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The Kids Are Alright Says Potter…But Must Stop Being Nice

Graham Potter admitted his Swansea City youngsters needed a half-time lecture before giving Blackburn a second-half lesson after a storming comeback.

The Swans claimed only their second win in eight games after recovering from trailing to a penalty to go on and triumph 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium.

And it was the youngsters who led the way along with Potter’s introduction of Leroy For and Jay Fulton at the break.

Potter said: “We needed to change our behaviour out on the pitch, we had to lift our intensity. 

“I thought we were too nice in the first-half so we made that point and didn’t say too much else.

“The players are good lads and they’re learning, it’s not like we’ve got a group full of 28-year-old Championship players who have 300 games under their belts.

“They’re a group who need to learn, and as much as we want to play nice football and win, you have to have a bit of pain and suffer.

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“The one thing I can never accuse the players of is being dishonest, they’re an honest group.”

Fulton’s 25-yard which smacked the post and rebounded off the back of Rovers keeper David Raya levelled the scores on 64 minutes.

Connor Roberts again underlined his potential with a fine finish four minutes later following a pass from Dan James who is also emerging as a star of the future.

James looked Swansea’s best player for much of the first-half and was a key figure in the second as Potter’s side – with Fer and Fulton on – took control of the midfield battle.

Bersant Celina sealed the victory with four minutes left after Kristoffer Nordfeldt had made a superb save to deny Bradley Dack.

The win took the Swans back up to eighth just on point off the top six with Potter emerging his young players are learning – sometimes the hard way.

Rovers skipper Charlie Mulgrew has put the visitors ahead from a spot-kick after Kyle Naughton, who started in midfield, tripped Amari’i Bell.

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“They’re a young side who have been on a pretty bad run with only one win in seven, so there was a certain nervousness around,” added Potter.

“That showed, because they weren’t themselves in the first-half. We got a little bit confused which is my responsibility.

“The scoreline affects things but there wasn’t much in the game in the first-half. 

“It wasn’t a great performance from us but the second-half was as good a response as you’ll get.

“I’m so proud of the players because they put everything into the second-half and that’s ultimately what you have to do.”

Swansea: Nordfeldt; Roberts, Carter-Vickers, Van der Hoorn, Olsson (Fulton, 45), Carroll (Fer, 45) , Grimes, Naughton, Celina, James, McBurnie (Baker-Richardson, 90)

Subs not used: Mulder, Asoro, McKay, Rodon,

Blackburn: Raya; Bennett; Mulgrew, Lenihan (Rodwell, 12), Bell, Evans (Rothwell, 71), Smallwood, Reed, Dack, Armstrong, Graham (Brereton, 59).

Subs not used: Leutwiller, Williams, Conway, Palmer

 

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