Steve Cooper

Steve Cooper excited by Preston challenge

1st February
First team

Steve Cooper wants his Swansea City side to show a positive mindset as they take on a Preston side boasting the best home record in the Championship this afternoon (3pm).

The Swans head to Deepdale looking to bounce back from their defeat at Stoke, taking on a Lilywhites side currently occupying the final play-off spot.

Cooper knows a win in Lancashire would be an excellent result, particularly given Preston’s tally of 32 point from 15 games is the best such return in the second tier this season.

But the Swans have proven themselves to be resilient and obdurate on their travels, suffering just three defeats away from the Liberty and themselves holding one of the best away records in the division.

It makes for an intriguing and interesting contest, and a challenge head coach Cooper wants his players to embrace.

“It’s a great challenge, you come up against these little statistics week in and week out,” said the Swans boss.

Steve Cooper

“I have a lot of respect for Preston and their manager Alex Neil, who has shown he cannot just do the job at Preston, but at Norwich and in Scotland too.

“So we know we have to be ready on all fronts to win this game, but we believe we will be.

“We believe, if we get it right, we will give ourselves a real good chance of winning the game and playing well.

“That will always be our main objective but we have to do it.

“To win there would be a really good result, but if we want to achieve then you have to go to do those things.

“That has to be the focus, to be confident, to be positive and to concentrate on the job in hand.

“We have to back ourselves to go and do the job.”