Swansea City

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Luke Williams says Swansea City must replicate their performances in wins against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town if they are to land a positive result at Portsmouth on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT).

The Swans head to Fratton Park on the back of successive wins but endured a frustrating afternoon the last time they faced Pompey.

Goals from Matt Ritchie and Josh Murphy looked set to earn last season's League One champions victory at the Swansea.com Stadium in late November.

But a Liam Cullen effort combined with Connor Ogilvie's own goal ensured Swansea claimed a point, and Williams knows his side cannot afford to be off their game against John Mousinho's strugglers.

"We know that it's going to be a very tough game," Williams told BBC Sport Wales.

"They were excellent when they played us here, they made it incredibly hard for us.

"They've had a really big result (beating Coventry 4-1) since we've played them, and they've shown that they can be a huge threat in the Championship.

"It's going to be a really tough atmosphere, we know that. We have to be ready for another really challenging game."

On his side's back-to-back victories after Christmas, Williams added: "The message is that we have to try to replicate this performance as closely as we can.

"If we can't win but we play in this way then we come away feeling positive like the next game is going to be a good one."

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Swansea City look like having to do without influential midfielder Goncalo Franco when they kick off 2025 at Portsmouth on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT).

Franco has impressed since joining Swansea from Portuguese side Moreirense in July, making 21 appearances for the Championship club.

He claimed his first Swansea goal in the win over Queens Park Rangers on 26 December and followed that up by scoring again against Luton Town three days later.

But Franco was forced off early in the second half of the Luton win after a collision with Mark McGuinness left him with damaged teeth and blood coming from his mouth.

As a result, the 24-year-old seems unlikely to be involved at Fratton Park, while he may also be a doubt for next Saturday's home game against West Bromwich Albion.

With Franco absent, Jay Fulton is favourite to win a recall against Pompey.

Fellow midfielder Joe Allen has not played since early December because of a hamstring problem, while Ollie Cooper has been out for a couple of months because of a stress fracture in his foot.

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Luke Williams says the January transfer window will only be important to Swansea City if they bring in players that "raise the bar".

The Swans are hoping to be active to bolster their chances of challenging for a top six place in the Championship.

But head coach Williams says the Swans can ill afford to sign new recruits in the winter market if they do not improve the squad.

"It will be important if we bring players that can raise the bar," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"If not then it's not going to be as important, it's as simple as that.

"We have to try and bring players in that have a superior quality to offer us, or we don't bring the players in.

"I don't think we want to panic and try to bring somebody in just because we feel like we have to.

"We need to try and raise the bar all the time and see if we can make this group as strong as possible."

While eager to improve his squad, Williams admits Swansea's financial situation combined with the league's spending rules mean the club will have to operate in a cautious manner.

But the head coach is confident that Swansea have a lot to offer potential new signings.

"I think everyone is ambitious now at the club in that way," added the Swans boss.

"There are challenges of course because we all know how the league is structured.

"Financially we have to operate within our means, which is fine, but then we have to try and offer players something that's exciting for them, something that they can buy into.

"If we're just competing with the rest of the division on pure finances, it's more difficult.

"We're thinking of ways to attract players here that they can buy into, and in this way we can attract a really good player I'm sure."

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Swansea City's victory over Luton Town on Sunday was notable because it was the first time they have come back to win a game under Luke Williams.

The last time Swansea triumphed having fallen behind was in October 2023, when Luke Cundle scored early on for Plymouth Argyle only for second-half goals from Jerry Yates, Ollie Cooper and Josh Key to give Michael Duff's Swans side a 3-1 success at Home Park.

Myles Peart-Harris' last-gasp header saw Williams' Swansea claim three points against Luton after Goncalo Franco had cancelled out an early Carlton Morris goal which had come courtesy of an error from Lawrence Vigouroux.

The former Leyton Orient goalkeeper has made a big impact at Swansea since joining from Burnley in the summer, thanks in no small part to his quality with the ball at his feet.

But Vigouroux's mishit clearance gifted the opener to Morris, and he had also been at fault for Hull City's winner against Swansea just before Christmas.

Not surprisingly, however, Williams was quick to defend his keeper after the Hatters win.

"It would be irresponsible of me to expect him to do what he does for us and think that he is never going to make some errors," the Swansea head coach said.

"Of course there's a balance to that, but at this point I am more than happy with the contribution he makes to the team, the way he keeps the ball out of the net and the way he helps us to try to score goals with his distribution."

While he acknowledged the feeling may have been different had Peart-Harris not headed home in stoppage time, Williams said Vigouroux's mistake brought with it some positives.

"It was a brilliant opportunity for the group to show how much they respect him because they responded and also for him to recover from it, so we actually took a lot from it," Williams added.

"I don't expect him to make too many more errors because it is out of character already and I think he is improving as the season goes on."

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Luke Williams says Goncalo Franco was in tears as he left the field against Luton Town because he did not want to come off.

Midfielder Franco scored his second goal in as many games to help Swansea come from 1-0 down to beat the Hatters 2-1.

But the 24-year-old was forced off early in the second half – and then taken to hospital - after a collision with Luton defender Mark McGuinness which left blood pouring from his mouth.

After receiving treatment, Franco tried briefly to play on before coming off looking distraught.

"He was in tears because he wanted to play," said Swansea head coach Williams.

"But he has four teeth in a completely different position to where they were when the game kicked off.

"The guy is a monster. He is not crying because his teeth have been rearranged, he is crying because he wants to carry on playing.

"I know when he comes off he is worried it is going to keep him sidelined longer than he wants. That's the only reason he is in tears."

Williams said Franco was "desperate to stay on" but ended up making way for Jay Fulton because he was "dizzy and he couldn't close his mouth properly".

Williams added that despite Franco's injuries, ex-Cardiff defender McGuinness had not done anything wrong.

"I think the player (McGuinness) tried to protect himself and he is a big powerful athlete," he said.

"He caught Goncalo right in the face but I don't think there's any malice."

Williams said he does not know yet whether Franco will face a spell on the sidelines, with Swansea back in action at Portsmouth on New Year's Day.

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Luke Williams says his first year as Swansea City head coach has been a "whirlwind" as he targets a play-off push in 2025.

Williams joined the Swans from Notts County on 5 January following the departure of Michael Duff a month earlier.

He steered the club to safety in the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign - with Swansea sitting 10th at the midway stage of the current Championship season.

And the 43-year-old believes focusing on performance will go a long way to ensuring Swansea can challenge for a top six spot.

"It's been a real whirlwind. I'm incredibly proud to be the head coach of this club, I love this club," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"It's wonderful, but it's incredibly challenging as well.

"We're out there playing to try and win as many games as we can. I think we know that we have to concentrate on performing in the correct way."

The Swans sign off the calendar year against Luton Town in south Wales on Sunday afternoon (15:00 GMT kick-off).

Matt Grimes finished off a fine corner routine to earn Swansea a point in their most recent meeting with the Hatters at Kenilworth Road on 7 December.

Assistant coach and former caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan plays a key role in Swansea's set-piece preparation, and before the return fixture with Luton, Williams praised the Irishman for his work on the training ground.

"Honestly it's a joy to watch," added Williams.

"I see Alan go through the routines with the players on the training pitch and it's really exciting.

"You can see if it's slightly wrong, he'll do it again and he corrects the details.

"He can see everything when it's potentially not quite right and it's a work of art.

"When you see it come off in a game, it's a special feeling."

Swansea City welcome Luton Town to south Wales on Sunday.

The points were split at Kenilworth Road earlier this month and both sides have had mixed results since then, with the Swans most recently turning up for a big win over QPR on Boxing Day to take hold of 10th in the table.

Meanwhile, the Hatters slipped to 18th after failing to find a way past Bristol City last time out.

• Swansea City are winless in their last five league games against Luton Town (D2 L3) since a 1-0 win in March 2021.

• Luton have won their last two away league matches against Swansea – indeed, they are looking to win three in a row for the first time.

• Swansea City have lost their final league game of the year in just one of the last seven years (W2 D4), losing 4-1 to Nottingham Forest in 2021.

• Luton Town lost their final league game last year against Chelsea in the Premier League, last suffering defeat in their final game in back-to-back years in 1988 and 1989, the latter of which was also against Chelsea.

• Luton have won their last four away league matches in Wales, their longest ever winning run in Wales in their Football League history.

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Luke Williams is optimistic that Harry Darling will follow Ben Cabango's lead by signing a new contract at Swansea City.

Wales international Cabango, 24, ended speculation over his future by agreeing a deal running until 2028 on Christmas Eve.

But as it stands, Cabango's centre-back partner Darling, 25, will be a free agent at the end of this season.

Asked about the chances of Darling agreeing a new contract in the wake of Cabango, Williams said: "I am very hopeful.

"If a top player [like Cabango] in a really good position with a lot of options, playing for the national team, commits to the club, I think if I was Harry it would make me think 'OK, we could be on to something and maybe I'm going to have a really good partnership with a player alongside me'.

"Hopefully that gives him an added incentive to sign."

Cabango and Darling have been two of Swansea's most consistent performers, starting every league game together at the heart of Williams' defence.

There had been concerns that both players would be lured away on free transfers come next summer, meaning Cabango's decision to recommit to the club where he came through the ranks represents a major boost.

"When Ben signed I felt like shouting 'he's been', like the little ones shout on Christmas morning," Williams added with a smile.

"You could see he played [in Wednesday's win over Queens Park Rangers] with a clear mind, at his very best.

"That was a top performance from him, like we have become used to."

Cabango and Darling will again be alongside each other in defence when Swansea look to build on the QPR win in Sunday's home game against Luton Town.

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Iwan Roberts says Swansea City's performance and result against Queens Park Rangers was just the reaction head coach Luke Williams needed from his players following defeats to Sunderland and Hull City.

The Swans defeated the London side 3-0 thanks to a brace from Liam Cullen along with an effort from summer signing Goncalo Franco.

And ex-Wales forward Roberts believes Sunday's home fixture against Luton Town provides the Swans with another great opportunity to end 2024 on a high note.

"It's exactly the reaction Luke Williams was looking for after that terrible result at Hull," he told BBC Radio Cymru Dros Frecwast.

"Liam Cullen, four in four for him, six goals in his last eight games.

"Swansea, they're 10th after that win and it's their first clean sheet in nine games.

"They welcome Luton on Sunday, and they've lost their last eight away games, so it's a great chance for Luke Williams' team to win back-to-back games at the Swansea.com Stadium."

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Former Swansea City defender John Moore has died at the age of 79.

Liverpool-born Moore was a product of Everton's academy and had spells with Stoke City and Shrewsbury Town before joining the Swans in 1973.

He made 31 league appearances during a two-year spell with the club before retiring due to a knee injury.

A Swansea statement read: "Everyone at Swansea City sends their sincerest condolences to John's friends and family at this sad time."

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Luke Williams believes Liam Cullen's Wales breakthrough has been key to his spectacular run of form for Swansea City.

Cullen struck twice as Swansea returned to form with a 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.

It is now six goals in eight Swansea appearances for Cullen since he scored his first competitive goals for Wales with a double in the win over Iceland in November.

Swansea head coach Williams says the faith shown in Cullen by Wales boss Craig Bellamy has shifted the Pembrokeshire-born forward's mindset.

"He is an overnight success who was 10 years in the making, as they say," Williams said.

"Definitely if you talk about a catalyst, it was having the backing of Craig Bellamy, who everybody respects because he was a top, top player and he's a top guy.

"When that's the guy giving you an opportunity in the national team, it means even more. Then when you go out there and realise your potential and score two goals and play great, then you come away feeling incredible, I'm sure."

Cullen signed a Swansea contract extension running until 2028 in October, only a matter of months after the club had opted to trigger a one-year option in his previous agreement rather than handing out a new long-term deal.

The new contract – when it eventually came - was a reflection of Cullen's growing influence at Swansea, yet the 25-year-old has since produced the best run of form in his career.

"I hope he's getting a lot of plaudits because he earned them, and I have seen a lot of his journey," Williams added.

"Now he's in a really good place and I hope he is there for a really long time."

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Luke Williams reckons Queens Park Rangers may now be showing their true colours having pulled clear of the Championship relegation scrap thanks to a seven-game unbeaten run.

Rangers looked to be in for an arduous campaign as they won only one of their first 16 league matches in 2024-25, with pressure on boss Marti Cifuentes.

But the London club visit Swansea on 26 December (15:00 GMT) buoyed by a spectacular turnaround in form which has seen them take 15 points from their last seven league outings.

Victory in Swansea would see the Hoops, who are up to 14th in the table, climb above their hosts and potentially into the top half as both sides reach the halfway point in the Championship campaign.

"This could be an example of a team who have been in a false position and the second half of the season will be in reverse for them," said Swansea head coach Williams.

"We have to make sure we prepare correctly because it's almost a unique fixture in the calendar because of the festivities and the change in people's routines.

"It's going to be a really difficult game because they are in a very, very different place to where they have been."

While Rangers are enjoying their best run of the season, they may have to do without influential defender Steve Cook after the former Bournemouth player came off during last Saturday's 2-1 win over Preston North End.

Swansea are likely to have the same squad as they did for their miserable defeat at Hull City last weekend.

There are only two points between Swansea City and QPR going into Thursday's game, the Swans sitting in 11th and the Hoops 14th.

Swansea have won just one game in their past five and are level on points with Bristol City.

QPR are seven points above the relegation zone and have found some decent form as of late with three wins and two draws in their past five games.

• Swansea City have won one of their last seven league games against QPR (D3 L3), a 1-0 home win in the 2022-23 season.

• QPR have won three of their last four away league matches against Swansea (L1), winning all three by a 1-0 scoreline in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2023-24.

• Swansea City have lost five of their last six league games on Boxing Day, but the other game was a 2-0 win over QPR in 2020.

• QPR have won one of their last 10 league matches on Boxing Day (D2 L7), failing to score in each of their last four since a 3-0 win over Ipswich in 2018.

• Queens Park Rangers are winless in their last 22 away games on Boxing Day (D7 L15) since Alec Stock led them to a 1-0 win over Plymouth in 1967.

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Luke Williams will spend Christmas trying to ensure Swansea City "make a better performance" against Queens Park Rangers after their dismal defeat at Hull City.

Swansea produced their poorest display of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by a Tigers side who had gone 13 games without victory.

Williams' team return to action against QPR on 26 December, before another home game against Luton Town three days later.

After the misery of Hull – which came a week after a painful defeat to Sunderland – Swansea are in need of an upturn in performance levels as they take on an in-form Rangers side.

"If you think as a head coach that your team is never going to lose a couple of games, you are in the wrong industry," Williams said.

"I have to continue to try to get to the bottom of the weak performance [at Hull] and try to prepare for the next game. We will try to make a better performance in that one.

"We have to prepare the best we can and I need to try to select the right line-up to go into that game."

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Swansea have been jolted by their past two results as they had been in good form.

The Welsh club were unbeaten in four games before losing at home to Sunderland despite taking a 2-0 lead.

Having been criticised over their mentality after that defeat, Swansea never looked like bouncing back at Hull, where they were outperformed throughout.

The Swans will train on Christmas day - which was the plan regardless of Hull - with Williams saying he and his players must try to deliver for their supporters against QPR.

"We need to make sure we are good entertainment at Christmas time for families who love their football club," he said.

"We are the entertainment and that's a privilege. We will try to fit in family time, but we have to remember our responsibility to bring Christmas cheer to all Swans."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Swansea City will be in the top half of the Championship table at Christmas despite a pair of defeats which have dampened festive spirits.

Still, had they been offered 12th place after 22 games before a ball was kicked in 2024-25, Swansea would have been fairly pleased.

Last season, after all, was an arduous one, while the summer transfer window saw Swansea looking for rough diamonds rather than polished gems.

The playing squad remains a work in progress, with more business required when the market reopens next month.

Yet progress has been made this season, with Swansea looking a more solid Championship outfit than they did at any point during the traumatic 2023-24 campaign.

Luke Williams' team have their issues, but they have been consistently competitive.

As a result, Saturday's abject display at Hull City came as a shock to the system.

Swansea had been left licking wounds after the previous weekend's demoralising defeat to Sunderland, when they led early on 2-0 but came away with nothing after collapsing in the second half.

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Head coach Williams responded by questioning his players' mentality, not holding back as he claimed their performance "stank of doubt".

Williams' hope, presumably, was that his players would produce a response of their own at Hull, who were bottom of the table and had not won in 13 games before Swansea's visit to Humberside.

Instead, Swansea delivered their worst performance of the season.

There was a lack of energy, a lack of urgency and a lack of quality, with even Swansea's most consistent performers slipping well short of their usual standards.

The result was a richly deserved victory for the Tigers – and another post-match interview in which Williams was simmering.

And so to successive home games, against a much-improved Queens Park Rangers on 26 December and Luton Town three days later.

Both fixtures may be considered winnable, but Swansea can expect nothing from either if they perform as they did at Hull.