SWANS FAIL TO FIND THE RIGHT TRACK AT HAMMERS
AT a stadium once graced by the world’s greatest athletes, here was the chance for Swansea City to get their season up and running.
And yet all this visit to this former Olympic site provided was evidence that they are still stumbling – and it’s worrying.
Manager Paul Clement admitted he is concerned as he took in what had just happened at West Ham’s London Stadium, a defeat inflicted as Diafra Sakho stole in at the far post and snatched the wins in the 90th minute. And, you know what, he should be. Because it is not the fact that Swansea entered the bottom three with this fourth defeat from seven games that worries.
What should scare the living daylights out of any Swansea supporter was seeing their side seemingly clueless what to do when they reached the final third.
Clement called for a response after the poor performance at home to Watford last weekend.
And he delivered one of his own as he used a more attack-minded set-up to take on West Ham, nervy at their London Stadium.
And yet they didn’t look like scoring. Not once.
He got the response from players in as much the performance was improved. It might be something loss amid the hysteria – some of it over the top – that is likely to follow this latest loss, but there were elements of Swansea’s game to be positive about.
They controlled the game, the switched play better, they remained well organised, and they didn’t look overly troubled defensively. They looked like a side who are starting to find their feet.
But trouble West Ham? Not a chance.
And it’s not enough because, as it did here, it opens the door for defeats that are going to prove costly.
Andy Carroll had not been the problem he has perennially been to Swansea, even if he did turn one shot onto the post late on.
But then when West Ham substitute Arthur Masukau put in the kind of low driven cross that Swansea had failed to produce all afternoon, Sakho was on hand to deliver.
It was frustrating, not just because Sam Clucas – a late sub at left back – lost sight of Sakho, but because West Ham were woeful. In the first-half they were as poor as the atmosphere, the PA system quickly turning up the volume on the Foo Fighters at halftime to drown out the boos.
They didn’t fare much better in the second half as Swansea were comfortable – but comfortable without doing anything with the possession.
Or knowing what to do with it. This wasn’t about being unable to break down a stubborn West Ham, it was not having the ideas of the quality to ask any questions of a side who, quite frankly, were there for the taking.
The frontmen had poor service as time and again – Tom Carroll and Martin Olsson perhaps the most guilty – delivered shocking final balls.
But there were also balls into the right areas good enough for a striker to make more of. Everyone seemed waiting for others to pull it out of the bag, as the side did too often when Gylfi Sigurdsson was around.
The runs are not there, the movement not there – the chances are not there. It’s as if they run out of ideas when they get within sight of the penalty area.
It is worrying and Clement was right to admit it. The manager’s honesty does offer hope, that he is not blind to the fact that it has to improve.
How he manages it – bringing back wingers may be one way – is a difficult one to answer; if it was easy it would have been done by now.
But there is the feeling that there is enough in these players to be far better than they are showing.
The foundations are there but it is falling away badly in the final third.
All Joe Hart had to do was push away a long-range effort from Wilfried Bony in 90 minutes of action.
It undermined all the positive aspects of the display, even if it was still too slow and the returning Leon Britton unable to quite up the tempo of Swansea’s passing enough.
Bony, Tammy Abraham and Joradn Ayew need to tune in to each other more, though a good start from Bony as he went looking for the ball was ended as he felt a tight hamstring at half-time.
Renato Sanches is coming on and was more involved again, but he too was guilty of either the wrong options or the right options poorly executed. All need to be better.
The feeling is they can be better, but having still not got out of the blocks this season, they need to do so soon.
If not, Swansea City’s time in the Premier League will be for the high jump.