Matos inherited a club in “genuine relegation trouble” when he replaced Luke Williams in December, and his start couldn’t have been worse – losing his first two games, including a devastating 3-2 collapse at West Brom after leading 2-0 at half-time.
But the Portuguese head coach has since overseen a remarkable transformation at the Swansea.com Stadium, taking 25 points from 14 games – more than the 17 points Swansea had managed in their first 18 matches of the season.
The Swans are now unbeaten in their last seven home games, winning six and drawing one, and have become a “force to be reckoned with” at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Speaking to Grosvenor Casinos, Goodman said:
“You can’t fail to be impressed with the job he’s done. Swansea were in genuine relegation trouble when he took over, and he actually lost his first two games.
“The second of those was a 3-2 defeat away at the Hawthorns against West Brom, having been 2-0 up at half-time. At that point, you probably feared the worst. You wondered how long he would last, and you thought Swansea were in deep trouble.
“However, in the 14 games since, they’ve won eight, drawn one, and lost five, taking 25 points. To put that into perspective, they’d only taken 17 points in the first 18 games of the season.
“They’re scoring more goals, conceding fewer, and are vastly improved, particularly at home where they’re unbeaten in their last seven – with six wins and one draw – making them a force to be reckoned with.”
However, Goodman identified one area where Matos must still prove himself – results against promotion-chasing sides.
Under the 37-year-old’s management, Swansea have only beaten Wrexham and Watford from the top half of the table, losing four and drawing one in games against other high-flying teams.
Goodman added:
“The one thing I will flag up is that, even under Vitor Matos, they’re not that competitive against teams in the top half.
“They’ve only beaten Wrexham and Watford, losing four and drawing one in games against other top-half sides. That will be their aim between now and the end of the season – can they become a little bit more competitive against the better teams in the league?
“But there’s no doubt about it, you have to be impressed with the job he’s done.”
The praise from Goodman follows similar acclaim from former Premier League defender Curtis Davies, who told Swansea Bay News he was “really impressed” with Matos’s early impact at the club.
Meanwhile, legendary Scotland manager Gordon Strachan recently described Swansea as a “non-risk club” and insisted what really matters is that they’re above bitter rivals Cardiff City in the table.
The Jack Army received a further boost this week when rap legend Snoop Dogg issued a rallying cry ahead of his first visit to the Swansea.com Stadium.
Matos will be hoping to continue his impressive home form and address Goodman’s concerns when Swansea welcome Bristol City to the Swansea.com Stadium tomorrow lunchtime (12.30 kick off).
