Planet Swans ArchivesThe Swansea City captain returns from suspension having missed the win over Crystal Palace last week and is expecting a tough test for the Swans at the home of the league leaders.
But he also wants this one a little more than he does most games and also warned Cardiff that the Swans pose a real threat on Sunday and they should not be underestimated.
Monk told the Western Mail: “When you look at the squad they have assembled, the money they have spent and the wages they are on, we expect a tough, tough game.
“They are paying Premiership wages, so they’ve got Premiership players.
“One of their players is probably on more money a week than our whole squad, so it shows you what we are up against.
“When I saw they were signing the likes of Craig Bellamy and Jason Koumas down from the Premiership, and with the rest of the goal scoring options they already had, I knew they would be strong candidates.
“They are top of the league for a reason – they’ve played the best football.
“But we’ve got our own threats going forward they will need to be wary of us.
“We’ve got five clean sheets in the league and we score goals as well. We want to keep that going on Sunday.
“I’m so sorry for Pratley. He is bitterly disappointed to be missing this game and he is a big player for us.
“We will miss him, but there are other players to come in and they have a chance to shine.
“You note the expectation more so than any other game in the league, because of what it means to everyone.
“It’s more like a cup final because of the build-up and atmosphere. It means to the world to us and we’ve told the new players what to expect.
“It’s going to be a big occasion, but we have to make sure it does not get to our heads and we just play our own game.
“You sense that extra pressure not to lose, especially at home, so the pressure is on them.
“They will be favourites, they are top of the league so we have to put a good performance.
“I’m a terrible loser, but I want to win this game even more than usual because I know how much it means.
“We want to give the fans the bragging rights and that makes you push the extra bit harder.
“Bellamy is world class,” said Monk. “I look at the Champions League this week and you could easily see him playing in there and making an impact.
“He’s done what he’s done, it’s his choice. Cardiff are lucky to have him and he seems very happy to be there.
“He will be doing what he does best, trying to beat defenders and win the game for them.
“It’s good to come up against good players, you want to test yourself against the best and a lot of their players are among the best in this league.
“But we’ve got strong squad and we have each learnt a lot.”
