Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng has reminded his teammates that they need to perform for the entirety of games, following poor second half performances against Arsenal and Manchester United.
Swansea lost 2-1 to Arsenal on Saturday, having taken the lead in the first half through Sam Clucas but collapsed early in the second 45 minutes.
They also crashed out of the Carabao Cup against Manchester United, losing 2-0 as Jesse Lingard scored either side of half-time.
Swans can take positives from Arsenal and United games
Speaking to the club website, Ki said: “We played well in the first half against both Manchester United and Arsenal,” the midfielder said. “It was much better.
“We will take confidence from those games,” the South Korean said, “despite the defeats, but we have to maintain our performance for 90 minutes because football matches don’t last just 45 minutes.”
He went on to say: “It’s going to be a massive game for us going into the international break, but we must remain patient and play good football. We can’t afford to hurry the game and play long balls."
Swansea’s next game is at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Swans have struggled at home this season and have picked up just three points so far at the Liberty Stadium.
Added pressure
“We have to control the game because we want to play a lot better in front of our own fans.” Ki said. “Of course there’s pressure because we haven’t won enough games at home this season.”
He admitted that “the fans must be frustrated, but if we perform better and win the game then the fans will be right behind us.
“When we were in trouble last season, the fans were with us all the way,” the 28-year-old said, “especially the last six or seven games. They were amazing and it gave the boys a lot of confidence.
“Now we need another helping hand from the fans and I’m sure they will stay with us.”
Ki’s contract is up at the end of the season, and manager Paul Clement has said that extension talks are on hold until he proves his fitness.
He made his first Premier League start of the season against Arsenal, and could well be the most creative player at the club. Having him fit again will be a huge bonus for Clement.