Bony and Fer out of survival battle
IT WAS always going to be a big ask for Carlos Carvalhal to get Swansea City out of trouble.
The injuries suffered here by Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony only serve to underline that it’s tough at the bottom of the table and yesterday both players were ruled out for the season.
The loss of Fer to a ruptured Achilles is a huge blow for a player who’s change in fortunes on the pitch has mirrored that of the Welsh club.
Swansea were bottom and five points from safety when Carvalhal took the reins. Few predicted the turnaround which has followed. They are now out of the relegation zone thanks to another precious point picked up on the road.
On and off the pitch, Carvalhal has breathed life into this dying Swan, through more aggressive tactics and quips which invariably raise a smile.
‘When we arrived, the team was almost dead,’ the 52-year- old Portuguese said. ‘ At my first press conference, I remember the word everyone was using was “miracle”.
‘We knew exactly what the situation was — we were dead. We were near to the crematorium. The funeral car was waiting. When we won at Watford, we started breathing. The players are believing. The psychological part of the team is very strong now.’
That new- found mental strength has helped build a nine-match run in all competitions in which Swansea have been beaten just once since Carvalhal joined.
‘Nine games and we lose one — against Tottenham,’ Carvalhal said. ‘There are a lot of things about this turnaround. We took the risk of changing the formation. We changed the dynamic.We are more solid and organised.’
One key aspect has been a change in fortune in front of goal, a product of the more direct philosophy instilled by the boss.
Federico Fernandez scored with their only effort on target at the King Power Stadium to cancel out Jamie Vardy’s firsthalf opener, the kind of edge that was sorely lacking before Carvalhal took charge.
Swansea may need more goals from unconventional positions after Bony’s cruciate ligament injury ended his campaign.
A relegation fight in the top tier of English football is alien territory for Carvalhal. He has come a long way since dragging Portugal’s third-tier side Leixoes into the UEFA Cup, and even after his play- off flirtations at Sheffield Wednesday, this job was seen by most as a free shot at the top flight.
Carvalhal, however, insists that is not the case. ‘I have a lot to lose. My credibility — my career. My career route hasn’t been easy. I came from the third division in Portugal to the Premier League. Nobody gave me anything so I had something to lose. I accepted the challenge.
‘ It’s not just a question of belief. I talk a lot to the priest, so