Laudrup Looks To Put His Plan-B Into Action

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup looks to put an alternative plan b into action as his side prepares for Saturday's home game against Everton.

Laudrup realises that Everton did a good job on the Swans last season, doing the double over them in 2011/12. They set up their side in such a way to make it very difficult for Swansea's passing play to be effective in an attacking sense.

Like Norwich City and Newcastle United last year, they played higher up the pitch, refused to sit back and let us play, and closed off the angles - particularly on the flanks.

Everton will look to do the same on Saturday, but Laudrup hopes to find alternative ways of playing to get back to winning ways against arguably their toughest opponents so far.

Laudrup said:

'They have analysed us, now we have to analyse how they analyse us!

'We have to try to find some alternative ways to do things.

'It's not about changing things completely, but if they put pressure on our back four then sometimes we cannot play from there.'

Whilst former manager, and current Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers insisted that his side didn't need to change their style for certain opponents, Laudrup realises that sometimes his side will have to, he added:

'Some managers say they will always play the same and that is to show confidence in what they are doing.

'But I don't think it's weak to say we look at the opponents, at where they are strong and where we can hurt them, and then decide what we will do.

'We always want to keep the ball on the ground and play possession football, but sometimes it's not possible.

'We have to do things another way sometimes to get away from the pressure.

'And even then you don't have to change something for 90 minutes.

'As I say to the players, you have to feel the temperature of a game and then decide how to play — now we have to do it this way and now we have to do it that way.'

Laudrup also hinted that his side might play more long-range passes from the back, if Everton put pressure on the defence:

'If they put pressure on the back four then somebody else will be free,'

'We have to find the free players and we have top find them in the right spaces, because there will be spaces somewhere.

'Everton only have 11 players. If they push on to our back four, there will be space for us to play further up the pitch.

'For us it's about getting the ball into that space. That's the question for us — can we get the ball there?

'There is nothing wrong with playing a large pass up to the forward or to Michu just because of our image, which is always to play possession football.'

But if we give away 15 corners in the game, it will be difficult for us.

'I say to the players — don't give away unnecessary set-pieces.

'Everton are a strong side with individual quality, especially on the left side with (Leighton) Baines and (Steven) Pienaar, and everybody knows about Fellaini.

'They are a very good team, but we play at home and we want them to go away saying Swansea are a very good team too.'

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