Fabulous Fabianski could be key if Gylfi
SWANSEA City produced a much-improved second half display to secure a 2-0 win over Harry Redknapp’s Birmingham City at St Andrew’s in their penultimate pre-season game.
Here are the key talking points from the match... Creativity lacking without Llorente and Sigurdsson, but Abraham and Ayew showed positive signs IT was known several hours before kick-off that Everton target Gylfi Sigurdsson was not going to feature in the game at Birmingham, while it was known weeks earlier that Fernando Llorente would be ruled out having injured his arm while cycling on a family holiday in Italy earlier this summer.
And the absence of Swansea’s dynamic duo told in the first half at St Andrew’s.
Tammy Abraham looked incredibly lively when he did get himself on the ball, but he was far too isolated at times, and didn’t get a sniff with regards to clear cut chances in the opening 45.
But Abraham and Jordan Ayew were far better after the break as the Swans enjoyed more joy on the left with Martin Olsson causing havoc, but without Sigurdsson and Llorente, the Swans will be heavily reliant on Ayew to give Abraham the support he needs.
Encouragingly, there were times in the second period that the pair looked to link-up brilliantly, although the opening half showed there could still be causes for concern. £11m already looks like a bargain for Roque Mesa THE Spaniard has already been winning the hearts of the Swansea faithful with his antics during pre-season having danced around on a spinning desk chair singing ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ during his initiation.
But on the pitch, Mesa is far from the man we’ve seen on social media.
The Spaniard brings a much needed aggression to the heart of Swansea’s midfield and gave Kyle Bartley and Mike van der Hoorn sufficient cover in the opening half and for the start of the second period before being withdrawn on 61 minutes.
His eagerness to get on the ball is contagious while he certainly has the snarling demeanour about him on the pitch to show he’s not one to shy out of a challenge.
But with slick passing and a quick change of pace among the tools in his expansive armoury, Mesa already looks like he has every chance of becoming a real favourite with the fans at the Liberty. Sigurdsson saga has to be resolved, and quickly WITH fewer than two weeks to go until the Swans get their Premier League campaign underway against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, Sigurdsson’s future is yet to be resolved.
The Swansea faithful haven’t seen him don the white shirt since he captained the side for the second half of their 1-0 defeat to Barnet.
And whether he stays or goes, the Swans simply have to find a solution as swiftly as possible, something that might prove difficult if Everton aren’t willing to meet their £50m asking price.
He was sorely missed in the opening half at Birmingham and will be of no use to the Swans if he continues to feel he is unable to play due to the speculation surrounding his future.
Clement feels assured that the Iceman will be fit and ready if called into action at SA1. But a decision needs to be made quickly, or else the Swans risk starting the season without their talisman, and with no signs of a new star man either if the club don’t have the time to bring in a sufficient replacement. Fabianski is still the main man THE Polish keeper had enjoyed an extended break having been away on international duty last month.
But his presence in between the sticks at St Andrew’s will have filled the back four with confidence.
Fabianski saved superbly when Cheikh Ndoye thumped a shot from 25 yards out towards goal in the first half and thwarted the Blues’ attackers on several occasions when those in-front of him weren’t on red alert.
Erwin Mulder has been drafted in to push Fabianski while Kristoffer Nordfeldt was given 30 minutes against Birmingham, but the ‘We’ve got a big Pole in our goal’ chant that was belted out by the away fans when the keeper denied Ndoye served to show that Fabianksi is undoubtedly the main man as far as the Swans are concerned. When the full-backs are on song, so are the Swans MARTIN Olsson left Wes Harding in acres of space on more than one occasion in the first half as Birming-