Luke Williams: Head coach urges Swansea City to 'play properly' after Middlesbrough loss
- Published
Defeat at Middlesbrough means Swansea have won just two of their last 11 away league matches
Luke Williams says Swansea City need to "play properly" and "realise the position they are in" after defeat at Middlesbrough.
Swansea are only five points above the Championship relegation zone following a 2-0 loss at the Riverside.
The Swans have won only one of their last six games and Williams was unhappy with their display against Boro.
"There is not much good that we can take away from that today," Swansea's head coach told BBC Sport Wales.
With 47 points, Swansea still have a five-point cushion between themselves and the drop zone, but Williams wants to see the club secure their survival as quickly as possible.
The Welsh side host 18th-placed Stoke City on Wednesday before Rotherham United, who were relegated on Friday night, visit the Swansea.com Stadium next weekend.
"Getting to the 50-point mark would be a really clever thing to do, get the job done and get it done properly and have a good feeling towards the end of the season," Wiliams said.
"The players aren't stupid so they must know, they must realise the position."
Williams felt Swansea's performance on Teesside let down the club's travelling supporters.
"It felt like an end-of-season match with nothing on it and I can't be involved in that," he added.
"It would be different if no-one came to watch, if the fans said 'we just won't turn up' then I suppose the players could play like that if they really wish, but you have a responsibility because people came to watch, a lot of people came to watch and a lot of them came from a long way away.
"You have a responsibility. It doesn't have to be a spectacular performance but it needs certain elements to the performance to show they (the fans) are being respected.
"Maybe the players don't realise the importance of this fixture and applying yourself to the maximum in every moment of the game.
"I have to convince them of that. I have to convince them that every single time we go on the pitch we have to play properly.
"We can get beaten, we can get beaten by a great team or something like that, or because you are unlucky on the day or whatever, but you cannot beat yourself in that way.
"If there is some anxiety and some tension then they have to get rid of that and play football properly."
'We did everything possible badly'
Two goals from Emmanuel Latte Lath proved the difference for Middlesbrough and Williams was especially displeased with the defending for the opening goal.
"It is not frustration, it is pure disappointment in the performance and then of course the result is terrible for us," he said.
"The first goal, everything possible that you could think to have done badly, we did.
"A ball in the box and no-one is anywhere near it, then we have a shot from a defender and a save from the goalkeeper and then we watch a player just dribbling around in the box and roll it in the corner with no pace at all.
"Pretty much every single thing you can do badly, we did there."
Swansea fans, have your say on the Middlesbrough performance here.