Comeback cannot conceal continuing crisis for Monk
FOR all his talk of agendas from outside the club, Garry Monk must surely realise the most undermining factor in the drama at Swansea is the competency of his own players.
Even in the context of a two-goal comeback and a one-point rescue, this was bordering on shambolic. This was a match when Monk demanded an improvement and needed a positive result.
On the first issue, this was a resounding failure; on the second, you have to wonder about the merits of a home draw against a side in the bottom three, even if Bournemouth are clearly capable of good football. But that is to be expected in the Premier League and right now there are serious questions over how Swansea, on this form, stand out in such company.
Those questions are being asked internally as much as from the outside, though it is understood the relationship between chairman Huw Jenkins and Monk is still healthy. That is not to say Monk is safe — even in the absence of employer friction, results are simply not good enough.
Swansea were 2-0 down here inside 26 minutes to goals from Josh King and Dan Gosling but levelled before half-time through Andre Ayew’s backheel and Jonjo Shelvey’s penalty.
It is another game without a win, making it only one victory in the past nine in the league with fixtures against Liverpool, Leicester and Manchester City to come.
The increasingly awkward situation was underlined by Swansea’s supporters booing their own team at times, with Monk admitting his players were affected by the negative atmosphere.
He said: ‘I thought they deserved tremendous credit for coming back under those circumstances.
‘They could have just capitulated.
‘It’s trying to help them get back to winning ways, give them confidence and that will be done by results.’
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, whose side had lost their previous four games for the loss of 13 goals, said: ‘It is a very frustrating result. Their goals are debatable and contentious decisions which I need to look at again.’