WHAT WE LEARNED FROM STALEMATE AT THE LIBERTY
Olsson highlights his value once again There was a sigh of relief around SA1 when Paul Clement confirmed that Martin Olsson had recovered from an ankle injury in time to feature in this crunch relegation clash, and the Sweden international showed just why.
The left-back was purposeful from the off and he provided a regular attacking threat down the Swansea flanks, giving Antonio Barragan all sorts of bother as he marauded up and down his flank.
The former Norwich man did his defensive duties too and he has rapidly become a key part of Swansea’s gameplan under Clement. His was a signing many questioned, but he has consistently been one of the club’s best performers.
Narsingh takes his chance While Olsson has been a regular starter since his arrival. Luciano Narsingh’s involvement has been fleeting. There have been several substitute appearances, but this was just a second start for the Dutchman.
His fitness and defensive work is still a work in progress but his pace and ability to beat a man adds something to Swansea’s play, of that there is no doubt.
Fabio never looked comfortable up against him and Narsingh showed he is not just a speed merchant by taking up some intelligent positions infield.
Given none of Swansea’s wide options have had anything more than middling seasons, surely it is time to see more of the former PSV man.
Madley loses control This was always going to be a tense game. And in tense games, tempers can flare and frustrations can boil over. So what you need in that situation is a referee that doesn’t inflame the situation with a series of confusing decisions and inconsistencies. What this match got was Bobby Madley. There were no massive talking points or major call that the West Yorkshire official got wrong, but strange calls – such as the drop-ball situation that Barragan refused to give the ball back and ventured forward – only saw frustrations increase and fouls increase.
There were no huge decisions to make, although he could easily have sent off Rudy Gestede for a high challenge on Tom Carroll.
Makelele makes his point Claude Makelele’s presence on the Swansea coaching staff made plenty of headlines and has earned plenty of praise from players.
Yet the Chelsea and France icon has not looked for the spotlight when it comes to games, rarely leaving the dugout as Clement orchestrates and orders from the touchline.
It said everything about the stakes at play that Makelele was out of his seat, animatedly urging more from Jordan Ayew and Luciano Narsingh. He was demanding Ayew was more aggressive in shaking off the attention of Boro’s centre-backs while he gave Narsingh no doubt that he expected more from his threat. That the quiet man was so obviously asking for more showed what this game meant to all.
Clement elects to stick rather than twist at key moment In a game that Swansea simply needed to win – certainly if they were going to have any advantage going into this final fight for safety – Swansea knocked on the Middlesbrough door time and time again.
But the fact was that Victor Valdes wasn’t made to work overly hard for his clean sheet, save for a long-range stop from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Cross after cross went in and while Jordan Ayew did try his best to make things happen, he wasn’t the man Swansea needed. Though the second-half offered a little more hope as Swansea aimed for sharp, incisive passing to get through, it never came.
And yet there was no change from Paul Clement. Though young, you wonder whether Oli McBurnie – up against relatively young centre-backs – would have made a difference with the deliveries coming in. Or would Borja finally repay a fraction of his £15m move? Or even Jefferson Montero providing just a little spark that might have proven the difference.
We will never know as Clement strangely kept faith, a faith that was not repaid as Swansea remained locked out and having to settle for a point that offers no great comfort for the battle ahead.