Competition - Sky Bet Championship Venue - Deepdale Date - 26 August 2023 Kick off - 3:00pm Following their 1-1 home draw against last season’s losing Play-Off finalists, Coventry City, next up for Michael Duff’s Swansea squad is a tricky looking away trip to Preston. Last Saturday, the Swans came from behind to draw with Coventry, a result that left Michael Duff still waiting for a first league win as the Swans’ head coach. Coventry were the more menacing side in the first half and went ahead thanks to Matty Godden's precise finish. However, the Swans responded inside two minutes as summer signing Jerry Yates' header looped inside the far post. After a game of few clear-cut opportunities, Duff and opposite number Mark Robins could take some satisfaction having banked a point apiece. But after draws in his first two home Championship fixtures, Duff will be keen to register a maiden Championship victory. Whilst the Swans were drawing against the Sky Blues, Preston were edging out Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough. Liam Lindsay's bullet header early in the second half was enough to ensure the points in a game which saw goalscoring chances at a premium. Ryan Lowe's North End side remain unbeaten after picking up seven points from their opening three games, two points adrift of early leaders Ipswich and Leicester. The Swans have by played Preston on 69 previous occasions, winning 28, losing 23 and drawing 18. In the corresponding fixture last season, a defensive howler by Harry Darling enabled Preston to run out 1-0 winners: Josh Smith will be ‘the man in the middle’ this coming Saturday. It is just the fifth time that Smith has taken charge of a Swans match. However, one of the previous fixtures overseen by the man from Peterborough was also against Preston. The Swans won 1-0 on that occasion with Ryan Manning on the scoresheet. The most recent Swans match he oversaw was a trip to the Cardiff City Stadium in April 2022 with the Swans running out 4-0 winners with goals for Michael Obafemi (2), Ben Cabango, and Hannes Wolf. Six yellow cards were handed out that day, with four going to Swans players. Smith, who is one of the youngest referees currently working in the EFL, made his Premier League debut at the end of last season when he took charge of a game between Fulham and Crystal Palace. He will be assisted by Matthew Jones and Sam Lewis. The fourth official will be Anthony Backhouse. Turning to this coming Saturday, whilst I think that the Swans are capable of returning to South Wales with at least a point, I have a feeling that Michael Duff will have to wait a little longer to pick up a point away from home, let alone savour his first win as Swans’ Head Coach: I’m going 2-0 to Preston. Hope I’m wrong
https://www.not606.com/threads/swansea-city-deepdale-26-8-2023.408270/#post-16940797 We meet again what time does the mid match brawl start??
I naively thought we were keeping Piroe as a statement of intent (stop laughing) but it's business as usual. It's alleged we're still getting some new players but it's still the same old situation - hopefully find a manager who can work miracles on a budget (or hint at it) and if we do find one he then moves on to a "bigger" club... rinse and repeat.
It'll be the same old waiting till the last day of the transfer window with expectations of a better than we've got so far raised. Then nothing comes of it ? Make the best of what we've got and hope there's a few worst teams than ours . Mid table dreaming AGAIN! Hope is critical
Liam Cullen comes into the Swansea City starting XI in the only change for this afternoon's fixture at Preston North End. Cullen will partner Jerry Yates in attack, while Brandon Cooper is among the substitutes as Josh Ginnelly misses out through illness. Carl Rushworth continues in goal, with Nathan Wood, Ben Cabango - set to make his 150th Swansea City appearances - and Harry Darling making up the Swans defence. Josh Key and Harrison Ashby occupy the wing-back positions, with Jay Fulton and Charlie Patino in midfield alongside skipper Matt Grimes. Yates and Cullen lead the line for the visitors. Preston North End: Freddie Woodman, Liam Lindsay, Will Keane, Alan Browne (captain), Mads Frokjaer, Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes, Ryan Ledson, Duane Holmes, Kian Best, Brad Potts. Substitutes: Dai Cornell, Greg Cunningham, Patrick Bauer, Ali McCann, Ben Woodburn, Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, Jack Whatmough, Noah Mawene, Josh Seary. Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Harry Darling, Ben Cabango, Nathan Wood; Harrison Ashby, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Charlie Patino, Josh Key; Jerry Yates, Liam Cullen. Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Joe Allen, Jamie Paterson, Brandon Cooper, Mykola Kuharevich, Kyle Naughton, Ollie Cooper, Cameron Congreve, Azeem Abdulai.
Yes that is interesting. I would have thought he would have been left out if the Southampton offer was more or less over the line!
