Pacey wingers, Premier League youngsters and a faltering playoff push - Swansea City Preview
Brady Frost, Feature Writer
Twitter: @brady0894
Source for image above: Swansea City
With just two wins in the last ten games for Swansea, can Huddersfield Town take advantage of The Swans’ patchy form? Ian Mitchelmore from Wales Online tells us what to expect.
Thanks to Harry Toffolo, Huddersfield travel to the Liberty Stadium with a point from their travels in Derbyshire. Town will be hoping to add to their tally on the road this weekend in Wales, with Swansea City having failed to win in their last five games.
The two sides met earlier this season and shared the spoils, as the John Smith’s Stadium witnessed a 1-1 draw, with Karlan Grant grabbing the goal for The Terriers.
Swansea currently sit in 11th place, just five points off the playoff places. However, a disappointing run of form, combined with injuries has resulted in just three points from a possible 15. Some fans have started to turn on manager Graham Cooper.
Can The Terriers exploit an inexperienced Swansea defence and claim all three points? To find out, And He Takes That Chance spoke to Ian Mitchelmore, Digital Sports Journalist, from Wales Online.
Swansea City find themselves five points off the playoffs going into this game. Photo source: Swansea City
How would you rate Swansea’s season so far?
It's been mixed, to say the least. They started like a house on fire, collecting 16 points from the first 18 on offer, but the going has proven to be a lot tougher since then. In reality, they're probably about where they deserve to be right now, and given the raft of player sales in recent transfer windows, Steve Cooper has had a very tough job on his hands.
With just two wins in the last ten matches, what’s your prediction for the rest of Swansea’s season?
They're still only five points adrift of the top six, although they have a tough-looking run-in. Before a ball was kicked this season, I said Swansea would finish 10th, and I don't really see that changing. But in this league, you never know what could happen.
With a playoff place slipping away, you mentioned that it’s a crucial period for the club, how can Huddersfield take advantage?
Swansea have been desperately blunt in attack of late, although they improved in that regard in the 4-4 draw with Hull. But defensively they have been shaky in recent weeks, with Mike van der Hoorn missing more than a month of action due to a knee injury while youngsters such as Ben Cabango, Ben Wilmot and new signing Marc Guehi have all featured along with Joe Rodon who has only just recently returned from a lengthy lay-off with an ankle injury. Putting Swansea's defence under pressure could be key for the visitors.
Manager Steve Cooper has come under recent pressure, with just two wins in the last ten games for Swansea. Photo source: Swansea City
What is the fans’ opinion on Steve Cooper? We've seen calls for him to go by some.
The mood has turned of late, perhaps understandably so given that Swansea have not won in five games. Generally speaking, they've stuck by him during the course of the season as most can appreciate how difficult a task he has on his hands. But it does appear that the strength of that support has wavered somewhat of late.
What did the fans think of The Swans’ January transfer business?
On the whole, it was a positive window for the club, although perhaps not so much in terms of the squad. They offloaded big earners such as Borja Baston and Tom Carroll which went a long way to further reducing the club's wage bill which has been vital following Swansea's relegation from the Premier League in 2018. But it's left the squad thin when it comes to experience, and it means they're heavily relying on players who are still very early on in their professional careers. Conor Gallagher and Rhian Brewster have both shown what they're all about since joining the club on loan from Chelsea and Liverpool respectively though, so there are positives.
Who has been the standout performer this season?
Joe Rodon has been magnificent when available while Freddie Woodman impressed earlier on in the campaign. But for the season as a whole, Andre Ayew has been the best performer. He's notched 12 goals in all competitions since returning from his season-long loan spell with Fenerbahce in Turkey, and as vice-captain, he has played a vital role in helping the club's youngsters progress under Cooper.
Ian Mitchelmore thinks Andre Ayew (top) has been one of Swansea’s standout performers this season. Photo source: Swansea City
Which players have performed well but gone under the radar to other clubs in the league?
Championship fans will know all about Ayew given what he's achieved in the game while Rodon is a name on the lips of many as a result of recent links with the likes of Man City. Centre-backs Cabango and Wilmot may well be lesser known outside of the Liberty Stadium, but they're two very talented players and ones that supporters can expect to hear more about in the future.
Is there anything Huddersfield need to be on the lookout for in this game?
Jordon Garrick made his long-awaited return from a hamstring injury in the 4-4 draw with Hull and scored his first-ever Championship goal for Swansea just four minutes after coming off the bench. He's similar to former Swan and now Manchester United man Daniel James in terms of his ability to beat a man with pace and/or skill. He's a very lethal weapon for Swansea and Huddersfield need to create a plan to stop him.
What did you think of Huddersfield in their previous encounter with Swansea this season?
I thought they controlled large parts of the game, although Swansea defended very well and deserved a share of the spoils after Jay Fulton scored with what was the Swans' first attempt on target in the game. It's a side that possesses obvious quality, so Swansea will be wary of the threats Huddersfield pose.
Ian Mitchelmore understands why Huddersfield Town sacked Jan Siewert. Photo source: HTAFC
What do you think of Huddersfield so far this season?
It certainly seems to have been a struggle for Huddersfield since they dropped out of the top flight. Things just didn't work out at all for Jan Siewert, so I can fully understand why the club made the bold decision to sack him so early on in the campaign. And it seems to be about consolidating their place in the second tier now for the Terriers, which obviously won't be what fans hoped for back in August.
What’s the fan consensus about this game? Is it seen as a winnable fixture?
It should definitely be a winnable game for Swansea, but after a sequence of five games without a victory, fans just don't know what to expect. They'll have Rodon available again which is a huge plus while Garrick can expect to feature in some capacity, so that could just tip the balance in Swansea's favour.
What’s your score prediction for the game?
Despite their struggles of late, I'm backing Swansea, although I think it will be tight. Swansea City 1-0 Huddersfield Town.
How do you think Huddersfield will get on against Swansea? Let us know in the comments!
