There aren't many positives to take from Swansea's humiliating defeat to League Two's Shrewsbury Town. The obvious if slightly ignoble plus is that the Swans have one less distraction whilst they concentrate on Premier League survival; a sentiment shared (and brazenly admitted to) by QPR's Neil Warnock, who also saw his side crash out in less than flattering fashion to Rotherham. Not wanting to be undone by their survival rivals, Norwich also threw themselves on the fire, perhaps winning the sweepstakes of shame in losing by the biggest margin, 4-0 to MK Dons.

The triumvirate of futility complete, one could be forgiven for thinking this was all a well orchestrated strategy in the survival plans of the three newly promoted sides, the co-incidence of all three Premier League teams losing to inferior opposition a little hard to swallow. Such insidious suggestions aside, Brendan Rodgers obvious and justified annoyance at a "lack of effort" from the Swans shows that at least one team was trying. Or not, as was sadly the case.

The defeat was also notable for another reason; the Swans finally scored. It wasn't against Premier League opposition or in a Premier League game. And it wasn't even a Swans player who scored it. Instead, Shane Sherriff provided an own goal to remind Swans players what bulging twine and a beaten keeper looks like. Still, they all count, eh? It's probably for the best the Swans learnt this lesson in the league cup and not in a Premier League match. Let's hope they remember it.

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