With the derby-day momentum gathering, numerous players have been in the press explaining what the derby means to them
As numerous articles have been appearing featuring quotes from various Swansea players, I thought it would be interesting to put them all together to see if there was a consensus view. Without further ado...
Neil Taylor
"This is what you play football for, to play in these sort of games. It can be daunting but we as professionals, obviously playing at the highest level, need to be able to deal with that.
"As soon as you step across that white line on Sunday and hear the crowd you know it's a different type of game. We watched the Sunderland-Newcastle game on Sunday before the West Ham game. That game was really hostile, the ball was bouncing around - two teams fighting for the ball and fighting for a win. I think it will probably be quite similar this Sunday.
"Malky Mackay sets his teams up really, really well and I think he's quite an impressive manager. His teams work really, really hard that's for sure. Cardiff will think they've had a good start so far, but when it comes to a derby it wouldn't matter if we were top and they were bottom or the other way round, it just comes down to on the day who produces. The two we played in the Championship, it was just two bits of quality that settled two games. It's little bits of individual quality that might just settle it.
"I think it's brilliant for Wales. The first thing I said was if Cardiff bring through more youngsters this is more Welsh players playing in the Premier League, but also it's so exciting to have these derby games. It was definitely the first fixture the players looked for."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24721480?
Leon Britton
"There have been a few sending offs in recent games, but in the five or six derby games I've played in they have been pretty good and not too much trouble or 22 man brawls. There's been the odd sending off, but they have usually been for two yellow cards rather than straight reds, but the main thing is you want 11 players on the pitch to give you the best chance to win.
"It's very different. It's like a cup final. It's not like a league game. Sometimes it's crazy. It can be hard to control the game as it is so fast and furious at times, but they are great occasions to be involved in with great atmospheres.
"We can relay what the game means to the football club, the fans and the city [regarding whether Swansea's foreign contingent understand the nature of the game]. They know. They have been here a while now. They know the history of the football club. To be fair, the Spanish lads have played in derby matches over there. They are used to it and in the build-up we will let the new players know how much it means.
"It's great for Welsh football that the derby is in the Premier League. The first one is on Sunday, but we want that to carry on for the next five to 10 years and have both clubs in the Premier League because it is fantastic for the young kids and fans to watch and support their local team rather than the big clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool."
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/swansea-midfielder-leon-britton-calls-for-calm-heads-if-they-are-to-take-the-spoils-in-the-south-wales-derby-this-weekend-8910442.html
Pablo Hernandez
"I think I should be able to train normally all week with the team and hopefully I'll be ready to start, but it's not my decision This game is very important for the club and most important for the fans. It's a difficult game. Both teams want to win the match, Cardiff are at home but we want to win this for the fans. The occasion should be unbelievable."
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story-20000838-detail/story.html?#ixzz2j6U8OUaH
Michael Laudrup
“I want my players to know how special it is. Derbies are very special games. Whether it’s Lazio-Roma, Copenhagen-Brondby, Real Madrid-Barcelona or Juventus-Torino, it doesn’t matter where they are or who the teams are. This is the same. It’s always something special because you know it means a lot to a lot of people, especially the fans.
“They want to win all games, but these games are special for them. There will be a lot of words in the build-up – every time the players go out this week people will tell them they have to win on Sunday, but for me that’s okay, because that means the players will understand how important the game is to the fans."
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/michael-laudrup-insists-i-want-6246583?
It looks like the team are as excited about this one as the fans are. If we can get a win this weekend, we would then be setting ourselves up to complete the first ever "double" (winning both derby games in any given season), which would see us retain serious bragging rights. It'd also go a long way in seeing us finish above them in the league, and any team we can say that about is welcome, in my opinion!
Obviously, the opposite is also true. If Cardiff win it'll no doubt give them a boost, but I don't want to go as far as to say it'll rejuvenate the "Bluebirds" as we'd then be accused of giving ourselves too much credit.
Hopefully this time next week we'll be celebrating. Come on you Swans!