Steve Cooper will tell his Swansea City players to deliver a performance to warm the missing thousands tomorrow when they face the strangest derby at an empty Cardiff City Stadium. The Swans head coach says he has stressed to his players all week their responsibility to supporters who have not seen their team live – home or away – for almost nine months. Never before in the 108-year history of the most fierce South Wales rivalry has this fixture been played in a fan-free setting, but Cooper has attempted to use that as extra motivation.

By Paul Jones Steve Cooper insisted he will not allow talk of a sub-standard playing surface at the Liberty Stadium to deflect Swansea City from their pursuit of promotion. The Swans were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth on Tuesday night – a result that was good enough to take the visitors to the […]

Steve Cooper has warned his Swansea City side they will face the strongest squad in the Championship when they host Bournemouth tonight. Norwich City may be top of the table, but Cooper reckons Bournemouth – a point and one place behind the leaders – present the toughest challenge. But victory for head coach Cooper’s side tonight – what would be their fourth in six games – would take them to the top of the Championship, at least for 24 hours.

Luton manager Nathan Jones accused Swansea City players of helping Matty Pearson get sent off at the Liberty Stadium. The Welsh manager did not argue that Pearson should have been dismissed in what proved a critical moment during the Swans’ 2-0 win at the Liberty Stadium. With 20 minutes left, and Luton pressing for an equaliser, Pearson tried an unlikely overhead kick with his back to goal in the Swansea penalty area.

Steve Cooper admits he’s a big admirer of fellow Welsh manager Nathan Jones, but it will be a revenge mission on his mind when Swansea City host Luton Town on Saturday. With Tony Pulis now at Sheffield Wednesday, there are a trio of Welshmen currently plying their trade in the Championship. Swans head coach Cooper had to settle for a draw when he locked horns with Pulis last week, but the content with Jones in an opportunity to right a wrong from last season.  

Steve Cooper admitted Swansea City dropped their standards in defeat at Middlesbrough as they slipped out of the Championship play-off places. The Swans head coach accused his players of falling from the levels that had brought two victories and a draw in their previous three games as they lost 2-1 to Neil Warnock’s side. The defeat – Swansea’s third of the season – dropped the club to seventh in the table, although the positions are so tight they are still only two points off leaders Norwich City, who also lost last night.

Steve Cooper insists he respects the staying power of Neil Warnock, but will be looking to outfox the old master when Swansea City visit Middlesbrough tonight. Swansea head coach Cooper already has one victory over Warnock in his locker – the only other time they locked horns in October 2019 when a Ben Wilmot goal was enough to give the Swans a much celebrated victory over Cardiff City. That was the beginning of the end for Warnock at Cardiff, although it was Cooper who had a hand in the 72-year-old’s re-emergence at Boro.

Connor Roberts earned a shiner, a winning goal, and the praise of his manager after his courage paved the way for victory at Nottingham Forest. The Wales full-back scored with a superb header – bravely climbing over far taller Sammy Ameobi in the 43rd minute – as the Swans went fourth in table with their first triumph at the City Ground in nine meetings since a 2006 League One triumph. Roberts celebrated from a prone position on the ground then needed lengthy treatment before recovering from a bang in the face and head coach Steve Cooper said: “I thought Connor’s goal epitomised the performance.

Kasey Palmer finally feels like he’s found home in Swansea Bay – and is keen to make it permanent. The Swansea City striker has been a footballing nomad since his days as a youngster with Chelsea – one of dozens of young players the London club send out across the world every season. The itinerant lifestyle can be a difficult one – especially when there is a young family in tow – but having tasted six weeks as a Swan, Palmer would be happy to make his loan move a permanent one.

Andre Ayew is almost worth his weight in gold – or least his golden wages – according to his Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper. Ayew has emerged unscathed from his return from injury in midweek and is likely to start for the Swans on Sunday away at Nottingham Forest. The Ghana striker returned from international duty with a hamstring injury which forced him to miss the win over Rotherham and the first 45 minutes of the midweek draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Freddie Woodman believes Swansea City have shown they are capable of muscling up this season which has given them a new identity. Having nurtured a long time reputation as a passing team, Swansea have sometimes been undone in recent seasons by more physical sides and they had a clear previous weakness at set-pieces. But the Swans goalkeeper reckons his team now possess brawn as well as brains as they target promotion in a brutally demanding season.

Andre Ayew could be fit for Swansea City’s Championship game with Sheffield Wednesday, said manager Steve Cooper. The forward missed Saturday’s victory over Rotherham United with a hamstring injury suffered while on international duty with Ghana.