Leroy Fer admits Swansea City are braced for their Premier League survival battle to go down to the wire but believes returning to the home comforts of the Liberty Stadium can get Paul Clement’s men back on track.
The Welsh club had looked to be on the brink of climbing clear of the relegation scrap when they beat Burnley on home turf two weeks ago, a result that moved them five points above the bottom three.
However, they have failed to build on that momentum on their travels, losing at Hull before sliding to a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth – a game in which Fer was forced into emergency duty as a makeshift right-back – on Saturday.
Their margin for error is down to three points as a result, although Hull’s inferior goal difference does effectively grant them an extra point of leeway.
It means the anxiety levels have ratcheted up a notch ahead of the meeting with Middlesbrough at the Liberty after the international break.
Fer insists there is no need to panic – pointing out that Swansea would have gladly accepted being in this position when Clement took over with them bottom of the pile and four points from safety – while knowing that with every passing week the likelihood of a nerve-jangling denouement increases.
But the Dutchman believes getting back on home soil – where Swansea have won their last three games – is the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate their survival hopes.
“We knew before the gaffer came in that we would have to be prepared for it to go down to the wire,” said the 27-year-old.
“We were not in a good position then, we are in a better one now and the next game is at home.
“We have come from a long way back, we did not have many points when the gaffer took over but we have won five games under him and have a real chance.
“Nobody would have said at Christmas that we would be where we are now, things have changed but we have to maintain that. We can be confident at home. We do not need to panic.
“As a team we know we can be much better than we have been in the last week. We have to get back to the things we did before, ahead of a massive game against Middlesbrough.
“These games were a good opportunity and we have not taken it. But now we are going back home where we have been really strong recently, and we will need to be again because that will be a game we need to win. We have missed our chance in the past week.
“They are in the same position as we are, and we have to do what we did before the last two games, because we were playing well before them.”
Fer has been a regular in the Swansea midfield under head coach Clement, but he was forced into unfamiliar territory at the Vitality Stadium after injuries to Kyle Naughton and Angel Rangel.
After a difficult start, where Bournemouth looked to repeatedly target his flank, Fer adapted well and had a solid enough game in difficult circumstances.
The Holland international does have some experience of life in the back four, having made his initial appearances for Feyenoord there, but he will be glad to see Naughton return to take over full-back responsibilities.
“It was different, I tried to do my best for the team. I will play wherever the gaffer needs me and give my all but it was not enough here,” he said.
“I had actually played there before, my first couple of games for Feyenoord were as a right-back, but I am a midfielder so I just tried to do what I could.
“If the gaffer needs me to play there then of course I will, but hopefully Kyle Naughton will be back after the international break and he can play right-back.
“I found out on the morning of the game that I would start there, and I had trained there for two days so I had a pretty good idea I would play in that position.”
