By Graham Thomas
Luke Williams has admitted he has yet to find a solution to Swansea City’s 525 minutes of football without scoring.
The Swans head coach watched his team slump to a 1-0 home defeat to Millwall, meaning not only are they without a win in six matches, but they are without a goal in their last five.
It’s the club’s worst barren spell for 28 years and it has seen them fall away from the fringes of the play-off positions to the cusp of a relegation fight.
After a dozen games, the Swans are currently six points adrift of the play-off positions and only two above the relegation zone.
“I am not sure what more we need to do to score a goal, but we didn’t and we compounded that by conceding right at the death,” said Williams.
“We have had nearly 70 per cent of the ball in the last three games so there’s no lack of confidence.
“There isn’t a lack of organisation. We just have to worry about being more clinical.
“I’m fed up with not being able to give you answers. I am fed up with not being able to give the fans what they deserve.
“It’s a difficult situation because there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount wrong, but there’s a lot wrong at the same time, if that makes sense.”
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Williams also had some blunt truths for his strikers. Zan Vipotnik, Liam Cullen and Florian Bianchini have managed three goals between them so far this season.
“There’s a lot of noise around football and Championship level is a big level,” added Williams.
“If that affects the players, I’m sorry but you have to get on with it because there isn’t a single striker on the planet who isn’t under pressure and doesn’t feel some pressure to score a goal.
“We have to overcome that, for sure.”
Casper De Norre snatched a late winner for Millwall against the only club he seems able to score against – Swansea City.
The Belgian midfielder came off the bench to sweep home a cross from fellow substitute Femi Azeez in the 89th minute.
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It was enough to give Millwall their first away win of the season and extend shot-shy Swansea’s agony.
Williams’ men are the lowest scorers in the Championship with just eight goals, whilst De Norre – in his second season with the Lions – has only scored twice for the club, but both have been winners in one-goal victories at Swansea.
He did the business on the last day of last season and he repeated the trick after coming on as a 72nd minute substitute.
Swansea had dominated but a lack of finishing power combined with some brave goalkeeping by Lukas Jensen had kept it scoreless.
That was until Azeez escaped down the right and fired over a low cross which De Norre met first time to steer past Swans keeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
The win lifted Millwall up to 10th place, just three points shy of the play-off places.
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Manager Neil Harris said: “We had talked about not getting what we deserved. Maybe today we got a little more than we deserved.
“We hung in there, the application of the players was immense, and we scored a goal of absolute quality.
“We have some momentum and a great spirit within the club.
“Casper doesn’t score many. I fact, I think he’s scored more goals at Swansea than he has in training!”
After a lifeless first-half, Swansea went through the gears at the start of the second, but were denied by Jensen’s bravery and athleticism.
The home side’s best chance fell to substitute Florian Bianchini who headed wide late on.
As the minutes ticked down, Bianchini was then denied a strong claim for a penalty as Jensen appeared to take him down.
Moments later, Millwall broke away and De Norre delivered.
Not much mention of Ivanović’s role in our goal yesterday. Was never going to get to the ball but puts enough pressure on their keeper to make a mistake. I presume this is what Harris refers to as the basics. #Millwall pic.twitter.com/l05hnbPdAo
— Wall Art (@WallArt1885) October 27, 2024