Football Robins facing tough task against away specialists Swansea
WHILE Bristol City have gone off the boil regarding their league performances in the past week, the same can be said of Saturday’s opponents Swansea City, too.
The Robins lost their first game of the season in midweek as George Saville became the third ex-Robins player in three Championship games to score against his former side this season: the curse of the ex (hopefully that is now over and Korey Smith doesn’t keep it going at the weekend).
But Swansea have slipped in recent fixtures, too. The South Wales side lost their first match a week ago when they were beaten 2-1 by Huddersfield Town at the Liberty Stadium, before following it with a 1-1 draw at Coventry City on Tuesday night.
Both teams are off-colour and whoever wins tomorrow could receive a massive confidence shot in the arm regarding the next block of games.
“I think we just have to look forward now, we’ve got to look at what’s coming our way,” said manager Steve Cooper to his club’s website following the draw at Coventry.
“We have got another tough game to look forward to on Saturday, where we have got to back ourselves and go for it.
“We will have a few days to pick the bones out of this one, take the good bits and improve on the bad bits, and we know there are a few of those to work on.
“We will stick together and move forward. We know we can play a lot better than we did in the last game.”
Kasey Palmer, on loan to Sawnsea from the Robins, is unavailable to face his former club but Smith will almost certainly be involved, having started every league game for his new club since his free transfer in the summer.
The former Bristol City captain has generally played alongside Matt Grimes in the engine room for Cooper’s team, who will also miss the injured Morgan Gibbs-White.
However, despite some patchy displays of late, Swansea will face the Robins on a nine-match unbeaten run in away league fixtures. They last lost on the road at Fulham in February.
“It shows the boys are giving everything, which they do, and they are,” said Cooper, with that away record showing the Robins face another difficult game after being rolled over by Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
“It’s no easy feat, and it’s one we want to continue. I think we were one of the last teams to lose an away game last season, too.
“It shows we can take our way of playing to opposition grounds, but we are also fighting to get the results.”
Dean Holden has his work cut out. The corresponding game at the Liberty Stadium between the two sides in the penultimate match of the last campaign was close.
It is expected to be no different at Ashton Gate tomorrow.