Swansea City v Cardiff City. The South Wales Derby. The Swans v The Redbirds. Bragging rights up for grabs and for both sides the chance to ease their relegation worries just a little bit. Derby day has finally arrived and now it is just a matter of a few hours until battle commences.

I love and hate derbies with equal passion. The anticipation in the build up to the games is never different and you can only ever accept that you want the atmosphere and the tension that the game brings. But with that tension comes the fear that defeat always feel empty and the bragging rights are never good when they belong to the other side.

Having said that I would never change derby day. I have been to so many I have lost count but each of them I look forward to with the same desire and as I sit here and write this I cannot wait for the kick off time to come around as I know the Liberty will be rocking and this is our chance to avenge that defeat at Legoland back in November.

We were poor on that day and looked a team devoid of passion or fight as we went down without either thanks to a goal from Steven Caulker. Neither side I don't think did themselves any credit on the day with their displays but the better team on the day won. Since then, we have scratched around for a consistent run of form as we have done for much of the last twelve months although we have a tradition of winning games like this at the Liberty and it is one of the reasons why I have never really believed we will be relegated come May.

It will be interesting today to see how the managerial change in midweek has a knock on effect. In Garry Monk we have someone who will completely understand what this fixture means to the two sides and there is little doubt in my mind that he will have the players fired up accordingly. One thing that was always levelled at Michael Laudrup as a criticism was his lack of passion on the touchline - that will not be a criticism aimed at Monk who has always worn his heart on his sleeve since he arrived here ten years ago.

The Swans have become static at times in recent weeks and months and I think we will see that change again. Monk's philosophy is probably closer to someone like Roberto Martinez than it is towards Michael Laudrup and that could see us become more creative and we know we have the players to do that. If we can click into that kind of play early on in the game then I'm not sure that Cardiff will have an answer to what we can do to teams when we are on form at the Liberty?

As fans it is up to us today to be behind the team and backing them vocally from start to finish. Any criticism should be saved for the pubs and the forums after the game but in the stadium itself it is a requirement to be loud and proud and become the proverbial twelfth man that will help the Swans onto winning the vital three points that could move us six points ahead of them.

This is derby day and this needs to be our day. We know we are good enough and this time I think that will translate itself into the field of play and we will all do Garry Monk proud and he will do likewise to us.

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