Swansea are fresh off the back of their first back-to-back wins of the season, and two new signings have come into the side since then, so we’ll take a look at how the team will look at The Hawthorns.
The System
Whether or not Swansea predominantly use a three-man midfield like they have done in the diamond formation or the more common 4-2-3-1 system could have depended on the final day of the transfer window.
If the club did sign a central midfielder, they would be the fifth senior player in that squad at that position. So it happens, Leroy Fer did join on loan. If no player was signed then it would be surprising to see Swansea lead with a three-man midfield with only four players in that position.
Fer was not signed in time to be registered for today’s game, but going forward it would not be a shock to see Swansea play either formation.
Backbone of the side
Lukasz Fabianski
Gerhard Tremmel’s late departure on loan to Werder Bremen probably isn’t going to effect the starting role much, and Lukasz Fabianski is likely to start once again, as he has done in every league game thus far. Swedish stopper Kristoffer Nordfeldt is waiting in the wings and has impressed in cup games enough that Francesco Guidolin wouldn’t hesitate to switch up the goalkeeping position should Fabianski’s form drop.
Kyle Naughton
Over the past few weeks, Kyle Naughton and Angel Rangel have been rotating at the right-back position. With neither able to really put a stamp on their team, it’s not conceivable to think who plays is dependent on the opposition and their strengths and weaknesses. In West Brom’s last league match, James McClean played the 90 minutes on the left flank, a clear offensive threat which could mean that Naughton, as the stronger of the pair defensively could get the nod.
Federico Fernandez
Jordi Amat signed a new contract in the past few days, which means there’s a good chance he has had assurances about gametime in the future. In the meantime though, the Federico Fernandez-Ashley Williams partnership that is probably the strongest that the Swans can employ, looks set to continue as per usual.
Ashley Williams
Captain Fantastic would be an understatement. There is no doubt that this is Williams’ team, and with John Terry’s time at Chelsea coming to an end it doesn’t seem far-fetched to assume that the Welshman is the best captain in the league next season, that is if he does stay at Swansea. With respect to West Brom if Williams and Fernandez are on form it will be surprising if the likes of Salomon Rondon and the infamous Saido Berahino are able to get past the pair.
Neil Taylor
With Franck Tabanou shipped off out on loan, it will be surprising that if fit, Neil Taylor doesn’t start every game from now until the end of the season. That’s how it should be too, Taylor has quietly been one of Swansea’s star performers this year, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at how the fans react to him.
A new midfield gem? He might have to wait
Leon Britton
It’s a two-man midfield. Leon Britton is included. No-one really knows what is going to happen with the team shape but with Ki Sung-Yeung’s poor form and Fer being unregistered, it’s not mad to think the 4-2-3-1 could return for the first time in a while for Swansea.
Jack Cork
A Jack Cork-Leon Britton midfield duo really has no attractive prowess, but it’s an away game in the Premier League so first thoughts has to be getting a clean sheet. Hopefully the four forwards ahead of this duo will have enough about them to create and score enough to get the three points anyway.
A rejuvenated front line
Andre Ayew
Swansea’s best period in the season in terms of results and performance came when Andre Ayew was playing on the right-flank. Unfortunately for the Welsh side, he has been forced more centrally due to the lack of centre-forward ability in the squad, now he can play back out wide and Swansea should become a greater threat going forward.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
A lot of Swansea’s success this season determines on whether or not Gylfi Sigurdsson’s chemistry with new striker Alberto Paloschi is similar to the one he formed with Wilfried Bony. If so, then this team could get very exciting. Sigurdsson will start at the #10 role, in either system that the Swans might employ tonight.
Wayne Routledge
Here’s an interesting one. Jefferson Montero flourished early on in the season when Swansea predominantly played 4-2-3-1, but later on Wayne Routledge became the starting option when the diamond slowly got introduced. If they do return back to the more common system, Montero could be recalled but for now, Routledge is likely to be preferred because he is better defensively, even though he’ll be up against 6’5” centre-backs playing wider than they would like.
Alberto Paloschi
Swansea’s new number nine. It has a nice ring to it, and many will be surprised if Paloschi doesn’t make his debut at The Hawthorns. The Italian has made a living keeping Chievo in Serie A, and Swansea fans will be hoping he can do the same in the Premier League. If anything, he will surely be an upgrade on Bafetimbi Gomis and Eder, and keeping the former out of the starting eleven is fantastic news for Swansea fans.