Swansea City head coach Luke Williams was far from happy in his post-match interview after watching his side lose 2-0 to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
The Swans have lacked consistency in recent weeks, which has been the story of the season so far for the club. The Welsh outfit travelled to Teesside on Saturday afternoon with just one win in five games, which came against bitter rivals Cardiff City in the South Wales Derby last month.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have looked much stronger in recent weeks as Michael Carrick’s men make a late push for the final play-off place which is currently occupied by Norwich City. Six points separate Boro and the Canaries.
Middlesbrough’s top goalscorer Emmanuel Latte Lath added another two goals to his tally this afternoon, bagging his first of the match right on the stroke of half-time before sealing all three points for his side 11 minutes from the end.
Despite dominating possession, holding 61% of the ball, Swansea City looked toothless and void of ideas in the final third, with attacks often breaking down as a result of an individual error. The Swans recorded merely seven shots in total throughout the match while just one found the target.
Speaking after the game to club media, Swansea boss Williams didn’t hold any punches while speaking about his players as a collective, describing the overall team performance as “unacceptable”.
“The way we played today was unacceptable,” the 43-year-old exclaimed.
“It was completely unacceptable, it was lacking in energy and conviction. We concede two ridiculous goals, we showed nowhere near enough for our supporters to watch that and be happy with what they saw.
“We had nothing. We got players into unmarked positions in the box, the number of times we get close and overhit a cross or make a bad touch. It’s just sloppiness, there is not enough focus or concentration,” Williams continued.
“We did not turn up. Think of the supporters who have travelled up here, excited to come and see their side in this stadium and we produce that. It’s absolutely brutal.”
Writer’s View
Middlesbrough are a very good side, hence why they are inside the top eight in the Championship and are vying for a place in the play-offs by the end of the season. However, Carrick’s side are not as untouchable as Swansea City made them look today.
The Swans have now been dragged closer to the drop zone as the race for survival in England’s second tier heats up. With Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle picking up huge wins this afternoon, Swansea will certainly be looking over their shoulder now.
