The first ever Welsh double in the derby fixture between Swansea and Cardiff is again on the table and not for the first time in recent seasons it’s the swans who are in the box seats to do it.
Russell Martin was amazed that the double has never been done in the history of this fixture. It’s not as if there has been a few fixtures either. The swans are out in front when it comes to league wins, and over recent times the results again favour Swansea massively. Speaking this week. "We know the scale of the game and how much it means to the people in the stands. We’ll have to put it into emotional context for the players over the next two weeks. It’s really important that they understand what it’s going to take to try and win because there’s a reason why no-one has ever done the double”
History will favour Cardiff, as there has never been a double between the sides it’s odds on a draw or Cardiff victory will be the end result, but Martin see’s it differently. "It’s an incredible stat ( the double ) and I was amazed by it when I found out. We have the opportunity to do it, we’ve won the first game which means we can go there with less pressure than they go into the game with.” Dealing with pressure is a good place,to start for the swans boss, but we all know the atmosphere at the swansea.com stadium and in Cardiff is always electric.
Swansea City have again hit a bit of a bump taking four points from their last three games, some would say luckily at Peterborough. Others would say the home draw with Birmingham City was luckier. The away defeat at Blackpool will go down as one of the most ineffective swans performances of the season, there have been a few. Cardiff City have seen a dramatic upturn in form, still behind the swans in the league they have taken ten points from the last a available twelve.
The swans breezed fo a 3-0 win in their home fixture this season
For Swansea fans the first thing they need to get out of their heads is the hoof ball mentality associated with Cardiff City. In recent games they have got the ball down on the floor and played through teams quickly. Manager Steve Morison has got his Cardiff side playing in a certain way these days. He knows about the Welsh derby as well. However his comparison to Cardiff City’s football being the same as Swansea is a bit wide of the mark. "We know what we are going to do - we know what we do as a team," said the Cardiff boss. We might tweak a couple of things. We know what they (Swansea) do - they do the same thing all the time, the same way we do. Atmosphere we don't have to worry about in the derby. We don't have to worry about intensity, don't have to worry about geeing the lads up. It will just be a case of who performs best on the day."
Swansea City have sold out their allocation in quick time
The win against Nottingham Forest at the end of January seemed to be the turning point for Morison, it was almost as if his eyes had been opened to what can be achieved by adopting your own style of play. "We say the same message all the time - believe in yourselves, enjoy playing football, be calm and don't worry about the noise around you, just do what we are asking you to do and then it's on my head," Morison said. The players are doing that. That's why we have gone from we were to where we are now. We are a group, we are aligned - from the staff all the way to the players - and it's a good place to be at the moment."
Cardiff fans will feel far more confident that they won’t be embarrassed again as they were in the 3-0 loss earlier in the season. They won’t want to lose this one, it’s a horrible fixture for the true fans of both clubs. It isn’t a pleasant experience at all, it’s one to watch hating every moment of the proceedings. For me no enjoyment whatsoever.
And never has been.