Swansea City (A) pre-match

[Richmondfox]

Same team that started but Ricardo for Hamza.

 

Now it’s all on the tactics from the manager and the players engaging their brains.  Less of the same please. 

 

I heard that Hamza has been on the Nintendo brain trainer all week. VK and JV have been watching all of Vikings to tap into the strength of their ancestors.  Mavadidi, Fatawu and Monga have been icing their hips ready to see who can do the most step overs. 

[Noahfence]

21 hours ago, Tommy G said:

I think he's massively playing for himself - he's constantly looking for that cut inside shot into the top bag so he can do a little dance - he needs to be more of a team player. He was ****ing rubbish last night 

I’m already at the stage with Fatawu where I’m saying don’t shoot every time he cuts onto his left. 

[Richmondfox]

21 minutes ago, Noahfence said:

I’m already at the stage with Fatawu where I’m saying don’t shoot every time he cuts onto his left. 

Or at least someone try and draw defenders away to give him space. Martin needs to start applying some tactics now, or change what he is telling them to do.  Passing to the wingers standing still on the halfway line isn’t working. If he doesn’t shoot then the ball just gets sent backwards. A few on target to force a save would be nice. 

 

Hopefully we will see JJ driving more with the ball and players running into space rather than looking to get the ball with their back to goal. 

 

[demon_dog]

Don't know why anyone bothers with predictions as we all know it'll be a draw!

[Simonb]

23 hours ago, Blueman1967 said:

Why don't we have Fatawu as the no 9, he has pace, and knows where the net is

Cant see that myself. He's our best wingers by a mile.. you cant move your best player we'd just weaken the right side. Plus yes hes scored twice this season but has taken about 30 shots along the way 

 

If we was to try any of the wingers it should be mav.. we'd still have our best wingers in their positions and Mav has played there before in France.

 

Desperate for a target man like Ulloa tbh

[Sol thewall Bamba]

47 minutes ago, demon_dog said:

Don't know why anyone bothers with predictions as we all know it'll be a draw!

You just made a prediction 

 

[Dan]

6 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

Passing football at the back is so dull and draining to watch. It invites pressure and when a mistake is made it can be costly, like we have found out. I suppose we don't have the creativity to do that, or the brains. The best tmove of the season was our goal on Tuesday. Quick decisive passing. 

 

Football is becoming boring and this league is so poor, and the worrying thing is, we look like we belong here. 

Very much fear we have appointed yet another possession > creativity manager. The majority of our fans will want him out in a month if so.

[funkyrobot]

Surprised with the clamour for Okoli on most people’s team formations. How quickly his complete lack of passing ability is forgotten and how often he left us as vulnerable through it, 

[Ric Flair]

9 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Agreed. In 2023/24 Abdul obliterated the Championship record for big chances created. He managed to make 32 in 2,828 minutes. A big chance every 88 minutes.

 

This season he's made 1 big chance in 679 minutes.

 

The drop off in terms of creativity is massive.

For all Enzo's criticisms of the slow and tactical system, it was structured in such a way that did lead to a decent amount of goal scoring chances from our most dangerous players.

 

We don't have that currently. Marti is quite basic in what he is instilling here, or the players have not yet delivered on what his instructions are. Fatawu was constantly barked orders by Enzo and his staff and given specific instructions with minimal licence to do what he wanted. I think more of this needs to happen under Marti, especially as we don't have the box crashers creating space centrally for him to create havoc like Ndidi, KDH and Vardy used to do.

 

No coincidence both he and Mavididi look devoid of much creativity and goal scoring threat themselves, it's all very turgid under Cifuentes.

[foxfanazer]

On 30/09/2025 at 21:53, Fox92 said:

It will be the same rubbish. We will probably create very little and concede.

That sounds a bit far-fetched 

[CrazyKopCorner]

15 hours ago, funkyrobot said:

Surprised with the clamour for Okoli on most people’s team formations. How quickly his complete lack of passing ability is forgotten and how often he left us as vulnerable through it, 

We need people who can defend. 

 

Vestergaard can pass a ball but he's crap at defending. 

 

Faes can look the part until he's shown up as not being able to defend properly. 

 

Okoli is not great but at least he can defend and needs game time. We've consistently played Vestergaard and Faes and they have consistently let us down. 

[LCFCJohn]

17 hours ago, funkyrobot said:

Surprised with the clamour for Okoli on most people’s team formations. How quickly his complete lack of passing ability is forgotten and how often he left us as vulnerable through it, 

To be fair, Faes falling in a heap on the floor when he’s the last man and completely missing headers leaves us vulnerable. Vestergaard wondering up the pitch and being nearer the half way line whilst West Brom were scoring or standing making a feeble attempt to shield the ball and giving Wrexham the equaliser through it leaves us vulnerable.

 

And all that’s in the last two games 

 

Edit - I forgot the Wout special, trying to run through the entire opposition, losing control of the ball, falling over and wiping out the Wrexham player and getting booked!

Edited 3 October 2025 by LCFCJohn

[FoxesWalk]

Another 20 odd shots with max 1 on target 

 

We are something like 40 shots for 2 on target in our recent games. Can’t blame Marti for that wastefulness imo. 

[Spiritwalker]

9 minutes ago, FoxesWalk said:

Another 20 odd shots with max 1 on target 

 

We are something like 40 shots for 2 on target in our recent games. Can’t blame Marti for that wastefulness imo. 

While I don’t disagree that our shooting accuracy is atrocious I think the amount 

of shots we have been having lately slightly flatters us, we’ve not had many clear 

cut chances.

[FoxesWalk]

24 minutes ago, Spiritwalker said:

While I don’t disagree that our shooting accuracy is atrocious I think the amount 

of shots we have been having lately slightly flatters us, we’ve not had many clear 

cut chances.

Agreed, Fatawu has been particularly guilty of late, shots from far out and trying to do too much, not passing when he should etc. I’m sure he’ll come good again but he has been frustrating, particularly because we know how good he can be.

[ClaphamFox]

37 minutes ago, FoxesWalk said:

Another 20 odd shots with max 1 on target 

 

We are something like 40 shots for 2 on target in our recent games. Can’t blame Marti for that wastefulness imo. 

If we were creating good chances, you might be able to put it down to player wastefulness. But we're not - the problem is that we're very easy to defend against and so are restricted to attempting shots that are unlikely to come off. 

[AKCJ]

12 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

For all Enzo's criticisms of the slow and tactical system, it was structured in such a way that did lead to a decent amount of goal scoring chances from our most dangerous players.

 

We don't have that currently. Marti is quite basic in what he is instilling here, or the players have not yet delivered on what his instructions are. Fatawu was constantly barked orders by Enzo and his staff and given specific instructions with minimal licence to do what he wanted. I think more of this needs to happen under Marti, especially as we don't have the box crashers creating space centrally for him to create havoc like Ndidi, KDH and Vardy used to do.

 

No coincidence both he and Mavididi look devoid of much creativity and goal scoring threat themselves, it's all very turgid under Cifuentes.

Mike Stowell had it right on the When Youre Smiling pod.

 

The midfielders get the ball and play it backwards. The striker drops into the pocket with his back to goal and stands on the toes of the 10. The 10 never sees the ball. The wingers get the ball and cut inside.

 

They don't use space well at all. It's the opposite of the Maresca system.

[ceebeefox]

21 hours ago, Noahfence said:

I’m already at the stage with Fatawu where I’m saying don’t shoot every time he cuts onto his left. 

Play him on the left! We’re starving our strikers even Vardy lived of scraps for years.

[Finnegan]

22 hours ago, Noahfence said:

I’m already at the stage with Fatawu where I’m saying don’t shoot every time he cuts onto his left. 

 

He could do with being reminded that what made him one of the best players in the Championship last time was the number of chances he created. 

 

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, ClaphamFox said:

If we were creating good chances, you might be able to put it down to player wastefulness. But we're not - the problem is that we're very easy to defend against and so are restricted to attempting shots that are unlikely to come off. 

The patterns of play are all the same. We’re like an NFL team, we either go right and the winger cuts inside, we either go left and the winger cut inside or James will try and break from deep to break the lines of the opposition with a driving run. 

 

The latter seems to work, mainly down to the skillset of James, but the wingers at the moment don’t have an option other than shoot, or float balls into the back post…. We’re desperately missing that 10, who moves around in the pocket creating triangles, and naturally we’re desperately lacking a striker who can score goals, or, are we desperately lacking the ability to create clear chances? I think it’s a mixture of both of these things. 
 

I thought Bobby looked decent in the ten to be fair, he was moving around the pockets nicely, but he hasn’t got that killer pass in him…. Ramsay historically has shown this kind of ability, but we also have an issue on the left wing……. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Marti tries Ramsay on the left on Saturday, and keeps Bobby centrally. 
 

I think we persist with Daka for now, just because his pace and press will occupy the centre backs and allow whoever is in the ten, to pick up those pockets. 
 

I think there’s goals in this team, it’s just finding that formulae! 

[SafewayFox]

1 minute ago, Pliskin said:

The patterns of play are all the same. We’re like an NFL team, we either go right and the winger cuts inside, we either go left and the winger cut inside or James will try and break from deep to break the lines of the opposition with a driving run. 

 

The latter seems to work, mainly down to the skillset of James, but the wingers at the moment don’t have an option other than shoot, or float balls into the back post…. We’re desperately missing that 10, who moves around in the pocket creating triangles, and naturally we’re desperately lacking a striker who can score goals, or, are we desperately lacking the ability to create clear chances? I think it’s a mixture of both of these things. 
 

I thought Bobby looked decent in the ten to be fair, he was moving around the pockets nicely, but he hasn’t got that killer pass in him…. Ramsay historically has shown this kind of ability, but we also have an issue on the left wing……. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Marti tries Ramsay on the left on Saturday, and keeps Bobby centrally. 
 

I think we persist with Daka for now, just because his pace and press will occupy the centre backs and allow whoever is in the ten, to pick up those pockets. 
 

I think there’s goals in this team, it’s just finding that formulae! 

Top post.

 

My basic reply is look how few players are in the opposition box when attacking?

 

We are so averse at properly attacking teams under Marti.

[Noahfence]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

He could do with being reminded that what made him one of the best players in the Championship last time was the number of chances he created. 

 

Completely agree. 
 

Don’t get me wrong we all love a goal from outside the box and he’s capable of it but calm it down Abdul haha.

 

I don’t think Monga was fantastic against Wrexham but he actually looked more of a team player compared to Fatawu. 

[RowlattsFox]

Think we are seeing how useful Ndidi was to Fatawu, his running into the channels gave him an option or gave him more space. Add Ricardo to that too.

Hopefully Ramsey can offer a similar role.

 

Ricardo for Hamza will be the only change I reckon. Hopefully he saw enough in Daka (from a team point of view) to persevere rather than recall Ayew. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

He needs to win this. No ifs no buts. Needs to win. 
 

And if he does, he then needs a win with a performance. 
 

The Wrexham performance by the manager has put him under pressure. With his choice of players, if he can’t just get results meaning wins, question marks as to what exactly he brings. 

[TJB-fox]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

He could do with being reminded that what made him one of the best players in the Championship last time was the number of chances he created. 

 

Would be helpful if he had options around him then, he’s only shooting loads because we have nothing else going forward