Cooper's Swans join select group with Derby win

1st May
First team
Derby home Morgan Whittaker goal

Steve Cooper spoke of his pride in his Swansea City squad as their win against Derby County saw them join a select group from the club’s history.

Goals from Morgan Whittaker and Connor Roberts sealed a 2-1 victory over the Rams at the Liberty to take Swansea to 80 points for the 2020-21 season with a game to spare.

It means the current squad are just the fifth in the club’s history to reach the 80-point mark, with three points for a win having been introduced in English football in 1981.

The other teams to achieve the feat were John Hollins’ promotion squad of 1999-2000 - who racked up 85 points - Kenny Jackett’s 2004-05 crop accumulated 80, a record 92 was the tally of Roberto Martinez’s 2008 League One champions, while Brendan Rodgers’ play-off winners of 2011 ended that campaign with 80.

If the Swans avoid defeat in their final Championship game of the season at Watford, they will post the club’s best-ever points tally in the second tier.

“That’s 80 points for us in a very tough season, with the circumstances that we have to work and play in,” said Cooper.

Derby home Steve Cooper

“The lads deserve a huge amount of credit for that, so much credit, and I am so proud of them for doing that and there’s still a game left.

“We know it will be a tough one but if we get to 83 points that is impressive.

“The aim is to get as many points as possible. That was the approach from game one, so let it be the approach to game 46.

“We will take it as it comes in terms of where we finish. We want to go and win games, we want to play well and keep building so that we can be in the best place possible for the play-offs.

“We are not thinking we want to play this team or that team. If you are in the play-offs you are a good team, so whoever we play they are going to be difficult ties.”