Matos' Swansea make progress - but have work to do

Not so long ago, Vitor Matos was powerless to stop the collapse at West Bromwich Albion which left alarm bells ringing at Swansea City.

Beaten for the fifth time in as many games, Swansea looked fragile and vulnerable as they slid towards the Championship relegation zone.

Less than six weeks later, some calm has been restored.

Swansea are by no means out of the relegation picture, but their place in the second tier – for the moment at least – is looking a little more secure.

Matos has made a mark, meaning Swansea can look ahead to what remains of a season which threatened to turn sour with a little more optimism.

Yet even after a brighter spell, Swansea will be well aware that plenty of key league fixtures await after this weekend's break for the FA Cup.

After sacking Alan Sheehan in early November, Swansea had set sights on Kim Hellberg before his move to Middlesbrough led them to Matos.

Appointing a man with only a few months of managerial experience was a gamble on Swansea's part but, so far at least, the move has paid off.

Sunday's loss at Millwall was difficult to swallow given that the Lions' winner came in added time, yet Swansea could hardly complain about the result given that goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux was their best player at The Den by a distance.

Even after a dispiriting defeat, however, Swansea look in better shape now than they did when Matos took over.

Before the former Liverpool coach's arrival, the Swans had managed four wins from 16 league games this season.

Under Matos, they have registered five victories in 10.

Matos' team have taken 1.5 points per game having averaged only just over a point per match during the previous 16.

Attacking issues remain – Swansea continue to have the lowest xG in the Championship according to Opta, external – but they have scored an average of 1.2 goals a game under Matos having previously been at 0.93.

Only once, in the 1-0 defeat at Coventry City on 26 December, have Matos' Swansea failed to score.

While the need for more work is obvious, some progress has been made.

The league table makes only marginally prettier reading now than it did when Sheehan departed following a 4-1 home thrashing by Ipswich Town.

Swansea were 18th at that stage, seven points clear of the bottom three.

After Millwall, Matos' team are 17th, eight points above the relegation places.

Things became worse before they got a little better, of course, with Matos suffering defeat at home to Derby County in his first game in charge before that painful day at West Brom when Swansea got nothing having led 2-0.

Matos' players were on their knees at that point – and were only outside the drop zone on goal difference – but have since played with enough energy, desire and quality to lighten the mood.

Matos' primary concern as a coach seems to be a high press, and his new side have made strides in that area.

The next target must be an improvement in possession.

The transfer window is open, but dramatic changes look unlikely this month after another overhaul of Swansea's squad last summer.

Having spent significantly in the previous window, profit and sustainability rules will surely be a factor in the next few weeks.

Unless Swansea sell a major asset, any significant signings would be a surprise.

Nevertheless, Matos – who has given few clues about his transfer plans as yet – might like a couple of additions.

Right-back is one area where Swansea could do with another option, while a winger might also be on the agenda given their continued struggles out wide.

Adam Idah's hamstring injury, meanwhile, leaves Matos without one of his central options in attack, but finding a striker is always tricky at this time of year.

Swansea have no director of football having so far failed to replace Richard Montague, but will hope to get some business done given that the right January recruits can have a sizeable impact.

Think Lewis O'Brien's loan move to Wales 12 months ago, for example.

Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts believes right-back and centre-forward should be the priorities for a Swansea side who, in his view, still have much to prove under their Portuguese boss.

"I can see what Vitor Matos is trying to do but I think people are getting carried away with the results they have had," Roberts told this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"If you look at the five wins, they have beaten Oxford twice, they have beaten Portsmouth at the Swansea.com Stadium and Portsmouth have the worst away record in the division.

"They beat Wrexham on probably the worst night they have had this season and West Brom could have got a point [at Swansea on New Year's Day] on the back of eight consecutive away defeats."

Roberts also rejected the suggestion that Swansea are out of the relegation scrap.

With the Championship's traditional 50-point safety target still some way off, it would be hard to argue differently.

But if Matos can deliver another five wins from his next 10 league games, the outlook will be different.