Swansea vs Manchester United – Match Preview

Swansea are still looking for a first win since the appointment of Bob Bradley but more importantly they are looking for a first win since beating Burnley on the opening day of the season. After 10 matches they are already 5 points from safety and the former U.S. Men’s National Team coach has his work cut out if he is to steady this particular ship.

Relatively speaking Jose Mourinho has probably got a harder task at Manchester United as he once again has a week to forget since taking charge of The Red Devils. United may have started the weekend in 8th compared to Swansea’s 19th but you would argue that right now Mourinho is under more pressure as he takes his team of superstars to The Liberty Stadium.

After peppering Burnley’s goal with 37 efforts, United still couldn’t breach Tom Heaton’s goal and had to make do with probably the most frustrating 0-0 draw that the club has ever witnessed. Those frustrations got the better of Jose Mourinho at half time when he said too much to Mark Clattenburg after the official’s decision not to award a penalty late in the first half.

Mourinho was subsequently sent to the stands and will now have a touchline ban for today’s match – he also has had to pay £58,000 for a combination of two offences. £8k for the Clattenburg and £50k for the remarks remade about Anthony Taylor before the Liverpool vs Manchester United game last month.

If that wasn’t bad enough United come here off the back of a Europa League defeat to Fenerbahce on Thursday. After comfortably beating the Turkish side 4-0 a fortnight ago they were dealt some revenge as they lost by 2 goals to 1 in Istanbul. Once again they were caught cold from the beginning with Moussa Sow scoring a sensational overhead kick within 60 seconds of the start.

That defeat saw Mourinho rip into this players after the game but one player who has been immune from criticism as of late is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But perhaps his performances should warrant some, no Premier League goal in the last 6 matches. He hasn’t found the net since the Manchester derby on September 10th but he will once again lead the line this afternoon. Failure to score today and people will have to ask if they haven’t already whether or not Zlatan is worth his weekly wage at Old Trafford.

Goals have been a problem as of late for United but they’ve also been somewhat of an issue all season for Swansea, they have only found the net 9 times in their first 10 matches. That return is one that will not be good enough to keep you at the end of the season as it is an issue that Bob Bradley will have to address quickly.

He can only work with what he has got until the January transfer window opens and the hope is that The Swans aren’t a lost cause by then and cast too far adrift from the teams above the bottom three. Monday saw Stoke put some clear daylight between them and Swansea thanks to a comfortable 3-1 win at The Bet365 Stadium.

Neither of these two sides come into the game with any real form of note, Swansea certainly don’t but the pressure is on United to deliver. It’s almost a free hit for Bob Bradley’s side but they need to find a first win since August from somwhere unfortunately I don’t think it comes today as United will bounce back from Thursday’s misery to take all three points in South Wales. An away win for me.