Joel Latibeaudiere | We want to make playing at our place a tough ask for any team
Joel Latibeaudiere wants Swansea City to turn the Swansea.com Stadium into one of the most-difficult venues for opposing teams to visit ahead of the home opener against Blackburn Rovers.
The Swans will kick off their first home Championship fixture of the new campaign against a Rovers side who opened their season with a home victory over QPR last weekend.
Rovers - now under the guidance of Jon Dahl Tomasson - finished last season in eighth place, just missing out of the play-offs, and Latibeaudiere expects them to pose a tough physical test.
Nevertheless, the defender has his sights on helping the Swans get off to a winning start at home, with Russell Martin's side aiming to produce a consistency of performance that will make visiting SA1 a tough proposition.
‘If you look at last season, we were a lot stronger at home, if we can keep building on that, we can make it a real difficult place for teams to come to," said Latibeaudiere.
‘If we play our way, especially at home, I don’t see why we can't take the three points.
‘The last thing teams are going to want to do is come all the way to Swansea, we do want to make it a real home this year and a type of fortress that people talk about.
The ex-Manchester City youngster has started the season at right-wing back having played as a centre-back over the final months of last term; and is thriving on the opportunity given to him by boss Martin.
"I am enjoying it out there. It’s a new challenge for me. I got a taste of it last season and I've not stopped working at it," continued Latibeaudiere.
‘As long as I'm on the pitch I'm happy. Whatever the job the team needs me to do, and the gaffer needs me to do, I’m more than happy to do it.
‘The wing part obviously is the harder bit for me, the back part I'm not too bad at! Defending-wise I'm happy, it’s living those moments in the final third and arriving some moments at the back stick rather than being on my heels.
‘I’ve not lived those moments a lot. It’s just about doing that and getting those reps in training in, working with Gilly [Matt Gill] and keeping going through my clips. But it’s a challenge I'm really looking forward to and wherever the manager needs me to play, I’m happy to be there."