Our series of 2015-16 Premier League mid-season reviews continues with a look at a Swansea City team fighting a relegation battle that no one expected five months ago.
The story so far
At the end of August, Swansea were sitting comfortably in a Champions League spot after four opening rounds. Some four months and 16 games later, the Wales-based club is only two points above the relegation zone. Winning 19 points out of 20 matches is a big drop comparing to last term’s eighth place and the highest point tally in club’s history.
The biggest achievement of 2015-16 is 2-1 victory against Manchester United at the Liberty, but there have been too many lows to make these count. Losses to Norwich and Watford have been quite disappointing, and there will be only one goal for the remainder of the season – staying up in the top-flight.
The squad seemed deeper than last season, with the additions of Andre Ayew and Eder, but the reality hit the team hard. Players were underperforming, especially Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ki Sung-yueng, and the squad’s depth was not as good as then manager Garry Monk thought. The January transfer window is a good opportunity to invest in a shaky lineup, and with proper the additions Swans will definitely have what it takes to retain Premier League status.
The manager
Garry Monk travelled from top to the bottom in much the same way as his squad did. After four rounds, when Swansea were thrilling and had played some great football, Monk was even mentioned as a possible successor of Roy Hodgson as a head coach of England’s national team. By the end of October, the 36-year-old was already under pressure as the results went downwards and early into December, chairman Huw Jenkins sacked the club’s former captain.
Alan Curtis was appointed as an interim manager while the board was searching for a replacement. Names of Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli and David Moyes were all mentioned in the media, but after a month of search, Jenkins appointed Curtis as a caretaker until the end of the season. Swansea did improve with the change, tiumphing over West Brom and recorded two goalless draws against West Ham and Crystal Palace.
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Standout player – Andre Ayew
The Ghanaian midfielder came to Swansea as a free agent and already turned himself into a leader of the team. Over 19 matches in the Premier League, Ayew scored six goals and added an assist to his tally, but most impressive has been his constant eagerness to pull his teammates forwards. He has been amazing in a team heavily underperforming, mostly playing as a right-winger. Yet, his movement on the pitch was more radiant, as he often helped the right-back defensively, either Angel Rangel or Kyle Naughton.
Aside from useful aerial strengths and very common defensive help he offers, Ayew could improve in his discipline of a winger. He has not been as attacking minded as he could be, and his tally of only 1.6 shots towards the opposition’s goal per match is not really the best. However, Ayew’s leadership skills could drive the team forward in a task of avoiding the relegation.
Second-half prediction
A lot will depend on the mentality of the squad. The quality is definitely there, especially when comparing Swans to Sunderland or Aston Villa. But, the changes are needed in the character of the team. Swansea do not score much and when they concede first, they are too often troubled to come back. Curtis’ appointment improved displays, but the Jacks need more goals, as their defensive work is very decent for a team four places up from the bottom – conceding only one goal more than second placed Leicester City, but scoring only one goal more than the rock-bottom Villa. Therefore, a good striker has to be a top priority in the January transfer window. If that happens, it will be very hard to see Swansea relegated to the Championship.
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