Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
After four straight Premier League defeats life has been tough for Swansea as they currently find themselves second bottom of the table. Not only that but they are now the second lowest scorers in the division, it is no coincidence that the lack of goals has seen their slide down the table continue.
They have only scored seven goals from their first 12 matches and Tammy Abraham has been responsible for four of those, the newly capped senior England international has scored more than the rest of his teammates combined this season.
It is fair to say that Swansea have developed a reliance on the on loan Chelsea forward but they may have to look elsewhere for goals this afternoon as he has been given just a 50/50 chance of starting today as Paul Clement’s men play host to Bournemouth at the Liberty Stadium.
Last weekend saw them make the long journey to Burnley and like the other three games before them they came away empty handed for their efforts. Not only that though it was the second straight game in which they failed to find the net.
Quite simply they need to find goals and soon if they are not to be the equivalent of Middlesbrough last season, a team that is relatively easy on the eye but ultimately one that struggles for goals and as a consequence ends up getting relegated.
Renato Sanches is once again fit but after 390 Premier League minutes he is yet to provide a positive contribution to Swansea – be that in the shape of a goal or an assist. Today would be an ideal day in which to do so especially if Tammy Abraham does not feature.
Bournemouth come into this game with their tails up after successive victories, they now find themselves 13th in the table and they are testament to what a couple of wins can do in terms of getting you up the table and giving you something of a buffer between themselves and the bottom three.
After a dramatic victory against Newcastle in the fixture before the international break they picked up where they left off in some fashion last week with an emphatic 4-0 win over David Wagner’s Huddersfield. The fact that they played the second half with 10 men after Simon Francis’ sending off in the first half makes it all the more impressive.
Callum Wilson earned the plaudits with a hat-trick not only was it welcomed by the fans but it would have been hugely felt by manager and player alike especially after the cruel run of luck with injuries that he has had over the past few seasons.
The hope now will be that the forward can put those dark days behind him and score the goals that once again put Bournemouth into what seems to be their natural habitat of the upper mid table. After a slow start to their season the Cherries are finally starting to hit their stride.
An after back to back wins they will come into this game full of confidence especially as they go up against a Swansea side that cannot seem to buy a goal at the moment and if you take Tammy Abraham out of the equation then the situation becomes even more bleak for the South Wales outfit.
Eddie Howe will have identified this fixture as one that is certainly winnable and should they do so they could be sitting in the top half of the table by the end of the afternoon. I think this will be the case as they heap more misery on Swansea. An away win for me.
Here is what social media thinks will happen – you can still vote on the outcome
#Swansea are struggling for goals will they have any joy against #Bournemouth
— Dan Tracey (@dantracey1983) November 24, 2017
