Swansea City head into the international break top of the Championship after making an impressive start to the new campaign.
Vitor Matos’ side have taken 17 points from their opening eight games and have emerged as one of the early surprise packages in the second tier.
Former England international and Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has been keeping a close eye on their progress.
And Phillips has given his thoughts on Swansea’s promotion prospects, as well as the challenges facing some of the other sides across the Championship.
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Swansea have goals from all over the team
“I think it’s a collective thing,” Phillips told The FLP in an exclusive interview for BestBettingSites.co.uk, when asked what has impressed him most about the way Swansea have started the season.
“We just spoke about what it takes to get out of the league – collectively, you have to work as a unit, you have to be together, and they’ve done that. Their togetherness.
“They’ve won three games out of four already away from home, which is excellent.
“And the biggest thing is they’re spreading the goals out through the team.
“I think there have been seven different scorers, so they’re not just relying on that one player like they did last year.
“Everyone’s chipping in, and defensively they’ve looked brilliant.
“And the young lad Stephen Welsh, who’s come in since the summer, has been excellent. He’s really stepped up, and he looks like he’s been their top player so far.
“So defensively, they’ve looked solid; going forward, they’re scoring goals from everywhere.
“Believe me, if you want to get out of that league, that’s the type of attributes you need.”
PICTURES: Alamy
Vitor Matos earning Swansea backing
Matos was rewarded with a new contract through to 2030 after guiding Swansea to an 11th-place finish last season.
Phillips believes the club have seen enough progression under the Portuguese coach to justify their decision, particularly after an encouraging summer of recruitment.
He added: “Progression as owners, that’s all you want to see.
“Your manager progresses, and your players develop and progress and get better and better.
“And with the signings they’ve had over the summer, he’s put together a team that’s exciting going forward, but also defensively looks really solid as well.
“So no surprise that they’ve rewarded him.
“It always surprises me a little bit when owners just dish out a new four-year contract because of what they’ve seen in a short period of time. And we’ve seen it backfire quite a lot.
“But I think they’ve seen enough now to suggest that, and I’ve seen enough so far this season, that Swansea can hold their own from now to the end of the season.
“He’s getting the best out of them, which is what you want as an owner. He’s doing an excellent job.”
Lincoln making their Championship opportunity count
Lincoln City have adapted impressively to the Championship after winning promotion from League One last season.
The Imps have made a strong start to life in the second tier with 11 points from eight games propelling Chris Cohen & Tom Shaw’s side into 12th heading into the international break.
Phillips believes their recruitment has helped them handle the step up.
He said: “It’s always difficult, because when you come up, you haven’t got the budget that the teams in the league have already got, and they’re the teams that have come down from the Premier League.
“But you need to just sign those types of players that have played in the Championship or that you think will relish the Championship.
“And they’ve done that, and they’ve had some excellent results and performances.
“The three promoted teams have all settled in really, really well. And Lincoln, the best out of the three of them.
“Newly promoted teams, when they come into the Championship, they surprise a lot of people because people don’t take them probably as seriously as they should.
“That sounds strange, but they probably think, ‘Oh, they were only in League One last year’. No, these boys can play.
“Their enthusiasm gets them through games, but also their quality. And Lincoln have done that.”
PICTURE: PSI/Paul Thompson
Phillips backs Parkinson after latest Wrexham win
Phillips has also backed Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson to turn around the club’s difficult start to the campaign.
Parkinson had come under increasing pressure heading into last weekend, with just one win out of their opening seven games.
However, Wrexham responded with a late 2-1 victory over Southampton – a result Phillips believes could provide a significant confidence boost.
“I spoke about it last week, and I backed Phil Parkinson,” he said. “He deserves everything that comes his way. He’s been fantastic.
“And listen, after what he’s done, if they don’t start the season well and they lose games, there’s going to be criticism – the press will jump on it.
“I’ve backed Phil all the way to turn it around, and what an incredible, fantastic result against a team that’s expected to be up there.
“It’s a great win, and that’ll do their confidence the world of good going into the break.
“They’ve got good players. They’re going to have rough times during it.
“Hopefully that’s their rough ride out of the way, and when they come back they go again.
“So yeah, it’s a massive confidence booster for everyone, and I’m absolutely delighted for Phil Parkinson.”
Read the full exclusive interview for BestBettingSites HERE
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