Most Championship managers believe Swansea City are in a league of their own – except when it comes to gathering points.
The Swans host Stoke City on Tuesday night, with the visitors’ boss Alex Neil echoing the thoughts of many of his rivals.
Swansea – says Neil – pose a unique challenge in the way they play the game and dominate possession.
That’s all fine and dandy if possession stats interest you more than the statistical hard truths of the league table.
If you look there, then Russell Martin’s team are back in 12th place, having suffered three defeats in their last four games and with just three victories in 14.
“Swansea are a very specific type of team in this league,” says Neil.
“The next game in this league can literally be the opposite of the one you’ve just played. “Blackpool don’t play out from the back, they go for second balls and make it a fight.
“Swansea are the opposite of that, they’ll open the pitch as wide as they can.
“When they get it going and when they get it working, they’re a really good team to watch. “However, I’m sure to Russell’s frustration, they’ve lost more games than they would have liked this year.”
Swansea will go in as favourites, but that’s more to do with Stoke’s poor away form.
The Potteries club have lost their last three on the road in the league and have not won away from home since mid-December.
Swansea baffle their own supporters with how they regularly control matches which they end up losing.
And Neil has been left scratching his head, too, when he adds: “I watched them against Birmingham and Birmingham beat them 4-3. But how they beat them I’m not quite sure.”
What appears far more of a home banker on Tuesday evening is Wrexham’s hosting of Scunthorpe United at The Racecourse.
Or, at least it would have been a couple of weeks ago.
Until they hosted Sheffield United in the FA Cup, Wrexham had won every home game they had played this season.
The Blades ended that sequence by gaining a 3-3 draw, before Wrexham were knocked out in the replay.
But the defeat caused a bit of a home hangover with Phil Parkinson’s side being held to a 2-2 draw in front of their own fans against Woking.
Since then, second-placed Wrexham have won 4-3 at Aldershot and Scunthorpe should hold few terrors since they are bottom-but-one of the table.
The Iron did beat Dagenham and Redbridge, 3-2, in their last match, however, and Parkinson has urged his players to stay focussed on doing the basics well.
“As a player, I used to love getting those wins away from home and then running out in front of your home fans. There is no better feeling,” said Parkinson.
“We had a bit of a knock there on Tuesday, we were a bit disjointed.
“There are improvements to be made with the three goals we conceded at Aldershot but some of the football we played was of a high level.
“Like me, the supporters will be delighted to see us back to winning ways and we will be ready for Scunthorpe.”
Wrexham are five points behind leaders Notts County with two games in hand.
