Swansea City v Middlesbrough Competition - Sky Bet Championship Date - 6 April 2019 Kick off - 3pm Venue - Liberty Stadium Following their emphatic 3-0 victory over Brentford, next up for Graham Potter’s Swansea squad is a home match against play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough. The Swans produced a high-class display to beat Brentford 3-0 and revive their (very) faint Championship play-offs hopes. Nathan Dyer scored his first Swansea league goals in almost five years as Graham Potter's team beat Brentford for the third time this season. Dyer's opener, inside a minute, was one of the fastest goals scored at the Liberty Stadium and he added a second before the interval. Daniel James' second-half strike clinched a comfortable victory. The Swans halted a four-game losing streak with the win over the Bees and are now 14th, below 13th-placed Brentford on goal difference with both teams 10 points off the play-off spots. Whilst the Swans were beating Brentford, Middlesbrough fell to a fifth successive defeat, losing 0-1 at home to Bristol City who strengthened their own push for a place in the top six. Boro, who have only won once at home in the league in 2019, were booed off the pitch at full-time, with some supporters chanting for manager Tony Pulis to be sacked. His team had occupied a top-six spot since 9 August prior to last Saturday’s defeat to Norwich, but they are now two points adrift of the play-off places with seven matches to play. Defender Adam Webster scored City's winner before half-time, rising highest to guide Jay Dasilva's corner past goalkeeper Darren Randolph. Looking ahead to Saturday, with Boro on a poor run of form, I’m going for a 2-1 victory for the Swans.
I travelled up to watch that frustrating Forest match, where we completely dominated a top six side on their own patch, and played them off the park, only to concede two sloppy goals from corners in the last 10 mins, and throw away three points. We then came home and out played Brentford a few days later, but this time with the goals to win the match comfortably, and it was a joy to watch. This team is only a few players short of being promotion contenders. If we can keep them together and strengthen in the summer, we can have a good shot at promotion next season. Our Achilles heel at the moment is that we have nobody on the bench to make a difference in matches, McKay and Baker-Richardson, both strugglers, coming on at Forest made us worse not better. The three players moved on in January, our captain Fer and young centre back Rodon out injured have weakened the squad. If only the owners had the foresight to see how close we were to being promotion contenders this season. On to Saturday, and our next opponents Middlesboro are going through a shocking run of form with five straight defeats. Pulis will be desperate to get his team back on track, so it will be a tough match with plenty of high balls into the box to contend with, unlike Brentford. I hope GP has a plan to counteract their tactics. Our next three matches are against teams out of form and we have a chance to climb the table with a few wins, let’s take that chance. Boro at home on Saturday, Stoke at home next Tuesday, and QPR away the following Saturday. I’ll be there for all three games.
I'd like to think we can win this 2-1, but we have a knack of bringing other teams poor runs to an end, coupled with our inability to defend set pieces makes me worry that it may end up 1-2 .
Got to agree with Stereo and Keith. They'll be lumping balls into the box for fun. But then I am bottom of the prediction league so I'll go 1 - 0.
We can possibly get promotion with a couple more players yes but the chances of staying there and having a good season then i cant see that, And fans wont want to see us losing all the time.....Look at Ipswich,Fulham and Cardiff for instance, They done well in the championship but were nowhere near ready for the premiership and the extra cost it involves....We should try and stay in the championship for a few more seasons yet and get our debt down and profit up and do what wolves did and prepare for premiership football.....I think Norwich and leeds will be the whipping teams next season if they go up and i dont want the Swans to be like them....There is a lot of hard work to do yet and that dont happen in just one season or even 2 or 3.....We will get there but we need time.....
But who is this mystery poster, "Everyone Else"? Strange name too. Not to worry, bottom place will soon be mine! Waahhaahahaa!
Apparently our run in is the easiest in the division. Our opponents have an average of 1.14 points per game. https://talksport.com/football/efl/522375/every-championship-teams-run-in-from-hardest-to-easiest/ Therefore we should win every game left. Simple.
Sometimes the easier the games look turn out to be the hardest to win.......Swans know that more than anyone in recent years....
Lets not throw this domination away second half, if there's one manager I do not want to lose against, it's Pulis................................
