Cardiff City still celebrate their win earlier this season when we saw an appalling Swansea performance away, even worse than the pitiful showing against Bristol City last weekend. However, that one win seems to have spiralled in to a euphoric belief all things are now good for Cardiff, who in fact are basically dreadful. As are Swansea City.

Both sides don’t really have a talisman as such, and the days when they did seem a lifetime away.

I’m pretty uncertain where this mysterious belief in their side comes from ? We have already displayed the domination of the Swans in these games over ten matches. It clearly shows who holds the upper hand and which side has done so for many years. Scoring the amount of goals the Swans have over the years has been incredible, 4-0 away thrashings, last minute 3-2 wins and numerous other games where apparently Cardiff didn’t turn up. Or so we are told. The whip hand remains in west Wales and there’s no getting away from it. I know the pain has been palpable, I’ve heard from friends who are Cardiff fans that the league cup win, European journey and seven seasons in the Premier League made them feel sick. They simply couldn’t match the Swans. I can imagine that plus the two double seasons, and results mostly in the Swans favour for years would push the excuse barometer to its limits. But Cardiff fans are past masters at this. They have plenty of experience.

Now though both teams are in the doldrums so to speak, and any talk of play offs are as equally unlikely as relegation. Who wins on Saturday is anyone’s guess, the Swans are the better passing team with pace now on the wings, but Cardiff have illustrated a fighting spirit this season. It’s a coin in the air moment and let’s call it a draw. Both sets of fans will be happy with that, that sick feeling that pits itself in the real fans stomachs (well, those who aren’t making up other rivalry’s and excuses) will return, it may be there already. Every Cardiff fan I know states this is THE game, and Swans fans are the same. Bristol City is just a myth. Unless you are over seventy and can recall a game in 1965 on a Monday night.

The games are generally close affairs, bar the 4-0 win in Cardiff two years ago the Swans wins have come from a nerve well held and a desire to win. I’m uncertain we have seen this from Swansea City this season. The difference for Swansea will be the application of Ronald and Placheta, the desire of the captain, Matt Grimes to lead on the pitch and look forwards - and a solid defensive choice that knows exactly what their jobs are. They must not hold back. Although Liam Cullen has scored in this fixture and he knows more than Jerry Yates the importance of it (I personally don’t see a player in Jerry Yates from what I’ve seen this season) Mykola has less chance of starting than Roger Freestone, so we will have to rely on Jamie Paterson and Joe Allen for some ingenuity and intensive drive from Josh Tymon going forwards. Quite simply whoever you are if the ball lands at your feet, hit it !

Ben Cabango knows.

My main concern is the crowd reaction if this does go wrong at the end, we saw an overspill of emotions at the end of last weekends Bristol City game. It wasn’t pleasant, but that moment of emotional loss of control is more likely to spill over at this fixture than any other. And it has on many occasions. Even the older players are still young men with their careers ahead of them, but there has to be calm and a steely eyed desire to disrupt, hurt and undermine this Saturdays opponents. There can be no quarter given, and no excuses for the players to behave as they did towards fans at Bristol City. Take your medicine. And as I said in this fixture it really isn’t a good idea.

More on the game as the week progresses.

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Artwork by Swansea Independent

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