Swans v Bluebirds | Vital Football

Swans v Bluebirds

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Remember clocks go back one hour overnight Sat/Sun Oct 26/27

Oct 27 Sun 9am GMT, Rugby World Cup Semi-Final, Wales v S Africa (assume most pubs will be open for this one)

Oct 27 Sun 12am GMT Swansea v Cardiff
 
Last time we played the Bluebirds at the Liberty was Sept 2014 in the Premier League. Garry Monk enjoyed South Wales derby success in his first game as Swansea manager, as three second-half goals earned victory over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff. He had taken over the reins when Michael Laudrup was controversially sacked after the lethargic defeat at West Ham the week before.
Wayne Routledge raced onto Pablo Hernandez's pass moments after half-time to break the deadlock, before creating Nathan Dyer's headed second.
Craig Bellamy struck the bar for Cardiff, but Wilfried Bony's header sealed the win.

Five years on we are both in the Championship. Since our PL demise, the Swans squad has been dismantled and players of any worth have been sold. We have been left with Academy players, free transfers and loanees.
A new and inexperienced manager is in place and after an excellent start we are in the middle of a crisis and in free fall down the table, the worst possible time to play the arch enemy.
Instead of looking forward to this match most Swans fans will now be dreading it, after the calamitous trouncing from Brentford at the Liberty on Tuesday.
 
Form Guide -

Swans last 6 home matches: P6 W2 D1 L3 F8 A9
Cardiff last 6 away matches: P6 W0 D4 L2 F7 A12

...... the picture becomes clearer with more recent form -

Swans last 4 home matches: LDLL = 1 point
Cardiff last 4 away matches: DDLD = 3 points
 
Steve Cooper says Sunday’s South Wales derby is a welcome chance for Swansea City to put things right after recent disappointments.

The Swans return to the Liberty Stadium for an eagerly-anticipated clash with Cardiff City in what will be the first meeting between the side in over five-and-a-half years.

Having enjoyed an outstanding record in SA1 for much of 2019, the Swans head into the weekend on the back of a four-match winless run on their home patch.

And, after the 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Tuesday night, Cooper is glad to have the chance to get back on track just a matter of days later.

“The good thing is the next game is a home game so we have got a chance to put it right.
That’s what we want to do, we want to face up to things and not hide away and get over barriers. One of those is winning a game at home.
It’s only a few days until the next game. Tuesday night is done. It’s disappointing and it will hurt for a little bit but we have to get on with it.
Sunday is a sell-out. It’s a big game, we know that.
I am just pleased we are at home whoever we are playing so we can face up to things and get over some hurdles.”
 
Any Swans fans who like their regular football fix are going to be disappointed. After Sunday’s game against Cardiff there are no home games for a month. There follows two consecutive away games then yet another International break. If you want to watch the Swans then you have to get on your bike.

Some may say it’s a good thing with no home games for a while, especially with the way we are playing at the moment. Surprisingly we are still unbeaten away though, so maybe it’s a chance to regroup and go again.

We’ve been lucky so far with injuries after International call ups. However the next break will involve key player Andre Ayew, who will be playing for Ghana on Nov 15 in the 2021 ACON qualifiers against South Africa in Accra.
Hopefully he will come through that unscathed, together with the rest of our players who are called up.
 
Can't say I'm "up for this" one. Pardon the negativity but Cardiff must see us as there for the taking but then again they're not great in possession either. Have we got the fight and desire to get a result? Lets hope so. A win would really improve the mood because I'm getting the feeling that more and more fans are getting doubts about Cooper.
 
Six changes in today’s team sheet:
Woodman, Hoorn, Grimes, Celina, Dyer, Routledge, Wilmot, Ayew, Bidwell, Naughton, Byers
Subs: Nordfelt, Fulton, Baston, Peterson, Surridge, Roberts, Cabango
Assume Rodon is injured, should have been rested Tuesday v Brentford
 
Swans 1 (Wilmot 24’) - Cardiff 0
Att. 20,270
Possession: 57% - 43%
Shots: 19 - 8
On Target: 5 - 3
Corners: 9 - 3
Fouls: 12 - 15
Cards: 0 - 1
Ref: Robert Jones 5/10 (seen a lot worse)
 
Nice to see a full house barring the obligatory gaps in the North Stand to separate the fans. Great atmosphere that we miss from our PL days.
The team selection was much better and the old boys led the way and showed how to do it.
Cardiff looked poor though and had nothing of note to offer. It was only a matter of time before we scored. A cleverly worked corner and Routledge crosses for the unmarked Wilmot to head in on 24’
Second half Cardiff had a few chances but it was mostly Swansea as we squandered several chances.
Ecstatic scenes at the end as out team and staff had a group huddle near the East Bank Jack Army.
Well done to Cooper for picking the right team and players playing in their proper position.
Hopefully we can now stay on track as we bounced back up the table to joint second, (fourth on goal difference).
What a tight division this is, with 3 points separating second and eleventh place
Happy weekend!
 
Steve Cooper:
“We were more than good for the result, so to do it with a performance like that is pleasing.
I thought we did both sides of the game really well. We knew we would have to deal with a lot of long balls and aerial balls - which is fine, we have no problem with that - we did that well. When the game did settle and we were allowed to play, we were the team we want to be.
I know how important the game is, we were representing a proud city that gets behind its football club. So the fact we can make them happy and the fans can go away happy and proud of the performance, it makes us all very, very happy.
I felt we were in control all game. It's an easy game to lose to your emotions but I never felt under the cosh, that we were losing momentum or control of the game. We saw the game clearly, we dominated possession, created all the chances but were really hard to get through which is exactly what we want to be."

Neil Warnock:
“It's disappointing to lose a derby match in the way we lost it. The goal once again is a really poor one and we've only got ourselves to blame. It gave them a a little bit of lift at a time where I thought we quietened them down - the crowd and the team. It knocked us back a little bit.
In the second half I thought we did a lot better but our passing let us down. We had great opportunities on the breakaway and picked the wrong pass nearly all the time.
I think the goal killed us. We didn't create enough with the opportunities we had. There were so many bad decisions in the second half I felt we shot ourselves in the foot really.
The players have to be responsible and do what they're supposed to do. We got punished for not being on our game. We have been punished in most games, especially away from home.
We have to defend better. We've got to learn the lessons, and we haven't so far. I just felt it was there to be won today. I know it's a derby, but I thought we quietened the crowd down. I'll be disappointed in the return match if it's not a lot louder than that."
 
Routledge Man of the Match, Ayew a close second, but all of the players gave 100% and that’s all you can ask of them.
Let’s see if they can continue this form with two consecutive away matches coming up. Wigan away next Saturday and Gary Monk’s Sheff Wed the week after.
 
Disappointing news after the match yesterday, with Steve Cooper revealing that Joe Rodon will be out for about two months with an ankle tendon injury.
Rodon will have surgery this week and his absence will be a big set back to the Swans and Wales.
Steve Cooper:
'First of all I'm disappointed for Joe, he picked up a fresh injury on Tuesday night.
We were a little bit worried because he had a knock on the ankle last week which he was trying to play through, so we thought it was an extension of that. But it's a new injury that's ruled him out for a few months. He's going to need an operation next week.
He's got a tendon injury that rules him out of the Wales games too. We're disappointed for him, but what hurts him will make him stronger.'

In retrospect he shouldn’t have played against Brentford.
Carrying an injury going into a match makes you more susceptible to further injury and that’s what has happened. A black mark to the medical team for allowing him to play through an injury.
Luckily we have a quality replacement in Watford loanee Ben Wilmot, who turns 20 next week and scored the winner against Cardiff yesterday.

Also chomping at the bit is Swans Academy youngster, 19 year old Ben Cabango, as back up for Wilmot. Remember he made his first team debut for us against Northampton in the League Cup back in August.
 
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