Phil Sumbler
Cardiff City arrive in SA1 tomorrow looking to achieve a first league double from their side in the fixture and also reduce the deficit on the Swans who have been dominant in the league fixtures with 27 wins to 21 in the 65 league matches to date.
Cardiff have managed back to back wins over the Swans just once in the last 64 years and that will be another record that hangs around their necks as back to back wins is only something they have achieved three times in the history of the fixture.
Such has been the Swans dominance of the fixture that since the Swans moved home in 2005, the Bluebirds have won just five of the eighteen fixtures played, ten of them resulting in wins for the Swans.
It is little wonder then that Cardiff manager Erol Bulut is talking about pressure on both sides ahead of the game despite the visitors being in stronger form than the Swans. Last week’s win for the Bluebirds over promotion chasing Ipswich was their fourth successive win and keeps alive what was looking like distant play off hopes. The Swans, on the other hand, were limping to a poor defeat at Bristol City and will be desperate to deny their opposition a league double after back to back doubles for the Swans over the last two years created history as the first ones of the fixture.
The Swans – under Michael Duff – were easily beaten at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier in the season and Bulut is looking for more of the same from his team tomorrow lunchtime “In the first game we played really well against them here,” he said. “I’m expecting the same concentration and work-rate from the team to go out and win the game.
“I think there’s pressure on both sides. Of course, on Swansea’s side, they lost the derby against Bristol and they lost against us.
“Their recent form hasn’t been great, so they are going to want to prove something to their home fans.
“The connection to the fans is always important; they are the twelfth man on the field for us. Even when we had a bad run of form, they were supporting the team perfectly and I said to the team we have to give something back.
“The last weeks have been going really well and we are trying to give something back. We have to keep going forward and working together and I believe things can get much better.
“When we look back to the start of the season and now, there has been a huge step forward and we’ve really progressed.”
The noises coming out of the Bluebird camp are all positive with midfielder Joe Ralls looking ahead “We know how big the game is on Saturday. You are well aware of when these games are coming round the corner so preparations will be similar, it’s still a football game, but we know what’s at stake.
“Obviously we have already played them this season, winning that shows how much this game means to us as a group of players and the supporters. So I don’t think it necessarily needs to be told now, but it is a massive game and one we are looking forward to.
“They have got a new manager this time so it is something we will have to analyse, we have had meetings today and will have more tomorrow. Obviously we have got to focus on ourselves, what we can do to hurt them and our strengths, but we will look into that as well.
