Steve Cooper will ensure high-flying Swans keep focus on next game
Posted Thursday, August 22, 2019 by PA
Swansea boss Steve Cooper refused to get carried away after his side won 3-1 at QPR to continue their excellent start to the season.
The Swans are second in the Sky Bet Championship after the first four games and made the most of their chances at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
Four minutes after Jordan Hugill’s equaliser cancelled out Bersant Celina’s opener, Yoann Barbet tripped Jordon Carrick and Borja Baston converted the resulting penalty to restore the visitors’ lead.
Sam Surridge netted the third to rubber-stamp victory for the Swans, who next face Birmingham on Sunday.
Cooper said: “We’re going to take it one game at a time and I know that’s the boring answer that you don’t want to hear, but it’s what we’ve done so far.
“We believe in the way we work. We believe in the methodology. We’re creating a culture with the players where we’re enjoying training and believing in the plan.
“It’s now just about recovery and preparing for the game on Sunday. We will not look any further than that because the moment we do is the moment we lose focus and that’s not what we’re about.”
Swansea had to absorb pressure for much of the game but caught Rangers on the break for the opening goal and later took full advantage after Barbet’s silly challenge.
“It’s a great result, there’s no doubt about that. I thought we played some super stuff,” Cooper added.
“We knew in the second half that QPR would come at us. They are a good team and this is going to be a really tough place to come and pick up points.
“So tactically we had to be excellent in the second half and we were.”
QPR manager Mark Warburton defended Barbet but admitted the centre-back’s error had been costly.
“I think you’ve seen how good he can be. You’ve seen his passing qualities and that he reads the game very well,” Warburton said.
“I think he’s been very good. Yoann and Grant Hall have worked very hard to form a good partnership.
“But we haven’t had a clean sheet yet and that’s down to the team, not just down to Yoann or Grant.
“We get the equaliser and I think one team’s going to win it. To then concede four minutes later, in a very naive manner, we have to learn from that.
“We have to be better than that because we worked so hard to get the equaliser and at that point in my mind there’s one team going on to win.
“We have to be more clinical in front of their goal and make better decisions in front of our goal.
“I haven’t seen a team cut us open yet. We’ve been the masters of our own downfall in certain parts.”
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