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Luke Williams slams 'pathetic' Swansea City players for role in Cardiff brawl

-Credit:Getty
-Credit:Getty


Luke Williams has slammed his Swansea City players for their lack of fight during Saturday's 3-0 derby day drubbing at the hands of Cardiff City.

The Swans were outclassed on the day by Cardiff, who eased their way to victory courtesy of a Callum Robinson double and a thumping header from Dimitrios Goutas.

Swansea, in contrast, struggled to muster up the sort of intensity on the day that has underpinned so many of their previous derby successes, instead turning in what will widely be considered a totally unacceptable performance.

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“I feel very disappointed that we started the game fine and then the performances just evaporate, fall off the edge of a cliff," a visibly unhappy Williams said after the game. "That’s really upsetting, really worrying. Sign up to our Swansea City newsletter here.

“We have failed to perform at a consistent level but today, the stark change in our performance from probably half an hour in, we started to lose a grip of the game, we started to give away a lot of corners and free-kicks and then we suffered so badly.

“So many players suffered so badly and got worse as the game went on… I imagine it's a lot of to do with the atmosphere. I think the opposition could feel that and did a brilliant job to heap pressure on us when we felt weak."

Williams was also unimpressed by his side's role in a massive post-match melee, which involved both sets of players and members of staff.

"I think from our point of view it's pathetic. If we think in any way that it's going to in some way take attention away from the shoddy performance then they're very much mistaken.

"The time for fighting was on the pitch. Fighting for the ball. Fighting for our fans. To make one more run forward. To make one more tackle. To jump for one more header. To try to make one more action in the box. To try and make one more recovery run when your legs have gone.

"That's fighting. Not scrapping on the pitch, swearing and pushing.

"Pathetic."

It's not clear what exactly sparked the incident, although tensions were already running high towards the end of the game after Goncalo Franco clattered into Cardiff boss Omer Riza on the touchline as the ball went out.

Riza was incensed, seemingly convinced it was deliberate from the Portuguese midfielder, and was subsequently shown a red card for entering the field of play as he looked to confront the Swans midfielder.

“In the technical area, sometimes you lose your bearings of where the broken line is," Williams added when asked to give his view on the incident. "There is a broken line there that is like a buffer zone – a no man's land.

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"We’re not meant to leave our technical area.

"But honestly you lose your bearings there and Omer just lost exactly where he was.

"It looked like he was trying to collect the ball as it comes off the pitch and Goncalo was trying to keep it on the pitch. It’s an unfortunate scenario.

“Goncalo tried to make an honest attempt to keep the ball in play and he spilt over, and Omer is making an honest attempt to collect the ball and he's outside the technical area.

"I think both parties are in the wrong place at the wrong time."