Cooper has to strike right balance in final games
FRESHNESS or form? That’s the big question facing Swansea manager Steve Cooper ahead of the visit of Derby County today.
A point away at Reading last week sealed the Swans’ place in the top six with two games to spare, giving them the unusual luxury of two theoretically stress-free matches before they take on Bournemouth, Brentford or Barnsley for a place in the Premier League.
It also gives the boss a potential dilemma about how best to prepare for the play-offs.
With nothing really to play for against Derby this afternoon and Watford next weekend, it’s a chance to freshen some weary legs.
This season has been a slog for all 24 Championship sides, forced to squeeze a full campaign, including the usual cup commitments, into a shortened period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Excluding the international fortnight, in which many of Swansea’s players travelled thousands of miles to play for their countries, the six day gap between last week’s draw at Reading and today’s fixture against the Rams is the club’s longest break since mid-february.
The players have been like hamsters on a wheel and they’ve pushed themselves to the limit.
These two games therefore represent a priceless opportunity for certain players to put their feet up and enjoy a well-earned rest. It’s a chance for muscles to recover, batteries to recharge and even a chance for the players to ease up psychologically after a demanding few months.
It’s also a means of ensuring all of Swansea’s key players are fit and available for the big matches which lay ahead.
Last season the Swans battled hard to finish sixth but they kicked off their play-off semi-final against Brentford with plenty of war wounds. The likes of Freddie Woodman, Joe Rodon, Ben Wilmot and Wayne Routledge all missed those clashes with the Bees as they were injured while Kyle Naughton also missed the first leg due to suspension.
Cooper had to select three academy products for the bench in the first leg who had never played a league match for the Swans. The manager certainly didn’t have a full deck of cards to play with and he probably wants to avoid a similar situation this time around.
This explains why Cooper gave fans a heads up that changes are likely for the visit of Derby. In his mid-week press conference the manager hinted Andre Ayew would not be risked after suffering a slight setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Cooper also said a number of other players may sit it out in order to repair some wear and tear ahead of the play-offs.
It’s a sensible approach and could also give a few fringe players the chance to play themselves into contention ahead of the biggest games of the season but Cooper has also stressed that they want to take the Derby and Watford matches seriously.
The points on offer don’t mean much to Swansea by now but nobody wants to enter the play-offs on the back of a poor run of form. Even if keeping the squad fit and healthy is the priority, a few good results and encouraging performances would definitely boost player confidence and get the fans pumped up for the main event.
Some people, especially Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United fans, would argue that Swansea have a duty to give Derby a tough game this afternoon, seeing as the Rams are entrenched in a relegation battle.
Wayne Rooney’s side have been dismal lately, losing their last five in a row and winning just one of their last 13 league fixtures. Whether they eventually stay up or go down, they certainly haven’t looked deserving of Championship status for most of this season.
The Rams beat Swansea back in December at the start of a two month revival but that coincided with the return to fitness of their star player Krystian Bielik. Since the midfielder’s horribly unfortunate injury in February, Derby’s form has fallen off the side of a cliff. The last thing their relegation rivals want is for Swansea to play a vastly changed side which could give Derby a get out of jail free card. Most neutrals would probably agree with this, seeing as the relegation battle is the only thing in the Championship which is even remotely interesting now that the top two and play-off spots have been settled.
It could be the dullest final day on record if Derby beat Swansea later today and both Rotherham and Wednesday lose.
But that’s their problem, not Swansea’s. Steve Cooper has bigger fish to fry and if resting players is in his team’s long-term interests, then so be it.
But as the Swans boss said in his press conference this week, he will be looking for a “balance” which will enable him to rest big names ahead of the play-offs while also looking to build some valuable momentum.
Nobody wants star players to pick up avoidable injuries over the coming weeks but on the other hand, nobody wants to enter the playoffs on the back of two defeats.
There is a happy medium to be found which should ensure Swansea remain competitive while also rotating the squad.
Everything Cooper does from now on will be with May 17 and the first play-off semi-final in mind. It’s all about giving Swansea the best chance of succeeding on the biggest stage.