We continue our series of members’ articles, which review the numbers behind the 2015/16 season, with a look at Swansea City’s progress under new manager Francesco Guidolin.
First off, we check the Swans’ team statistics from the point of the Italian’s appointment in Gameweek 23 and compare them to the previous numbers under former boss Garry Monk as well as the rest of Premier League. We’ll also analyse their first-team squad, main goal threats and creative sources in an attempt to gain insight on their prospects for the upcoming campaign.
The Welsh club were quick off the mark last time out, drawing against Chelsea and beating Man United in the opening four rounds of fixtures. That early-season form was short-lived, though, and, by the time of Monk’s departure, they sat just a single point ahead of the drop zone after winning one of his final 11 league encounters at the helm.
Guidolin’s impact was immediate. Starting with a 2-1 triumph at Everton on his debut, he steered the club to seven wins in the final 16 matches, compared to five victories in 22 beforehand, in a run that ultimately saw them finish 12 points clear of the bottom three.
