Swansea City

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Luke Williams says only the “very best” of his team will do as Swansea City look to end Sheffield United’s unbeaten start to the Championship season on Wednesday.

Swansea go to Bramall Lane having lost just one league game since their opening-day defeat at Middlesbrough.

But Williams says Swansea will face one of their toughest assignments of the season when they meet Chris Wilder’s Blades on their own patch.

“If you go there and perform well, it should give you a huge boost in confidence because you know you are not going to face anything more difficult,” he said.

“Ferocious atmosphere, good squad, very good manager... We have to play at our very best, be very brave, be squeaky clean, do everything well - and then you might have to add to that a slice of luck.”

Wilder’s side have won four and drawn three of their seven league games this season, though they began 2024-25 on minus two points having broken EFL rules over payments to other clubs.

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They conceded 104 league goals as they finished bottom of the Premier League last term, yet currently have the Championship’s meanest defence.

Wilder’s squad includes numerous attacking threats, such as Gustavo Hamer, Wales striker Kieffer Moore and former Swansea loanee Rhian Brewster.

Tyrese Campbell is another option for Wilder, though he has made only two substitute appearances in the league this season having turned down the chance to join Swansea in favour of moving to South Yorkshire over the summer.

“Credit to any team that can be unbeaten at this stage,” Williams added.

“They have players of high quality with a lot of experience and of course there are some funds to back that, but you still need to galvanise a group of players, give them a game-plan and keep them on the right track.

“That’s why you have an excellent manager to go along with an excellent squad, so that’s why it’s going to be very difficult to play against them.”

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Luke Williams is confident Zan Vipotnik will “be able to show his talent” once the striker comes to terms with life as a Swansea City player.

Liam Cullen’s absence through illness meant Vipotnik made just his second Championship start in Swansea’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City on Sunday.

The Slovenia international has made eight appearances in all – with two further starts in the EFL Cup – since joining Swansea over the summer, but has managed only one goal for his new club to date.

Williams says the 22-year-old will thrive in Wales given time.

“I have got no doubts with Vipi (Vipotnik),” the Swansea head coach said.

“I am really happy with Vipi because he has real quality, he is really motivated and wants to do so well for us.

“I need to help him feel confident and to get into the team in a natural way, and not to try to force it or put unrealistic expectations on him.”

Vipotnik arrived at Swansea in the latter stages of pre-season after the collapse of former club Bordeaux.

He scored 10 goals in the French second tier last season but was allowed to leave due to Bordeaux’s financial troubles.

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“He had a very disjointed end to last season and pre-season and it’s a big change to come here,” Williams added.

“Some of the touches [against Bristol City] when he brings people into play - he is very sure-footed and very bright.

“When you work with him every day, his finishing is exceptional… so I look forward to [seeing] that because we haven’t quite seen it.

“Then there’s a whole other side of the game that he has to cope with. The relentless pressing and recovering – the Championship is different for him and the way we want to play is different for him.

"He is going to get up to speed with that and then he’ll be able to show his talent.”

Vipotnik may be asked to lead the Swansea line once more at Sheffield United on Wednesday, though Williams is hopeful that Cullen, the club’s three-goal leading scorer, will be fit to feature at Bramall Lane.

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Swansea City Women boss Jamie Sherwood hailed his side’s Stok Racecourse response after a key win in the Adran Premier.

The Swans were left frustrated eight days ago when they were held to a goalless draw by Barry Town United at the Swansea.Com Stadium.

But playing at a major ground for the second successive week, Swansea rallied with a 3-2 win at Wrexham to continue an unbeaten start to the season and leave them third in the table.

“It’s a massive three points,” said Sherwood. “We asked for a reaction from last week and I think we’ve seen that.

“We stuck to our identity and the way we want to play football, we’ve come to a tough ground and played some really nice football in tough conditions against a tough team.

“I wouldn’t call it a bounce back, I would say it was a continuation of what we did. We didn’t do anything different to last week, we just took our chances and scored goals.

“It’s really pleasing to come to a ground steeped with history and score three goals on our travels, that’s an amazing thing to do.”

Stacey John-Davis and Jess Williams were on target for Swansea, while Wrexham's Katie Sharp turned Chloe Chivers' free-kick into her own net.

The Swans face champions Cardiff City Women at the Swansea.com Stadium on 6 October.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

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Luke Williams is different from many a head coach when it comes to post-match media duties.

The Swansea City boss is not the type to gloss over a questionable performance by claiming his team deserved more than they got.

He tends to tell it as it is.

“We are only just about value for a point in the end,” he said in the aftermath of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

Williams could have emphasised how well his team had played for long spells in the first half, how they might have been close to home and dry had Goncalo Franco converted a very presentable chance with Swansea already leading 1-0.

Instead he focused on where things went wrong as Bristol City changed the momentum of the contest in the second half, and deservedly cancelled out Ben Cabango’s opener through Jason Knight’s powerful header.

Williams views 2024-25 as a season where Swansea should look to develop, where a team which is short on Championship experience must learn lessons as they try to progress.

His hope is that this Swansea side will mature into a team capable of mounting a serious push for promotion at some stage a little further down the line.

In the meantime, the challenge is to have more good days than bad – and Williams’ men have managed that in the early stages of the campaign.

Swansea are ninth in the table with 11 points from seven games. Should they carry on with that ratio of points per game across the course of the season, they will be among the runners and riders - at least - when the play-off race reaches its climax next spring.

And after the struggles of last season, that would be a significant step forward.

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Swansea City hope Liam Cullen will be fit for Wednesday’s trip to Sheffield United after the Wales forward missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol City through illness.

Cullen, 25, is the Swans’ leading scorer this season with three goals in all competitions.

“He was ill. He missed a couple of days. but then trained for two but unfortunately yesterday evening he felt very poorly again so was unable to be in the squad today (Sunday),” said Swansea head coach Luke Williams.

“He’s got a really good chance [of facing Sheffield United] but we have to be careful because he did lose some weight. That’s a concern because he’s not fully fighting fit, so we’ll have to see how he is over the next few days.

“It’s a shame, that, because he’s been in really good form.”

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Swansea City head coach Luke Williams plans to spell out to his players what cost them victory in their Championship draw with Bristol City in a team meeting on Monday.

Ben Cabango’s volley had given the Swans a well-deserved first-half lead at the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday, but Bristol City were the better team after the break as Jason Knight’s header earned the visitors a 1-1 draw.

“It looked like a changing room full of players that had been defeated, which is good because if they didn't feel like that then they wouldn’t be the group I thought they were,” Williams said.

“There's disappointment because I think a lot of us know the answers already. But they'll be laid out clearly tomorrow [Monday].

“There's a lot of positive stuff that I saw today. A lot of stuff I really liked. It's a shame when you begin well and make the first breakthrough. We didn't manage to do certain parts of the game well enough to regain control and get the job done.”

Swansea looked to be heading for a third win from four home games this season, and victory would have moved them level with the Championship play-off spots on points.

However, their faltering second-half performance means they must settle for ninth place in the table for now.

Asked if he could put his finger on why his side lost control of the match in the second half, Williams added: “I can but, in all honesty, I’d have to invite you into the team meeting to demonstrate to you exactly.

“I’ve got a very, very clear idea about what shifted the momentum, and it’s moments. It’s key moments where we made the wrong choice and, in this way, we’re not such a good team. We suffered and, in the end, we’re only just about value for a point.”

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Josh Tymon has credited “top class” head coach Luke Williams with helping turn around his and other Swansea City careers.

The 25-year-old defender was signed by Williams’ predecessor, Michael Duff, in the summer of 2023 and struggled with early-season form.

But since Williams’ arrival in January, Tymon has been a mainstay at left-back for the Swans.

“It’s clear to see that my form before the manager came in wasn’t as great as it should be,” said Tymon.

“Since the manager has come in, I’ve just taken everything on board that he wants from his full backs.

“The way he wants to play football suits me down to a tee and that just naturally helps me to progress, get better every day and to keep that form for matchday.

“I know I’m not the only one in the changing room that has benefited from the manager’s style of play. Honestly he's top class, brilliant with every player.

“The amount of detail he goes into with how he wants the play to look, especially in wide areas, for us full backs and wide players it's a dream to play in this system and I'm sure the other lads would back me up on that.”

The Swans host Bristol City on Sunday looking for a third consecutive victory in the Championship.

In addition to Williams’ attacking style, Tymon also says there’s been a defensive improvement.

“We got criticised about that a lot last season for being a bit too easy to play through and conceding soft goals,” added Tymon.

“Whereas this year we’ve got a really solid base and it's not just the boys at the back. We press really well from the front. Everyone knows their jobs and everyone is willing to do the work to help keep the goals out.

“We’ve got two of the best centre backs in the league [Ben Cabango and Harry Darling] who can just eat balls for fun in the air, so we’re learning more about each other, especially the back four.

"We've got a new keeper as well. Vigs [Lawrence Vigoroux] has been unbelievable and it has become a nice unit that's going to gel even more over the next few weeks.”

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Luke Williams may have suggested it would be “silly” to say Swansea City can compete at the “very peak” of the Championship, but Iwan Roberts is not so sure.

Earlier this month, head coach Williams played down the chances of his team contending in the second tier this season because of the lack of experience in his squad.

But former Wales striker Roberts believes Swansea have shown potential in the opening weeks of 2024-25.

“If you look at Swansea, Luke Williams has tried to take the pressure of his squad saying ‘we have nowhere near the squad to be competing for the play-offs’,” Roberts said.

“I don’t think he believes that himself. I think they have.”

Swansea go in search of a third straight victory when they host Bristol City on Sunday.

They sit seventh in the early-season table, having won three and lost two of their first six league games.

Williams’ team have conceded just four league goals so far, a record bettered in the division by only West Brom and Sheffield United.

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“Swansea are the second lowest scorers in the top half - their success in the first six games is their defence has been rock solid,” Roberts added on this week’s Feast of Football podcast.

“I am looking at Ben Cabango and Harry Darling, two players I have criticised over the last two or three years. I think they have been absolutely magnificent.

“I think Ben Cabango’s start to the season has been brilliant. I wouldn’t have had a problem if he’d started both games for Wales [earlier this month].

“He is strong, he is comfortable on the ball, he is good in his own box.”

Centre-backs Cabango and Darling see their current contracts expire at the end of this season.

“The problem Swansea have got is that those two are playing so well and are out of contract in the summer,” Roberts said.

“Whoever sorts [contracts] out at Swansea needs to be sitting down with those two.”

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While all focus is on Sunday’s Championship clash with Bristol City, boss Luke Williams will still be keeping an eye on how some of his Swansea City squad are performing on loan so far this season.

The Swans do not have the deepest of squads in the second-tier after a number of departures in the summer.

But there were still some loan moves agreed, either for players who have questions over their futures at the club, or for youngsters trying to show they can make an impact at the Swamsea.Com Stadium later down the line.

Jerry Yates’ year-long switch to Derby surprised given the club paid out around £2.5m to sign him from Blackpool the previous summer, scoring eight goals – the Swans’ joint top-scorer last term.

The 27-year-old is yet to get off the mark for the Rams, starting four of their games since returning to the Championship, and was involved in a tussle with Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder last weekend.

Fellow frontman Mykola Kuharevich also left on loan, returning to Hibernian where the Ukrainian claims he has returned to Easter Road a better player, despite his only year in south Wales being spent mainly on the sidelines.

The 23-year-old has made six appearances so far this year with two goals to his name, including one at champions Celtic and the opener in the 2-0 win over St Johnstone.

Elsewhere, attacking midfielder Joel Cotterill agreed a season-long stay at League Two side Swindon Town, managed by former Cardiff defender Mark Kennedy.

The Robins are currently 21st in the fourth tier, but Cotterill has gained plenty of experience, starting six times – marking his full EFL debut in the process – and scoring twice.

That includes an effort against Newport County a fortnight ago. Cotterill - who has a contract until 2026 at the Swans and has one Carabao Cup appearance for the club – also scored a both goals in Wales' Under-21 qualifying win in Iceland last month, as well as a 25-yarder in the EFL Trophy for Swindon.

Fellow academy product Cameron Congreve is also in League Two at newly-promoted Bromley, where he has made nine starts across all competitions. The 20-year-old, who has an option to extend his Swans stay at the end of the season, was joined at Bromley by 22-year-old forward Josh Thomas, though his EFL outings so far have been restricted to a solitary substitute appearance.

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Six games into the new Championship season and Swansea currently sit a place outside of the play-off spots in seventh.

Luke Williams' side have won three, lost two and drawn one.

We asked you to have your say on the season so far. Here's what you told us:

Pete: Too early to make predictions but I think that as the season progresses, lack of squad depth could become an issue, what with inevitable injuries and so on. Mid-table is an acceptable position and the newcomers will settle in to boost that, but it's those future injuries and lack of depth that will undermine the improvements.

Clare: [Gonçalo] Franco reminds me of Ferrie Bodde, some of his passes were unbelievable. We are solid in defence and great in midfield but we need a striker in to cover for any injuries.

Jack: Early days still. But in Luke we trust. Now that transfer window is done and dusted the squad can gel and take us forward. My main concern is the strength and depth of the squad, I fear we may be exposed when injuries and suspensions really kick in.

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Wales international Nia Jones says it was “awesome” to play at Swansea.Com Stadium, but admitted Swansea City were left frustrated after their goalless Adran Premier draw with Barry Town.

Swansea’s first game at the ground this season saw the hosts dominate, but fail to find the breakthrough.

It leaves Jamie Sherwood’s side trailing champions Cardiff City by two points after the opening two fixtures, with a south Wales derby at the same ground fast approaching at the start of next month.

Newcomers Briton Ferry Llansawel and The New Saints, along with the Bluebirds, have also recorded perfect starts, and Swansea expected to follow them.

But Jones said: “The first emotion we are all feeling is frustration.

“Obviously we dominated possession, but credit to Barry they set up that low block that we found really difficult to break down.

“There were moments that we played the style that we wanted to play, we moved the ball at good speeds and we found our key players, but it’s just that final product.

“The goalkeeper for Barry made a couple of outstanding saves, but on the whole we are leaving here frustrated because it was a great opportunity to play at the Swansea.com Stadium, but hopefully it will make us hungrier for three points next week.”

Swansea travel to face Wrexham at the Stok Racecourse on Sunday, with Jones – a new signing this summer following her move back to the sport from netball - admitting the big-stage experience was positive.

She said: “The occasion was awesome, the experience of being in the changing room, the fans who came to watch, they’ve given us the platform and the stage that we are striving to perform on and there is nothing we want more than to be scoring goals here.

“It’s still a point picked up and all points will be really valuable come the end of the season when we are challenging for that top spot, but there is plenty to work on this week.

“We don’t fear anybody, all teams are going to be tough and we said that before a ball had been kicked. But we are confident, we will stick to what we do.”

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Former Swansea City midfielder Andy Robinson says Luke Williams’ side have shown battling qualities not witnessed under recent managers.

It comes after the Swans recorded back-to-back wins to move up to eighth in the Championship table as they followed up last weekend’s win over Norwich City with an away-day success at Coventry City.

Robinson hailed Swansea’s first-half showing, but said he was equally pleased how Williams got his team to grind out the win after an “abysmal” second-half that saw players taken off because of the weather.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Sport, Robinson said: “I said before the game I wanted a 90 minute performance in terms of fluency, consistency, doing things right, making the right decisions.

“But I would probably break that up into two halves. For 45 minutes they were absolutely fantastic in everything they did, apart from the goal they gave away where they gave a bit too much space.

“But the second half was one of the scruffiest games I’ve ever seen, and I’m not sure I’ve seen Swansea in a game or a dogfight like that.

“The lack of quality [from both teams] was abysmal at times to be brutally honest, but there are two ways to win a football match: either scrap and get through it, or play well – Swansea did both and got the job done.

“And to see the fans with the players at the end, they understood the value of that performance. To see a Swansea team do that under Luke Williams … I never really saw it under Russell Martin, they would normally fold in that situation, certainly under Michael Duff – but not under Luke Williams. They got over the line as they did against Norwich.”

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Swansea boss Luke Williams says he is keen to see striker Liam Cullen sign a new contract to remain with the club.

Cullen fired Swansea in front at Coventry to set the Swans on the way to a 2-1 win and Williams says Cullen is showing why he is worth an improved deal.

“He’s another Swansea boy and another international, so we are very fortunate and we need to get something sorted out in the correct way,” Williams told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

“He’s doing the right thing, he goes onto the pitch and runs himself into oblivion and scores the goal, so this is the best way to go into a negotiation.”

Swansea’s other goalscorer at Coventry was another homegrown Wales international, Ollie Cooper and Williams says the player is currently enjoying an fine spell of form.

When asked if he has a new lease of life, Williams responded, “yeah, 100%.”

“He loves the football club, there is no doubt and he loves playing for his country, there is no doubt, so he’s in a good place.

“Hopefully he has got some really good moments for us this season, he’s going to be a joy to watch I think.”