Luke Williams insists he needs around a dozen matches to decide whether or not Swansea City are going to be a force in the Championship this season. The Swans head coach praised his team after they earned their first away points of the season – a 2-1 victory at Coventry City – which moved them up to seventh in the table. But Williams believes his side needs more road-testing for him to determine whether they are any good – or if opponents so far have been bad.

Luke Williams has urged his Swansea City team to toughen up when they leave the home comforts of their own stadium. The Swans currently sit 11th in the table and whilst most of the attention in Wales has focussed on rivals Cardiff City’s disastrous start to the season, the Swans’ progress has gone under the radar.

Luke Williams insists there are positive signs emerging for Swansea City after their second Championship victory of the season moved them up to just outside the top ten. The Swans head coach believes his team’s 1-0 home win over Norwich City was a significant result as it relied on the kind of virtues the side had lacked so far this season.

Steve Cooper has claimed he could have done more transfer business at Leicester City if the club’s successful appeal against a Premier League ruling had been announced earlier. Cooper – the only Welsh manager in the top flight – was drawn into the long-running dispute over an alleged spending rule breach when he took charge earlier this summer.

Ollie Cooper went to the last World Cup, but his role was not one that grabbed too many headlines. The Swansea City midfielder was part of the Wales group that journeyed to Qatar almost two years ago, but his duties were as a back-up training partner, rather than an official member of the 26-man squad.

Former Swansea City head coach Russell Martin has claimed he is not feeling any pressure following criticism of Southampton’s performances so far this season. Saints have started with three Premier League losses, having endured something similar when Martin took over at the club last year.

The golden boot of 47-year-old Lee Trundle is still firing to deadly effect. Trundle scored on Monday as his latest club, Trefelin, beat Baglan Dragons 2-0 in the JD Cymru South to move up to second in the table. Charlie Corsby scored Trefelin’s second goal.

Cardiff City have put Welsh rivals Swansea City in the dock over another advertising hoarding collapse that injured Bluebirds striker Ollie Tanner. Bluebirds substitute Tanner was left needing treatment to his shin after the boards toppled forward when fans rushed forward to celebrate a Cardiff equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Swansea.

A dramatic Welsh derby began with a Liam Cullen strike before Callum Robinson’s equaliser meant the points were shared at the Swansea.com Stadium. The Bluebirds were given optimism as new signing from Manchester City Alex Robertson made his first start for his new club. As for the hosts, they were boosted by the return of veteran midfielder Joe Allen to the matchday squad, for the first time since April.

Swansea City will go into their derby day clash against Cardiff City, having edged a transfer tussle for players, 2-1, in the final countdown to the game. The Swans signed central defender Nelson Abbey on a season-long loan from Olympiakos.

Luke Williams has only been Swansea City’s head coach for seven months, but he reckons he knows the recipe for derby success against Cardiff City. El Taffico has it’s own Welsh flavour – laverbread simmered in Brains Bitter – and Williams believes he got a taste for it immediately back in March.

Steve Cooper made a steady, rather than spectacular start to his new life as Leicester City manager, but his influence was clear. The only Welsh manager operating in the Premier League began the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham, thanks to a goal from Jamie Vardy.