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SWANSEA CITY: Play-offs should be the target for Vitor Matos next season, says Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman

Swansea City’s top-half Championship finish was a more than acceptable outcome for Vitor Matos’s first full season in charge — but the play-offs should be the target next time around, according to Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman.

Goodman, speaking to Parimatch Casino, said Matos had done a commendable job in guiding the Swans to 11th place, particularly given the circumstances in which he took over.

“When Vitor Matos took over, survival was the primary goal,” Goodman said. “He guided them to an 11th-place finish. A top-half finish is very acceptable, especially considering he took over a side that was fifth from bottom and had only won four of their first 16 games. He has clearly improved them.”

Matos was confirmed as Swansea’s head coach having initially come in to steady a struggling side, and the Portuguese coach gradually put his stamp on the team with an ambitious approach to recruitment and an attacking style of play.

The transformation under Matos has taken place against a backdrop of significant change at the club. Rapper Snoop Dogg joined as a minority investor with an ambitious ten-year vision for the club, followed by American lifestyle entrepreneur and billionaire Martha Stewart, who became a co-owner after attending a match at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Off the pitch, the club is also pressing ahead with ambitious plans for a major new fan zone for more than 1,700 supporters at the Swansea.com Stadium, featuring self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller-style atmosphere — part of the ownership group’s broader vision for the club.

However, Goodman identified clear areas for improvement heading into next season, pointing to the Swans’ record against the division’s top sides as evidence of the gap that still needs to be bridged.

“In 12 matches against the top six, they did not win a single game,” he said. “They lost eight and drew four. They also failed to win an away game against any team that finished in the top 14. Those are the obvious areas for improvement.”

The pundit said he was encouraged by the club’s ambition in the transfer market last summer and expected a similar approach this window.

“Given the ambitious recruitment we saw last season, I expect them to show similar intent this summer,” he said. “I like Vitor Matos and the style he has imparted on the team.”

With the EFL play-offs now extended to eight teams, Goodman said there was every reason for Swansea to set their sights on a top-eight finish as a minimum ambition.

“With the play-offs extending down to eighth place, I imagine that will be their target next season,” he said. “This is exactly why the play-offs have been extended to eight teams. With five games of this season to go, most teams in the league, with the exception of perhaps four or five, would have had a chance. The excitement would have been off the charts. Swansea are a team that fell into that bracket.”

Don Goodman’s quotes courtesy of Parimatch Casino.

More on Swansea City

‘I AIN’T PLAYING’: Snoop Dogg reveals ten-year plan to make Swansea the ‘Vegas of Wales’
The rap legend’s ambitious vision for the Swans — and what it means for the club’s future.

American businesswoman Martha Stewart joins Swansea City as co-owner
The lifestyle billionaire who became a co-owner after attending a match at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans with self-pour beer taps and a bierkeller vibe
The ambitious stadium plans that are part of the ownership group’s vision for the club.

£21.6m loss as owners pump in £21m to keep club afloat — before Snoop, Martha and celebrity investors came on board
The financial reality behind the Swans’ push for promotion.

Swansea City confirm Vítor Matos as new head coach
How the appointment that steadied the ship was made.

Sky Sports pundit hails ‘impressive’ Vitor Matos transformation at Swansea City – but issues top-half warning

Matos inherited a club in “genuine relegation trouble” when he replaced Alan Sheehan in December, and his start couldn’t have been worse – losing his first two games, including a devastating 3-2 collapse at West Brom after leading 2-0 at half-time.

But the Portuguese head coach has since overseen a remarkable transformation at the Swansea.com Stadium, taking 25 points from 14 games – more than the 17 points Swansea had managed in their first 18 matches of the season.

The Swans are now unbeaten in their last seven home games, winning six and drawing one, and have become a “force to be reckoned with” at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Speaking to Grosvenor Casinos, Goodman said:

“You can’t fail to be impressed with the job he’s done. Swansea were in genuine relegation trouble when he took over, and he actually lost his first two games.

“The second of those was a 3-2 defeat away at the Hawthorns against West Brom, having been 2-0 up at half-time. At that point, you probably feared the worst. You wondered how long he would last, and you thought Swansea were in deep trouble.

“However, in the 14 games since, they’ve won eight, drawn one, and lost five, taking 25 points. To put that into perspective, they’d only taken 17 points in the first 18 games of the season.

“They’re scoring more goals, conceding fewer, and are vastly improved, particularly at home where they’re unbeaten in their last seven – with six wins and one draw – making them a force to be reckoned with.”

However, Goodman identified one area where Matos must still prove himself – results against promotion-chasing sides.

Under the 37-year-old’s management, Swansea have only beaten Wrexham and Watford from the top half of the table, losing four and drawing one in games against other high-flying teams.

Goodman added:

“The one thing I will flag up is that, even under Vitor Matos, they’re not that competitive against teams in the top half.

“They’ve only beaten Wrexham and Watford, losing four and drawing one in games against other top-half sides. That will be their aim between now and the end of the season – can they become a little bit more competitive against the better teams in the league?

“But there’s no doubt about it, you have to be impressed with the job he’s done.”

The praise from Goodman follows similar acclaim from former Premier League defender Curtis Davies, who told Swansea Bay News he was “really impressed” with Matos’s early impact at the club.

Meanwhile, legendary Scotland manager Gordon Strachan recently described Swansea as a “non-risk club” and insisted what really matters is that they’re above bitter rivals Cardiff City in the table.

The Jack Army received a further boost this week when rap legend Snoop Dogg issued a rallying cry ahead of his first visit to the Swansea.com Stadium.

Matos will be hoping to continue his impressive home form and address Goodman’s concerns when Swansea welcome ninth-placed Bristol City to the Swansea.com Stadium tomorrow lunchtime (12.30 kick off).