Steve Lansdown attended the Swansea.com Stadium and witnessed the side that he owns capitulate in the second-half, conceding three goals having led at 1-0 at half-time.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it was interesting to hear Nigel Pearson in his post-match press conference refuse to defend his players saying, “When people say, ‘have you worked at that?’ I say listen, what you can’t do is you can’t give players desire. So, we might have to make changes because people like me lose my job through results. What I’m not having is, I’m not having players who cop-out.”
He went on to say, “We might have to make changes. Maybe we’ve got players in our squad at the moment that have got until now and the end of the season to prove whether they’re good enough to be here next year whether I’m the manager or anybody else.
"The football club has had too long putting up with plyers that are just going through the motions at times.”
Pearson rightly spoke about weak defending and described the first and second Swansea goals as “apologies for defending”. A clearly angry and frustrated man he talked about players not showing the desire to keep the ball out of the net and of him not being able to work on players hearts and not being a cardiologist. Strong words indeed.
With 58 goals conceded, only relegation-threatened Reading and Peterborough have worse defensive records. We are just too easy to score against.
There are those fans who are praising Pearson for his honesty and saying it how it is. They point to Pearson inheriting a weak squad and feel that he has to be given the summer and beyond to get rid of those players who are under performing.
This isn’t anything new, Pearson talked of a three-year project, has been consistent in his views and so does Steve Lansdown need to give him that time? Just how realistic is this? How easy will it be to get rid of players who are on sizeable contracts? Players who Pearson has called out; will other clubs want to sign them? What does it do to their transfer value? We can’t afford to keep allowing players to leave without a fee.
The flip side is, whilst he may be right in his assessment what does that do for the morale of the squad? How successful have the signings that he made last summer been? How I long for players who have a relationship with the manager that would see them run through brick walls, give their all, like those that do for the Klopps and Guardiolas of this world.
Of course, they are the best of the best in terms of players and managers, but you get my point. With the club posting losses of £38.4million, what does the summer mean in terms of being able to re-shape the squad?
With financial fair play, will we be forced into selling the crown jewels, the likes of Antoine Semenyo, Alex Scott and Han-Noah Massengo and surely that only make us weaker still?
These are the debates that City fans are having in forums and WhatsApp groups. We were talking about it on the way home from a wet Swansea City. I’m on the fence, if I am honest.
I like Nigel’s honesty at times but I also recognise the dangers in him being so frank. However, as fans we can see just how bad the defending has been at times and so he is only saying what we are thinking in the stands. We have seen glimpses of what we can be but continually revert to type.
Should we expect more? Look at the jobs that Chris Wilder and Steve Cooper have done at Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest respectively, sides that were below us and are now challenging at the right end of the table.
If you take Sunday’s game, it’s not just about desire for me, it’s about taking the responsibility to do your job. It’s about concentration levels.
The Swansea equaliser was such a poor goal to concede, how do Jay Dasilva and Zak Vyner not sense the danger and ensure that Michael Obafemi is marked and not allowed to run in behind for a simple tap in at the far post? How can a ball for the second goal go right across the box and allow a shot to come in?
Our defence is so porous, we are just so easy to score against. The third goal is a good piece of skill to nutmeg Zak and whilst it’s easy to call him out, where was everyone else.
I'm writing this at 9:25pm and having just recorded our 3 Peaps In A Podcast, I’m thoroughly fed up. Our ratings this week were reflect the overall game. Max O’Leary 6, Tomas Kalas 5, Timm Klose 5, Zak Vyner 4, Cameron Pring 5, Jay Dasilva 5, Alex Scott 7, Han Noah Massengo 6, Andi Weimann 7*MotM, Antoine Semenyo 6 and Chris Martin 6. A team average of 5.64 for the game.
As for Nige it has to be a 5, yes individual mistakes but the manager also has to get a tune out of what he has. The current team average for the season is 5.84 with an expected performance rating of 6.
The final comment from me is in respect of the next game, at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
I know that results and performances haven’t been great the last couple of weeks, but Saturday isn’t just about three points in the Championship, it’s about so much more.
We have the opportunity as Bristol City fans to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Ashton Gate Eight. As fans old and young, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to this group of players, selfless men who in 1982, tore up their contracts to save our football team.
I know that many of us enjoy a drink and a chat in the concourse before a 3pm kick off but please just this once, can you take to your seats by 2:45pm and applaud these men as they take to the pitch. It’s the very least that we can do.
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