Match Day Thread Swansea City 1 v 3 Middlesbrough

Swansea v Boro


Competition - Sky Bet Championship
Venue - Swansea.com Stadium
Date - 11 March 2023
Kick off - 3:00pm

Following their 1-0 defeat at Luton, next up for Russel Martin’s sinking Swans is the daunting prospect of a home fixture against high flying Middlesbrough.

Last Saturday, Luton continued their play-off push as Carlton Morris' goal sealed victory over a struggling Swansea team, who had boss Russell Martin sent off.

Hatters top scorer Morris swept into an empty net after a mistake by Swansea goalkeeper Andy Fisher.

Victory sees Rob Edwards' side climb to fifth in the Championship, three points above seventh place.

The Swans drop to 17th - 11 points clear of the relegation zone - having lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Martin was shown a red card in stoppage time after a melee near the dugouts, with Luton assistant boss Richie Kyle also dismissed by referee Dean Whitestone.

The Swans’ latest reverse will do little to ease the pressure on Martin and his players, who have won only three of their last 19 Championship matches.

Their endeavour was not in question at Kenilworth Road, and they might have salvaged a point had Liam Cullen's late effort not been (incorrectly?) ruled out for offside.

That decision simply added to Swansea's frustration - when things are not going well, almost every decision seems to go against you ….

Whilst the Swans were losing at Kenilworth Road, Middlesbrough got their Championship promotion push firmly back on track as they steamrollered Reading 5-0 at Riverside Stadium.

Chuba Akpom and Aaron Ramsey scored two goals each before Marcus Forss added a fifth.

Reading endured a miserable afternoon and failed to build on winning two of their previous three matches.

Paul Ince's team failed to register a shot on target and they are now 11 points outside the play-off spots but they might have had a penalty when only 1-0 down after a strong challenge from Tommy Smith on Shane Long.

Defeat at West Brom last week had broken Boro’s five-game winning streak but a dominant display kept them third in the table, seven points behind Sheffield United in second.

The Swans have played Boro 53 times previously, winning 19, losing 22 and drawing 12.

In the corresponding fixture last season the teams played out a 1-1 draw, with the Swans characteristically giving the ball away when playing out from the back and falling behind: thankfully Obafemi managed an equaliser just 2 minutes later, albeit just after Boto had missed a sitter to go 2 up:

Turning to Saturday, I can see nothing other than a comfortable win for Boro: 1-4 to Carrick’s team.

Hope I’m wrong

 

Cheers Taff, away win by a couple... at least

It's getting impossible to see any turn around for Martin now. Couple that with the overall squad standard (probably) dropping next season...

 

A hiding might be enough for Martin to get his cards ? I cant see shame making him leave !
Can the yanks avoid paying him off by insisting on a job transfer to be a water boy or something in the states ?
5-1 them

 

Thanks Taff, let's try to be positive in the face of adversity. So it's 1-1 for me. Fisher to save a penalty but they score from a Fisher blooper

 

The alarming thing to note is that the young Danish keeper has only played around 5 League (Senior) matches - so he’d be a bloody risk to select

 

Nothing ventured nothing gained!

 

Thanks Taff
2-1 Swans

Love is blind.

 

Personally, I’d give him a go …. What could possibly go wrong

 

The poll on Planet Swans suggests that home fans aren’t confident about Saturday:

 

We will need devine intervention to get anything from this one. Sadly the big man won’t be listening (I think he wants Russ gone) so expecting a 0-3 loss and Russ to finally get his P45 (let’s hope so) We then get new manager bounce for the visit to scumland.

 

Swansea City captain Matt Grimes is back from illness for Saturday’s clash with high-flying Middlesbrough at the Swansea.com Stadium.

The midfielder was forced to sit out last weekend’s fixture at Luton having been unwell in the lead up to the Kenilworth Road clash.

But he returned to training early this week and is in Russell Martin’s squad.

However, Joe Allen will miss out after picking up an injury against the Hatters, although it is not expected to keep him sidelined for a significant period of time.

“Joe will miss the next couple of games, probably,” said Swans boss Martin.

“That is disappointing and frustrating for Joe, and for ourselves, but we hope it will be no more than that.

“Otherwise everyone is in a good place. Other than the goalkeepers who are injured, everyone is fit and available and we have Grimesy back.”

 

Boro are favourites with the Bookies and Dave Prutton on Sky has them to win 2-0. If I was a betting man, which I am not, I might be tempted by the draw

 

blimin eck !! We've taken the lead !

 

urg, can't see us getting anything now.

 

Normal service is resumed

 

aye 2 goals in 3 mins

 

Sorry lads but I couldn't be bothered to watch this shower again today, it was so obviously going to be a Borough win, our shower only know how to lose. Rm needs to be sent packing, he's bloody useless, no he's worse than bloody useless!.....