As Graham Potter starts work at Albion, we look at some key aspects of how his Swansea side played in the 20-18-19 season....
SHORT AND SWEET
Swansea led the Championship for short passes with 485 per game. They were followed most closely by Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds (461), champions Norwich (450) and the perennially slick-passing Brentford (420).
NOT SO LONG
Potter’s Swans averaged 58 long passes per game, the fewest in the Championship.
SET-PLAY DISMAY
They conceded 24 goals at set-pieces, the most in the division.
PASS MASTER MATT
Matt Grimes played 70.8 passes per game, the highest such average in the Championship. That put him just ahead of ex-Albion playmaker Oliver Norwood, who passed the ball 68.8 times per game for promoted Sheffield United. In the same standings, Swansea defender Mike van der Hoorn ranked fifth with 63 passes per match. Both Grimes and van der Hoorn played a lot more passes in home games than away from the Liberty Stadium.
FORMATIONS
According to tactics website football-lineups.com, Swansea started with eight different formations in their 46 league games last season. Of course, formations can sometimes be hard to pinpoint when watching matches. One man’s 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1 is another’s 4-5-1, for example, depending on how the game is going. But the stats show Potter’s most frequently used starting formation was 4-2-3-1, on 25 occasions out of 46. Potter went with three at the back five times but only once since Christmas. His full list of starting formations reads 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, 4-2-2-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-2-1 and 3-4-3.
ALL CHANGE?
Potter only twice named the same XI in two successive league matches, both in the last ten games of the season. He sent out unchanged line-ups after a 1-0 defeat at leaders Norwich and a 3-1 win at home to Stoke City.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel