Britton: Don't be complacent

Leon Britton knows more than most what to expect from Bradford at Wembley on Sunday - and he has told his Swansea team-mates about the Bantams.

Last Updated: 23/02/13 at 13:28   

Britton: Warning to Swans

Britton: Warning to Swans

Swansea will start the Capital One Cup final as odds-on favourites but Bradford have already knocked out Premier League clubs Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa on their way to Sunday's showpiece.

Britton, along with Alan Tate and Garry Monk, is one of a select group of players to have represented Swansea in all four divisions.

The midfielder also played in Swansea's last meeting with Bradford in League One back in 2007.

As such the former West Ham and Arsenal trainee understands the mentality Phil Parkinson's side will take into the final, and will make sure his team-mates with less experience of the English game comprehend what is coming their way.

The 30-year-old said: "A few of us know what to expect because we have been there too, it is tough in those leagues when you are slogging it out on Tuesday nights in some pretty dreadful places.

"We know what it will be like, they will be fired up and any of the lads who don't know what's coming, we will let them know.

"Even though there are four divisions between us, it doesn't always work out as you would expect.

"You only have to look at what Bradford have already achieved so far.

"Beating Arsenal was impressive enough, but to beat Villa, a Premier League side, over two legs was superb.

"There is no luck or fluke in anything they have done, they have got this far because they deserve to be there.

"We have the tag of favourites. We are a Premier League side playing a League Two club, but on the day anything can happen and you have to perform."

Any sense of complacency that could have crept into the Swansea camp has been firmly extinguished by their 5-0 hammering at the hands of Liverpool last weekend, the Welsh club's worst defeat since a 7-1 loss against Hartlepool in 2002.

Britton was part of the side routed at Anfield and admitted the experience was a shock to the system, coming during a campaign where Swansea have always proved to be a competitive proposition, even when manager Michael Laudrup has made changes.

He said: "Any time you lose you always look for the next one to bounce back and put it right.

"Losing 5-0 is not something which has happened often since I have been here, but it is not nice.

"Training has been intense this week and we want to put it right.

"The gaffer is not the type to shout and start hollering but there were raised voices and we knew he was not happy.

"He is very calm normally and he trusts his players, but he felt let down by the team and rightly so.

"We also let down the fans and we want to make sure we put some smiles on their faces on Sunday."

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