Swansea City

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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.

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Luke Williams felt "dreadful" for Swansea City's travelling fans after his team slumped to a miserable 2-1 defeat at Hull City.

Swansea produced arguably their worst performance of the season as they were well beaten by a Tigers side who climbed off the foot of the Championship courtesy of their first win in 14 matches.

The Swans never really got going at the MKM Stadium, with a mixture of lethargy and a lack of quality costing them dear against the hosts who might have won more convincingly.

When asked about the supporters who made the long pre-Christmas trek to Humberside, Williams said: "The performance wasn't one that they could feel proud of. I feel dreadful about that, as you can probably tell.

"We have to do a far better job in the future and try to show them how much their efforts mean to us."

Williams was left simmering over Swansea's mentality after they lost at home to Sunderland last weekend having led 2-0 against the Black Cats.

But a positive response to that display never looked likely at Hull, where Swansea started poorly and never got going, even after Harry Darling's fine header late in the first half cancelled out Joao Pedro's deflected opener.

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Though Swansea hit the post through Ben Cabango after the break, Hull – who twice hit the woodwork themselves – deservedly triumphed after Mason Burstow capitalised on Lawrence Vigouroux's error to score the winner.

"I don't think there have been too many games where we have played terribly, I really don't," said Williams, whose frustration was obvious for the second weekend in row.

"I think for the most part we have played pretty well. But today wasn't a good day for us and we got the result that matched our performance."

Williams agreed with the suggestion that Swansea's mentality could again be questioned after such a poor display.

"I think we worked pretty hard," he added. "There's not bundles in the game when you look at it from a numbers point of view - there's not a huge amount between the teams.

"But certainly it didn't look like us at our best, far from it. We have seen the group play far better than that."

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Luke Williams says Swansea City's festive fixture list gives his players a chance to prove they can cope with the weight of expectation.

Swansea kick off a run of five Championship games in a fortnight when they go to bottom-club Hull City on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

They then face three more sides who are in the lower half of the table, with home games against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town followed by a trip to Portsmouth on New Year's Day.

While 10th-placed Swansea have struggled against the second tier's top clubs this season, they have a fine record against the sides currently below them in the table.

And Williams says his team are faced with a "massive opportunity" to maintain that form.

"Now we have a chance to have a look at these players - who we love because they have a swan on their chest - and see how they cope with expectation," said the Swansea head coach.

"It's an opportunity to try to perform in a way that has been successful for us against the teams below us. Let's see if we can be consistent with our performances.

"That's going to come from individuals and as a group. Can they perform the same way, or do they start to feel pressure?"

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Williams has backed his players to respond after he was critical of their mentality following last weekend's 3-2 defeat by Sunderland.

Swansea had been unbeaten in four games before crumbling against the Black Cats, who came back to triumph after going 2-0 down early on.

Williams' team now take on a Hull side who have slipped to the foot of the table having failed to win in 13 matches.

The Tigers have taken one point from two games under Ruben Selles, who left Reading to take over at the MKM Stadium a fortnight ago following the sacking of Tim Walter.

Williams says Hull will be playing with a "different mindset" as a result of Selles' arrival

"We don't expect anything easy," he said.

"We expect a group with new energy and new ideas. It's difficult to analyse them because things are changing already.

"But we should go there feeling we are confident enough to give them a really tough game."

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Josh Tymon heads home to Hull this weekend believing there is more to come from him at Swansea City this season.

Tymon has featured in every Swansea game in 2024-25 bar the win over Watford in early November, when he was missing through suspension.

The left-back has nailed down a regular place under Luke Williams – but wants to bring more to the Swansea side as the campaign goes on, beginning with Saturday's Championship game against the Tigers.

Tymon described his form this season as a "bit of a mixed bag", adding: "I haven't really been at my best at times. Some games I've looked my best and then dipped off.

"One of my biggest strengths is to put good quality into the box for our forward players and, at times this season, it has not been there.

"I am always working on my defensive stuff which has got a lot better since last season. But I have to keep on working."

Tymon, 25, arrived at Swansea from Stoke City in the summer of 2023, six years after joining the Potters from Hull City.

Born and raised in Hull, Tymon signed for his local club at the age of 12 and made his senior Tigers debut when aged just 16.

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He made 14 appearances for Hull - including five in the Premier League - before leaving for Stoke, and says a trip back to Humberside is always a special game.

"It's the place where I was born and a lot of my family still are now," he said.

"I spent a long time at the club, right through the academy to being the lucky one to make my debut there.

"I always look for this fixture when it comes around, more so because of how many tickets I will have to find."

Tymon has he enjoyed his returns to Hull, having won there twice with Stoke and again with Swansea last season.

"As players going back to get former clubs, you get some sort of abuse," he said.

"That's part of football. You can either fold or you can embrace it.

"Luckily for me I have been on winning sides every time I have been back there, so it's a nice feeling. I want to see Hull doing well but obviously when I am playing them, I want to do the best for my team."

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Luke Williams says he held a "very positive" meeting with Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen after two of the key figures in Swansea City's takeover visited the Championship club.

Alongside club chairman and fellow American businessman Andy Coleman, Cravatt and Cohen hold a 77.41% stake in Swansea following last month's change of ownership.

Cravatt (pictured above, centre) and Cohen attended last weekend's game against Sunderland along with another American, Keith English (pictured above, right), who is thought to be a minor investor.

"Three of them came to visit us at the training ground and came to the game," said Swansea head coach Williams.

"I have met Brett before but with Keith and Jason it was the first time. It was good to meet them. They had lots of energy and are very astute guys who have been very successful. It was very positive."

Coleman said last month that the "momentous" ownership change at Swansea would see more than £20m brought into the club.

Cohen, a business associate of Cravatt, joined the Swansea board along with three further American investors - Tyler Morse, George Popstefanov and Chris Sznewajs.

The takeover brought an end to Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan's eight-year spell as Swansea's majority owners.

Williams has reiterated that he is optimstic about the club's future prospects under the new regime.

"We had a chance to sit down and have more of a chat," he added.

"There was a lot of energy and a lot of excitement about the club. That's really good, to meet people who seem to be genuinely engaged, people who have been successful and who know the challenges that come with that."

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Swansea City duo Sam Parker and Josh Ginnelly are edging closer to long-awaited comebacks from injury, but Kristian Pedersen faces a spell on the sidelines after undergoing hamstring surgery.

Academy product Parker, 18, has not played since January due to hamstring issues while fellow wide player Ginnelly, 27, has been out since September 2023 thanks to a ruptured Achilles.

But both players have played some part in full team training this week.

"I would say we need weeks of training and to be very careful, but it's good progress. That's positive," said Swansea head coach Luke Williams.

Goalkeeper Andy Fisher is now fully fit having recovered from a groin injury in pre-season, though Williams has suggested the former MK Dons player will initially be third choice behind Lawrence Vigouroux and Jon McLaughlin, whose short-term deal with the Championship club expires next month.

Pedersen, meanwhile, is unavailable as his frustrating spell at Swansea continues.

The 30-year-old former Birmingham City defender has made only seven appearances for the Welsh club since joining in the summer of 2023, having had a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in the second half of last season.

"He had surgery a while back and is now rehabilitating," Williams said. "He certainly won't be available for the foreseeable [future]. He needs recovery time."

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Luke Williams reckons former Swansea City boss Russell Martin will manage in the Premier League again despite his sacking by Southampton.

Martin was dismissed after last weekend's thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur, which left the Saints bottom of the top flight – and nine points adrift of safety - having won only one league game all season.

Martin left Swansea in June 2023 to take charge at Southampton, and led the club to promotion from the Championship in his one full season in charge courtesy of play-off final victory over Leeds United.

And though Martin's team struggled in the Premier League, Williams reckons his old boss at Swansea and MK Dons deserves credit for his contribution across 18 months at Southampton.

"He did an incredible job, one because they were promoted and two the style they did it in," said the Swansea head coach.

"But [the Premier League] is something out of this world and you have to be so well-equipped to be able to cope.

"I know in this city no-one doubts the credentials of Russell, his ability to manage and get a team to perform. Nobody in this city will ever doubt that. I hope nobody in that city (Southampton) will ever doubt that, the people who watched the quality of that team week in, week out."

Last season's promotion was Martin's first as a coach, with the former Scotland defender turning Southampton around following relegation in 2022-23.

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Yet they are now staring at a return to the Championship after 13 defeats in 16 league games this season.

Martin has faced heavy criticism over his footballing philosophy, with his possession-based style seen as a key factor behind Southampton's defensive frailties.

"The head coach's style of play will always be criticised if you don't take enough points," said Williams, who left Martin's Swansea coaching staff in February 2022.

"That's part of what we do - we accept it. Sometimes we are able to address the problems and get our team back on track, other times the level of the opposition is too much and we can't do that.

"But that shouldn't be how he is judged. I think if he is judged over a longer period, which is much more fair, then people will respect the job he has done."

On Martin's future, Williams added: "I am sure he is going to be a Premier League manager again in the future.

"Russ has been in the game his whole adult life. He is resilient and I am sure he is going to make a fantastic manager again in the near future, if he wants to."

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Swansea City will find a familiar face to welcome them at the MKM Stadium when they travel to play Hull City in Saturday's early Championship game, which kicks off at 12:30 GMT.

Former winger Jason Price played for both clubs during his career and the now 47-year-old will be part of the Tigers' match hospitality for the game.

The Aberdare native took his first steps as a professional with the Swans as a 17-year-old, signing with them in July 1995 from amateur side Aberaman where he had been playing after being released by Cardiff City.

Price made 177 appearances - scoring 20 goals - in six years at the club, earning his place in club folklore for his part in their 1999-2000 old Third Division title-winning campaign under John Hollins.

Swansea needed just a draw on the final day at Rotherham to clinch the title, with Price winning the penalty that Matthew Bound converted in a 1-1 draw.

Sadly, the game will also be remembered for the death of Swansea fan Terry Coles who was trampled by a police horse.

Price also has a warm place in the hearts of Hull fans, joining them in July 2003 after spells at Brentford and Tranmere Rovers, playing a key role in a double promotion with the Tigers that took them from the fourth tier to the second tier.

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Wrexham have been drawn at home against Swansea City in the semi-finals of the Genero Adran Trophy.

In the other side of the draw, The New Saints will host Briton Ferry Llansawel - like Wrexham debutants at this stage - with both ties set to be played on Sunday, 12 January.

The Red Dragons booked a place in the final four of the competition for the first time by beating Barry Town United 3-1 at Jenner Park.

Swansea, last season's beaten finalists, sauntered through to the semi-finals by beating second tier Cascade 5-0.

Wrexham and Swansea last met at the Stok Racecourse back in September in the Adran Premier, with Katie Sharp's own goal ultimately proving the difference as the visitors won 3-2 despite a late Wrexham goal from Rosie Hughes.

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Luke Williams could not hide his disappointment and frustration with Swansea City's struggles against Sunderland as his side once again fell short against a promotion contender.

Saturday's 3-2 defeat by the Black Cats means the Swans have lost to each of the Championship's current top six (Sheffield United, Leeds United, Burnley, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough) so far this season.

And having suffered yet more pain against a side with aspirations of reaching the Premier League, Williams will perhaps be hoping for a better outcome when his side take on a team at the opposite end of the table next time out.

Swansea travel to bottom side Hull City on Saturday (12:30 GMT kick-off) looking to extend the Tigers' wretched run.

Hull have won just three of their 21 league matches so far this season and are without a win in 13 Championship outings.

It led to Tim Walter losing his job earlier this month, although they have collected just one point from a possible nine since Ruben Selles was appointed as head coach on 6 December.

With just two matches to be played before the halfway point of the league campaign, Hull have recorded the fewest home wins (one) of any side in the Championship so far this term.

Their total of eight points gained at the MKM Stadium is the worst home return of the 24 sides in the division while only West Bromwich Albion have scored fewer than Hull's tally of nine goals at home in the league this season.

As for the Swans, they have not lost to a side currently below 13th in the Championship this season, and Williams knows that is a record that must continue against Hull if his side are to prove they can push towards the play-off places again.

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Chris Mepham hailed Wales team-mate Liam Cullen as a "lovely technician" after the striker scored a sublime free-kick during Swansea City's 3-2 loss to Sunderland.

Cullen's strike against Regis Le Bris' side was his sixth goal in his past eight matches for club and country.

Black Cats defender Mepham says Cullen has established himself as a key figure under Wales boss Craig Bellamy after watching the forward in action on international duty of late.

When asked if Cullen had improved recently, Mepham told BBC Sport Wales: "You can see it. He's going into Wales camps now and he's right in the mix in terms of the manager's plans.

"He's having an impact for club and country. He chipped in with the goals in the last camp.

"A lovely player, a lovely technician and you could see his quality from the dead-ball situation today as well.

"Hopefully he can carry on doing that for Wales."

Cullen's goal ultimately counted for precious little as the Swans blew a two-goal lead to lose against promotion-chasing Sunderland.

Centre-back Mepham says he was able to share a joke with Wales duo Cullen and Ben Cabango after his side's triumph at the Swansea.com Stadium.

"It's not so nice (seeing Wales team-mates) when they're putting it top bins from a free-kick," added Mepham.

"I get on really well with Culls and Ben Cabango. I was giving them a bit of stick at full time.

"It's good to see them playing week in, week out but it's always nice to get one over on them."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Luke Williams ignored the page in the football manager's handbook which says it can be unwise to criticise your players in the media after Saturday's painful defeat to Sunderland.

But then Williams has proved in 11 months as Swansea City's head coach that he is willing to break from the norm.

He is not a coach who, when faced by microphones, attempts to pull wool over eyes.

Rarely, if ever, do you come away from one of Williams' post-match press conferences questioning his assessment of a game - and that is fairly unusual.

If Swansea have not performed, he says so. If they have been fortunate to get a result, he admits as much.

There are some managers who set out to show little emotion when dealing with the press, who try to remain consistent whether their team have triumphed or been defeated.

Not Willliams.

He is passionate, a little fiery at times, and is unwilling - or unable - to mask his feelings after a difficult day in the dugout.

There was an emphatic reminder of that after Sunderland, when Swansea established a two-goal lead inside 17 minutes and competed admirably in the first half, even after Dan Ballard pulled a goal back for the Black Cats.

Yet the Swans collapsed after the break, succumbing to yet another defeat against one of the Championship's top clubs this season.

Williams said his side's second-half performance "stank of doubt", adding that his players have "a fear of achieving their potential".

It was strong stuff, particularly when you consider that despite the Sunderland reverse, most would agree that Swansea are having a decent season.

Williams could have put a different spin on what was a narrow defeat against one of the Championship's leading sides at the end of an arduous week, but that is not his style.

His obvious determination to raise the bar is to be admired.

Williams must now hope that his players respond in the right way.

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Luke Williams says Swansea City have the chance to hit "another marker" when they host Sunderland on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Swansea head into the game in confident mood after a midweek win at Plymouth Argyle continued their good form.

Now comes the challenge of fourth-placed Sunderland, with Swansea looking to beat one of the division's leading sides for the first time in 2024-25.

Sunderland are the only one of the Championship's current top seven sides the Swans are yet to face this season – and they have lost to the other six.

"We have had some very near misses," head coach Williams pointed out.

"[But] it's another marker for us if we want to be the team we are desperate to become.

"We have to perform well against the top sides. We have kind of got a tick in that box, but we have to come away with the results as well."

Sunderland made a spectacular start to the season under Frenchman Regis Le Bris, who has impressed since arriving on Wearside in June.

They have lost some momentum, with only one win coming in their last eight matches, though just one of those has been a defeat – and that was at leaders Sheffield United.

"They are a very, very good team," Williams said.

"It's not like they have dropped off a cliff. They are still playing very well and they are going to be a very good side throughout the campaign, so we are in for a very tough test."

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Wayne Rooney was added to the list of Matt Grimes admirers this week after he picked out Swansea City's skipper as their key player.

Various opposition managers have namechecked Grimes this season, with the 29-year-old proving as dependable and influential as ever at the heart of Swansea's midfield.

Luke Williams has been singing Grimes' praises all season – and nodded when asked about Rooney's comments, which came after the Swans' midweek win at Plymouth Argyle.

"I totally agree with Wayne's assessment of our captain," said the Swansea head coach.

"I would suggest that Plymouth did a very good job at trying to limit what Matt Grimes can do. That's probably how good he is… that they spent a lot of time working on stopping him from being able to control the rhythm of our play. He is like the guy with the [conductor's] stick."

Grimes will lead Swansea out once more when they host Sunderland on Saturday.

Williams reckons the former Exeter City player may get special attention from the Black Cats – but says that would be nothing new.

"There's no doubt he's a marked man," Williams added.

"He is very highly rated by his opponents and respected by his opponents. We know we have a terrific leader and somebody who is able to play at a very high level, week in, week out, home and away.

"The special measures teams put in don't stop him. They pose challenges for him, but he is able to overcome them."

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Iwan Roberts says Swansea City have shown naivety by failing to secure the futures of Ben Cabango and Harry Darling at the Championship club.

Swansea are trying to convince the two centre-backs to sign new contracts as their current deals expire at the end of the season.

Head coach Luke Williams said last week the ball is in Cabango's court after a club presentation designed to persuade him to stay, while a similar meeting is scheduled with Darling.

Former Wales striker Roberts says the duo could not be blamed for holding out to see what options they have in January – when they will be free to talk to clubs outside the English league – or when they become free agents at the end of the season.

"The only thing - and it is a gamble when you are down to your last few months - is if you pick up a bad injury between now and the end of the season, that really throws a spanner in the works," Roberts told this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"But if I'm those two now, if there haven't been real negotiations until now, I'm thinking I'm going to wait, I am going to see what options I've got in January.

"You can speak to clubs abroad in January, you have the right to, but they will be speaking to clubs in this country as well."

Swansea have seen the likes of Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere leave in recent memory after their contracts were allowed to run down.

And Roberts fears the Championship club's efforts to secure Cabango and Darling may prove to be "too little, too late".

"I think it's really naïve of the football club to let them get into this situation," he added.

"Surely you would have been sitting down with them both last summer, not now?"