By Paul Jones
Michael Duff has thanked Swansea City fans for not giving him the bird.
The Swans head coach earned a desperately needed first Championship win in charge of the club when he guided them to a convincing 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
The victory lifted the Swans out of the relegation zone and ended their longest winless League start since 1991.
“I have to say I was really pleased with the supporters,” said Duff, whose team moved up to 21st place in the table, a point above the drop zone.
“We asked them to come and support the team and at 0-0 when a couple of passes went astray, there was no negativity in the ground. That doesn’t half help the players.
“We had a moment in the second half where you think are we going to sit in again [after going ahead], but they didn’t.
“We had a bit of luck with the crossbar but once the second goal went in, you could feel the whole stadium – it was more of a sigh than a celebration because everyone’s been feeling it. Everyone wants to do well.
“The two over-riding emotions are pride and relief. I was proud of the players, they way they stuck together.
❌ “It’s not about me.”
Michael Duff said the focus should be on Swansea rather than him after victory over Sheffield Wednesday eased the pressure on the under-fire head coach.#BBCFootball
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) September 23, 2023
“You need everyone pulling in the same direction and today it was a little bit more like how we want it to look.”
Goals by Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates and Charlie Patino ensured the dismal Owls’ wait for a win on their return to the Championship extended to an eighth game.
Wednesday fans sold out the away end, but were forced to witness a limp display from their team which saw them threaten only in very brief spells.
They called for Munoz to go at regular intervals throughout the second half as defeat became inevitable – and with just two points on the board there’s a possibility they may well get their wish in the coming days.
For Swans boss Duff, a first win of the season will, at the very least, earn him a stay of execution.
He added: “It’s not about me. I carry the can, but I won’t be coming in on Monday high-fiving anyone.
“I’ve said to the players to enjoy it for now. Hopefully winning can become a habit.”
Duff was the focus of his own fans’ anger ahead of kick-off after failing to engineer a win since taking over from Russell Martin in the summer but victory lifted the mood considerably.
The mutual desperation for three points showed in the early exchanges, with feisty tackles flying in and referee Anthony Backhouse showing leniency.
FT: Swansea 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
A first league win of the season for Michael Duff’s side.https://t.co/sRZtmNRXUK
— Swansea City Online (@SwanseaCityLive) September 23, 2023
Swansea lost centre-back Nathan Wood and left-wing Josh Ginnelly to injury before the interval, but were comfortably the better side up to that point.
There were early chances for Swans striker Lowe and his Wednesday counterpart Lee Gregory, but it was the hosts who took the lead in the 28th minute.
When Ginnelly got around Pol Valentin on the edge of the 18-yard box, the Owls right-back panicked and tugged him back by his shirt.
Referee Backhouse’s decision to award a penalty was greeted with few complaints from Wednesday players and Lowe made no mistake from 12 yards.
The Swans thought they had doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time through Liam Cullen, but the midfielder’s strike was ruled offside.
But Wednesday could have had few complaints had the damage been worse at the halfway mark, having faded badly after a promising first 10 minutes.
The Owls managed some possession and territory for the first time in the game up to the hour mark.
Defender Bambo Diaby came closest to equalising when he rattled the underside of the crossbar from four yards out after a Wednesday corner had been flicked to the far post.
But with the visiting fans’ anger towards Munoz intensifying, Swansea sealed victory with two goals inside four minutes.
On the whistle report as Swans claim emphatic first win and Wednesday hit rock bottom. #swans #swfchttps://t.co/twc9hitgLd pic.twitter.com/HstNjRQyRl
— Matthew Burgess (@1matthewburgess) September 23, 2023
Lowe created both. First his pinpoint pass allowed substitute Yates to side-foot home in the 64th minute.
Then a clever through-ball three minutes later sent Patino racing clear and the Swans midfielder chipped over advancing Wednesday goalkeeper Devis Vasquez into an empty net.
Wednesday manager Munoz said: “The performance was very strange.
“I think first half we had our chances. Second half we had chances to stay in the game. We tried to draw the game – we hit the crossbar. Then two minutes later they have the second goal and kill the game.
“We in a difficult dynamic. We need to improve a lot in the last third, the last decision.
“Now I can say it’s important we stay together. We arrived two months ago with 10 players. I believe in the players and I know they are working every day.
“They can put the focus on me. It’s okay. I am continuing to my last day.”