SWANS ARE OUT-FOXED IN A STORM AT CHAMPS
THE deafening thunder rattled around the dark skies above the King Power Stadium. Hopefully, Swansea City could still hear the alarm bells ringing above the din after a performance that will worry anyone who witnessed it.
There might be the temptation from some to look at the scoreline or see the highlights of a bizarre end-toend finish in flood-causing conditions and think that Swansea were unlucky here.
Far from it. The only element of luck was this wasn’t the heavy beating Francesco Guidolin’s side deserved. The only fortune on show was that Leicester were not more clinical with the dominance of this match that looked like a carbon copy of the thumpings handed out by the Foxes to Swansea last season.
If Lukasz Fabianski had not saved a 56th minute Riyad Mahrez penalty after Jamie Vardy’s 32nd-minute opener and Wes Morgan’s goal from – naturally – a set-piece half an hour later, then it might well have been.
As it was, Leroy Fer’s header from Modou Barrow’s delivery 10 minutes from time set up a bit of Swansea hope of a point in the pouring rain. There were a few more crosses in the box, but lightning didn’t strike twice, at least not on the pitch.
Perhaps it was a good job. No-one should want to paper over the cracks of a Swansea display full of holes.
Thankfully here, after the farce of Guidolin claiming his side were unlucky here last year and that they had at least “warmed up well” and played well … “for seven minutes”, the Italian accepted his side were beaten by the better team.
He tried to claim that he had set his side out with tactics to try and stop Leicester getting it so easy this time around, but that they were unable to pull it off. In all honesty, it was difficult to see what those tactics were.
If there was worry over the lack of balance in the midfield against Hull, it was brutally exposed by Leicester who drove through the gaps in the centre of the park.
It would be easy to point all the blame at a defence currently buckling from shape under the merest hint of pressure – and in no way should they be exonerated from guilt here – but holding onto the ball is absolutely key against a Foxes team who make no attempt to disguise their ploy to counter at pace at every opportunity. Swansea saw so little of the ball no wonder they struggled to mount an attack of any real threat until Ki Sung-Yueng (Leon Britton didn’t even make the bench) was introduced with almost an hour gone.
Indeed, at one stage Swansea had 37% possession – and this against a Leicester team who are happy to play without it.
There is much debate about the value of possession in 2016/17, but when you are a team such as Swansea whose best days have been based on it, throwing it away is not going to do you any good.
Like against Hull, attempts at attacks relied worryingly heavily on someone sparking something. Barrow and Gylfi Sigurdsson tried – or at least until the latter was bizarrely substituted – but it was only in the latter stages did Barrow find some joy after Swansea had tightened up.
Fer had been guilty of watching blue shirts fly past him – and he wasn’t anywhere to be seen when, after Wayne Routledge gave up possession, Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater combined to set Vardy away for the type of goal that’s been seen many times here before – but found the legs to get on the end of Barrow’s cross and produce a good header to score at the near post.
They might have grabbed another, but they might have easily conceded at the other end as Leicester enjoyed themselves and Fabianski made the saves that mean at least he can sleep soundly.
Others might be in need in a bit of coffee this morning.
Indeed, Swansea need to wake up as a whole. The latest goal from the set-piece was not as bad as others, Morgan making the most of a loose ball after four heads challenged for the same corner, but the comedy defending was, as Leicester ran ragged, Amat losing his footing, swinging and up-ending Shinji Okazaki for the penalty Mahrez missed.
Of course, it mustn’t be forgotten that Leicester are the champions, retaining the vast majority of the team that deserved the title last term. On their day they can make it difficult for most sides and they were very much on form in this first hour.
Swansea cannot afford to be playing catch up. Certainly not when the next run of fixtures takes in Chelsea, Southampton, Manchester City and Liverpool before the next international break. Take the positives, for sure, and remember that there is quality in this team – but ignore the alarm bells at your peril.