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Swansea City

  1. Swansea's play-off chances? Slim to say the least

    Swansea players clap their fans after victory at QPR last weekend Huw Evans Picture Agency

    Swansea City will take on Millwall this weekend knowing victory may give them a very slim play-off chance heading into the final day of the season – but only if Coventry City lose to Luton Town in their early kick-off on Saturday.

    Alan Sheehan's side are in sparkling form, having won five successive games to move to within six points of the top six.

    Swansea must keep that winning run going against Millwall and Oxford United seven days later to have any hope of finishing in the play-offs – but even then they would be relying on a number of results going their way plus a major goal difference swing.

    The unlikely play-off talk will be over if sixth-placed Coventry get anything from their trip to Kenilworth Road (12:30 BST).

    Should a Coventry side featuring ex-Swans skipper Matt Grimes (below, alongside Frank Lampard) lose, Sheehan's men – who are currently 11th - would move to within three points of sixth with a win over the Lions, who are eighth.

    But Swansea would also need seventh-placed Middlesbrough to be beaten at home by out-of-form Norwich City.

    Coventry boss Frank Lampard shakes hands with Matt Grimes Getty Images

    Should all those results happen, Swansea could sneak into sixth place on the final day if they beat Oxford and Middlesbrough win at Coventry – but only if, in the process, the Swans somehow turnaround Boro's advantage in the goal difference column.

    As it stands, Swansea are on minus four while Michael Carrick's team have a goal difference of plus 10.

    On top of all that, the Swans would need ninth-placed Blackburn Rovers to lose at least one of their games – Rovers host Watford before going to Sheffield United – and West Bromwich Albion, who are 10th, to drop points in one of their fixtures – at Cardiff City and at home to Luton – to be absolutely sure of finishing above those two sides.

    All in all, therefore, there will surely be nobody tipping Swansea to reach the play-offs.

    But it says something about the run Swansea have been on that they are even in the conversation, having been glancing nervously towards the other end of the table not so long ago.

  3. Pick of the stats: Millwall v Swansea City

    Side-by-side of Millwall and Swansea City club badges

    Millwall will look to keep their dreams of the play-offs alive when they host Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

    The Lions are three points outside the top six but with their -1 goal difference working against them.

    Boss Alex Neil is still holding onto hope that they can squeeze into a spot but to do so, they may need to do the league double over the Welsh side - something they haven't done in four decades.

    • Millwall have won three of their last four league games against Swansea (L1) and are looking to complete their first double over the Swans since 1984-85.

    • Swansea have won five of their last seven away league games against Millwall, with the exceptions being a 1-1 draw in June 2020 and a 2-1 loss in March 2023.

    • Millwall have won their last four home league games, last winning five in a row in the same campaign in March/April 2016 (6).

    • Swansea have won their last five league games, last winning six in a row in November/December 2007 while in League One.

    • Mihailo Ivanovic has scored 11 Championship goals this season, more than twice as many as any other Millwall player. The Serbian has scored six goals in his last seven appearances.

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  4. Alan Sheehan celebrates victory at QPR last Monday

  5. Hull City boss Ruben Selles and John Eustace of Derby County

  6. Lawrence Vigouroux celebrates victory at QPR last Monday

  7. 'Sheehan very much a Steve Cooper-type'

    Alan Sheehan at QPR last MondayHuw Evans Picture Agency

    Iwan Roberts says Swansea City caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan reminds him of the club's former boss Steve Cooper.

    Swansea were glancing nervously towards the Championship relegation places when Sheehan replaced Luke Williams in February.

    But Sheehan's team have since taken 23 points from 11 matches to climb to within six points of the play-off spots with two games remaining this season.

    Cooper, the former Nottingham Forest and Leicester City boss, began his senior club managerial career at Swansea, leading the Welsh club to the Championship play-offs in 2020 and 2021.

    "Sheehan has done an unbelievable job," Roberts told this week's Feast of Football podcast.

    "All right they are not spectacular - he is not the stat-packed manager that we see in the modern era.

    "He is low-risk. I think that's why the two centre-halves are playing ever so well. They will still get it from the goalkeeper, but if there's any risk, it goes. They get it wide, they get early crosses in. The goalkeeper is not afraid to put his foot through the ball.

    "Sheehan reminds me very much of a Steve Cooper-type head coach. He makes sure he gets his defensive shape solid so they don't concede."

    Steve Cooper during his spell at SwanseaGetty Images

    Swansea go in search of a sixth straight victory at Millwall on Saturday.

    Last Monday's 2-1 success at Queens Park Rangers means the club are on their longest winning league run since 2007.

    "They have got an edge to them. They look like they have got hunger, energy," Roberts added.

    "The two boys in midfield, [Goncalo] Franco and Lewis O'Brien, I am not sure if I have seen a harder-working midfield duo.

    "They look a different side."

  8. Joel Piroe celebrates scoring for Leeds

  9. Sheehan not shoo-in for Swans job, says Jones

    Alan SheehanHuw Evans Picture Agency

    Owain Tudur Jones says Swansea City should not just hand Alan Sheehan the role of permanent manager, even after his impressive spell as caretaker.

    The Swans have claimed 23 points in 11 games since the Irishman stepped in following the departure of Luke Williams in mid-February.

    Saturday's victory at Queens Park Rangers saw them win a fifth straight league game for the first time in 18 years, but former Swansea and Wales midfielder Jones still believes the club's American owners and director of football Richard Montague should be casting their net wider than just Sheehan.

    "I'd like to see other people interviewed as well and if he stands out above the crowd then brilliant," Jones told Radio Wales Breakfast.

    "But instead of just giving it to him, even though he's done a remarkable job, I would like to see the club having a long-term plan in of really pinpointing who the best man will be."

    Swedish duo Kim Hellberg and Henrik Rydstrom are reportedly among the names Swansea have considered, and they are thought to have spoken to a number of potential candidates since Williams departed following a run of seven defeats in nine matches which had raised fears of a potential relegation fight.

    After their upturn under Sheehan, the Swans now find themselves just six points below the play-off places with two games to go.

    "It's almost something that we feel comes around every year," added Jones.

    "Swans have a little flirt with relegation and people get worried, then towards the end of the season they pick up and you think 'are they going to make the play-offs">