[themaclad]

Swansea City v Preston North End

Swansea.Com Stadium 19/4/23 7.45 pm

LAST TIME OUT



FORM GUIDE

SWANSEA 17 PNE 11

They are in a good run of form unbeaten in the last 5 games their last defeat was at Millwall

MANAGER

Russell Kenneth Alexander Martin (born 4 January 1986) is a professional football manager and former player. He is the head coach of Championship club Swansea City.

A former defender, Martin began his playing career at Brighton & Hove Albion's youth academy. He established himself at Wycombe Wanderers in 2004, before moving to Peterborough United in 2008. Martin joined Norwich City in 2010 and made 309 appearances for the club. He then had brief spells with Rangers, Walsall and Milton Keynes Dons. During his playing career, Martin won five promotions (including two Premier League promotions) and was named in the 2014–15 Championship Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association.[3]

Although born in Brighton, England, Martin played in 29 internationals for Scotland. He moved into management in 2019 with Milton Keynes Dons and became head coach of Swansea City in 2021.

Martin grew up supporting Leeds United.

https://www.swanseacity.com/

https://www.scfc2.co.uk/forums/discussions

https://www.not606.com/forums/swansea-city.55/

[themaclad]

In The Dressing Room

Ryan Lowe should be able to choose from the same group of players who travelled to The Den to take on Millwall last weekend.

Everybody seemingly came through that game unscathed, with Liam Delap also returning from illness off the bench.

This game will come too soon for Ali McCann, while North End will also be without Alan Browne, Ched Evans, Emil Riis and Greg Cunningham.

A Look At Our Hosts


In his second season in charge of Swansea City, Russell Martin has got his side playing the possession-based style of football which he wanted to implement, and it now seems to be reaping rewards.

They head into Wednesday night having won four of their last five fixtures – keeping clean sheets in four of those matches – and they have closed what was a hefty gap to the Play-Off spots to seven points.

As good as their current form is, their season has ultimately been hurt by a few difficult patches, such as the one which preceded their current unbeaten streak which saw them lose seven out of nine Championship games.

Macs View

Take a point at a venue which we tend not to do overly well at, last visit for me was under Dazzer Ferguson lost 4-0, no doubt will get home at 4 am after he usual marathon EFL mid week derby, it's called taking one for the team


Going Head To Head


Games played: 68
PNE wins: 23
Draws: 18
Swansea City wins: 27
Last meeting: PNE 1-0 Swansea City, 1st November 2022

One To Watch


Often operating as a sole striker, Joël Piroe remains not only Swansea’s key threat, but one of the biggest in the division.

After hitting 22 last season in his maiden campaign in England, the Dutch forward has got 16 to his name so far this term.

Two of those came in a recent away victory over Wigan Athletic, while he was also on the scoresheet in the Swans’ dramatic victory over their closest rivals Cardiff City at the beginning of the month.

Match Officials


Oliver Langford will take charge of his fourth Preston North End game of the season on Wednesday evening.

The three so far have been home fixtures at Deepdale, but North End have previously enjoyed themselves on the road with Langford in the middle, with notable victories coming in the 2018/19 season against Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers.

So far this campaign, Langford has taken charge of 26 matches, showing 95 yellow cards and one red.

[themaclad]

Swansea City 4 Piroe 2 Allen Darling Preston North End2 Cannon Parrott

Swansea starting XI: Fisher; Darling, Cabango, Wood, Latibeaudiere; Allen (Fulton, 62), Grimes; Cullen (Walsh, 62), Cooper (Ntcham, 75), Manning; Piroe (Whittaker, 90+7). Subs not used: Sondergaard, Paterson, Cundle.

PNE starting XI: Woodman; Storey (Brady, 45), Lindsay (McCann, 45), Hughes; Potts, Whiteman (Diaby, 45), Ledson (Onomah, 90+1), Johnson, Fernández; Cannon, Delap (Parrott, 69). Subs not used: Cornell, Woodburn.

Attendance: 15,433 (261 PNE pre-sales).

Referee: Mr O Langford.

A typical Championship game 6 goals, two red cards and mass brawl lasting minutes and a referee whose name when translated into Spanish becomes Juan Kerr
The most bizarre bit of the journey down was in the village where I live someone was either moving in or moving out, the two removal vans that they had were from Swansea, coincidence or what?
Apart from the overturned lorry near Wigan the journey down was decent arrived at the ground a full two hours 15 minutes before kick off
Cople of laps rond the ground the retail park andif I had known what the first half was gong to be like would have down the 8 mile riverside walk to Pontedawe

FIRST HALF

Four of the players had a pre kick off chat obviously it went like this pass it around gain easy thrown in, from throw lose possession conceded goal, 67 seconds later one down Piroe wasn't going to miss from 10 yards with absolutely no one near him.
In truth did well to get to 35 minutes only two down as both midfield and defence seemed to have been sucked into a black hole, Whiteman was unable to tackle and Lindsay has occasional games were he can look positively clueless this was one of those games, he obviously wanted to congratulate Piroe by exchanging shirts twice in the first couple of minutes, should have been booked wasn't, tried again shortly later, got away with it again but did finally manage to pick up a card for shirt pulling later in the half.
City had joy down both flanks and down the centre basically the entire pitch they had joy as we simply didnt turn up.
Piroe, twice Cullen and Darling missed easy chances, but after Manning found space down the Swans left crossed the ball into the box wer Allen wrong footed a defender before potting in the bottom left corner.
Three down before half time, free kick from the right curled in, only player within miles of the ball was Harry Darling nods home 3 down, to sum up our first half we had a free kick on the left just outside the box Whiteman was only stopped by putting it in the Costa Coffee outlet outside the ground by the home stand behind the goal

SECOND HALF

Three substitutions at half time gone Storey, Lindsay and Whiteman repaced by Brady, Bambo and a welcome return for McCann, within two minutes free kick on our left ball into box fired home by Cannon may have been a touch of hand ball but wasn't given.  The goal rattled the hosts they were not as assured on the ball as we closed them down and started to slow the game down as they had done from the early stages of the game(ye we all do it but the Swans are good at it)
My pet hate players going down injured with severe cranial fractures only to recover within seconds after water has been sprayed on their nadgers.
To make matters worse Cannon was booked for an apparent dive in teh area, he was then wrestled to the ground by Cabango who was last man nothing given, just coming to the boil
Parrott then on for the ineffective Delap( a common phrase) instant return lovely finish when played through game on 3-2
City should have wrapped it up when Piroe and Ntcham completed balls up a chance after taking teh ball round Woodman
Alvaro hit the side netting possibly should have done better and then the time bomb which had slowly been ticking away exploded.
A Swans player was lying dead after being run through with a rusty broadsword, the home side played the ball out of play we didn't give it them back
The Swans then had another player inured near the half way line Mr Kerr didn't stop play and suddenly it's WWF time Lowe and Allen giving it full monty then everyone else on the pitch and from the coaching staff were involved, some full on grappling.
Sadly have to put some of the blame on the referee who gave some baffling decisions, anyway upshot Lowe and Allen red carded, suspect there were be more red cards issued when the video is watched suspect Alvaro will get red and the guy who was trying to remove his head from his body
The delay basically killed any chances of a comeback and right at the death more defending of the inept type let Piroe through to pot past Woodman they celebrated in front of our bench,.
The next match could be interesting we won't forget Mr Martin.


4 am return my favourite

Swansea City head coach Russell Martin:

"Some of the build-up was brilliant but they came with such an aggressive press that once we bypassed that it was just game on to go and try to score.

"We scored two really good goals and a set-piece. Conceding so soon after half-time was so frustrating, especially from a set-piece. It just changed how the game looked really.

"Preston threw caution to the wind and committed so many bodies forward. You can see why they have done so well this season. They're a powerful team, really good at what they do.

"But the fight the lads are showing, some of the courage, even at 3-2, to play from the back was immense. We got the fourth goal we deserved, a brilliant finish from Joel [Piroe], and that was a nice way to finish it."

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https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/s...wansea.com

[themaclad]

FA looking at WWF wrestling event during game

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Russell Martin said the mass brawl which marred Swansea City's 4-2 win over Preston North End was not "pretty for anyone".

Preston boss Ryan Lowe, who declined to talk to the media after the game, and Swansea midfielder Joe Allen were shown red cards in the 90th minute.

The Football Association will look into a prolonged touchline clash involving players and staff from both clubs.

"It can be avoided. Ryan pushes Joe and chaos ensues," said Swans boss Martin.

"I've watched it back, I don't think it's pretty for anyone. Our job as a group of staff is to get players away from it. The situation could have been avoided, twice probably. It is what it is.

"A couple of things I really didn't like but it is what it is.

"When people are so passionate and care about what they're doing, sometimes it boils over. I don't judge anyone for that, but it is a disappointing thing to happen."

Allen now faces a three-match ban which means his season is over.

The 33-year-old, who had scored his side's second goal, had been substituted by the time Jay Fulton went down with what appeared to be a head injury in the last few minutes of normal time.


Swansea were unhappy that play was not stopped to allow Fulton to receive treatment, with Allen protesting in front of the Preston dugout before being shoved by Lowe.

The former Wales midfielder reacted by barging into Lowe before numerous others got involved in an incident which seems certain to be looked at by the Football Association (FA).

"I'm really disappointed with how the night ends [for Allen] because all he was doing was trying to get the attention of the fourth official," added Martin.

"The game probably should have been stopped, Jay Fulton takes a head injury.

"The game should be stopped, but it isn't. Ryan pushes Joe and after that it's carnage. If that doesn't happen I don't think any of it happens.

"I think he has done a great job there, as he did at Plymouth, so I am not going to judge him on that action because it's a pressured environment.

"It's so different, it's so difficult - it is what it is."

Martin defended Allen, adding: "I totally understand Joe's reaction to it. You don't expect that from a manager.

"He didn't provoke it, but his reaction probably merits that [red card]. He's apologised, but he doesn't need to.

"He's just showing care for his team-mate. He reacts because he's a winner."

[themaclad]

Bambo 4 game ban

[themaclad]

No Swansea player or official charged kin joke

[themaclad]

Swansea fined 15000
North End fined 10000

[themaclad]

Lowe 3 game touchline ban and Sports Psycholgist 1 game stadium ban