Steve Cooper insists he is not surprised to see Wayne Rooney struggling to avoid relegation. But the Swansea City head coach reckons it’s a reflection of the cut-throat unpredictability of the Championship, rather than defects as a budding manager in England’s greatest goalscorer. The last time Cooper came across Rooney was when the Swans boss was managing the England U17 team.

Steve Cooper has told Swansea City fans that “anything is possible” as they start the countdown to the promotion play-offs he hopes will take the club back into the Premier League. The Swans head coach is preparing his team for their final home match of the regular season against Derby County tomorrow, their first game since they clinched their place in the post-season shoot-out for the second successive season. Cooper’s team will then play already promoted Watford on the final day, with only the play-off opponents still to be resolved.

With two games to spare, Swansea City have confirmed a place in the Championship play-offs. They have a manager who has been linked with a number of other jobs, including taking charge of England U21s, and yet some fans of the club are less than convinced by Steve Cooper. Fraser Watson reckons they should be careful what they wish for. In July 2018, the University of Sussex conducted research into whether the concept of football actually made supporters happy. More than 32,000 responses were analysed, culminating in a conclusion that implied the standard outlook for a fan amounted to less than sunshine and rainbows.

Steve Cooper didn’t want to use Andre Ayew at Reading on Sunday – but it proved imperative that he did. The Ghanaian returned to the squad for the first time since limping off with a hamstring injury against Wycombe Wanderers eight days earlier, a problem which saw him miss last Tuesday’s defeat at QPR. When he entered the fray along with Connor Roberts and Morgan Whittaker 64 minutes in, Swansea’s play-off spot was anything but secure with the hosts leading 1-0 thanks to Yakou Meite’s first half header.

In Steve Cooper and Mark Warburton, you have two managers accustomed to managing sides on a low transfer budget.  Therefore, it was little surprise that following QPR’s 1-0 win at the Liberty Stadium last night, courtesy of Lyndon Dykes’ late winner, the pair were scathing of the chaotic meldown caused by the European Super League (ESL) proposals. Cooper said: “Money can’t but culture,” whilst Warburton insisted “Twelve of Europe’s biggest clubs had made a grave error.” 

Steve Cooper has conceded Swansea City are now looking to secure a place in the play-offs after admitting their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League are almost certainly over. The Swansea City head coach saw his team lose 1-0 at home to QPR to leave them nine points behind Watford with only three matches left. The Swans would also need to make up a gap of 14 in terms of goal difference. Needing a victory to keep in touch with second-place Watford after their rivals’ 1-0 win at already promoted Norwich City, the Swans fell to their third defeat in their last four home games.

It’s now three goals in two games for Swansea City’s Liam Cullen – albeit over a three-month period. The 21-year-old returned to the Swansea squad for the first time at the weekend since scoring twice in the FA Cup win against Nottingham Forest on January 24th, a tie which also saw him limp off late on with an ankle injury. It initially appeared he would play no further part in the 2020/21 campaign, but after just two first team training sessions, his place among the substitutes came somewhat ahead of schedule.

Steve Cooper insists Swansea City are still fighting for automatic promotion despite admitting “time was precious” following his side’s 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers. The gap between Swansea and second placed Watford is now down to six points after the latter surprisingly lost at Luton. Both contenders have four games to play and are due to meet at Vicarage Road on the final day of the season.

Liam Cullen could make a shock return to assist with Swansea City’s final push for promotion. The Wales U21 striker was thought to have been ruled out for the season when he injured ankle ligaments back in January. But Cullen – who was just beginning to build a case for regular inclusion in the Swans’ starting line-up before he was sidelined – has made rapid progress that puts his return to fitness ahead of schedule.

Steve Cooper reckons the chase for automatic promotion is back on and his Swansea City side have not given up hope of catching Watford. Tuesday night’s 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday has cut the gap between second-placed Watford and the Swans to seven points, with both clubs having five games to go. The last of those is the fixture between the clubs at Vicarage Road and before then Watford have away trips to both leaders Norwich City and fourth-placed Brentford.

Steve Cooper has been adamant that Swansea City are not about to throw in the towel – but they do need to deal with what others are throwing at them. Despite the huge 10-point gap that now separates the Swans from the automatic promotion places, their head coach has insisted they will continue to try and chase down second-place Watford. But Cooper is equally clear that if they don’t improve their weakness in dealing with long throws, then even a play-off place may prove beyond them.

Four successive defeats, 448 minutes without a goal, and now a precarious looking four point gap between Swansea and seventh placed Bournemouth. But after the latest last gasp setback at home to Preston North End – a 1-0 defeat that always felt like an accident waiting to happen – head coach Steve Cooper insisted he’s not about to hide away from the realities of the situation. Cooper has not given up on automatic promotion, but a 10 point gap to Watford look unbridgeable, even with a game in hand.