Match Day Thread Swansea City v Cardiff City

Swansea City v Cardiff City

Competition - Sky Bet Championship
Venue - The Liberty Stadium
Date - 20 March 2021
Kick off - 17.30


Following their 0-3 defeat by Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, next up for Steve Cooper’s Swansea squad is a home match against South Wales rivals Cardiff City.

Just a few weeks ago, the Jack Army was looking forward greatly to this match and the chance of achieving the first ever League double by either side.

However, since then the Swans have produced a number of ‘stuttering’ performances - a mixture of ‘lucky’ victories interspersed with defeats by Huddersfield, Bristol City and most recently Bournemouth.

Whereas, the Bluebirds, following the appointment of Mick McCarthy, have hit a rich vein of form and have suffered just the 1 defeat since McCarthy took the reins.

On Tuesday, Bournemouth revived their play-off push with a 3-0 victory over the Swans which, at the same time, dealt a huge blow to the Welsh club's automatic promotion hopes.

Philip Billing's spectacular volley and a Joel Latibeaudiere own goal put Bournemouth in control at the break.

Jonathan Woodgate's team sealed victory late on as Arnaut Danjuma drove home.

Bournemouth remained seventh but cut the gap on the top six to only two points, while the Swans stayed third but lost ground on second-placed Watford.

On the same evening, Cardiff and Stoke settled for a point apiece in a drab 0-0 draw that does little to help either side in their bid to reach the play-offs.

Chances were at a premium in a contest where neither side were at their best and neither team can be too disappointed to only take a point in a contest with few chances and a very limited amount of creativity on show.

Perry Ng's spectacular clearance denied Stoke's Jordan Thompson in the first half, while Kieffer Moore missed two late chances for the Bluebirds.

The draw sees Cardiff drop down to ninth in the Championship, six points adrift of sixth, while Stoke are 11th.

The Swans have played the Bluebirds on 69 previous occasions, winning 29, drawing 18 and losing 22.

In the corresponding fixture last season, the Swans ran out deserved 1-0 winners thanks to a first half goal by Ben Wilmot:

Turning to Saturday evening, the Swans will be keen to ‘stop the rot’ and put on a show in a game that not only means so much to their fans but is also so important if they are to maintain their push for an automatic promotion spot.

Cardiff on the offer hand will need a win to maintain their hopes of a Play-Off spot and, in Mick McCarthy, they have - I suspect - a Manager who will recognise how important the South Wales derby is to Bluebird supporters - and he will not want to be on the wrong end of the first ever South Wales derby double. So I expect his squad to come out all ‘fired-up’ with a game plan centred around a high-press.

As the Swans are in a bit of a performance slump at the moment, I have concerns that the Bluebirds will take advantage and run out 0-2 winners.

However, I’m hopeful that because it is the South Wales derby - and the chance to make history - that the Swans will rise to the occasion and win 2-1

 

Thanks for the pre match Taff.
Hard one to call this so going for a 1-1

 

I’m in doom and gloom mode. If Cooper puts out a team of players that we know and can perform, then I see a Swans win. But given the insipid performances recently, then I think our midfield will get bullied out of possession plus us giving the ball away, Cardiff will exploit it.

I’d bite your hand off for a draw do we can go into the international break with a point and the players can recover a bit, but sorry hate to do this I see us losing 0-1.

 

We need to control the midfield - so for me the midfield three must be Grimes, Fulton and Smith.

The big call for Cooper is whether to bench Hourihane or Lowe - as I can’t see him starting with Whittaker.

At the back, Cabango has to play, alongside Bennett and Guehi.

I’d have Bidwell at left back, with Connor on the right.

Woodman will be in goal - Cooper won’t drop him for this game.

 

A cagey 0-0 draw?

 

Curtis and the old guard need to get in the teams head and make it crystal clear what beating the scum means to the jack army and more !

 

Swansea City defender Ben Cabango has signed a new contract through to the summer of 2025.

The 20-year-old’s previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2022-23 season, but he has now tied his longer-term future to the Swans after another impressive season.

The Wales international has made 29 appearances in all competitions so far this term, scoring four goals.

He has made 55 appearances in total since making his debut in the Carabao Cup win over Northampton at the start of last season.

 

I can see this being a boring 0 - 0 devoid of chances for both sides. Better than a loss though.

 

1- 3.

That's red cards, not the score.

On the other hand, Swans' have lost their way, and Cardiff are probably favourites, so 1 - 3 it is.

 

On the other hand...

.... 1 - 0.

Jason Mohamad carried out of the studio in a straight jacket.

 

That would be a sight to behold .... worth the TV Licence Fee on its own

 

The Swansea players will be wearing tributes to Bluebirds' icon Sol Bamba and his 22 shirt number on the back of their Kick It Out training tops ahead of Saturday's match.

A great touch

 

Thanks for the info Taff. However poor we are or have been recently I think Curt. Trundle,Leon and Tatey will be involved somewhere in the pre match letting the players know what this game means. Anyway I think we are going to attack them and win by two nil

 

Got 0-0 all over it. Will feel like it's 90 mins of life wasted.

 

taking aside the 3 the 3 points , the pressures more on them than us , doing the double over them will hurt .

 

Cant say I am.looking forward to it. So here's hoping we get a derby lift and edge it 1-0

 

Neither team has enjoyed a league double in this fixture, so history is against the Swans winning.

However.....history is not infallible.

 

6-3 us

 

Swansea Town 1957/58



Standing, L to R: Arthur Willis, Tom Brown, Tom Kiley, ?, Bryn Jones, Dai Thomas

Sitting, L to R: Len Allchurch, Harry Griffiths, Johnny King, Ivor Allchurch, Cliff Jones


This team would beat the current team - yet their monetary rewards were a pittance compared to today.

My father played with Tom Kiley for the Swans reserves at the Vetch 9 years earlier.