Laudrup Looks To Push On

The Swans followed up their third round win at Old Trafford with a victory by the same 2-1 scoreline at St. Andrews thanks to two Wilfried Bony goals inside three minutes midway through the second half.

And that should give the Swans some added confidence as they go into a run of four games in two weeks in the league that will play a big part in their survival in the division after a run that has not seen them record a league maximum since the beginning of December.

Home games against Fulham and Cardiff with road trips to West Ham and Stoke will play a massive part in shaping the Swans end of season league position with three of those sides occupying some of the five places currently below us in the league table.

And whilst a win at a Championship side does not mean that the corner has been turned it certainly helps the position a point made by the manager after the game.

“The first half was very difficult, we lacked a bit of confidence. We really wanted to win, but sometimes you play a bit too nervously.

“We spoke about it at half time that if you are that tense, it is difficult to play football.

“We saw a much more relaxed team in the second-half, created a lot of chances and scored two goals. We started to play with confidence again.

“It’s important for the players ahead of some crucial games against direct opponents, starting with Fulham on Tuesday.

“This result doesn’t change what we have to do on Tuesday, but it gives us something because it is a win. A win always gives confidence.”

Bony’s double has taken his tally to six in the five games the Swans have played in 2014 and he is fully repaying the investment made in him by the Swans last season.

The £12m striker now has 16 goals in all competitions this season from just 30 appearances of which just 22 have been in the starting line up and Laudrup was full of praise for him after the game “He has had to adapt to a different culture on and off the pitch. It is always difficult when you are a foreigner.

“But now that he has adapted, he is playing with a lot more confidence.

“The first goal was a great goal, and the second, he wouldn’t have scored if he didn’t have confidence.