Match Preview: Swansea City

CRAVEN COTTAGE | 26TH FEBRUARY 2020 | 19:45

Image: Wales Online

Our Focus turns to tonight’s game against Swansea City at the Cottage. With Brentford, Preston and Bristol City losing last night, results were once again pretty kind to Scott Parker on the whole and we have to respond positively to that tonight. 

Meanwhile, Swansea have dipped off since we beat them at the Liberty Stadium last November. The Swans were sixth back then, just two points behind us but now find themselves in 9th with the playoffs slowly beginning to drift away. Equally, the defeats for Preston and Bristol City were uplifting for City and we must hope Parker’s side are 100% focused from the off. COYW!

Head To Head

  • Fulham Wins 32 | Draws 10 | Swansea Wins 24.
  • We have only drawn once with the Swans since 1993.
  • In 66 matches, there has never been a 0-0 draw.
    In the past 10 meetings, our record reads Won 4 | Drawn 1 | Lost 5.
  • Swansea’s record at the Cottage reads Won 7 | Drawn 2 | Lost 24.
  • Our 7-0 victory over Swansea in the FA Cup in 1996 holds the record for the biggest win by an English club over a side from a higher division. Swansea were Div 2 and we were Div 3 at the time.
  • In 1938 we beat them 8-1 at the Cottage.
  • There are only a very small handful of games where we have scored more than that in a competitive match.

Swansea City League Info 2019/20

  • Position: 9th.
  • Form: WDDLD.
  • Scored: 44.
  • Conceded: 42.
  • Top Scorers: André Ayew (13), Sam Surridge (7), Borja Bastón (6).
  • Form Table (Last 6 Matches): 18th (6pts).
  • Average Possession: 52.3%
  • Discipline: 47 Yellows | 2 Reds.
  • Clean sheets: 10.
  • Both teams have scored in 20 of their 34 games this season.

Players in Common

Image: Paul Gilham/Getty

Chris Coleman 

Fulham: 165 apps, 9 goals (1997-2002).

Fulham Manager: W61 | D44 | L71 (2003-2007).

Swansea: 196 apps, 3 goals (1987-1991).

Chris Coleman, Nick Cusack, Cliff Jones, Shefki Kuqi, Alfie Mawson, Andy Melville, Terry Phelan, Darren Pratley, Jazz Richards, Wayne Routledge & John Salako.

Sam’s View | @SamCole2468

Having dropped more points on West Brom and Leeds, the automatic places are starting to escape our grasp, especially after our recent performances. Relying on Mitro and Rodak, May well be enough to land us a place in the playoffs, but it isn’t a sustainable model for winning football matches and that has to change starting with how we approach tonight’s test against Swansea. This game is a must-win with it being the last reasonably straight forward fixture one paper’ before our challenging run-in towards the end of the season. Having said that, last night’s victory for Luton over Brentford is proof once again that you can’t take anything for granted in this league which is one element of why we probably lost to Barnsley last time out at the Cottage.

I would make two changes to the team from our draw with Derby including a change of formation. I think that Kamara should be given a go up front with Mitro so I would adopt a narrow 4-1-2-1-2 formation. I think the defence and keeper should be kept the same but would make several midfield alterations. McDonald should take his rightful place in the base of midfield with Johansen and Cairney in front. I would then have Decordova-Reid sitting in behind Mitro and Kamara. This would mean that Arter and Knockaert lose their places to McDonald and Kamara and we essentially play 3 in midfield, Bobby behind the strikers where he should be and Mitro with a partner in Abou who changed the game when he came on. As the home team, we can’t be isolating Mitrović with negative tactics, we need to stop playing safe and show some balls because we proved in the last 20 minutes against Derby, that when we go for it and take the shackles off, we are a very exciting, dangerous side.

I do believe that we will win this game, albeit narrowly and that a change of formation might throw Swansea as they try to repel our attacking threats. 2-0 with Kamara grabbing a brace and justifying his place alongside Mitro, just like he did when he last started up top against QPR.