Firstly, it has to be mentioned. The news of the tragic loss of Gary Speed in the early hours of Sunday morning started to break shortly before kickoff, and it seems anyone who knew him, or even was simply aware of him, is still in shock. An asset to every team he played for in a hugely successful career, he was a model professional and had carried that ethos through into his fledgling managerial career. My thoughts, as well as those of everyone else, I'm sure, are with his family and friends at this disturbing time.
On to a game which was important to both teams, but the importance to the individuals in attendance seemed to have diminished, and rightly so. Shankly once claimed football was "more important than life or death". He was wrong.
Aston Villa arrived after being well beaten by Tottenham on Monday night, and the Swans were at home for the second game in succession after being defeated 0-1 by reigning champions Manchester United the previous weekend. Swansea sprang no selection surprises, and neither did Aston Villa, except for the forced inclusion of Chris Herd for Stilian Petrov, nursing a hamstring injury ahead of a game which came just too soon.
This game reminded me of so many games I've seen at the Liberty over the last few years, with the opposition playing to a game plan which was equal parts negative and effective. In League One, and especially in the Championship, we became accustomed (as Swansea fans) to flowing football from the home team, and defeatist "here-for-the-draw" football from the away team, and I think this is the most blatant example we've had yet from a Premiership team. That the team involved boasts an 18 million pound striker in their ranks should not go unnoticed. Villa lined up with a 4-3-3/4-4-2 diamond of types, with Emile Heskey prowling the zone occupied by Leon Britton, and I think this had a telling effect on the game. Amongst friends, whether he was told to man-mark Britton for the duration was a matter of heated discussion, but it seemed to me that he did a very effective job in stopping Britton turning and playing the ball forward through the middle of the park. Britton deservedly got man of the match, but Heskey gave him a rough time until the latter's withdrawl around the 70 minute mark. A further example of the effectiveness of Heskey in nullifying Britton is how the Swans came into the game once he'd been replaced by the dynamic, but less disciplined, Jermaine Jenas, who isn't best known for his ability to hold a position.
By playing in the same zone as Britton, he effectively stopped him turning, meaning any time Britton picked the ball up he had to play it backwards, at which points it was spread out wide. Don't let that fool you into thinking Britton had a bad game, he did not. High pass completion, and man of the match, show he wasn't deterred from picking the ball up in dangerous situations, and it was more that he was simply unable to find anyone free to pass the ball to first time, as they were all being man-marked high up the field too. Aston Villa pressed us as Man Utd did, except they didn't have the quality where it mattered to penetrate the Swans defence. Before the game there were jokes from many, myself included, about Heskey, but in fairness his performance was crucial for Villa as without him the Swans were soon in the ascendancy.
What particularly disappointed me was the level of aggression shown by Aston Villa. Time and time again we've been told the Swans would struggle with the physicality of this league, and up until now they've refuted that accusation. Yesterday, however, they were unable to as Villa were at times rough-housing, and at worst just plain dirty. Jazz Richards waist high tackle on Agbonlahor means the Swans weren't whiter than white, but Villa, from the outset, clearly had a game plan to "get into" the Swans, and it worked, with the forced withdrawl of two players injured as a result of filthy challenges. On top of that, the "footballer" Alan Hutton, unpunished and unrepentant in reference to fracturing Shane Long's leg recently, somehow didn't cause serious injury to Neil Taylor with a horrific lunge at the Swans left-back. He went in two footed, off the floor, and it was a red card which the ref completely bottled. He picked up a yellow for that, which means that now he'll escape further punishment for that too. Chris Herd also spent a large portion of the game kicking people, and I counted 3 fouls with no card, and one which escaped punishment completely...unbelievable seeing as he went down the back of Nathan Dyer's ankle. Danny Graham was also injured when Richard Dunne went through the back of him and caught his achilles with his studs.
It may sound like I'm "banging on" about the treatment the Swans received, and I wasn't going to do a review of the match, but the lack of attention it received in the media (zero mention on MOTD2) made me feel it was worth drawing attention to. The game itself was, understandably, a bit of a damp squib, with both sides struggling to assert themselves onto the game. The Swans, while they had the lions share of possession as per usual, struggled to find the fluency in midfield they've had for the last few years, and this was in no small part hindered by the departure through injury of influential right back Angel Rangel, after he twisted his ankle making a forward run early in the first half. His replacement, Jazz Richards, started nervously but came into the game as it went on. Testament to Rangel's impact is that normally the majority of the Swans attacks come down the right, but at half time only 18% had done so, which I speculate is a direct result of Rangel leaving the field.
Villa huffed and puffed but never really threatened, and when they did have opportunities they failed to capitalise. Bent pushed a shot straight at Vorm from a tight angle when clean through while Dunne couldn't keep his header down after an audacious flick on from N'Zogbia at the near post from a corner. Swansea fairly comfortably kept another clean sheet, their 6th of the season, and that will further boost the home sides confidence in their defence. Swansea had limited opportunities themselves, with Lita manufacturing perhaps the best chance with a neat turn and left footed shot which went just past the post after he'd beaten James Collins. In truth, both teams struggled to create which is a concern for both teams for differing reasons. For the Swans, it means that teams are starting to figure out the style we play and are going to be arriving with the intention of stifling us and playing little football, much like the Championship, while for Villa it will be a worry that they were made to look so average by a side assembled for less than one or two of their individual players cost.
Swansea need to learn how to break down Premiership defences. Their football and goals alone did it in League One before a resolute home defence aided some nice football in the Championship, but there were times even then when we looked unable to break down teams who would just "sit" and wait for us to play our way into trouble. The problem with this is that once again we've stepped up a level, and players, and teams, are much more clinical at this level as was evidenced last week by Chicharito's winner. Having said that, it's only been the top, top teams (and Norwich) to make us suffer so far this year, and if that stays the same for the rest of the season I'll be a very happy man as I see the Swans staying up. We have the basics and the defence is solid, and I'd rather have a system where we can almost guarantee clean-sheets, and have to find some goals, than be in Wigan's position of having to shore up the defence AND score more goals than the opposition. If the Swans can play a bit more football in the opposition half, acquire a bit more nous in and around the box, and maybe sign a player or two in January, I see them having no problems at all.
Scott Mackay.
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