Planet Swans ArchivesAround 16000 Swans fans will greet the teams when they emerge at around 7.40 tonight and for ninety minutes afterwards it threatens to be a cauldron of noise as the two teams go head to head for the first time in nine years in English competition.
And Jones knows that his side need to shut out the noise from the stands as they seek a place in the last 16 of the competition.
He told the Western Mail “I have had abuse all my career and people think it affects you
“But if you can’t deal with it then you don’t continue as a professional sportsman.
“If you play at the highest level then the atmosphere is the best part. If you let it affect you then just get out because you won’t perform to the best of your ability.
“We will just deal with their fans the same way we do in any game that we get abuse. It doesn’t affect us at all.
“It could have been a great atmosphere if we had more of our fans there. But we are only allowed 1,400.
“They will make their feelings known though and that will be great for us.”
He continued: “I understand the importance of this game. I’ve played and been involved in big derby games so I know what it’s like with the bragging rights.
“The players will understand how important this is for the football club and our supporters.
“But performing is the hardest part and, if we are all too hyped up and the adrenaline is pumping, then normally you don’t get the game everybody expects.
“Nobody wants to make a mistake in those circumstances and you tend to play safe football. We want to play our style of football though and I’m sure it’s the same for Swansea.
“I certainly wouldn’t expect us to go out and try to kill each other because we are not those kind of teams,” he explained. “We don’t have those sort of players in either camp.
“But I think this game will have every- thing. We played Bristol City, which was a derby as well, and there was plenty of passion but good football as well.
“We are not a kicking side and neither are Swansea. We won’t just lump it forward and they don’t do that either so it should have all the right ingredients.
“They have played in some big games lately, play-offs and the like, and so have we. So you should really thrive on the atmosphere and the bigger the crowd, the more we hopefully rise to it and I’m sure it’s the same for Swansea.
“It’s good that both teams are doing well, There’s a rivalry and everything else but it’s good for football in this part of the world because we are the two highest teams in Wales and we have to try to perform in that manner.
“Certainly among my staff and I there is some sort of relationship with Swansea that should be good for Welsh football.
“We’re not at loggerheads with each other and we want the best for each other but, within that, we are competitive and we want to win.”
