Swansea City

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Swansea City secured their first Championship away win of the season on Saturday, as they won 2-0 against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Zan Vipotnik continued his recent return to form with the opening goal of the game, before Ronald sealed the win late on.

Vipotnik and Ronald have each scored twice in the Swans' last three league games, in which they have picked up seven points and risen to seventh in the Championship.

So how impressed have you been by Alan Sheehan's side this season? And where do they still need to improve?

Have your say here!

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Alan Sheehan says it will be down to Ollie Cooper to decide whether he leaves Swansea City before Monday's transfer deadline.

Wales international Cooper has made only one Swansea appearance – in the Carabao Cip win over Crawley - so far this season.

The 25-year-old has never started a league match under Sheehan and is facing increased competition for game-time following the signings of Marko Stamenic, Malick Yalcouye, Ethan Galbraith and Melker Widell.

Academy product Cooper was left out of the Wales squad by Craig Bellamy this week and Sheehan says that omission may affect the player's next move.

"I have had conversations with Ollie. It's a World Cup year and he might need regular football," the Swansea head coach said.

"But that's a decision Ollie will have to make. If he decides to stay and fight for his place, that's fine.

"He is a good lad, a good trainer and that will be ultimately up to Ollie."

Cooper was an unused substitute as Swansea won 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday to climb to seventh in the early-season Championship table.

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Falkirk have signed versatile and "hard working" Swansea winger Kyrell Wilson on a season-long loan deal.

The 20-year-old, who scored once in 15 appearances on loan at English National League side Yeovil last season, could make his debut against Aberdeen on Sunday.

Premiership newcomers Falkirk have been looking to strengthen in attacking areas since Ethan Ross was ruled out with a "serious" injury.

Manager John McGlynn said: "I'm delighted to get the signing of Kyrell Wilson over the line - he's a player that we've been tracking for some time.

"He's can play across any of the three attacking positions.

"Since meeting Kyrell I have really liked what I've seen. I like the attitude he has, he's very much up for it, and we look forward to working with him this season.

"He's a very hard-working winger who comes to give us support in a position where we are a bit short."

After a dramatic comeback at Wrexham last Saturday saw them get off the mark, and buoyed by the EFL Cup win over Leeds, Henrik Pedersen's Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to secure their first win of the Championship season as they host Swansea City team on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Swans are unbeaten since an opening day defeat to Middlesbrough, with Alan Sheehan's side picking up four points from their two league games since.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their past eight league games against Swansea City (D4 L3), though that sole victory did come in their last meeting with the Swans in February (1-0).

• Swansea City are unbeaten across their past four away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W1 D3), their longest ever run at Hillsborough.

• Sheffield Wednesday have failed to win any of their past five home league games against Welsh opposition (D3 L2), their longest run at Hillsborough against teams from the country.

• Swansea's opening three Championship matches this season have seen themselves (2.12) and their opponents (1.33) combine to create chances worth just 3.45 xG in total, the lowest tally in the competition.

• Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan has created 10 chances and has played 36 passes into the opposition's penalty area so far in the Championship this season – both the most of any player in the competition.

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Swansea City are close to agreeing a deal to sign Celtic striker Adam Idah. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Swansea are also reported to be interested in Montreal forward Sunusi Ibrahim, 22, with the Championship club moving ahead of Welsh rivals Wrexham for the Nigerian international. (The 72), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

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Head coach Alan Sheehan hailed striker Zan Vipotnik's "moment of excellence" after a difficult pre-season at Swansea City.

The Slovenia international had limited minutes in the build-up to the Championship campaign due to injury, but has now scored in successive games - against Watford and a 25-yard strike against Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup.

"We're creating a lot of chances where we need people to get on the end of things. But that was a moment of excellence from VP [Vipotnik] to back up his goal the other day," said Sheehan after the Plymouth victory.

"It was a game that, potentially, we should have finished in the first half. We created chances. Melker [Widell] had a few and VP's had a few.

"But, ultimately, we didn't get that second goal and then we allowed them in with a set play. VP has played a number of games for us and we want to be that relentless team that keeps going without the ball and with the ball.

"He had a good moment on Saturday and another big moment tonight [against Plymouth].

"So that's what we want from our attacking players, to be scoring goals. So, I'm happy with VP for that.

"He's had a disrupted pre-season, VP, he was challenging for the [pre-season] game versus Lorient and he missed a good few days with a toe injury and missed that game and then he's got to get them minutes somewhere.

"We gave him minutes in the Crawley game, he's come on against Middlesbrough and, in the last game and made an impact [against Watford] and we want our game-changers to come on and then he's started tonight and he's scored a wonderful goal."

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After the draw with Watford we asked you what positions Swansea City still need to strengthen, and here is what you had to say.

Phil: We definitely need a proven out-and-out striker! I would like to see a couple more in for depth as well! So another defender and a midfielder.

Gary: I keep saying the obvious but they need a bona fide striker, someone who can score 20+ goals a season. I know they are like gold dust but they do exist. Goals don't grow on trees, you have to earn them by skilful play and reacting to every situation.

Michael: Striker is definitely needed. Liam Cullen is a workhorse and plays for the badge but lacks strikers instinct. Zan Vipotnik was great when he came on against Watford but isn't prolific enough. Cover for Josh Tymon and a winger also needed as Eom Ji-sung isn't good enough at the moment.

Brian: I don't understand why we haven't gone big for a striker. Cullen is not a Championship striker and we are dropping points which is tough to watch. I don't think we will get a goal scorer coming in, we have lots of chances but nobody to finish it.

Alan: We are not scoring goals. I can see it, the supporters can see it. Why can't the manager or owners see it? Cullen, Ronald and others are simply not good enough. They have to be replaced. If we don't then we will finish in the lower part of the league.

Robert: We desperately need to buy a top class striker, our midfield and defence has plenty of strength in depth and will improve as the season goes on. They must fork out money and get someone in quickly.

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Swansea City have picked up four points from their last two Championship games, beating Sheffield United last week before drawing 1-1 with Watford on Saturday.

Zan Vipotnik came off the bench to rescue a point against the Hornets, with the Swans now 13th in the table.

Vipotnik's strike was just the second goal Swansea have scored in three league games this season.

Head coach Alan Sheehan has said the club are looking at adding another attacking option, having already brought in 10 new players this summer.

But is one more striker all the club need? Or are more signings needed to compete for a play-off place this season?

Have your say here!

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

It was a scenario nobody could have envisaged a couple of months ago.

Cordell Broadus, son of Snoop Dogg, showing his face in the Swansea City dressing room and having a chat about the game with Alan Sheehan.

Broadus watched the 1-1 draw with Watford from the directors' box, where he sat alongside Brett Cravatt (pictured above), one of Swansea's American owners.

Broadus had flown in to watch his first Swansea game a little over a month after his dad became a co-investor in the Championship club.

Sheehan insisted their conversation was largely about clothing.

Swansea's head coach tends to wear hoodies on the touchline, and Broadus brought him one which carried Swansea's crest alongside the logo of Death Row Records, the record label owned by Snoop Dogg.

"I like black hoodies - I don't know if you knew that," Sheehan said with a smile after the game.

"It looks nice. I might give it a run out on the touchline against Plymouth."

Hoodies aside, it will be interesting to see who leads Swansea's attack when Argyle visit in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Zan Vipotnik may be the favourite to do the job having made only two substitute appearances in the league this season, unless of course his late equaliser against the Hornets was enough to land him a place in Sheehan's starting plans for next weekend's league trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

But it could be that the imminent transfer deadline, which is now a little over a week away, has an impact on Vipotnik's game-time in the next couple of games.

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Swansea want to sign a striker before the window closes on 1 September.

They have been trying to find the right man all summer, and ended up disappointed after seeing the likes of Oli McBurnie and Kevin Carlos move elsewhere.

If Swansea can get a deal over the line, it may be that Vipotnik departs to make way for the new man.

Liam Cullen is going nowhere, after all, and teenager Bobby Wales has only just arrived at Swansea as a player the club hope to develop.

The addition of another new centre-forward would leave Vipotnik facing an even bigger fight for game-time and, with interest in the Slovenia international from clubs in Europe, it could be that Swansea sanction his exit.

Presumably, Sheehan did not discuss transfers with Broadus and Cravatt in the tunnel on Saturday.

But Vipotnik's future may well be a talking point for Swansea's decision-makers in the next few days.

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Alan Sheehan paid tribute to his players' resilience after Swansea City fought back to claim a point against Watford – and insisted his team were the more likely winners of a hard-fought Championship contest.

Watford's power and physical presence – combined with the attacking threat provided by forwards Luca Kjerrumgaard and Nestory Irankunda – caused the home side problems for an hour at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The Hornets deservedly led through Irankunda's superb free-kick and looked on course for victory until Sheehan's team hauled themselves back into the contest after Liam Cullen hit the post on 61 minutes.

Swansea levelled eight minutes from the end of normal time through Zan Vipotnik's header, then came close to finding winner during nine minutes of stoppage time.

"I am proud of the lads," said Swansea boss Sheehan.

"As a manager you want a team that keeps going until the final minute and the fans felt that. There was only one team that was going to win that game.

"When we spoke at half-time we knew we going to make changes and we wanted to put our stamp on the game. We were in the ascendancy in the second half and Watford struggled to match our tempo."

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Sheehan felt substitutes Marko Stamenic – who made his debut after joining from Nottingham Forest this week – and Zeidane Inoussa both had an impact after coming on early in the second half.

And he also saluted Vipotnik for the precise finish which brought his first goal of the season just seven minutes after he replaced Cullen.

"He (Vipotnik) has had a bitty pre-season, but what we want is for our game-changers is to come on and impact the game and he did," Sheehan said.

"He scored the goal – he scored one of them in training yesterday so it gives you that feeling.

"It was a good ball in and they are the ones we have potentially not been getting on the end of enough in the last couple of games. He got on the end of it and nearly got on the end of another."

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Swansea City host Watford on Saturday (12:30 BST) with Alan Sheehan hoping his side's performances will lead to bumper crowds at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Swansea's fine form at the back end of last season saw almost 19,000 turn out for their penultimate home fixture against Hull City before their final-day meeting with Oxford attracted a crowd of 19,672.

In a campaign where attendances dwindled at times, they were the two best Swansea.com Stadium turnouts barring the 20,174 gate for the south Wales derby against Cardiff City.

Yet Swansea's opening home league game of 2025-26, the 1-0 win over Sheffield United last weekend, drew a crowd of fewer than 16,000 – leaving Sheehan hoping for more.

"Last year we went from X amount coming to full houses which was wonderful," the Swansea head coach said.

"Hopefully we can keep building that now to get full houses [again]."

Sheehan says supporters have played a "huge part" in Swansea's impressive recent home record.

The Blades success was the Swans' sixth in eight home league matches since the Irishman took the reins in February, with the club's one defeat on their ground in that period coming against Burnley in March.

In all Sheehan has taken 25 points from a possible 33 at home across two spells at the helm.

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His team will look to improve that fine record against a Hornets side who beat Queens Park Rangers at home last weekend.

That was a first Watford victory for Uruguayan boss Paulo Pezzolano (pictured above), who took charge at Vicarage Road in the summer following the departure of Tom Cleverley.

Pezzolano's reign began with defeats at Charlton Athletic on the opening day and in the Carabao Cup against Norwich City.

"They are a highly physical, athletic team and have brought in some quality in the summer," Sheehan said.

"I watched them at Charlton and they played one way. Then against Norwich they changed at half-time and found a small bit more rhythm, then they stuck with that and won the game against QPR.

"We have got to be ready for anything but we have got to put our own stamp game, get the fans involved in it and hopefully have a positive day."

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Swansea City AFC

With 10 days to go until the transfer window closes, vacancies remain in Swansea City's squad.

But one department where there is no need for further additions is at the heart of midfield.

Swansea have filled the holes left by the likes of Joe Allen and Lewis O'Brien by bringing in Ethan Galbraith, Malick Yalcouye and Marko Stamenic as well as Melker Widell, who signed in January but did not arrive until this summer.

Goncalo Franco, a star of last season, remains in Wales despite some concern within the club that he would attract serious interest this summer.

The long-serving Jay Fulton also remains and so too does Ollie Cooper, who has had plenty of good moments in a Swansea shirt but has had only limited game-time with Sheehan at the helm.

The fact that Sheehan now appears willing to let the Wales international move on says everything about the midfield options at his disposal.

"They are all different profiles, different characters and good players," Swansea's head coach says.

"It's just finding the right matches and the right players. We want good competition, we want to be able to freshen it up and we want to evolve again this year."

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Franco has been a certain starter with Sheehan at the helm, while Galbraith's early-season displays mean he is undroppable right now.

Sheehan is hugely excited about what Yalcouye will bring this season, while Stamenic has not moved to Wales to sit on the bench, even if that is where he is most likely to start when Watford visit on Saturday (12:30 BST).

At times four of Sheehan's midfielders could be in his XI, whether as part of a box in the centre of the pitch or with Yalcouye operating out wide, as he did at times for Sturm Graz last season.

But in the Championship, Sheehan points out, there will also be moments when some players need a rest.

"I think if you are looking to the number of games we have and how we want to play, you can't go back to back to back [playing] 90 minutes," he said.

"Some of these are young players, some have to be integrated, some haven't been in the league before, so there will be games that are right for them and some that are not.

"They can all have a massive impact because very rarely do we start and finish games with the same players."

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Alan Sheehan says there are "no bad eggs" in Swansea City's new-look dressing room and is excited by the "wonderful mix" of players he has to work with this season.

Sheehan has overseen another summer of major change at the Championship club, with 15 senior players departing either on loan or a permanent basis since the end of last season and nine new faces coming the other way.

More transfer business will happen, but Sheehan says there is already a "different environment" within his squad.

"There's been a lot of change," added the Swansea head coach.

"You look into the dressing room and it's very different, a different culture and a new team with new faces.

"We have a wonderful mix of characters in there. Some of the old and the new ones coming in. We have players from different countries - there is a good feel to it and they all push each other really hard."

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Striker Zan Vipotnik, midfielder Ollie Cooper and wide players Cameron Congreve and Josh Ginnelly could yet leave during this transfer window, while Sheehan is still in the market for further new recruits.

Swansea's top priority is to sign a centre-forward, while they are also looking at left-sided defenders and wide players.

After seeing his team claim a first league win of the season against Sheffield United last weekend, Sheehan believes his players are beginning to gel.

"We are starting to see relationships grow on and off the pitch, which is great to see, but I am just happy with the characters we have in there," he said.

"We have had no bad eggs, which is the term in football.

"There's no place for bad eggs in what we want to do so that's pleasing. I have a lot of affection and care for all the players in the dressing room."

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After a mixed start to their Championship season, Swansea City will look to make it two wins on the bounce after beating Sheffield United 1-0 last time out.

Watford are in similar form and will hope to get their first away league win this season when they visit the Swans on Saturday (12:30 BST).

• Swansea City have lost just one of their nine home league games against Watford in the second tier (W6 D2), winning this exact fixture 1-0 last season.

• Watford have only lost one of their last four league games against Swansea City (W2 D1), and could win successive league games against them for the first time since September 2017.

• Swansea City have won six of their last eight home league games (D1 L1). Since Alan Sheehan's first league game in charge of the Swans (22nd February), no current Championship side has accrued more points than them (27).

• Watford have lost each of their previous six away league games, last losing more in succession outside the top-flight in December 1993 (7).

• Only West Bromwich Albion's Isaac Price (3) has scored more Championship goals so far this season than Watford's Luca Kjerrumgaard (2) after his brace against QPR last time out.

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Alan Sheehan says Swansea City will only sign a striker in this transfer window if they can find a player with enough quality to strengthen their forward line.

Swansea have spent much of the close season pursuing attacking targets but are yet to land a senior centre-forward.

The Championship club failed in an attempt to bring Oli McBurnie back to Wales, while they were also thought to be interested in Basel's Spanish striker Kevin Carlos before he moved to Nice earlier this week.

Richard Kone, Willem Geubbels and Jusef Erabi are others who have been considered by Swansea but have either gone elsewhere or have been scratched off the list of potential targets.

The Swans have brought in Bobby Wales from Kilmarnock, but the promising teenager is seen as a player with potential rather than someone who is likely to hold down a regular first-team spot straight away.

Liam Cullen has started Swansea's first two league games of the season, and Sheehan has stressed that he is a big admirer of the Wales international as his team prepare for Saturday's home meeting with Watford (12:30 BST).

"When we talk about potential players coming in, the first person I think of is the nine that is playing in Liam Cullen, an absolute tireless worker for the team, somebody who's on my team sheet more than he's not," the Swansea head coach said.

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"He's a Welsh international - Craig Bellamy plays him as well and there's a reason for that.

"So when we talk about bringing players in and for competition, they have to be better than what we have."

Sheehan had been hopeful that a deal for a new frontman was close last weekend but now acknowledges that he was "probably a bit off on that one".

"I don't think one is imminent, but it's obviously one the club are looking at," he added.

The likelihood is that if Swansea do secure a forward before the window closes on 1 September, the player would arrive from a European league.

There has been some interest in Zan Vipotnik this summer, though the Swans could not consider letting the Slovenia international leave unless they have a player coming the other way.

"Let's get the right one and if he's not available, we stick with what we have and then we strengthen again [in future windows]," Sheehan added.

"[We will] not just bring in players that will appease people for two or three months and then six to nine months down the line, think that actually it wasn't the right one.

"That's a big shout out to Culls really because he's doing such a wonderful job for the team, and he will score goals. I know that.

"In terms of his work ethic, how much he loves the football club, how he shows up, how he is with the detail every day - we're incredibly grateful to have people like him here."