Steve Cooper | No excuses, we have to be ready

Steve Cooper wants Swansea City to focus on “getting their house in order” and give themselves the best possible chance of returning to winning ways against Middlesbrough.

The Swans host Boro at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon looking to pick up three points and end a six-match sequence without a victory.

They take on a visiting side sitting at the wrong end of the table, and searching for their first away win of the season under former England defender Jonathan Woodgate.

Having been to watch the Teessiders draw at Nottingham Forest in midweek, head coach Cooper knows his side will face obdurate opponents.

But with the Swans desperate for a win in SA1, he has urged his players to put recent disappointments behind them and focus solely on turning in a winning display.

“We really need to focus on getting the best out of ourselves, because if we are at our best we will win more games than not,” said Cooper.

“The main thing is that we are back at it. The schedule hasn’t fallen in our favour as they played Tuesday night and have an extra day to recover.

“But I don’t care, I don’t want any excuses. I just want us to focus on ourselves and be ready for what is coming.

“We know every game is tough, and a different challenge, so we need to get our own house in order and ensure we are ready.

“We can say we maybe haven’t had much luck. But you have to make your own luck, you cannot concede goals like we have in the last two games.

“We want to be creating and scoring more, and maybe have a couple of decisions or bounces of the ball go our way.

“But you only get that if you make your own luck.”