Williams: Sustaining the First-Half Performance Level is the Challenge

Swansea City manager Luke Williams has acknowledged the importance of maintaining intensity levels for the entire duration of a match, following his team’s hard-fought 2-1 victory against Blackburn Rovers at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Despite securing a two-goal lead in the first half with goals from Joe Allen and Jamie Paterson, Swansea faced a challenging second half, marked by a goal from Sammie Szmodics just after the hour mark.

While pleased with his team’s resilience in securing the win, Williams highlighted the need for Swansea to consistently display the positive momentum seen in the first half throughout the entire 90 minutes. He emphasized the challenge of comfortably seeing out games and acknowledged that improvement in attacking a lead is necessary.

Williams expressed pride in his players’ courage during the latter stages of the game, particularly in the face of increased opposition pressure. He emphasized the importance of replicating the team’s strong starts and positive play consistently in both training and matches.

Addressing the psychological aspect, Williams discussed the impact of anxiety on players, affecting decision-making and execution on the pitch. He outlined the team’s focus on overcoming such challenges, both physically and psychologically, to enhance overall performance.

Looking ahead, Williams conveyed his desire for the team to become more accustomed to sustained positive conditioning, addressing both physical and mental aspects to foster a successful approach going forward.