Swansea City

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Swansea City go to Sunderland today with Luke Williams insisting he is not worrying about the possibility of relegation to League One.

Swansea are a mere four points clear of the Championship relegation zone having lost five of their last six league games.

But Williams has seen enough promising signs during what has been a demanding start to his Swansea reign to convince him there are better days ahead.

“The thing that worries me is trying to improve all the time,” he said.

“You are trying to think about the next session, the meeting you need to put together, the conversation you need to have with the staff and the players.

“I think I should be [confident]. I have some performance data to look at.

“I can see some really interesting trends in the performances that suggest to me that we should be confident for the rest of the season.”

Swansea have played seven league since Williams took over on 5 January, with their one win coming at Hull City earlier this month.

They were denied victory at Birmingham City by a late home equaliser and were beaten 1-0 by Plymouth Argyle despite creating a host of chances.

There have been four more defeats, against automatic promotion contenders Leicester City, Leeds United, Southampton and Ipswich Town.

Swansea have had to deal with some heavy blows along the way, with another coming in the FA Cup as they were dismantled at Bournemouth.

A Sunderland side who have won 10 of their 16 home league games will provide another stern examination this weekend, yet Williams is in upbeat mood as he focuses on ensuring Swansea finish a turbulent season “as strongly as we can”.

“We keep pushing and see how far that takes us,” he added.

“Then we go into the summer with a good feeling and also a good idea of what we need to do.

“We know we have had a tough run. The players tried to play bravely against the top sides - these top teams are incredible.

“I am really optimistic because the players have been so brave. When we have played anybody that isn’t that top bracket, we have shown we can really hold our own.”

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Przemyslaw Placheta says he would be interested in staying at Swansea City beyond this season - but insists his focus for now is on football rather than the future.

Poland international Placheta joined Swansea on a free transfer from Norwich City in January.

As it stands, the winger’s short-term deal with the Swans expires at the end of the season.

Asked if he would be keen on a longer stay at the Welsh club, Placheta said: “Yes - why not? I am really enjoying the first few weeks under the new gaffer and with new team-mates. We will see.

“I am fully focused on every training session and every game, to put my best performance in for the team."

Placheta has made four Swansea appearances to date, helping Luke Williams claim a first league win as the club’s head coach at Hull City earlier this month.

Having started on the bench against Ipswich last weekend, he hopes to return to the starting side at Sunderland on Saturday, when Swansea will go in search of only a second victory in eight league games.

“We just need to stay together, be positive and take some positives from the games we have played,” Placheta said.

“Of course we are trying to make less mistakes, to play better and score more goals. That’s what we focus on.

“When I came here I saw big potential in this team and I enjoy what the gaffer expects from us.

“Of course we need some points and on Saturday we will fight for three points.”

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If Swansea City need a confidence boost as they prepare for a weekend trip to Sunderland, Luke Williams’ players might want to have a glance at the club’s recent record on Wearside.

Previous results might not count for much come Saturday afternoon, but it’s fair to say that Sunderland has been a happy hunting ground.

Swansea won 3-1 at the Stadium of Light last season, when Liam Cullen and Ollie Cooper were among their scorers after Luke O’Nien’s early red card.

The Swans were also victorious on their previous trip to Sunderland, in 2017, when Fernando Llorente and Kyle Naughton goals put Paul Clement’s team on the brink of securing their Premier League status for another season.

In all, Swansea have won four times in their last 10 trips to Sunderland, with five draws during that sequence and only one defeat, when Stephane Sessegnon and Craig Gardner struck in a 2-0 win for the Black Cats.

Brendan Rodgers’ Swans dominated much of the game that day only to be beaten by two spectacular goals.

Head coach Williams will hope his Swansea class of 2024 can control the contest once more this time around – although in truth, performance level does not count much for right now.

With only four points between them and the Championship relegation zone, Swansea need to churn out a few results, however they come.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Former Swansea City midfielder Owain Tudur Jones says the scrutiny will now increase significantly on manager Luke Williams after a tough run of fixtures since being appointed.

Williams has won just four points from his first seven Championship games - but has faced each of the current top four clubs in the table during that period.

The poor results have seen the Swans drop three places to 18th in the table, and only four points clear of the relegation zone.

"The tough run is over," said Jones on BBC Radio Cymru's Y Coridor Ansicrwydd podcast.

"When he got the job, I looked at those games and thought ‘all the best son!’ because they had Leeds, Southampton, Leicester and Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

"That was a tough start. That’s gone and they didn’t get much success.

"The season starts for real for him now. He would’ve got a bit of leeway during those games, because there wouldn’t have been much expectation.

"Now, the results and performances have to improve or they will be dragged right into a relegation battle.”

Swansea travel to 10th-placed Sunderland on Saturday, and then have five games in March against teams currently no higher than 11th.

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Swansea City are preparing for a testing trip to Sunderland this Saturday with only four points between them and the Championship relegation zone.

Head coach Luke Williams acknowledges there will be pressure on his team at the Stadium of Light – but says that will be the case every week.

After a painful run of five defeats in the last six league matches, Swansea have plenty of work to do before they can contemplate another year in the second tier.

Having played all the division’s top sides since Williams was appointed on 5 January, the Swans can look forward to some gentler fixtures between now and the end of the season.

But given Swansea’s form and worrying position in the table, every outing is a challenge right now.

“There is pressure now on every game isn’t there?” Williams says.

“We have to try to work logically in the week and not try to do something crazy or sulk about the position we are in.

“We have to work hard and clever and prepare for the game at the weekend.”

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Swansea City will be up against a new face - of sorts - in the home dugout when they return to Championship action at Sunderland next Saturday.

Having been appointed Sunderland boss on 18 December, Michael Beale has left the Wearside club after just 12 games in charge.

With Beale gone, assistant Mike Dodds has been appointed interim boss for the rest of the season.

Beale registered four wins during his brief spell with the Black Cats, but has parted ways with the club following back-to-back defeats at Huddersfield and Birmingham.

Sunderland remain in play-off contention despite a mixed run under Beale.

They are four points adrift of the top six in 10th as they prepare for Swansea's visit.

The struggling Swans will also be desperate for points as they head to the Stadium of Light - but their cause will not be helped if Sunderland benefit from the so-called new manager bounce.

Dodds had a spell in caretaker charge before Beale was appointed.

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Swansea City are being dragged closer and closer to a Championship relegation battle as they continue to struggle under new boss Luke Williams.

Defeat by Ipswich Town on Saturday was Swansea’s fifth in their last six league games, with Williams winning just one league match since being appointed head coach.

The Swans have taken only four points from a possible 21 since Williams took charge in early January, though they have played the Championship's top four teams in that run.

After the match we asked for your views on BBC Radio Wales' Call Rob Phillips show, and this is what you had to say.

Darren - I fear for us now. We are in a terrible run. We can't defend and seem devoid of any fight. What worries me is Sunderland away up next and I reckon Cardiff doing the double over us could be disastrous.

Toby - To be honest I think we played so much better [against Ipswich] than on Tuesday [against Leeds], but we shouldn't be four points off relegation. I still have hope though.

Will - It's something different every week. This week our centre-halves were both very poor. Most of our players aren't up to speed. We are let down by having a very poor squad overall.

Steve - Swansea City are a poor Championship team. It's sad to say it and sad to see, but they [the owners] have done this to the club.

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On the latest episode of the Elis James and John Robins podcast, Elis James imagines scoring a winner for his football club Swansea City as part of this week's Made Up Game.

You can find more episodes of the Elis James and John Robins podcast here.

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Head coach Luke Williams is in “no doubt” that Swansea City are capable of pulling clear of Championship relegation danger despite their dreadful form.

Defeat by Ipswich Town on Saturday was Swansea’s fifth in their last six league games.

The Swans have taken only four points from a possible 21 since Williams was appointed on 5 January, though they have played - and lost to - all the second tier’s top-four clubs during that sequence.

With 13 league games remaining, Swansea have now faced all the Championship’s automatic promotion hopefuls at home and away.

And Williams says that is reason for optimism.

"I look at the games we have played against the teams who are not in the top four and we had a really good chance to win those games,” he said.

“If we improve our level, we have a great chance to win games before the end of the season, I have got no doubt.”

Swansea will go to Sunderland next Saturday looking to respond to back-to-back home losses, with Ipswich’s hard-fought triumph following Leeds’ romp in south Wales last Tuesday.

Assessing his brief reign to date, Williams said: “We played Southampton, Bournemouth [in the FA Cup], Leicester in a row. That was very, very difficult.

“Take out Leeds and in the other games we have been very competitive.

“We shouldn’t lose to Plymouth. We were two minutes away from winning at Birmingham.

“We deserved to win at Hull and we did. Against Ipswich we are in the game, but we need to get over the line and win the games when we have a really good chance.

“We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the other games because the opposition blew us away.”

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Luke Williams says Swansea City must “play every second of the game” if they are to pull clear of the Championship relegation places.

Swansea have slipped to 18th in the table, just four points clear of 22nd-placed Queens Park Rangers, after defeat by Ipswich Town on Saturday.

It was a fifth loss in the last six league games for Williams’ ailing side, and came courtesy of soft goals from Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin.

Only bottom-club Rotherham and Blackburn Rovers have conceded more Championship goals this season than Swansea, who have been breached 54 times in 33 second-tier games.

“We have to concentrate better,” Williams said after the Ipswich defeat.

“And this thing about scoring and then being desperate to concede immediately because it’s too scary to be on level terms or something… We work really hard to get back in the game after giving the goal away.

“Then OK let’s stand in the middle of the pitch and cross our fingers. That’s not a tactic.

“We have to improve, we have to play every second of the game.

“I love the commitment of the players and I love working with them. They are a good group.

“They have had a tough time and they have to learn to play every second of the game.”

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Josh Tymon believes he's finding his best form under Luke Williams following a tough start after joining Swansea City from Stoke City last summer.

The Swans struggled to adapt to former boss Michael Duff's methods in the opening half of the campaign - with the ex-Burnley defender being sacked in December.

But Tymon has received praise for his performances under new boss Williams in recent weeks, and the left-back feels starting games consistently will only ensure he continues to improve.

"It took me time to adapt when I first arrived," he said.

"When I first got here, I wasn't performing to the best I can do. It takes time, I was at Stoke a long time.

"The last few weeks, getting that consistent run of games I think has helped me. Performances are only going to get better."

And on Williams, Tymon commented: "I've loved every minute. The passion and detail he puts into his work is something I've never seen before.

"Adapting to how he wants to play is going to take time. The lads need to get used to that, but in terms of him as a manager, he's unbelievable."

Image source, Getty Images

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