Steve Cooper | We have to be excited about tests like this

Steve Cooper says he and his Swansea City side are excited about the test posed by facing Championship leaders West Brom in their own backyard today (12pm).

The Swans head to face a Baggies side who are leading the way in the second tier after taking 23 points from their last 27 available.

Slaven Bilic’s team are unbeaten at home in the league so far this term, and have backed up pre-season predictions that they would be among the leading promotion contenders.

But the Swans head to The Hawthorns still boasting the only unbeaten away record in the EFL, and ready to put a frustrating couple of weeks behind them.

Head coach Cooper has been encouraged by the focus shown by his players in the build-up to Sunday’s televised clash.

And he believes the trip to the West Midlands is the sort that Swansea should be relishing.

“It’s about looking forward and I’m very happy with the training this week. Preparation has been good and there has been a real focus ahead of another big game on the TV,” he said.

“We just look forward to any game that we play. The approach this year is a ‘can-do’ approach.

“It’s a glass half-full approach where we believe we can achieve what we set out to.

“That will be no different whether we play at home or away. But this is a good game, a big game, if you like.

“We’ve got to get excited about these things. If you are feeling the opposite then I don’t think you go there with the best frame of mind.

“Everything we have done in training this week is about how we can play well and how we can win the game.

“The boys will get our support when the whistle goes as we try to deliver that.”

The Swans boss says he is not surprised to see the Baggies among the pacesetters in the Championship.

But he insists league positions will count for nothing when it comes to making sure his side are ready to deliver a performance.

“It’s got the makings of a really good game. Their team is playing well and there are big expectations around West Brom with the investment they’ve had in the team,” he said.

“The manger is a good manager who has always been around Premier League and international football.

“But it’s a game we’re looking forward to. We’ve enjoyed being on the road, obviously.

“We’ve enjoyed being at home as well even though results haven’t gone our way, but we’ll follow the same process of preparing for the game, trying to pick the right team and the right gameplan to try to win the game.

“They’ve had a good start. It’s not a surprise when you see the team and the investment, with the backing the club has given them in the signings they have made.

“It’s still early on and in this league anything can happen, but we have to just focus on what we do.”