-Credit: (Image: Athena Pictures/Getty Images)
On the face of it, Saturday was perhaps a decent point.
After all this was a Luton Town still boasting a number of players who were plying their trade in the Premier League last season.
However, despite a crisp Matt Grimes strike rescuing what was a deserved point at Kenilworth Road, the travelling Jack Army might well feel it should have been more.
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As was the case at home to Portsmouth last weekend, Swansea battled their way from behind, before creating a hatful of chances that on another day might well have seen them snatch all three points.
Watching their side fail to make the most of their attacking opportunities has become something of a theme for Swans fans this season. From the moment the transfer window closed, there were concerns around the lack of firepower in this squad, and despite a solid upturn in form in the final third, many of those concerns still linger ahead of the January window.
After all, Swansea’s chance conversion rate currently stands at 6.5 per cent, ranking 21st in the division on that metric, meaning a new striker is still likely to be at the top of many a wishlist.
That’s despite the rich run of form of Liam Cullen, and the privately-held belief that current number nine Zan Vipotnik has the technical ability to start scoring more regularly.
However, Cullen’s best games have actually come as a 10, and Vipotnik’s predatory game largely relies on a level of service many will feel he’s simply not getting at the moment, particularly from the wide options. Ronald and Myles Peart-Harris are the current first- choice wingers, but have both been guilty of some pretty patchy form of late.
What’s frustrating is there aren’t many players knocking on the door to take their place. Eom Jisung is clearly a capable option, but has just returned from injury and was actually signed as an option through the middle, anyway. Likewise, Williams appears to value Florian Bianchini as an out-and-out striker rather than a winger.
Josh Ginnelly may feel he’s in with a shout when he works his way back from injury, but he’s clearly something of an unknown quantity right now given how long he’s been out. Williams wanted another winger before the summer window closed, and there’s every chance he will feel the same now.
But, as everyone knows, forward options (the ones worth having, anyway) don’t come cheap.
Despite the recent takeover, and the injection of £20m of investment into the club, insiders have indicated the purse strings are likely to remain tight this winter. Should the right player come along, for the right price, there’s every chance they might be tempted to bend their spending rules a little. But on the whole, it seems likely they will lean on the loan market a little more than they did in the summer.
Whether they can muster up a forward option capable of taking their efforts to the next level remains to be seen, but it’s not just up front where you could make the case for strengthening.
Swansea’s defence was previously one of the very best in the league. However, they’ve now conceded nine goals in their last five games, as many as the previous 14 outings.
That’s not a snipe at Harry Darling and Ben Cabango, both of whom have, overall, been superb this season. In fact, tying both players down to new deals is of paramount importance this January, with the pair approaching the point where they will be free to speak to other clubs.
A sticky patch was probably inevitable. Indeed, it was Cabango’s error that caused Luton’s opening goal over the weekend.
Is the rumbling over a new contract proving a distraction? Perhaps. But the reliability of one centre-back pairing is always finite in the context of a Championship season.
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Whether it be injury, suspension, or simple loss of form, Williams may well feel he needs another option or two there.
There are some possibilities, already, of course. Nelson Abbey was recently praised for his contributions in training, but there’s clearly some reluctance to throw him into the heat of a Championship battle on the back of what was a difficult debut in the defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup earlier in the season.
It wouldn’t be a massive surprise if he was recalled.
When Darling was hooked during the defeat to Burnley with a suspected injury, it was veteran Cyrus Christie who Williams turned to, which is perhaps a hint of where Abbey is in the pecking order. Fellow veteran Kyle Naughton could also fill in there too, but Williams may feel there’s a case for bringing another option on board.
It’s a similar story with the two full-backs Josh Key and Josh Tymon, neither of whom are really being pushed for their place right now. Nathan Tjoe-a-on and Kristian Pedersen are on the books, but neither really appear to be serious parts of Williams’ plans and you suspect will be moved on if the right offer comes in. Sam Parker’s injury woes have clearly set back his chances of a meaningful first-team case, but he is likely to be part of the conversation regardless.
Some feel Key would perhaps be better suited to a more advanced role anyway, and added cover at full-back might well give his boss the licence to experiment with that a little more, as he bids to plot the formula for what will hopefully be a successful second half of the season.