swansea need to spend, or they are in serious trouble

Monday 18th December 2017


By Phil Neville

Pressure is stifling performances and tactics

There is a common theme with most of the teams in the bottom half of the Premier League - they appear to be so afraid of losing, that they do not even try to win.

It is only Crystal Palace and, in the past couple of weeks, West Ham who seem to have been willing to take a few chances and go on the attack in matches - and we have seen them both climb the table.

But with many of the struggling teams I have watched recently, they only start throwing men forward at a stage of the game where they probably think they have nothing to lose.

I saw exactly that from West Brom against Manchester United on Sunday. Even when they went 2-0 down, the Baggies did not offer much of a threat, and it was only with about 20-25 minutes left that they started to have a go at Jose Mourinho's side.


Swansea need to spend, or they are in serious trouble

When I look at the bottom of the table, I would put Swansea and Newcastle in the same bracket.

Unless they invest heavily in the January transfer window, and we are talking about them buying three or four players apiece, then they are both in serious trouble.

Swansea play Everton on Monday night and are up against Gylfi Sigurdsson, whom they sold to the Toffees for £45m in August and did not replace.

They have not spent the £14m or so they got from Tottenham for Fernando Llorente either, so they have got money to spend if Paul Clement can bring in the players he wants.

It is not easy to attract signings when you are bottom of the table but Clement needs to find players who will provide some power and pace, and a bit of toughness too, because Swansea look like they are a side that are quite weak physically.



Premier League - bottom six snapshot:

15th - West Ham
16th - Bournemouth
17th - Stoke
-----------------------------
18th - Newcastle
19th - West Brom
20th - Swansea

Bollocks to Swansea, I could not give a poo-poo what they need to do

It is funny though seeing Swansea Town struggling

They are not relegated yet, still a long way to go, so I refuse to enjoy their misery because as they did last year they can turn it around and we may end up with egg on our faces

They are not relegated yet, still a long way to go, so I refuse to enjoy their misery because as they did last year they can turn it around and we may end up with egg on our faces

Yep, my view too,

Enjoying seeing them struggle but they will spend heavily in the window and could pull themselves out of trouble.

On 28/12/16 the bottom of the table read after 18 games:

Burnley - 20 points
Boro -18
Leicester - 17
Palace - 16
Sunderland - 14
Swansea- 12
Hull- 12


After the same number of games (Swansea have one in hand tonight)

it reads:

Southampton - 18 points
BHA - 18
Palace - 17
West Ham - 17
Bournemouth - -16
Stoke - 16
Newcastle - 15
WBA - 14
Swansea - 12

Palace looked down and out 6-7 games ago and look at the slide of Stoke, WBA and Newcastle.

It is very tight. A few wins on the spin and you can be mid table eg Everton.

I cannot see Swansea though getting any players of sufficient quality there in January.

the difficulty is nowadays getting value. they paid £15m for an average player in clucas - does that constitute 'spending'?

who will go there knowing there is a high chance of relegation? certainly not players of the calibre they need to get out of trouble.

swansea were in a finely balanced equilibrium. they did sell key players like bony and sinclair, but they always replaced quality with quality. this year, they replaced the two players that dragged them out of certain relegation (sigurdsson, llorente), with inferior players, so it should come as no surprise that they are where they are. it looks like swansea's time is up.

Their problem is changing way they play? Average 3 shots on target per game if that! But that could be a simple attempt on target not goal threatening itsWorst in premiership. They've also got worst record for being in apponants pen box they just don't go there.

They are not relegated yet, still a long way to go, so I refuse to enjoy their misery because as they did last year they can turn it around and we may end up with egg on our faces

They might well fluke staying up again as there are a good few dire teams down there, but one things for sure, they are not the same club off the pitch. Split in many ways, a new supporter group to rival the trust, also doing nothing of note. Sold to a Yankee hedge fund.....nice touch huwy