Swansea City 1 - West Bromwich Albion 0

oshawabaggie:

All too familiar. Up against a managerless team, winless in seven and totally lacking in confidence. And we come out surrendering posession with just about the most negative line up you could imagine. The goal was a fluke, but it was almost inevitable the way we were playing.

As against Bournemouth, once we pushed up we put them under pressure and might have Knicked a goal, but our passing and finishing was poor. Jonny Evans earned his money with a stirring defensive effort, but otherwise we looked very poor.

I'm not sure I can watch much more of this rubbish. I can see us embroiled in another relegation struggle the way we are approaching games. Pissed off.

Kev Buckley:

But it all so nearly went according to the plan.

We were set up with eight defensive players so to to keep it tight all the time knowing that we would go behind so that we have to change the plan. It's all part of the deception carried out week after week so that a manager who wants pace and width can get his players out of the defensive mindset that's been there for ages now.

Look, we had seven corners to their nil - so how come our defenders couldn't score so that we could then hang on for yet another come from behind point against a struggling side, when given SEVEN set pieces from which to do so.

I blame the defence!

Don't worry though, we are not yet halfway through the season and yet we already have half of the 40 pts we need to stay up, so, I say unto thee, rejoice and just savour the saviour who's saving us from certain relegation yet again.

Brendan Clegg:

A thoroughly miserable Boxing Day thanks to Tony Pulis.

As others have said - why go to a team that can't buy a win, are managerless and low on confidence with the most defensive minded team we have ever seen and an overaged and overweight lone striker?

Don't blame the players - they are simply doing what they are asked.

Some of the decisions were baffling - Evans is pretty much now our best player but we'll play him anywhere but his best position.

Brunt hasn't had the legs to be a winger in this league since he was 24 and has done well at left back so why move him.

It's ridiculous to think Lambert can play up front on his own at this level for a whole game.

It is frankly stupid that McClean gets picked over Sess and McManaman anyway but when he is out to not play either of them is almost deliberate sabotage.

Morrison looks lost - he and Sess are out of contract at the end of this season and why would they consider re-signing with Pulis at the helm? Does Pulis even want them - he could probably get Peter Crouch in for their wages.

Interesting that Pulis went straight to the penalty decisions after the game - rather than his own stupid decisions. Both were pens but neither were 'earned' through us being in goal scoring positions or looking dangerous. Brunt merely got his foot to a ball first but was never in control of it and McManaman knew he'd lost the ball if he'd have stayed up.

I think we should get rid of Pulis now. He had 30 million in the Summer - we should be comfortable in this league. There is no future for us in playing like this other than scraping to survival every year, which we probably would, playing the most tedious, unattractive, over-aggressive garbage. Who are we going to attract or retain playing like this?

What I genuinely don't get is that when Pulis has been more adventurous (and by that I mean not playing 8 defensive minded players and playing high-tempo, high pressing football) we have seen our best performances in years under him. But he just has this horrible pig-headed habit of going back to his awful preferences.

• Myhill - 5 A few errors in a row. Probably time to change it.
• Dawson - 6 Did Ok. That he is our main creative outlet says everything.
• McAuley - 6 Did Ok but those long legs are starting to look a bit heavy. I'd rest him v Newcastle.
• Olsson - 7 Continued to play well but on a yellow so probably correctly sacrificed.
• Evans - 7 Was great wherever he played - should probably be given the armband. Doubt he'll be here long.
• Gardner - 4 I like the kid, every squad needs players like him, but I fail to see what he's done over games to warrant being picked and was anonymous.
• Fletcher - 4 Terrible - slow, ponderous and, probably under instruction, hoof-happy.
• Yacob - 4 Did what he does but suffers badly when there is no outlet and would have been sent off if he'd been on any longer.
• Brunt - 4 Did his annual act against Swansea of letting Rangel run free (This must be 4th year in a row they have scored like this against us via Rangel) and 'percentaged' his way through it.
• Morrison - 5 For large periods looked lost and disinterested. Looked better when dropped deeper 2nd half.
• Lambert - 5 I thought he did his best, fought for everything and at times held it well but other times his touch was outrageously bad.

• Berahino - 5 showed his intelligence and tried to make things happen but genuinely his arse has grown a couple of inches during his spell on the bench and he naturally looked rusty. How to depreciate an asset, by Tony Pulis.
• Sess - 6 In the rare moments we found him he managed to get crosses in and make things happen.
• McManaman - 5 Another who looked a threat but was also very rusty and pretty angry/frustrated. As with Sess, we got them on and then kept hoofing it anyway rather than passing it out wide and letting them have a go.

When will it all end?

BilneyBoinger:

Dear Mr Clegg, remember where we were......

A win against Bouremouth (which we would have achieved if not for sendings off) and we would have been much higher.

You are right about Evans and Brunt. But remember the Newcastle game is very soon upon us and attacking options limited with the suspensions. Sess should start but is being kept for the home game.

McManaman is skillful but runs into the box and dives on the floor. Is he really a premier player?

We needed to get Yacob playing back as he can to get him ready for Newcastle. At the end of the day Swansea are a top half team and will be by the end of the season. Keep the faith. Is it better to nick games or be beaten as under Clarke and Irvine. Surely not. Under Pulis we will get better and were getting better until a few unfortunate events (Liverpool last minute and Bournemouth dismissals) took from us points that we should have had.

At the end of the day we were not far off a 1-0 at Swansea. Yes we lacked a bit of punch because our crosses came from so deep, but we would have settled for 0-0 at the outset.

3 points against Newcastle and Villa will make all the difference and Pulis is the man to get them. No other manager like him!

Slight worry about Fletcher's form. He is important.