Highs and Lowe’s... how the signing of ace Jamal has been key for the Swans
JAMAL Lowe is no stranger to hardship having had to fight his way into professional football.
The attacker appeared destined for a career as a PE teacher when it looked for all the world to see that there was no light at the end of the tunnel en route to the top level of what was ultimately his biggest passion.
Lowe has overcome adversity to become an established Championship player, and one that currently boasts the joint-ninth best goal return for the 2020/21 campaign.
As it turns out, the 26-yearold’s debut season with Swansea City is a fitting microcosm of his football career as a whole.
A 10-game goalless run was emphatically brought to an end as Lowe fired twice against rivals Cardiff City – with that brace triggering a run of seven goals in as many games for the attacker.
However, an even more barren spell was to come.
After a cool finish in a 2-0 win at Barnsley, Lowe failed to bulge the net in any of his next 17 appearances for Swansea.
The lack of goals was made even worse as the rigours of what has been a gruelling Championship campaign physically took their toll on the frontman.
All the while, those working with the former Wigan Athletic man every day knew the magic would return at some point.
“We’ve been really pleased with Jamal’s contribution all season, with and without the ball,” said Steve Cooper.
“He’s played out of position for most of the season but has managed to get a decent return, but he’s still hungry for more.
“He got 17 goals at Portsmouth (2018/19 season) he was telling me. He’s a really good lad, and never once has he wavered from doing his job as best as he can, even when asked questions about scoring runs.
“At the moment he’s really motivated, he’s playing really well and let’s hope that can continue.”
Lowe turned in a barnstorming display against Millwall that
included two emphatic finishes as he once again ended a drought in rip-roaring fashion.
Such were his efforts against the Lions, the Jamaica international could have failed to add to his goal tally at The Den and still been pleased with his performance.
But that wouldn’t have done his encouragingly high standard justice.
Lowe’s strike against Reading last time out was his fifth goal in as many games for the Swans – who have just Derby County and Watford left to play before embarking on a play-off campaign for the second season running.
A recent switch to a 4-3-3 formation has allowed Lowe – who has been deployed as a striker for
the majority of the season - to operate in his preferred wing position.
And should he get the chance to play on the left flank with Andre Ayew on the opposite side and either Wayne Routledge or Liam Cullen in the middle, Cooper believes Swansea would boast an attack the likes of Barnsley, Bournemouth and Brentford will be very wary of.
When asked if he would prefer to play Lowe and Ayew out wide with an established number nine in the centre of a front three, Cooper responded: “For now, of course.
“We’ve put Wayne in there. Credit to him for not playing so much football, he’s not long back from an injury and then playing as many games as he did in such
a short period, it just shows how good a professional that he is. Particularly the Millwall game I thought he played really well.
“I think Andre and Jamal on either side with an equally strong number nine is a good thing. On their day they could be a really good threat.”
Plenty has been said about Swansea’s reliance on top scorer Ayew, although Lowe currently has 14 goals from open play this season compared to just 11 for the Ghanaian.
That’s not to say he’s enjoying a better season than Swansea’s vice-captain, but it’s become plainly obvious that the £800,000 Swansea paid Wigan for Lowe’s services last summer represents an absolute steal. Lowe, himself, has made sure of that.
CONOR Hourihane says he’s fully focused on helping Swansea City to play-off glory – and has refused to rule out an extended stay in south Wales.
Hourihane arrived from Villa Park on loan back in January and has made a solid contribution to Swansea’s efforts in securing a place in this season’s play-offs, chipping in with five goals and two assists.
Having found game-time at parent club Aston Villa hard to come by, the Irishman admits he’s delighted with how his stint in south Wales has panned out.
“I started the season with Aston Villa, not really playing as much as I would like,” he told talkSPORT.
“Coming into January, there was an opportunity to head out on loan and Swansea popped up.
“They were in a great position in the league. Now we’re heading into the play-offs. It’s very exciting.”
Hourihane knows exactly what it takes to come through the unpredictable, organised chaos of the play-offs, having been a part of the Villa side that triumphed over Derby County at Wembley back in 2019.
This is the second time in as many seasons that Swansea have earned themselves a place in the top six under boss Steve Cooper, and the 30-year-old is understandably full of praise for his boss.
“The gaffer [Cooper] has been first class. He’s a really good coach and really good with the detail,” he said.
“Most importantly for me, he’s a really good human being.
“He’s a good person to have a chat with and he connects with all the players, which is so important these days.
“He’s a really good guy and manager.”
All of the focus within the Swans camp is likely to be on the job at hand, but with Hourihane having just one year left on his current contract as Villa, there has already been speculation around his next move.
And he’s refused to rule out the possibility of extending his stay at the Liberty Stadium.
He added: “I’ve loved my time here, it’s been fantastic, it’s a great place to live.”