SWANS: ‘It’s my responsibility’: Matos on QPR thrashing as Yeo is ruled out for up to three weeks

Vitor Matos has taken responsibility for the Swans’ 5-0 defeat at QPR, and says the performance was “below our level”.

“It’s disappointing for all of us. We didn’t want to put a performance like that,” he said.

“I think it was a performance that is below our level and lower than what are our standards and what have been our standards.”

Richard Kone scored a hat-trick inside 15 minutes at Loftus Road. The Swans had conceded only eight league goals all season before kick-off.

‘Emotionally, we felt it too much, the first goal’

Matos says the early goal knocked his side off course.

“Emotionally, we felt it too much, the first goal. That took organisation of us, it took concentration in a lot of moments, and Queen’s Park was quite clinical on that moment as well, then the penalty.”

“I think starting the game, Queen’s Park with a lot of energy, we were lacking concentration, lacking organisation in moments as well. Queen’s Park was really clinical and clear in terms of finishing. That didn’t give us the confidence we needed for the start.”

‘In the end, it’s my responsibility’

Asked how a side that had let in eight all season conceded five in one afternoon, he said: “Small things, I would say, that become big during the game.”

“In the end, it’s my responsibility because it’s up to me to put the team on the pitch, it’s up to me to improve the team.”

“We were not perfect when we were winning. The performance today doesn’t erase what has been done, but we need to listen to these games, we need to listen to this performance and understand what we need to do much better.”

“I think the Swansea fans and the Queen’s Park Rangers fans; no one would have seen this coming today.”

Swans players hold their hands up to the away end

At the final whistle, the players went over to the travelling fans and held their hands up. Matos was asked whether that was a deliberate apology.

“We all feel the responsibility. We all feel that we were not at our standards, and we all feel that we need to do much more,” he said.

“Start with me, start with us and I think that’s what we wanted straight on to give to our fans because if there’s someone who deserves this then their support here was massive even in the end.”

Moussa Yeo out for two to three weeks with a hamstring injury

The Swans will be without Moussa Yeo for two to three weeks, after a scan showed a hamstring injury.

“Moussa felt his hamy [hamstring] after West Ham. We assessed during the week to see how we could handle the situation. In the end we needed to do a scan,” Matos said.

Yeo has scored against Burnley, Lincoln and Norwich this season, and Matos has called him “a pressing machine”.

“Of course losing Moussa is not the best for us at the moment but we have a strong squad and for sure we will find a way to cover his absence.”

Blackburn next after two defeats in a row

It’s two league defeats in a row for the Swans, after last weekend’s 1-0 home loss to West Ham, and Blackburn are next.

“It’s a tough league. We always said emotionally you need to be quite stable; you need to understand that every team can beat any team. Today we were not as good as Queen’s Park, they were much better than us.”

“Now it’s up to us to look inside and try to improve.”