Lucky Swans with room to grow as old boss left frustrated
SWANSEA City continued their unbeaten start to the Championship season but they will be under no illusions as to the scale of the let-off they had here against Birmingham at St Andrew’s.
The hosts and ex-Swan Garry Monk will be wondering how on early they failed to emerge with all three points from a contest they absolutely dominated.
Had it not been for a fine performance from Erwin Mulder on his first Swansea start the Blues would have been over the hills and far away before half-time.
Countless chances were wasted, many of them presented on a plate by the visitors, and yet somehow Swansea remain unbeaten under Graham Potter.
While the point will be welcome – there rarely looked any real danger of it being three wins from three – this was a night to serve notice of the improvement Swansea need to show in the uglier sides of the game.
Having battled manfully against Preston, they were physically bullied here, particularly in midfield where Tom Carroll and Jay Fulton struggled terribly, as the Blues set about them and barely let up.
It was another reminder, not that one should be needed, of the absolute necessity of further additions to this squad to help Potter and his players.
There were those to emerge with credit on a tough night, Mulder, Mike van der Hoorn and Joe Rodon among them, but more depth is needed to give Swansea greater alternatives to handle the differing demands of the division they are back in for the first time in eight years.
Birmingham started strongly and they barely let up over an opening 45 minutes where Swansea could count themselves lucky not to be at least three goals down.
They were bullied by Monk’s belligerent Blues, gave the ball away on an alarmingly regular basis and looked utterly flimsy during certain passages of play.
Birmingham pressed, and Swansea’s errors only fed the home side’s enthusiasm, while Omar Bogle relished his first start since moving to the West Midlands on loan from Cardiff, causing all manner of problems.
The tone was set early on when Mulder kicked the ball out for Oli McBurnie to receive treatment, and Birmingham refused to give possession back.
Rodon made a good block from Bogle after Jota’s forward run, with the striker then firing wide after Carroll dawdled and was picked off in midfield.
The chances kept coming; Jacques Maghoma drove forward and saw his shot deflect wide via Connor Roberts before the hosts had the ball in the net after Mulder had punched a Harlee Dean header more up than out and seen it converted on the way down, but the flag was up for offside against Michael Morrison.
Carroll was again caught on the ball as Mulder saved from Lukas Jutkiewicz, with the Dutchman then getting down sharply to hold a low Jota shot.
Birmingham frustrations only grew as the overworked Mulder denied Dean again while Jutkiewicz missed arguably the best opportunity of the lot after Bersant Celina became the latest Swan to err in possession.
The striker turned in the area but somehow dragged his effort wide as the Swansea goal continued to live a charmed life.
It took 44 minutes for the visitors to craft a meaningful chance, with Barrie McKay and Roberts linking down the right with the latter’s deep cross finding Celina, only for the Kosovo international to slice the ball behind the orange shirts in support.
The half-time whistle was a mercy and the statistics were astonishing. Swansea had apparently had 68% possession – it certainly did not feel that way – while the hosts had 13 shots on goal to Swansea’s one, and five on target to zero for Potter’s men.
Surely the second half had to get better and Van der Hoorn did briefly threaten with a header from a Celina free-kick, but he was whistled for a foul on his marker.
Celina fired over as he cut inside but Swansea – now effectively playing a 4-4-2 with Joel Asoro pushed on with McBurnie and Celina moved wide – were still being comprehensively outmuscled and what ball they did have was rarely in areas that threatened to hurt their hosts.
Roberts made a superb far-post intervention as Maghoma bore down just before the hour mark during a spell where Swansea finally had some rare respite.
Potter sent on Dan James and Leroy Fer for Carroll and McKay – the former making his first league appearance for Swansea – and they had a few promising situations they failed to make the best of, including one where Celina, McBurnie and the young winger linked well on the edge of the box.
Birmingham responded as substitute Che Adams volleyed over, and Jutkiwicz forced Mulder into his latest save as Swansea emerged with a hard-earned point.