Swansea City 3-4 Blues

Swansea City 3-4 Birmingham City

Starting XI

Two changes from the last league game. Gary Gardner and George Friend start league games for the first time since August. Troy Deeney is injured. Hannibal Mejbri is on the bench. Emmanuel Longelo is in the squad. Jordan Graham is out.

Game

A chaotic game between two sides who are in a chaotic state.

Swansea were completely dominant from the get go. Within three minutes, Ntcham had found the run of Piroe. Ruddy made a big stop. On six minutes, Grimes found the run of Cullen. Ruddy made a big stop.

Then out of nowhere, a penalty. Khadra made the most of a loose Cabongo header. He gets a touch and goes over Fisher. It's not a penalty. I'd be fuming if that was given against Ruddy. He's knocked the ball out of play and just gone for the contact. But it was given and Scott Hogan snuck the ball under the arm of Fisher.

Swansea went back to dominating. Piroe made the most of Trusty's poor touch but his shot was deflected wide. Then they scored, a good move involving Fulton and Cooper ended with Piroe turning Friend and finishing. And a few minutes later they were ahead, Cooper turning Bielik, finding the pass to Piroe between Trusty and Friend to set up Cullen for a tap in. Thoroughly deserved.

Ntcham headed wide from a Latibeaudiere cross. Ruddy just about denied Cooper from yet another through ball. Blues' best response was Hogan teeing up Gardner for an effort over the bar from 25 yards.

Eustace went big at half time. He replaced Gardner and Friend with Bacuna and Hannibal and changed shape. Manning struck wide almost immediately after the break but the changes worked after ten minutes, Sanderson showing composure to find Bacuna who drove forward and played Chong in behind to finish 1 v 1.

John Ruddy has arguably been the best goalkeeper in the league this season but he succumbed to the Championship goalkeeping curse, miskicking when clearing another through ball. Piroe had a tap in.

From there, Blues got on top of the game but it was still end to end. Hogan couldn't quite get on the end of a Longelo pass. Cullen was denied by another fine Ruddy save. Hannibal fired over after a cross was cut out. And after changes of shape for both sides, Colin fired over from the edge of the box. Latibeaudiere succumbed to injury and with three subs having been made, Blues put the pressure on against ten.

We equalised. Bacuna to Chong to Colin and his cross found the head of Jutkiewicz at the near post. Hogan had an effort deflected wide. Fisher dropped a corner and was thankful Colin's effort was cleared off the line. Longelo's cross evaded everybody then his next attempt found Hogan, whose near post flick deflected for a corner.

From that corner, Trusty headed home. Carnage. Blues had won it. The last side in the 92 to pick up a single point in 2023 and we did so in style.

Tactics

So, Swansea played a unique shape against our 3-5-2.

It was nominally a diamond. However, Manning spread the pitch on the left while Latibeaudiere tucked in. Except, he wasn't always the man to Cabango's right, Fulton often taking up that role and rotating with his right-back to offer a narrow sort of width. Grimes would then drop off and show in the hole. Ntcham then took up half spaces between Gardner, Colin and Sanderson with Cullen a left-forward, Cooper very much in the hole between Blues' midfield and defence with Piroe pulling wide on the right. It made for an asymmetric 3-2-2-1-2 sort of thing. Odd, but it worked.

The most impressive thing about Swansea was how they didn't fear the press. They always passed to the player in front of them. They cut through small gaps or receive the ball with their back to play. It was very impressive. Especially in midfield.

Blues tried to deal with the overload by pushing Colin inwards from wing-back, having Sanderson deal with the channel and Gardner being tasked with Wood and Manning when the right opportunities came about to press. It didn't work. There were too many gaps elsewhere on the pitch.

In the initial phase of possession, Blues stepped off. Once the ball moved into a wide position, Chong/Gardner would go, Khadra/Hogan would try and press the centre-backs and Bielik would step onto Grimes. But, in truth, Swansea were too intelligent. They would utilise Fisher. Grimes never wasted a touch. They always had an out. And with Blues' midfield having stepped up, Swansea would progress either with the ball (Wood/Fulton), look for the switch to Manning (Ntcham/Cullen would work off that) or thread a forward pass into Cooper or Ntcham. They worked the break from left to right regularly, taking Bielik out of the game and leaving Trusty and Friend against Piroe, who had the beating off them. And if Piroe was marshalled, Blues' defence being dragged out would leave space for a runner, which they ought to have got value from.

In terms of attack, Blues offered little. Their best moments were Colin reading the pass to Manning down the line, often too short, and working with Gardner to set Hogan away in behind Wood. However, we didn't get enough bodies forward in support. The overload was available on the other side but it was often Chong and Friend, who lacked the necessary tools.

Blues changed shape at half time to 4-2-3-1. Bacuna and Bielik deep. Hannibal behind Hogan with Chong and Khadra (then Longelo) either side. The press improved. Blues were narrow out of possession and no longer being outnumbered by pressing ahead of the ball. We were forcing the ball to Swansea's right, pressing them high and when they made the forward pass, we had Bacuna, Bielik and Chong narrow and ready to pounce. As a team, we were higher up the pitch and stopped Swansea having time to play as they wanted. The game was simplified.

There was a change for either side with 15 to go. Jutkiewicz replaced Hannibal. Darling replaced Piroe. Blues went to 4-1-3-2 with Bacuna deep and Hannibal ahead. Swansea went to 5-4-1, Whittaker up top, Cooper and Cundle wide, Manning and Latibeaudiere as WB's. When Latibeaudiere went off, Darling moved to RB in a 4-4-1. Swansea going to a narrow two banks of four gave space to Chong and Longelo on either flank, so the out ball was always available with Bacuna and Hannibal constantly recycling possession back out wide.

Players

First half, nobody. Credit to Colin, Gardner and Hogan for at least showing a willingness to control a football and pass it five yards. Friend and Trusty never got sorted down the left and it caused us problems.

Second half, the subs were key. Bacuna came on and helped change the game. Assist for the first. Aggressive in the press and tackle. Nothing silly, just got the ball moving and made a difference. Hannibal's energy was key. Longelo had a stormer down the left, looking much fresher and confident than the boy that lost his place a month ago. Jutkiewicz with a goal from the bench.

For Swansea, Matt Grimes again. Never wastes a touch. Always looks forward. Makes forward runs. Timely and accurate passes. Superb footballer. Piroe made the most of his chances. Cooper a very intelligent young footballer. Fulton superb first half.

Anything else?

John Eustace admitted post-match that he got his selection wrong. I like that. No arrogance in the bloke at all.

Wrapping it up...

Firstly, Swansea. There has been a lot made about their transfer window. While ahead, Martin could call upon two defenders, a young midfielder, two teenagers and a striker who wanted out. They resorted to a 5-4-1 to try and gain some control in possession but it's hard to imagine he would have wanted to do that with the options he wanted in January.

For Blues, I'm not sure what conclusions to draw. Today showed what Bacuna, Bielik, Hannibal, Chong and Longelo can do at their best. Moving the ball quickly, playing with confidence, taking people on and making things happen. It leaves you asking "why can't they do this consistently?"

Next week, we play West Brom. Amid fan protests too, which means the atmosphere could be a messy one. Eustace has a lot of decisions to make. Does he go with a four or five? Which players are the best selections to carry out the necessary tactical plan? Which players can stand up and scrap against a very good side in difficult circumstances? Does he bring back Deeney, Hall and Dean into the squad or even the XI or trust those that did the job against Swansea?

This is where he makes his money. He will need is his team to show up and fight next week.