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Leon Britton up for a scrap as Swansea fight to avoid relegation battle

Swansea 0 Watford 0: The Swans missed a number of chances at the Liberty Stadium

Graham Clutton
at the Liberty Stadium
Sunday 23 October 2016 22:48 BST
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(Getty Images)

Leon Britton knows better than most what it's like to scrap your way to survival.

After all, back in 2003, Britton was a member of the Swansea side that came within 90 minutes of suffering the ignominy of relegation from the Football League.

Thirteen years on and Swansea, with Britton still at the helm, are back in trouble. After working their way through the Football League pyramid and finding themselves a spot at the top table, Swansea are suddenly facing up to an unfamiliar struggle for Premier League survival.

A point at home to Watford on Saturday was better. However, manager Bob Bradley, was left to lament a handful of missed opportunities that should have made his first game in charge, on home soil, a winning one.

It leaves Swansea stuck in the bottom three and with Britton and co. facing the task of finding a way to steer clear of the trap door. Still, if experience counts for anything, Swansea and their pint-sized midfielder should be okay.

He said: “The last 10 years have been great in terms of the progression this club has made.

“But there were times, when I first came to Swansea, when we had to battle just to stay in the Football League.

(Getty Images (Getty Images)

“I have been part of that, so I know what it's like to have to work hard and to battle. We will need to show those qualities now. And I think we did today.”

Although their approach play was, at times, far more cohesive than it was under Bradley's predecessor Francesco Guidolin, Swansea's Achilles’ heel was their inability to finish any one of the half dozen opportunities presented to them. The normally reliable Gylfi Sigurdsson fluffed his lines from eight yards and Mike van der Hoorn missed from even closer.

After that, Sigurdsson struck the outside of the Watford post and substitute Fernando Llorente saw his goal-bound shot deflected for a corner. Britton added: “At the moment' it's just small margins. Having said that, I think there is a lot to build on for the future and if we carry on performing like we did today, I am sure the results will come.

“We are certainly in a different situation than we are used to. And yes, it brings a different kind of pressure than we are used to. But as players you have to get on with it and stand up and be counted.”

(Getty Images (Getty Images)

Watford, who felt they should have had at a second half penalty, when Valon Behrami was upended by Kyle Naughton, were belligerent, if nothing else. It's now only one defeat in their last six league games. However, defender Sebastian Prodl believes there is more to come from a side that is still coming to terms with manager Walter Mazzarri's coaching methods.

Podl said: “We are still learning the ideas of the coach. But what he wants us to do could take us on to another level.

“I believe that if we keep on working like this, we can achieve what he wants. We are not quite playing how he wants at the moment. But we are getting there and we are getting better.”

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