Jefferson Montero says Swansea City face three successive “cup finals” as they bid to save themselves from relegation.
The Ecuadorian winger – who is set to start against Sunderland on Saturday after recent injury problems – says the matches against the Black Cats, versus West Brom on Wednesday, and Middlesbrough next week will be critical to the club’s Premier League survival chances.
“We are bottom now and I’m sure that we can get out of it and improve a lot,” said Montero, who made his first league start of the season last weekend after a calf injury and fractured bone in his hand hampered his campaign.
“But right now the most important thing is Saturday’s match – Sunderland is our first final. I think these next three matches in the space of a week will be crucial for us. These three matches are like cup finals for us.
“It’s a six pointer against a direct rival where we have the opportunity to win for the second time at home.
“Against Sunderland we need to be perfect – they’re a big rival, they are playing very well and they’ve got good players.
“They have the motivation and will want to beat us but we’re at home and I think none of us need motivation because we know how much is riding on the match.”
Under-fire manager Bob Bradley accepts Swansea will be relegated if they continue to defend as they have done during his two months in charge.
The Swans head into Saturday’s crunch clash at the Liberty Stadium with statistically the worst defence in the Premier League.
The Welsh club have conceded a league-high total of 31 goals — 19 of those coming in the seven games Bradley has overseen since succeeding Francesco Guidolin at the start of October.
Swansea returned to the bottom last weekend after a 5-0 mauling at Tottenham, but victory over Sunderland would move them above David Moyes’ team and even out of the relegation zone if other results were to go in their favour.
Swansea have conceded nine goals in two games — the Spurs debacle coming on the back of an incredible 5-4 home victory over Crystal Palace — and Bradley said: “We have to defend better in all areas.
“We’re not going to survive if we continue to concede that number of goals. There have been moments along the way where I think we felt all right and saw a small step in the right direction.
“But that has to be more consistent because we have been conceding all different kinds of goals.”
Swansea’s defensive frailties will certainly be tested by in-form Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, who has eight goals for the season after scoring four in his last five games.
Sunderland boss David Moyes was in a similar position earlier this season before a run of three wins in four games stabilised his position.
Moyes said: “It shouldn’t be Bob Bradley that loses his job, it should be the person who employed Bob Bradley that should lose his job.
“Bob has only been in the job (a matter of weeks)… It must have been the people who made decision, that’s the way I would look at it.
“I think Bob Bradley would have to be given time. Whoever would go into Swansea, or Sunderland for example, or some of the clubs at this end of the table and expect it to be a massive turnaround? If anybody thinks that they are completely wrong. They really are.”