Phil SumblerThe Swans will welcome rivals Cardiff City to the Liberty Stadium this evening knowing that they are potentially ninety minutes away from a moment of history and the first ever league double in a fixture that matches no other that we play.
59 times the sides have gone head to head in the league and yet we are still, incredibly, at a stage where no side has won both league games in the same season which leaves the second game quite often becoming the game that becomes “must not lose” as opposed to be one that needs to be won.
Yet again the Swans go into the second meeting of the season in search of that elusive double. We had the chances to complete it last season but could not convert them at the Cardiff City Stadium but this time around we have home advantage on our side as well as a fourteen point advantage in the league (on top of a game in hand) This all seems to point to the Swans this time securing that key moment in history.
Of course we go into the game on the back of a hugely disappointing midweek performance which saw us lose 3-0 to Bournemouth but to balance that Cardiff arrive here having lost their momentum that seemed to be driving them to the play offs and they now find themselves six points adrift of sixth place.
Steve Cooper’s side have not lost two league games in the bounce this season and have only done that once in his eighty-odd league games in charge which is a fair statistic and one that should give us some confidence going into the game. However, we have been known recently to be set up fairly negatively and Cooper does seem to have fallen into that trap mentioned above of being defensive and working on a “don’t lose” mentality rather than trying to take the game by the scruff of the neck which is the methods largely occupied by Norwich, Watford and Brentford.
Performance wise our form has definitely dropped in recent weeks and whilst some of this can be attributed to tiredness off the back of a very intensive fixture list since the turn of the season but some can also be attributed to a tactical set up that has very much seen our creativity going considerably downhill in recent weeks. This is something that has to change in this game as we cannot afford to give Cardiff any signs of chinks in our armour through being defensive. We proved the way to win in the reverse of this fixture back in December and we have to do the same at the Liberty if we are to secure the win.
The win is also key to us especially as the kick off time means that we will already know the result from both Brentford and Watford by the time we kick off and that could add additional pressure to the game itself or give us a much needed lift should either of our two immediate rivals slip up.
The season will go into the international break as soon as the final whistle blows tomorrow and it is key that we do get a positive result even if results elsewhere mean that we do not close the gap on those above us. Going into the international break on the back of two straight defeats is a bad enough thought, going into the break on the back of giving up bragging rights is even worse.
“It is a game for the fans, and we want to make them proud,” said Captain Matt Grimes yesterday when talking about the match.
“It’s a game that stands by itself because of what it means to everyone in the city. There is a bigger picture in terms of the season as a whole, but come Saturday all the focus is on one thing.
“We have a chance to make history, and you want to be on the right side of that little piece of history.
“We just know how much the city and club means to the fans and what this game means to them. Even if you have been here for just two or three games, everyone knows the importance of it.”
All the right noises have come out of both camps this week with players and management alike talking about the importance of the fixture and the fact that both sides will be doing all they can to win it. Cardiff have been heavily criticised by their fans in our recent meetings for “not wanting it enough” whilst the Swans have been criticised by our own in recent weeks for the standards of performances. Will all the pre-match talk break either or both of those criticisms at the Liberty? Only time will tell.
The Swans do start the game as favourites which you would expect given league positions over the season to date but we know that league positions and the like mean nothing when it comes to a local derby. The game is generally about who wants it more.
The question that remains unanswered is whether we will be celebrating that double at around 7.30 this evening. Time will of course tell but keep your eyes open because you could just end up watching a piece of South Wales football history today.
Let’s hope so anyway.
