Michael Duff | We have to be better at the fundamentals

Michael Duff will begin the process of integrating his deadline-day additions to the Swansea City squad with a message that his side simply have to up the intensity and do the fundamentals better when Championship action resumes.

The Swans signed Bashir Humphreys, Jamal Lowe, Kristian Pedersen and Josh Tymon in the final hours of the transfer window.

They were not available for Saturday’s game against Bristol City as they watched on at the Swansea.com Stadium, but they will join up with the group this week.

And head coach Duff says there is plenty of work to be done, and that the Swans must improve their basics ahead of the upcoming south Wales derby against Cardiff City; holding up midfielder Joe Allen as an example of the application he wants to see.

“We need to be a lot cleaner in everything we do because there is a big game coming up," he said.

“Joe Allen epitomises what we want, he is probably the richest man in the stadium and he has had an unbelievable career.

“But when he came on, he immediately showed spirit and tenacity and we need that all over the pitch.

“We cannot be going around jogging, we need to be sprinting and working harder than the opposition.

“We have got the players in the building now, we have some time to work with them and try and shift this weakness in the group.

“We have got left-sided players in. Everyone knows what Jamal will bring, he really wanted to come as well, which is a positive and he is a player who can provide a spark.

“So we have new bodies to integrate, and we need to work on the basics of the game before we start talking about formations and rotations and that sort of stuff.”