By Sam Preston

Laird impresses cutting in from the left despite Swansea defeat

Manchester United loanee Ethan Laird started for Swansea when they travelled to Craven Cottage to face Fulham last night.

The Swans went down 3-1 to Marco Silva’s third-placed side thanks to a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Laird has played down the right for Swansea so far and his versatility means he can operate as a right-back, right wing-back or even a winger.

It was from right wing-back that he was unlucky not to score after 53 minutes here.

He hit a shot which cannoned off the angle of post and bar, which would have made it 3-2.

But he was also switched to a left-sided role later on, showcasing his versatility.

As per Swansea City online above, he even ended up playing as a left winger by the end.

Last night, United’s full back situation came under scrutiny with Aaron Wan-Bissaka missing for the visit of Villarreal.

Diogo Dalot struggled throughout the match at Old Trafford. Academy graduates like Laird and Brandon Williams might not yet be ready for big European nights, but some fans will be questioning the pecking order at full-back after last night.

Reaction

As for Laird, his performance drew some praise from Swansea fans on Twitter despite the defeat.

There’s an understanding that Fulham are one of the best sides in the league and here’s how his display went down…

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Sam Preston
Sam Preston is an NCTJ gold standard news and sports journalist who studied with the Press Association. He also has a 2:1 law with French law degree from the University of Birmingham, which included a year studying at Bordeaux Montaigne University. He is an FA Level 1 football coach who appeared on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show in 2018 and has also written digital football content and match-day programme pieces for Colchester United, Mansfield Town and Stockport County.

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