SWANS SHOW CHARACTER BUT WAIT FOR A WIN CONTINUES
SWANSEA CITY at least managed to answer a few critics at Goodison Park. What they couldn’t do was stop the questions over whether it will all be enough to stop this season ending in relegation.
In any other campaign, a point earned at Everton would be one worth celebrating. But, when the side are so desperate for a win, any win, it didn’t feel like that.
Because although this was far better, Swansea still ended the day by sinking to the bottom of the Premier League table.
It felt cruel, the sight of Seamus Coleman’s header looping its way over Lukasz Fabianski’s head in the 89th minute little short of sickening.
Because while this display had flaws – ones that were ultimately punished by that late Coleman leveller – it was nothing like the ones that had been so soft and shapeless at Stoke.
It had been a display unrecognisable to the one rightly labelled as pathetic by Alan Shearer. It had been one where collectively and individually players stood up and showed they are ready to fight. It had been one that answered plenty of criticism of this side – manager and players.
And yet it still wasn’t enough to bring the win.
You couldn’t help but feel that had Swansea managed to hang on to the lead then this could have been a turning point. Buoyed by a win no-one would have dared predict on the basis of recent weeks, there would have been a very different feel going into next week’s home clash with Crystal Palace.
As it is, the positives of the performance will subside by the time Saturday comes and there will be an air of do-or-die desperation to things by the time the Eagles fly into town.
It is down to Bradley to shield his players from that and make sure they do not pat themselves on the back for being better here, but build on the point and the elements of the performance that earned it.
It is down to the American to coax the confidence out of players and ensure Coleman’s late blow doesn’t eat away any further at the belief that had been so low you wondered where the next point would come from.
It is down to the manager to make sure the response to criticism isn’t restricted to this one performance but comes on in leaps and bounds in the coming weeks. Because then maybe Swansea will give themselves a chance of survival.
There is a temptation to suggest that if they repeat many aspects of this showing they will find their rewards. There was a fight where there had been little, Leroy Fer a shining example of how to dust off deserved criticism and respond in the right manner as he put himself about this challenge with the kind of hunger that the team will need.
There had been energy, sharpness and – at times – a far better defensive organisation that didn’t reek of relegation as it has done at times this year.
There had been a clear understand- ing of tactics too. Bradley surprised with sweeping changes, but his choice of two sitting midfielders and Gylfi Sigurdsson as a false nine and Modou Barrow running off him was the right call for a difficult away day.
Swansea were better on the ball at times too, far more crisp and confident with their passing at times during the first half which immediately eased fears that this was going to be a comfortable day for Ronald Koeman’s side.
If they had hope of a straight forward afternoon following their 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea before the international break, Swansea’s commitment and counter suggested otherwise, bringing about their 41st-minute opener.
Barrow flicked over his former captain Ashley Williams, Sigurdsson timed his run and tumbled under Phil Jagielka’s clumsiness to earn himself the penalty he calmly converted.
They rode their luck, they enjoyed Everton missing chances and owed much to a fine Lukasz Fabianski save from Yannick Bolasie, but that happens.
It was when they lost that confidence in the second half that Swansea’s problems reared their head. They stopped stringing the passes together, they started to defend to deep and – crucially – they failed to clear their lines.
Even then, after Sigurdsson had gone close to wrapping it up, it seemed as though Swansea had found their answer to that question of where this key win would come from.
It wasn’t to be. A half-hearted header away, a flurry of blue shirts in the box, a hopeful header from Coleman and the question of Swansea’s ability to find a way through their troubles remain.
On this evidence, they can find their solutions after at least answering some criticism. But as they stare up at 19 others in the Premier League, it still can’t be said with any real certainty.