Laudrup relying on home form

30 September 2012 14:01
Michael Laudrup feels it is vital that Swansea make the most of their forthcoming double-header of home games following the defeat at Stoke. The Welsh side recorded back-to-back victories over QPR and West Ham at the start of the campaign - Laudrup's first two competitive matches in charge following his appointment as Brendan Rodgers' successor over the summer - and followed that up with a draw against Sunderland. Their three league games since then have all ended in defeat, though, with Saturday's 2-0 reverse at Stoke adding to losses against Aston Villa (2-0) and Everton (3-0). The Swans need to begin picking up points again quickly, and with their next four league fixtures seeing them play Reading and Wigan at the Liberty Stadium before travelling to Premier League champions Manchester City and then hosting early pace-setters and European Cup-winners Chelsea, Laudrup has stressed the importance of those first two home assignments. "We just have to admit that the numbers never lie and it is three games with no points and no goals," Laudrup said. "But the next two games are home games and I think we all know in these games we need some points. "We have still only played six games and we have seven points - that is still acceptable. "But now we have to take the second round of six games and I think we should at least get the same amount of points from them, and we have to start well in the two home games." The Dane, whose side scored a total of 10 goals in the clashes with QPR, West Ham and Sunderland, was frustrated at Swansea's inability to create much going forward on Saturday. They rarely threatened during a contest in which Peter Crouch proved the match-winner, the Stoke striker netting a 12th-minute header when left unmarked at a corner and then once again finding space in the box in the 36th minute to add a second on the follow-up after his initial shot had been parried by Michel Vorm. Although both goals came from crosses into the area, Laudrup felt his team had actually coped quite well in the main with their opponents' notorious aerial threat and was more concerned with the Swans' struggles in attack "We did not create chances like we are used to - only two or three in the whole game," Laudrup said. "It is not so much that Stoke scored - maybe we have to look a little more into why we did not create more chances and score goals, because at the end of the day, we know our team can, with the way we play, concede goals but also score goals. "In the last three league games, we have not scored, and it is something we need to improve." Stoke's win on Saturday was their first of the season, following draws against Reading, Arsenal, Wigan and Manchester City and last weekend's defeat at Chelsea in their first five league games. It will have come as some relief to Potters boss Tony Pulis, although he has been keen to emphasise how pleased he is with his team's efforts overall so far given how testing their opening sequence of fixtures has been this term. "We have done exceptionally well," said Pulis, whose side now face trips to Liverpool and Manchester United. "Look at the start we have had - it has been a very difficult start for this football club. "The previous two home games were Arsenal and Manchester City, and then we play Swansea in the third one and we have five points from those three games. "We knew it would be a tough start and now we have Liverpool and Manchester United - in the first few games, we are playing some of the best teams in the country."

Source: team_talk