Your Swansea City headlines for Tuesday, March 1.
Extra training time pays off
Russell Martin admits Swansea made full use of their additional time off last week ahead of Monday night's 2-0 triumph over West Brom.
The Swans were due to face Bournemouth a week ago, although the fixture was postponed owing to damage caused to the Swansea.com Stadium by recent storms.
It meant Martin's men had nine days between their 4-0 loss to Sheffield United and their trip to The Hawthorns Stadium.
And the head coach has revealed he was able to name his starting XI for the clash with the Baggies earlier than usual as a result of the extra time his troops were able to spend together on the training ground.
“I am also pleased for the players and for the group of staff, we have worked so hard over the last eight days, and that includes the lads who have not played," said Martin.
“We named the team very early, which is not always easy for the guys who are not in it, but the way they helped get the team ready was brilliant.
“Tonight was a reward for the hard work everyone has put in over the last eight days. I keep saying it, we have not had a huge amount of time to work with the schedule, no pre-season and the break with Covid.
“But when we have had a chance to work the performances have reflected the work we have put in, but without the character and the courage to put that out on the pitch the work would mean nothing.
“So I am proud of the bravery in the way we tried to play, especially after a 4-0 defeat away from home. We limited them to one shot on target, scored two ourselves and could have had a couple more."
It was a view shared by captain Matt Grimes who told the club's official website: "We had a good week’s work in training and put some ideas out on the pitch. We showed what we can do in that game.
“The clean sheet was massive, too. It was so important to come here and make sure we were back to our solid ways and not conceding chances like we did in those past two games."
READ MORE: The frank chat Swansea City boss Russell Martin had to have with Joel Piroe now paying off big time
Squad impact shows
Matt Grimes praised the impact of Olivier Ntcham as his late cameo played a key role in ensuring Swansea earned victory at West Brom.
The Frenchman has struggled to find his best form of late and was listed among the substitutes from the outset in the Midlands.
But he registered an assist for Joel Piroe shortly after being summoned from the bench before playing a part in Cyrus Christie's goal.
“Olivier would be disappointed that he wasn’t starting – as anyone would – but he’s come off the bench, done his job, contributed with the assist for Joel and I thought he was brilliant,” Grimes said.
“It’s not just about the starting XI, it’s about the lads on the bench and the ones who aren’t in the squad too. They’re pushing us every single day and we’re making each other the best that we can be.
“There is a unity. It’s a great group and we’re all in it for each other.
“The fans were incredible as they always are. It was nice to give them something to cheer about after three really poor away performances. I hope they enjoyed it and it’s our job to keep it going now.”
Bruce's post-match talks
Steve Bruce says a few "home truths" were said in the dressing room following his West Brom side's defeat to Swansea.
The Baggies have collected just one point from the 15 on offer since Bruce was named as Valerien Ismael's successor in February.
Their latest defeat against Swansea means West Brom are now eight points adrift of the Championship's top six with just 13 matches left to play.
“I understand we’re in a difficult place and we’re in a bad run, but from the first five minutes of the game the decisions we made and the balls we were playing were a big problem for us," said Bruce.
“It was a difficult evening. We made mistakes. To play here you’ll know there are big expectations. The club expects to be at the top end of the Championship or in the Premier League.
“It’s alright saying we’ve got a really good squad of players on paper. We’re not seeing enough of that on the pitch.
“I’m disappointed not just with the manner in which we conceded goals, but it all started in the second minute when the first corner we had was played in too low.
“There were too many players nervous and anxious. There wasn’t enough confidence. It’s up to me to try and breathe confidence into them."
Godden's Swansea hope
Coventry City hope to have striker Matty Godden available for Saturday's clash with Swansea.
The 30-year-old has not played since scoring twice in the Sky Blues' 4-1 win at Peterborough United on January 15 after undergoing an operation to have his appendix removed.
But Godden recently returned to training and could be in line to feature against the Swans in south Wales at the weekend.
“Matty Godden’s not too far away in terms of where he is, so when he gets the all-clear he’s going to be ready to go,” manager Mark Robins told our sister title CoventryLive.
"He feels really good in himself. He’s taking hits. We had the pads out and he’s been hit with the pads so he’s ready to go.
“It’s just when we can get the all-clear and it’s as safe as we possibly can be for him. There’s no point bringing him back early if that’s going to be detrimental to his health. “We have got to make sure it’s right.”
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