Josh Kilmister's take on yesterday's draw with West Ham United
Starting XI
Lukasz Fabianski – 7
Fabianski had little to do in the first half and could do nothing to stop Andy Carroll’s extra-ordinarily well-placed finish. He didn’t actually have too much to do in the second half either, but as he’s done many a time this season Fabianski earned his stripes in the final five minutes of the match. An acrobatic save from a Stewart Downing curler followed shortly by another great stop from a powerful Carl Jenkinson shot had the big Pole’s name echoing around the east stand. He did spill Aaron Cresswell’s free-kick in the dying minutes but fortunately Carroll couldn’t get all three points for The Hammers.
Neil Taylor – 6
Tayls had a tough first forty-five minutes as wingback Carl Jenkinson – linked with a loan move to Swansea in the summer – surged forward whenever the opportunity arose. It seemed to me that Taylor pushed forward more – or at least more efficiently – than we’re used to, and it really brought the best out of him. Numerous times he found himself in positions where, if he had a little more composure, he could have grabbed himself an assist or even a goal. Once again Taylor held his own and even made a goal-line clearance to prevent James Collins from getting on the score-sheet.
Federico Fernandez – 7
Our stand out defender on the day, Fernandez again proved why his place in the starting eleven was never in doubt after injury. He could have done better in the lead up to Carroll’s goal and there was the odd occasion where the big Englishman slipped away from him but, apart from that, he was outstanding. It says something that he was given the job of marking Carroll over Ash, and in the second half he wasn’t as successful in his attempts to take the points home to London.
Ashley Williams – 6
Making his 300th appearance in a Swans shirt Williams, as ever, relished the physical battle in defence. However his performance, I feel, did go a little under the radar against West Ham, and he didn’t stand out as much as he usually does. Like Fernandez, he might be disappointed in the manor that Carroll found the net but apart from that he didn’t do much wrong.
Angel Rangel – 6
Contrary to the opinions of those I’ve spoken to, I don’t think Rangel had his best game on Sunday. His defensive efforts were impressive, but for a modern day fullback who has been as impressive as Rangel over the years, he gave the ball away far too often when on the attack. Without the presence of Bony, Rangel and others seemed hesitant to put the ball into the box, leading to the ball being lost and The Swans being outnumbered on the counter. He did do well though to thread through Dyer who’s cross met Sigurdsson, but the Iceman couldn’t find the net. Focusing more on his defensive side, the Spaniard was solid at the back; Creswell and Downing struggled to get crosses in which is, I imagine, what Monk wanted most from our fullbacks against a physical West Ham side.
Tom Carroll – 8 (Man of the match)
Surely with the money coming in for Bony, this is one transfer that Monk will be looking to make sooner rather than later. Carroll has impressed so far in his loan spell, and this game wouldn’t have hurt his chances of being offered a permanent deal. Despite starting the game with a few nervy moments, the England Under 21 international grew in confidence as he linked up with Britton on multiple occasions to play the ball out of danger while he also got himself forward to link up with Sigurdsson in the final third.
Leon Britton – 7
Consistent as ever, Leon dictated the play in front of the back four and was a huge help to youngster Carroll in the opening quarter. He seemed happier than ever paired with his compatriot in midfield, creating an instant understanding with him. Short, fast flowing and accurate passing helped Monk’s side build tempo in the second half and put pressure on West Ham’s back four.
Wayne Routledge – 6
Routs will be gutted not to have scored after being denied by a Tomkins tackle immediately after West Ham’s opener, and Routledge will be disappointed by yet another bang-average performance. He did get himself into some promising positions, but as has been the story for the last few weeks, he failed to deliver. Replaced on the hour by Mo Barrow, Routledge will be hoping he get’s the chance to improve next time out.
Gylfi Sigurdsson – 7
Gylfi missed what was, despite our equaliser, our best chance of the game in the first half, striking straight at ‘keeper Adrian. His partnership with Gomis isn’t quite as accomplished as what it was with Bony and at sometimes looked one step ahead of the Frenchman, but that partnership will almost certainly improve in time. Perhaps I would’ve rated him slightly lower if it wasn’t for his superb corner, which led to our equaliser – for us to score from a corner is a compliment to his set pieces in itself.
Nathan Dyer – 6
Replaced at the exact same time as Routledge, Dyer found himself in some brilliant positions but failed to deliver, which is becoming somewhat expected. He did attempt to take the ball past wingback Cresswel but often came up stuck for a final product. I think Dyer might be lucky to keep his place next week as both Emnes and Barrow have impressed of late.
Bafetimbi Gomis – 7
It’s always going to be tough for Bafe to fill Bony’s boots for a month but with his transfer to City imminent, Gomis has found himself with something he’s been crying out for since moving to South Wales – first team football. Holding the ball up well and offering himself in some promising positions, Gomis was a real threat all game both with the ball at his feet and in the air. He showed real ambition to get a goal and, unless the judicators say otherwise, got one. Hopefully the talks of him leaving are false because Bafe looks like he can certainly do a job for us up front.
Substitutes
Marvin Emnes – 6.5 (for Dyer, 63)
Impressed for the time he was on and almost got an assist, linking up with Gomis who should’ve finished better than he did. Don’t be surprised if he’s given a chance to start next week, because his performances of late have been impressive.
Modou Barrow – 6 (for Routledge, 63)
First appearance as a long-term Swans player after signing his new four-year contract, Barrow was effective on the wing and got himself into some really great positions. Had he started the game I think he might’ve made a bigger impact, so maybe he’ll be another knocking on Monk’s door.
Nelson Oliveira – 6 (for Sigurdsson, 74)
Another first as Oliveira was introduced to the Liberty crows immediately after Gomis’ equaliser. Playing as more of a shadow striker than I expected him to, he looked confident in his ability and certainly looks to have some skill.
Referee: Mike Dean – 7
Given our problems with referees of late, I thought I’d start giving my take on their performances. Mike Dean controlled the game well today in what could have been a yellow card fest. Despite us Swans’ fans not being his biggest fan, it’s nice to have a referee who does his job properly for once. A few mistakes here and there but of course, that’s acceptable.
Summary
Honestly, a point against West Ham for us is an amazing result; especially considering some of the absences we have in our squad at the moment. Some people forget how good West Ham have been this season, and deep down inside I think Garry Monk would’ve taken a point at kick-off. Andy Carroll has scored four goals this season, three of which have come against us; that’s something that Monk will be looking to address, but thankfully for us we won’t have to face him in the league again this season.
Next weekend we have Chelsea at The Liberty, and I think I’m being realistic when I say we’ll be lucky to come away with anything. Maybe this could be the ideal opportunity to give someone like Barrow a chance. His rawness, confidence and ability combined might be the exact formula we need to get through a strong Chelsea side.
Thanks to Josh as usual - you can follow him on Twitter @JoshKilmister. Do you agree with his player ratings? Get in touch below.