Swansea City 1 - 2 W. B. A. Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Referee: Martin Atkinson (booooo!) Date: Saturday the 15th of March 2014, 3pm kick off. Goal scorers Lamah, 2' Sessegnon, 52' Mulumbu, 85 Injuries Definitely out West Brom; Anelka (suspended), Brunt, Lugano, Reid (all knee), Jones (hamstring), Popov (neck), Yacob (hamstring). Swansea City; Chico (suspended), Possibly out West Brom; Swansea; Bartley, Shelvey (both hamstring), Dyer (foot), Michu (ankle), Hernandez (hamstring) Lineups; Swansea ---------------------Vorm--------------------- ---------------Amat--------Ash--------------- Rangel-------------------------------B. Davies ---------------Canas---Britton---------------- -------------------De Guzman----------------- Routledge-------------------------------Lamah --------------------Bony---------------------- Bench; Tremmel, Tiendalli, Taylor, Michu, Hernandez, Emnes and Lita(!) Subs: Michu for Canas (63'), Hernandez for Lamah (77') and Emnes for Britton (87'). West Brom --------------------Foster--------------------- --------Dawson--McAuley--Olsson----------- Reid-------------Mulumbu----------Ridgewell ---------Morrison-----------Dorrans---------- ------------------Sessegnon------------------- -----------------Anichebe---------------------- Bench; Myhill, O'Neil, Bifouma Koulossa, Gera, Sinclair, Berahino and Vydra Subs; Gera for Dorrans (75'), Bifouma Koulossa for Sessegnon (79') and O'Neil for Anichebe (89') Key Battles; Olsson v Bony - I've always been impressed with Olsson when we have played them. He is a real old school dirty, super competitive, thug of a centre-back. He is great in the air also, a real attacking threat at set pieces. Will he manage to bully Bony though? and who will have the edge in the air? Morrison v Britton - Morrison is a classic playmaker type. He has the ability to find the space between the defence and the midfield and open us up. Usually has goals in him too...although he is not having a good season (might be wrong Baggies fans?). Britton needs to be at his super competitive best close this guy down and get on the ball. I'm backing Britton to have his usual good game in the centre. Berahino v Davies/Rangel (not sure where he will play?) - I'll keep this short and sweet. Berahino is a threat. Anichebe v Ash. Ash doesn't like strong centre forwards who are good in the air and Anichebe is both....but then, maybe Amat will be assigned this task with Ash sweeping up. I just hope Anichebe doesn't drift on to Ash when a cross approaches him in the box. QUOTES Jonathan De Guzman - “Playing at home should help us a lot,” he said. “We know the fans will back us for the whole 90 minutes and hopefully we can finish the chances that we create and win the game. “They give us that extra strength on the pitch, and every time I play at the Liberty I feel good.” (Jack Magazine) Garry Monk - "You get defining games throughout season and this is definitely one of them," Monk said. "Everyone's fighting for different reasons throughout the league. We want the three points and so do West Brom. "It's a good game, a big game, but we're in front of our home fans and it is important that we put on a performance to get the win." "We deserved a hell of a lot more than what we've got," Monk added. "When I look at the Premier League games we've had, we beat Cardiff 3-0, went to Stoke where we managed to get a point and could have even got three points. "We had a very good game against Liverpool away, scored three goals and came away with nothing. "Then Crystal Palace here in the last game - a very good 45 minutes but the second half was very difficult for us." (The BBC) Pepe Mel - “Perhaps this isn’t the best game to show Spanish flags because Swansea have eight Spanish players! But I can only thank the fans. “Swansea have a lot of Spanish players and I know them very well. Some of them are even friends, but that doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that West Bromwich Albion go on and win.” (The Birmingham Mail) Players we share in common Craig Beattie, Luke Moore, Carl Heggs, Scott Sinclair, Ashley Williams (WBA youth team) HEAD TO HEAD: • Swansea have won four of the previous five Premier League meetings, including 2-0 in this season's reverse fixture in September. • West Brom have only won two of their 13 league matches at Swansea, in 1946 and 2010. SUMMARY "The last time West Bromwich Albion played in south Wales - at Cardiff - their head coach was sacked barely hours after the game. There is a growing sense that Pepe Mel could suffer the same fate as Steve Clarke. Mel is facing a crucial game both for his own future and Albion's hopes of avoiding relegation and a defeat to Swansea could have severe repercussions. Swansea's exit from the Europa League enables them to focus exclusively on their own survival mission and head coach Garry Monk needs a win to ease his own nailbiting." - The Daily Telegraph STATS: Swansea City (Currently 14th place) - Swansea have scored first in 30% of their last 20 home games. - In their last 20 home games, 41% of the 27 goals scored by Swansea have come from forwards, 33% from midfielders and 15% from defenders. - In their last 20 home games, 43% of the 30 goals conceded by Swansea have come from forwards, 37% from midfielders and 17% from defenders. - Swansea have only won two of their last 14 league matches, taking 11 points in that period. - They have led at half-time in just four league matches this season. Only Cardiff have a worse first-half record. - The Swans have the best record of any side in the bottom half against similarly-placed opposition (W6, D6, L1). - Ashley Williams could make his 100th Premier League appearance for Swansea. West Brom - Albion have failed to win in all seven Premier League games under new head coach Pepe Mel. - West Brom have scored first in 20% of their last 20 away games. - In their last 20 away games, 48% of the 21 goals scored by West Brom have come from forwards, 33% from midfielders and 14% from defenders. - In their last 20 away games, 53% of the 32 goals conceded by West Brom have come from forwards, 44% from midfielders and 0% from defenders. - West Brom have only earned four points from eight games and won just one of their last 18 Premier League fixtures (W1, D9, L8). - Albion's only away win this season came against Manchester United in September. They have since taken four points from 10 away fixtures (D4, L6). - The Baggies have struggled against the sides around them - winning only two of their 12 fixtures against bottom-half opposition (W2, D5, L5). - Their forthcoming fixtures after Saturday are all against relegation rivals: Hull (a), Cardiff (h), Norwich (a). - Pepe Mel's side have kept five clean sheets this season - only Cardiff (three) have fared worse. ODDS: West Brom to win: 11/4 Swansea to win: Evens Draw: 12/5 TV: highlights on BBC1's MOTD Stream:
Monk was honest with his assessment of the CP second half. Hopefully Michu will get a run out too. Us to win 2-0 I think.
Great thread! I think it will be a good game for us, we tend to have a good time playing WBA 3~1 swans
Anelka not just suspended but resigned. I hope he's not taken their only ball! Such a huge game for both clubs but can't see anything but a Swans win. I won't go for a score as it could be anything! Good odds on us too... which is worrying as the bookies are rarely wrong... although we are favourites all the same. This time last season we were vying with each other for the higher position mid table and neither club at the start of the season would have thought this fixture would be played under such pressure.
There'e pressure on both sides , we need to start winning games now and especially this month where we have a few difficult fixtures .time is ticking for WBA and without key players their there for the taking but they won't lie down as they're fighting to remain in the PL so an interesting game tomorrow but one we should win ,whether by 1 or more I don't care but the 3 points are a must imo.
I'm expecting a win but very nervous defensively, especially with Chico's suspension .As must a must win there is , imo . 3-2 Swans.
I can see putting in a typical v WBA at home performance and we will turn it on. 3-1 to the Swans which will help our neighbours no end!
Just looking forward to a 3pm Saturday kick off - been a bloody long time! Already very nervous about this one, gonna be wearing extra pants as my bum will be squeaking throughout! COYS - we are better than WBA so don't slip up!
I agree, a 3-1 win to us must surely be on the cards with Michu getting a run out as well. WBA I think will fill the final 3rd spot in the drop zone!.........
Would love to see a 3 man defence today . Rangel, Williams , Taylor Britton , Canas Dyer De Guzman , Routledge Poz Bony
SWANS:Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Jordi Amat, Ashley Williams (capt), Ben Davies, Leon Britton, Jose Canas, Jonathan de Guzman, Wayne Routledge, Roland Lamah, Wilfried Bony. SUBS: Gerhard Tremmel, Dwight Tiendalli, Neil Taylor, Michu, Pablo Hernandez, Marvin Emnes, Leroy Lita. WEST BROM: Ben Foster, Craig Dawson, Gareth McAuley, Jonas Olsson (capt), Steven Reid, James Morrison, Youssouf Mulumbu, Graham Dorrans, Liam Ridgewell, Stephane Sessegnon, Victor Anichebe. SUBS: Boaz Myhill, Liam O’Neil, Matej Vydra, Zoltan Gera, Saido Berahino, Scott Sinclair, Thievy Bifouma. Read more at http://www.swanseacity.net/news/article/report-wba-h-1422118.aspx#DJervo1DZDvZLJUi.99
