Improved second half performance couldn't mask another flat display
There was a time when Swansea's midfield were famed for passing the ball. It seems to me that of late we're seeing more passing of the buck. The first half display against Hull made me wonder whether I've ever seen a team so comfortable in possession, yet who look entirely unlikely to create...well...anything. According to the stats displayed on screens at the Liberty, at half time we'd had four shots (none on target) to Hull's one (on target and, crucially, also a goal).
The passing of the buck I refer to is in the centre of the midfield, where we seem to have forgotten how to move forward down the pitch. Gone are the days when our two more defensive minded central midfielders would form a coherent partnership, playing themselves into (and successfully out of) trouble as we tika-taka'd our way up the field. Instead, we have to watch as the ball goes across the back four... forward once... before going straight back to the centre-back for the whole process to start over. We're becoming far too predictable and, understandably, if you can stop us getting at you through the middle it severely restricts our attacking options - especially when you consider our wingers now seem to spend most of their time tucking inside and occupying positions you'd traditionally expect your attacking midfielder to be taking up.
To criticise too heavily would be unfair on Hull though. Steve Bruce set his side up in a 3-5-2 which completely nullified the Swans for more or less the entire match. The wing backs marked our wingers, and for the entirety of the ninety minutes I thought we lacked invention, spark, and anything else which normally leads to goal-scoring chances.
The opener came from who else but Danny Graham. After not having scored for around thirty games (I've seen a couple of different stats and they can't all be right), it was always likely he'd break his duck against his former employers and so it proved to be. Ash played a weak pass towards Pablo which was intercepted by Elmohamady, and he advanced before picking out Graham at the back post. Chico couldn't get anywhere near him, and the striker dispatched the ball into the net. 1-0, and we didn't look like we were going to be capable of turning things around any time soon.
Ben Davies produced one effort of note after linking up through the middle, and the only other chance I remember in the first half was when De Guzman leant back and put one into orbit after it had been pulled back to the edge of the box. Jonjo Shelvey scored from there, don't you know...
The second half started with no changes having been made. Most perplexing seeing as a) Michu was clearly unfit and b) De Guzman was having a mare. The latter was thankfully replaced ten minutes into the second half for Pozuelo, and four minutes later we had our goal. The Swans won one of twelve corners they'd have by the end of the match, and a short routine was worked which saw Shelvey drill a low cross into the box. Chico was very much in the right place at the right time, and it hit him in the midriff and deflected into the net. 1-1, and half an hour to play. Surely we'd rally and hammer home our home advantage?
Nope. The best effort I remember anyone producing after that was Yannick Sagbo, who drilled a shot low at Tremmel's right hand post, but the German was equal to it and parried it away. Aside from that, the only other talking points were a shoving match in the corner of East and South stands and Chico producing more of his ridiculous theatrics. I've never seen a centre-back go down as much as he does, and frankly it's embarrassing. Man up mate.
Overall I think 1-1 was a fair result but despite us having 66% of the ball I thought you'd have a tough time arguing we were the better team. Something needs to change in terms of the tactics we're currently operating with, because more often than not it's simply not working. I do believe we have the players to successfully utilise the system Laudrup wants to use, but at the moment there's definitely some tinkering needed.
On to Switzerland then. Apparently it could be -4 degrees when we step onto the field - play like we did tonight and whoever plays up front stands more chance of getting frostbite than a goal.