Swansea v Sheffield United

Swansea v Sheffield United,Tuesday 21 Jan, 19:45
There is no let up for troubled Swansea after recent heavy defeats with one of the promotion favourites Sheffield United the visitors to the .com stadium on Tuesday night.
Swans fans will be hoping the real Swansea team turn up and not their cardboard cut-outs.
With a full team out at Cardiff which included previously injured Darling and Cabango there was no excuse for the second-half collapse with individual defensive mistakes again our downfall.
The Blades have several players injured including Jamie Shackleton, Oliver Arblaster and Kieffer Moore who is out with a groin injury that requires surgery. They have just signed Ben Brereton-Diaz on loan from Southampton as cover. The ex-Blackburn goal machine moved to Villarreal before signing for the Saints and he is eligible to play against the Swans Tuesday night.

Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux, Josh Key, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling, Josh Tymon; Matt Grimes (captain), Gon?alo Franco, Liam Cullen; Ronald, Myles Peart-Harris, Florian Bianchini.

Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Joe Allen, Žan Vipotnik, Jisung Eom, Josh Ginnelly, Cyrus Christie, Kyle Naughton, Sam Parker.

Sheffield United: Michael Cooper, Alfie Gilchrist, Rhian Brewster, Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare, Harrison Burrows, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Jack Robinson (captain), Rhys Norrington-Davies, Andre Brooks, Sydie Peck.

Substitutes: Adam Davies, Sam McCallum, Ben Brereton Diaz, Tyrese Campbell, Jamal Baptiste, Louie Marsh, Femi Seriki, Ryan One, Billy Blacker.

Swansea 1 (Bianchini 7’) - Sheff Utd 2 (Brewster 47’, Burrows 68’ pen)
The Swans dominated the first half and took the lead after seven minutes, a Bianchini header after Cooper could only parry a Cabango header.
Swans were denied a sure penalty when Norrington-Davies, who had already been booked, pulled back Peart-Harris in the box, the ref shying away from what should have been a blatant penalty, a second booking and a red card. Wilder, seeing the danger subbed Norrington-Davies at half-time.
With 5-0 shots on target we just could not get another goal our play deserved.
Start of the second-half, Wilder introduced three subs and as with many other games this season we were slow out of the blocks. Bianchini weakly lost the ball and sub Seriki crossed the ball, it deflected to ex-Swan Brewster who fired home the equaliser.
A few minutes later and the ref ruined the match. Darling was sent off after a late tackle on Brewster, who writhed on the floor in exaggerated agony as the Sheff Utd players milled around the ref trying to get Darling sent-off, the biased ref obliged. It was no more than a yellow card. Brewster was later subbed off to boos from the home supporters for his antics.
But more was to come from one of the worst refs seen here this season. After the many fouls by the Blades not punished, Key was adjudged to have fouled Campbell in the box and Burrows stroked away the penalty.
Swans fought back bravely but could not get the equaliser their play deserved.
A lucky win for the Blades thanks to sub standard and biased refereeing.
Swans 3 yellow, 1 red. Blades 4 yellow, 0 red

Match report

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/rep...field-united-2

The gaffers post match reaction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-BPiBcL2o

Sky Sports match highlights and report

https://www.skysports.com/football/s.../report/509673

Extended highlights

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/ext...field-united-1

So a big reaction from the Swans after the Cardiff debacle.
It just shows we can go head to head with the best teams in this division.
We deserved a lot more from this match but unfortunately sub-standard and inconsistent refereeing is blighting our season.
Where they dig up these referees from I do not know.

Why didn’t we play like this last week?
A lot of reinforcements needed for this team though.
Tymon didn’t stop the cross that led to their first goal, then a Key mistake that led to the penalty. Both players no good at defending.
Our bench doesn’t have enough quality. In contrast Sheffield’s three subs at half-time changed the game.

Here we go boys. Great first half, should have been out of sight, but missed chances cost us.
The teams at the top have got strong squads, subs who can change the game, we haven’t, that’s why we are mid table and why United won last night.
Our best players have been sold off every season until we are only a shadow of our former selves.
The Swans support is fickle and if we are not winning they will stay away. We are 20th of 24 in the Championship table for average home attendances this season at 15,000. Sunderland are top of that table with 40,000 and can funnel that gate money into buying better players than us and stay within FFP rules.