Are Swansea missing the leadership skills of Welsh captain Ashley Williams?
Swansea City suffered a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in the Premier League on Saturday, sending them to the foot of the table with the worst defensive record in the division.
City have conceded nine goals in their last two league games and appear to be greatly suffering following the sale of long-serving captain and centre-back Ashley Williams to Everton this summer, and it could well cost them their Premier League status.
Jordi Amat has struggled as Ashley Williams’ replacement
Spanish centre-back Jordi Amat was promoted from subsidiary to a first-team regular with Ashley Williams gone, but the Swans defender hasn’t filled the Welshman’s shoes. Amat has made 11 Premier League appearances this season, and has given away more fouls than any other City defender, while winning just 41% of his aerial duels.
20% of Amat’s attempted tackles are unsuccessful, and he’s conceded 24 goals in the 11 games in the league already. The 24-year-old has been at the Liberty Stadium for three years but still hasn’t proven his worth. Amat looked suspect against Tottenham at times too, failing to win an aerial duel, while being kept incredibly busy by a rampant Spurs side.
Swansea’s loss has been Everton’s gain
Swansea City reluctantly sold their long-serving captain to Everton for around £12 in August, who cited upon the move: “I believe the club is going in the right direction.” Four months later, Everton are 12 places and 11 points better off than the Jacks, conceding 48% less goals and having lost 56% less games, and Ashley Williams’ decision to move from the Liberty Stadium to Goodison Park looks a masterstroke now.
By manager Bob Bradley’s own admission, Swansea have suffered from a lack of leadership this season. He said: “I have heard many stories about Ashley and they always begin with his leadership ability. I understand that when a player who carries that type of responsibility within a team chooses to leave, work needs to be done to build that type of leadership back into the team.”
“Without a doubt, we need more leadership. We need leadership on the field, and that comes in different ways. When you lose a leader, everybody is challenged to take a bit of a bigger role. That has been a message to our group in recent weeks,” Bradley added.
With Swansea bottom of the Premier League with the worst defensive record while only six clubs have a better defensive record than Williams’ new side Everton, his influence has been a big factor in the former’s demise and the latter’s rise. Swansea City are 4/5 to suffer relegation from the Premier League this season.
Are the Welsh club doomed without Ashley Williams?
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