Steve Cooper is currently facing one of the toughest tests of his Swans management career. After coming through the large part of the season with credit for a strong defence and a good winning record we head to Stoke in midweek on the back of two defeats in the last three and with a defence which is currently looking exceptionally shaky.
All three goals scored by Bristol City at the Liberty on Saturday were as the result of errors by the Swans and with a trip to the Bet365 Stadium on Wednesday not being one of our happiest hunting grounds it is no real surprise to know that – amongst the fanbase at least – the mood is one of pessimism ahead of the game.
Promotion still though remains in the Swans hands because of their games in hand and with first and second meeting on Wednesday night when Norwich hope Brentford things could look much more promising come Thursday morning with the right sequence of events.
Cooper is under no illusion that at the moment it is a case of the Swans needing to pull together and not apart especially at the start of a period where the Swans will play 6 games in the 20 days between now and the start of the next international break.
“We are at the stage of the season where you want to be playing games, we are a long way into it and the games are the defining days,” said the head coach at his virtual press conference ahead of the midweek trip.
“We have a busy schedule until the international break and we need to stay focused and deal with the physical and mental fatigue, the travelling, and commit to every day.
“We will do that the best we can. We can’t moan about anything, now is not the time for that. We are in a busy period, where games are coming thick and fast and are important.
“We need everybody to commit to all aspect of the game. We are not a team that will rely on individuals, although of course you need good individual actions.
“But all our work is about the team and everyone being together, and we want that to continue to be a real focal point of what we do.”
You can watch Cooper’s full press conference below