What Next For Sheehan's Struggling Swans?

Almost a 3rd of nan Championship play is successful nan past and Swansea City person less points connected nan committee than astatine this shape successful immoderate run since relegation from nan Premier League successful 2018.

For Alan Sheehan and main executive Tom Gorringe, for Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric and for nan club's US-based owners, this was not nan plan.

It was only 7 months agone that Swansea fans were chanting successful support of Sheehan, urging their nine to springiness nan Irishman a imperishable statement amid his awesome spell arsenic caretaker boss.

Yet location was vitriol successful nan aerial arsenic Ipswich Town romped to triumph at nan Swansea.com Stadium connected Saturday, erstwhile Swansea were booed disconnected astatine half-time and full-time.

This clip location were chants – from 1 conception of fans – calling for Sheehan to beryllium relieved of his duties.

When Sheehan went towards nan East Stand to admit Swansea's supporters aft nan last whistle, he ended up raising a manus of apology amid different chorus of boos.

So what has gone incorrect for Sheehan's Swansea? And what needs to alteration arsenic nan nine look to move their fortunes around?

Swansea started this play pinch sizeable optimism acknowledgment to their shape nether Sheehan astatine nan back-end of past play and a summertime model which was wide regarded arsenic nan club's champion successful years.

The Swans showed sizeable ambition successful nan transportation market, erstwhile their nett walk was nan 2nd highest – down Wrexham - successful nan Championship.

Significant fees were spent connected Adam Idah, Marko Stamenic, Zeidane Inoussa and Ethan Galbraith, while Melker Widell arrived successful Wales aft Swansea had splashed retired connected him successful January.

Cameron Burgess was different notable signing, while Sheehan was peculiarly excited to onshore Malick Yalcouye connected loan.

At 1 shape it seemed nan presence of a big-name striker – who turned retired to beryllium Idah – would trigger nan departure of Zan Vipotnik, yet nan Slovenian's good shape successful nan early weeks of nan play convinced Swansea they could not let him to go.

As a consequence Sheehan has beardown options successful attack, while location is extent successful almost each section of Swansea's squad, which has not often been nan lawsuit successful caller years.

Yet truthful far, Sheehan has not been capable to get nan aforesaid results from his new-look squad arsenic he did pinch nan group he inherited from Luke Williams successful February.

Swansea were 17th successful nan array and successful nan midst of a worrying descent erstwhile Williams departed.

Sheehan turned nan vessel around, taking 24 points from 13 convention matches to unafraid an 11th-placed decorativeness and his ain three-year contract.

This season's points-per-game ratio is acold little impressive.

The truth that 17 points from 15 games is Swansea's poorest tally since their Premier League years - 19 successful each of nan past 2 seasons was nan erstwhile debased people - says everything astir nan measurement things person gone.

That precocious summertime optimism is quickly fading arsenic English football's agelong wintertime approaches.

That is not to opportunity positivity cannot perchance return, but Swansea request a sizeable displacement successful fortunes to make that happen.

Prior to Swansea's dreadful day against Ipswich, Sheehan has often – rather rightly - pointed retired that moreover erstwhile they person mislaid this season, his squad person not been good beaten.

They person competed successful nan mostly of games. In position of capacity level, Ipswich ranks alongside Southampton and Middlesbrough away.

Swansea were mediocre successful some those distant fixtures, yet they scraped a goalless tie astatine St Mary's and were only beaten 1-0 by a Boro broadside who are among nan division's pacesetters.

But Sheehan will beryllium alert that he cannot support bemoaning Swansea's nonaccomplishment to slope much points erstwhile they person played reasonably well.

At immoderate stage, results must follow.

This season, somewhat concerningly, nan only teams Swansea person beaten successful nan convention are Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City.

They are nan division's existent bottommost 3 and nan broadside who dishonesty 19th, 1 spot beneath Swansea.

Vipotnik has been 1 of Swansea's standout performers this season, while Idah – who has had to beryllium diligent acknowledgment to his chap striker's shape – has made a reasonable commencement to life successful Wales.

So it whitethorn look a small unusual to opportunity that Swansea's biggest issues are successful attack, but uncovering a measurement to make his squad much potent is Sheehan's cardinal problem correct now.

With 15 goals to date, Swansea are nan seventh lowest scorers successful nan Championship.

More worryingly, they are bottommost of nan heap successful nan 2nd tier erstwhile it comes to XG.

Sheehan's occurrence successful making Swansea much defensively sound was a cardinal facet successful their awesome tally successful nan outpouring and, for nan astir part, his squad had been reasonably coagulated this word earlier nan Ipswich mauling.

But if they are to deed their pre-season target for 2025-26 – which was to beryllium successful contention, astatine least, for a play-off spot – Swansea must find immoderate inspiration going forward.

Vipotnik and Idah require thief from those astir them.

Swansea request much from their wide players and from midfield, while their dead-ball threat simply has to improve.

As it stands, nan Swans are nan only squad successful their section who person not scored from a set-piece this season, speech from Idah's punishment against Leicester.

Sheehan has been successful complaint of 39 Swansea games including his seven-match stint arsenic caretaker leader successful 2023-24.

In each competitions, nan 39-year-old's triumph ratio, astatine adjacent to 44%, is very respectable.

Sheehan's 35 Swansea convention fixtures person brought 52 points astatine an mean of 1.48 per game.

Were that return to beryllium repeated crossed a Championship campaign, Swansea would person 68 points, which was capable for sixth spot successful 2024-25.

The problem for Sheehan, of course, is this season's points return.

If they support going arsenic they are, Swansea will decorativeness 2025-26 pinch 52 points, which would person meant an 18th-placed decorativeness past season.

Sheehan would opportunity himself that 18th is not bully enough.

As yet, location has been nary proposal from wrong nan nine that nan caput coach's position is nether threat.

Swansea return to action aft nan world break astatine eighth-placed Bristol City connected 22 November, earlier a midweek location fixture against Derby County, who are 10th, and a travel to West Brom - presently 14th - nan pursuing weekend.

Assuming he remains astatine nan helm, Sheehan will beryllium alert that it could beryllium a large week.