Reading are just one spot ahead of the relegation zone. The main reason Reading are just above the relegation zone is their poor defensive performance as they have conceded 73 goals until now. They would be in the relegation zone were it not for Derby County’s 21 point deduction (Reading themselves have a six-point deduction). Reading have performed decently going forward, scoring 44 goals. One player contributing heavily to the attack is John Swift. In this piece, we will look at his performances for Reading this season.
The above chart shows the performances of John Swift relative to the rest of the league. Swift has scored 11 goals this season, at a rate of 0.3 goals per game, which ranks him in the 94th percentile. He is outperforming on his xG output of 0.21 goals per game. He takes just over two shots per game, with one-third of his shots being on target. Swift attempts 4.11 dribbles per game, and he completes 76.51% of his dribbles.
Seen above is the shot map of John Swift this season. All but two of his 11 goals have come from inside the box. While he has rarely missed big chances this season, he does tend to shoot a lot more from outside the box. So he tries riskier shots. He has had his career-best season so far, and there are still eight more games left in the season for Reading. Swift has taken 74 shots, meaning he has a conversion rate of 6.73 shots per goal scored.
Seen in the above visual are the pass sonar, xT map, and xT timeline of John Swift this campaign. Swift is Reading’s main creative hub, easily producing xT values of over 1.0 regularly during a match. On some occasions, he has surpassed 2.0, particularly in the first 10 minutes and in the last 10 minutes. The xT map shows that Swift has been all over the place in the final third. He has been extremely influential in Reading’s attack this season which is why he is the joint leader in assists in the entire league. His sideways passes into the penalty area have generated as much threat as his forward passes.
John Swift is having the season of his career at Reading. But with his contract expiring this summer, he is free to look elsewhere. Aston Villa have been linked with signing him, and one can see why they want him. Swift could be an excellent backup to Coutinho.
