Swansea City

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Luke Williams will demand more from his players as he looks to turn Swansea City into a side capable of competing in the top half of the Championship next season.

Swansea continued their positive late-season form by drawing 2-2 at fifth-placed Norwich City on Saturday.

Williams, who took over at Swansea in early January, says he wants to emulate the Canaries in 2024-25 by mounting a play-off push.

This has been a traumatic campaign for Swansea, who for much of the season were looking nervously towards the relegation zone.

But they have climbed to 13th courtesy of an upturn in fortunes under Williams, claiming six wins and three draws in their last 12 matches.

The creditable draw at Norwich – who have not lost a home league fixture since 5 November – means Swansea have taken 10 points from their last four games.

Yet Williams says the challenge for his improving team is to keep on progressing.

“We have to drill down into the performance and show them ‘this is what got you the success, so this is the bare minimum’,” he said.

“Then of course if you stand still you go backwards, so if we reach a level, we have to say ‘OK, now more’. That’s unfortunately the life the players need to live – every time they reach a standard, they have to push beyond that next time.

“They are showing they can do that so that’s the way we are going to continue.”

Swansea will aim to reach 60 points for the season – and extend their unbeaten run to five games – when they host Millwall on the final day of the campaign next Saturday.

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Luke Williams returns to the club where his career began on Saturday intent on continuing Swansea City’s encouraging end to the season.

Swansea go in search of a fourth straight Championship win as they take on Norwich City, though nothing will come easy against hosts who have not lost a league game on their ground since early November.

For Williams, a trip to Carrow Road brings back memories of his days as a Norwich schoolboy.

He signed for the East Anglia club on his 12th birthday and departed aged 16 – by which time he was already hampered by the injury issues which ultimately ended any hope of a professional career.

“In the end my body gave up on me a lot… just not cut out for football I’m afraid,” Williams said.

“But I loved my schoolboy days at Norwich City. I have a lot of ties there - it’s a brilliant club.”

Norwich, who are looking to win promotion to the Premier League for the fourth time in the last 10 seasons, know victory against Swansea would all but secure a play-off place.

The Swans have nothing to play for, though that was also the case as they took on relegation-threatened Huddersfield last weekend and they won that game 4-0.

Norwich, of course, are a much tougher proposition than the ailing Terriers, with Williams calling the Canaries game “as big a test as we have faced for a few weeks”.

Nevertheless, the Swansea boss says his team should travel with confidence given their recent form.

“We have had three victories, three clean sheets, eight goals scored, last two games [the opposition] didn’t register a shot on target against us,” Williams said.

“We dominate many of the numbers and watching us you can see the team is playing in a good way. We have to try to continue that as best as we can because that will create a new identity for us and a different feeling as we move forward.”

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Ollie Cooper is more comfortable being filmed on the football field than he is when the cameras are in his living room.

On the pitch, Swansea City’s attacking midfielder is – much like his team - finishing what has been a difficult season with a more encouraging run of form.

Away from football, Cooper is getting used to life on reality television – though he laughs off the suggestion that he could now be described as a TV star.

“I’d say I’m more in the background,” Cooper said with a smile.

Cameras have followed the Wales international and his partner Tanwen Cray, a weather presenter on Welsh language channel S4C, who gave birth to their first child, daughter Neli, in January.

‘Tanwen & Ollie’, which is available on the BBC iPlayer, charts the story of Cray’s pregnancy.

“It’s not something I ever imagined, but it’s something that for my partner is massive for her career,” Cooper said.

“I just have to try to support her in any way I can, just like she does for me in football.

“It’s an opportunity for her to build her profile. If it means I have to sit in the background on a few episodes, I can do that.”

Cooper, 24, says there have been “a lot of sleepless nights” since Neli’s birth, though he is allowed to sleep in the spare room to get "nine hours' beauty sleep" immediately before Swans fixtures.

“I don’t think anyone can really prepare you for how tough fatherhood is, but it’s also the most rewarding thing in the world,” Cooper added.

With a little over a week remaining in the Championship season, a family holiday is on the horizon, though there is a part of Cooper that wishes the games would keep coming.

He has started four of Swansea’s last five matches, including three straight wins going into Saturday’s game at Norwich City.

After establishing himself at club level - and winning international recognition – in 2022-23, Cooper has had a less successful spell this term, so his recent run of form has been a timely boost.

“I have struggled with a bit of form and confidence,” Cooper said.

“But the gaffer (Luke Williams) has had a chat with me and told me what he wants from me, and he has got to know my partner and my little one.

"He really shows an interest in that side of things as well, which is what you want from a manager.”

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The clock is ticking down on the contracts of five senior players who have been a big part of the first-team picture at Swansea City this season.

But for the moment, head coach Luke Williams is unable to offer clarity on what the future holds for Joe Allen, Kyle Naughton, Jamie Paterson, Liam Walsh and Prezmyslaw Placheta.

Allen, Naughton and Placheta will all miss Swansea’s remaining games in this campaign, at Norwich City on Saturday and at home against Millwall seven days later.

Paterson and Walsh, meantime, still have chances to remind Swansea’s hierarchy of their qualities – though the truth is that Williams knows both players well enough already.

Williams describes Walsh as “a brilliant talent”, as evidenced by his superb goal at Huddersfield last weekend, but the issue with the former Everton youngster is his injury record.

“We have to make sure we feel he is robust enough,” Williams said before the Norwich trip.

Allen has also had his share of fitness troubles over the last couple of seasons, though the 34-year-old has racked up more than 550 club appearances across a stellar career.

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Williams has indicated since taking over at Swansea in January that he sees a role for Allen beyond this season.

“There are no question marks over whether he has gone over an age where he can compete,” Williams said before the Norwich trip.

“In fact, I looked yesterday at some of his physical data and it’s quite funny, he is getting stronger. We know he has still got the physicality to play.”

Naughton, who will be 36 in November, is a similar case to Allen. He has enjoyed a fine career and, while he may not be able to play every week these days, he is regarded as a guiding light for younger players in the dressing room.

“You look at Joe and Kyle, they played in the Premier League for a reason,” Williams said.

“To get that level of quality is rare in the Championship, and the experience, and they are two guys as well who are really committed to the club.”

Nevertheless, contract discussions, which involve Swansea’s owners as well as sporting director Paul Watson, go on.

In each case, all parties need to be happy for a deal to be signed.

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Williams says talks continue with Paterson, 32, who has contributed seven goals in 46 appearances to date this season.

Williams says Paterson will have options given his record in the Championship, but suggested he wants the attacking midfielder in his squad next season.

“He is such a great character to have around because there are no dark days with Pato,” he added.

“You always get energy and excitement from Pato and then sometimes mad frustration, but I will take that.”

Placheta’s situation is slightly different, given that he only joined Swansea on a short-term deal in January.

The Poland winger has made a mark at the Welsh club, but has a hamstring issue which may influence Swansea’s thinking when it comes to a potential new deal.

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“I think we all like Przemy a lot,” Williams said. "He brought a lot to the club didn’t he? I think he has a set of skills that are hard to find.

“It’s looking at the injury record, the amount of games he has been able to put together back to back.

“Then you have to look at the position and [see if] there is another player we are looking at… We have a list of players for all positions. That’s elite football.”

With one-year extensions triggered in the contracts of Nathan Wood and Liam Cullen, the only other senior player whose Swansea deal expires this summer is Nathanael Ogbeta, who is on loan at Bolton.

Given that the left-back has made only three appearances since joining Swansea in 2022, it would be a shock should he be offered a new contract.

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Swansea City’s decision-makers will focus on summer transfer plans at a meeting before the Championship season ends.

Swansea play their final away game of 2023-24 at Norwich City before completing an arduous campaign with a home game against Millwall on Saturday, 4 May.

Precise transfer plans will depend in part on how many players depart this summer, with six senior players due to be out of contract at the end of the season and six returning to parent clubs after loan spells.

But the likelihood is that Swansea will be in market for up to 10 new signings, with Luke Williams acknowledging they face a "huge task" during the close season.

Brighton midfielder Marc Leonard is a player who has been continually linked with the Swans in recent transfer windows.

There has once again been speculation that the 22-year-old, who is currently on loan at Northampton, is a potential target for the Welsh side – although Williams played down those suggestions.

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When asked about the Leonard links, the Swansea head coach said: “I didn’t really hear anything yet.

“But then we do have a big recruitment meeting coming up that maybe is going to shed some more light.

“The meeting is next week and then probably every single day after Millwall.”

One player whose name may be discussed by Swansea’s hierarchy is Morocco Under-23s international Couhaib Driouech.

The Excelsior forward, 21, was on the Championship club’s list of targets in January, when they eventually signed Brazilian winger Ronald.

But with Williams keen to further bolster his forward options, Driouech remains on Swansea’s list of potential recruits.

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Head coach Luke Williams says Swansea City and Sam Parker are “quite a long way apart” in contract negotiations after the teenager turned down a new deal.

Last August, Parker, 17, signed a first professional deal which runs until 2026.

The right-back or right-sided midfielder was then offered a fresh deal, which he rejected, after making three senior appearances midway through this season.

With Swansea struggling with injuries, Parker was given his debut by interim boss Alan Sheehan at Coventry City in December, then featured in Williams’ first two games in charge.

Parker may well have been set for more game time but for a serious hamstring injury which brought a premature end to his season.

There has been speculation that the Wales Under-17 international, who joined Swansea at under-nine level, is attracting interest from Premier League clubs.

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"I think there was a contract offer he wasn't happy with, or it might have been his representative. I try not to get too involved with who's saying what,” Williams said.

“But I know about as much as you in that he didn't like the contract, so he didn't sign it. If Premier League clubs are trying to take him away then we'll have to cross that bridge, but I don't think we need to do anything urgently at the moment.”

The offer of a new deal was made to Parker soon after the Cardiff-born player suffered the hamstring problem during the 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in January.

Williams says he felt that “was a very classy thing to do” given the injury.

“It was certainly something I was very keen for the club to do,” he added. “Because I think when you're in a dark place because you've had it confirmed you'll be missing the rest of the season at least... if you're then going to be given a contract, it can show commitment from the club and can give you extra motivation.

“But apparently not. Everyone's got to do what they think is right for them. I like the young ones that say 'thanks very much' and don't even look when they sign it. But everyone is different.”

Williams says there is “no issue” with Parker despite the failure to agree a new contract and that Swansea will “revisit” the matter further down the line.

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With just two games left in the Championship season, Swansea City can start planning for another campaign in the second tier with neither promotion nor relegation a possibility.

It's been a turbulent season at times, with Luke Williams replacing Michael Duff as head coach.

What have you made of the Swans? And what do you make of their prospects for next season under Williams?

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Luke Williams says he is excited by the qualities Josh Ginnelly will offer his Swansea City team as the forward gets set for a summer of rehabilitation work.

Ginnelly has not played since last September after suffering a ruptured Achilles.

The 27-year-old was just starting to establish himself as a Swansea player when injury struck during the win over Sheffield Wednesday last September.

Ginnelly was making just his seventh Swans appearance – and second league start – having joined on a free transfer from Heart of Midlothian last summer.

After months of gym work, former Lincoln, Walsall and Preston player Ginnelly recently returned to training on the grass at Swansea’s training ground.

And while there is no chance of Ginnelly featuring this season, Swansea head coach Williams is looking forward to having another pacy player at his disposal in 2024-25.

“He has been out with the medical team on the grass so that’s encouraging - all the early markers are good,” Williams said.

“He will be continuing through the summer now to be ready for a pre-season and then he can show us what he is all about. I have not seen him yet so I am excited.

“He has explosive power and athleticism so that’s exciting. Let’s see how he recovers and then he can show us in pre-season.”

Ginnelly will give Swansea a welcome option on the flanks.

A squad which is already short of wide players could soon be further depleted with Przemyslaw Placheta due to become a free agent this summer - as things stand - and Jamal Lowe’s loan from Bournemouth drawing to a close.

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Luke Williams has heaped praise on Joe Allen amid continued uncertainty over whether the midfielder will remain at Swansea City.

Allen, 34, is one of a number of Swans players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

The former Wales star has impressed when fit since returning to boyhood club Swansea on a two-year deal in 2022, but has been hindered by a succession of injury issues.

Allen is not expected to play again in this campaign after picking up a toe problem during the defeat to Queens Park Rangers on 1 April.

When asked about Allen’s contract situation, Williams said: “I picked him a lot. I think he played incredibly for me. I really enjoying working with him.

“Let’s see what happens between now and the end of the season.

“He has nothing to prove to anyone. We all know how brilliant he is and what he means to us.”

Allen has scored two goals in 23 appearances – including 10 starts - in all competitions this season.

Last term he scored once in 28 Swansea appearances, 18 of which were starts.

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A season to forget at Swansea City is finishing with something of a flourish, with Luke Williams’ side chasing a fourth straight victory at Norwich City next Saturday.

Swansea won just one of their first seven Championship games after Williams was named head coach in early January.

Since then they have won six, drawn two and lost three of 11 league outings, form which over the course of a campaign would lead to a play-off place.

Strong form at the end of one season does not offer any guarantee about what the next campaign will bring, of course.

Swansea know that all too well, having finished 2022-23 in style under Russell Martin before losing their way this term.

But having pulled clear of the second-tier relegation scrap courtesy of their recent good run, Williams’ team are trending in the right direction.

“I think the fans are seeing in the last performances that we have a good team and a good manager,” centre-back Harry Darling said in the wake of Saturday’s 4-0 triumph at Huddersfield Town.

“We are looking forward to next season - we feel we can be a real competitor next season.”

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A trip to Carrow Road is, on paper, the toughest assignment Swansea have faced in a while.

Norwich have not lost in 14 league games on their own patch, a run which stretches back to 5 November.

Darling says David Wagner’s side will provide a “good test” for the improving Swans.

“They are in the play-offs but we want to spoil their party a little bit, so we’ll go there with a strong belief and try to put together another strong performance,” he said.

“We can’t let the season fizzle out. If we did that, we’d be letting ourselves down and the fans down.”

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After two clean sheets in their first 15 league matches under Luke Williams, Swansea City have three in their last three.

Williams’ management team take pride in various statistics supplied by analysts which suggest that defensively, Swansea are a side on the up.

Before Saturday’s 4-0 win at Huddersfield Town, for instance, Swansea were allowing opponents an average of just over six passes per spell in possession before a challenge was made by one of Williams’ players.

That made the Welsh side the best in the division in that particular category.

It should be noted, of course, that in their last three games, Swansea have faced clubs who have endured difficult seasons in Stoke City, Rotherham United and the Terriers.

But then again, Swansea have had a traumatic campaign too.

There is a big summer ahead for Williams, sporting director Paul Watson and chairman Andy Coleman as they attempt to ensure that 2024-25 is a more enjoyable season than this one has been.

But regardless of the opponents faced, three successive shutouts is a positive sequence for a Swansea team who were sliced open all too often in the early part of Williams’ reign.

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In their last 11 league fixtures, Swansea have conceded eight goals, an average of 0.72 goals a game.

In their 33 Championship outings before that this season, there were 54 goals against at an average of 1.6 per game.

The marked change goes some way to explaining why only three of Swansea’s last 11 matches have ended in defeat, with six victories during that run which have seen Williams’ men pull clear of the relegation scrap.

“It’s three clean sheets on the bounce now,” centre-back Harry Darling said after the Huddersfield triumph.

“As a defensive unit we probably haven’t got enough of them this year.”

Darling will get no arguments there.

What happens at the end of one season may not have that great an impact on what goes on at the start of a new campaign.

But if Swansea can reproduce their recent defensive form with any sort of regularity next term, they will give themselves a chance of achieving something.

As it stands, Leeds United have the best defensive record in this season’s Championship, having conceded just 34 goals in 43 league outings.

That is an average of 0.79 goals per game – more than Swansea have averaged in their last 11 games.

Williams would be entitled to see that as an encouraging sign.

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One of the big talking points of the past few days has been the decision to scrap FA Cup replays from the first round onwards next season.

It has been met with fierce criticism from EFL and non-league clubs, who believe they will be denied potentially lucrative replays against higher-profile opponents.

The EFL says the new format was "agreed solely between the Premier League and FA (Football Association)" - but the FA says discussions have been going on for "well over a year" and insists "all parties accepted" replays could not continue.

Swansea City head coach Luke Williams has experience of coaching in the lower leagues, at Notts County, MK Dons and Swindon Town.

“There’s going to be a debate either way and I’m not sure where I sit,” Williams said when he was asked about the scrapping of FA Cup replays.

“From one point of view, fixture congestion and the intensity of the games is demanding for a lot of clubs.

“The other argument would be the excitement of a replay or you get drawn away to a giant, you get a draw and you bring them back to your stadium if you’re a smaller club.

“There’s two sides to the argument and I don’t know whether I’m on either side of the fence.”

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Swansea City head coach Luke Williams says club great Leighton James would have been proud of their performance in beating Huddersfield Town 4-0.

The Swans’ Championship triumph in Yorkshire on Saturday came a day after James – the former Wales and Burnley winger – died at the age of 71.

James helped his local club Swansea rise from the third division to the first in a period where he played some of his best football as part of the meteoric rise under manager John Toshack.

“One of the things we spoke about in the changing room was that Leighton would have been really pleased with that performance,” Williams said after the win at Huddersfield.

“I think he would have been proud of the players, who played for his club in the spirit that he would expect him to.

“He has a huge status at the club. That’s why the club is wonderful because you have people who are associated with the club whether you’re on the pitch or not.

“When you can create legends, you know you’re a proper football club. I hope he would be proud and I hope his family is proud of the way the boys represented the club today.”

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Luke Williams says he trusts his squad to deliver for Swansea City despite the fact a number of players could soon be leaving the club.

Swansea have seven senior players whose contracts are due to expire this summer.

Of those, Jamie Paterson, Liam Cullen and Liam Walsh are likely to be involved at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Head coach Williams also has six loan players - Carl Rushworth, Bashir Humphreys, Harrison Ashby, Charlie Patino, Charles Sagoe Jr and Jamal Lowe – who will bid farewell to Swansea in just over a fortnight’s time.

When asked whether having so many players who may be coming to the end of their time in Wales could be an issue, Williams said: “It’s a very good question because that is potentially a very big problem.

“That’s for me to manage. Fortunately, we have a lot of professional guys. I trust there’s a group of players in there who want to perform.”

After a season of struggle, Swansea are all but safe in the Championship having moved nine points clear of the relegation places thanks to last weekend’s win over Rotherham United.

As his side prepare to face a Huddersfield side who are currently in the bottom three, Williams says Swansea owe it to the rest of the division “to play the game correctly and apply ourselves correctly”.

“It’s not just Huddersfield that are fighting, it’s several other clubs, so we have a responsibility to the competition to make sure that we turn up right,” he added.

“There’s plenty of motivation in the group to go and put on a good performance.

“I am confident we will get that. It’s a big game for us, to test if we are going to try to move forward or make the same mistakes.”

After Huddersfield, Swansea face a testing trip to Norwich City before a final-day home game against Millwall.

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Swansea City look like being in the market for a host of new signings once again this summer, and head coach Luke Williams says transfer work is well under way.

Swansea go to Huddersfield Town on Saturday having all but secured their Championship status courtesy of back-to-back home wins over Stoke City and Rotherham United.

And while Williams is keen to finish a difficult campaign with something of a flourish, he already has half an eye on next season.

“We have had some very good meetings with the recruitment team,” he said.

“Step by step we try to narrow down a long list of players who potentially are targets for us.”

As things stand, Swansea look almost certain to be in the market for a goalkeeper this summer, as well as two full-backs and possibly a central defender.

They will also look to strengthen in the centre of midfield, out wide and up front.

“I think we all have to be really excited about trying to get a really competitive group of players together, seeing if we can have an identity, a way of playing, and see where that takes us,” Williams added.