Victories over Preston and Wolves were followed by this two week break whilst the international sides concentrate on the business of qualifying for the World Cup in 2010. The Swans also have players on duty with the Under 21s as they prepare for a two legged play off against England to reach the finals of the Euros.
And Roberto says that the break could not come at a worse time after the Swans recorded the impressive two wins in four days.
He told the Evening Post “We had good momentum in the squad and this break comes at a bad time,You can’t pick the right moments for these things, but you have to turn these negative situations into positive ones.
“It can clear the players’ minds and they will have a rest from games but will work hard on the training pitch.
“We have to be ready for the next challenge. We had a 48-hour recovery after Saturday’s game, which is important.
“We will have a session tomorrow, two on Thursday, one on Friday, two on Saturday and recovery on Sunday.
“After that we will prepare for the Ipswich game.
“This period will be full of work as we have to be ready for the next block of games.
“I think after 10 games it is still very early,” said the Spaniard. “Probably the most pleasing thing about the season is that we have been ourselves.
“Coming into a new league and playing against big teams can sometimes affect you and not allow you to be yourself.
“It has been a huge plus for us. Everyone is continuing to learn lessons.
“It is important to understand that everyone at this football club has a massive part to play. I don’t see people as first-team or reserves players.
“It is a long season. Nobody can play 46 league games and then the cup games on top and be fit for them all. The players know they have to be ready for their chance.
“It is a huge compliment to us that teams are coming to the Liberty Stadium hoping to pick up a point. It shows how far we have come as a football club.
“Since the second half against Reading you can see a maturity and personality in the players.
“We need harsh lessons sometimes to keep growing because we are very inexperienced at this level.
“You hear people talking about our start but the fans are allowed to get carried away — the players won’t as they know there is huge competition for places in the squad. And right now I am looking at performances rather than the table.”
