Let's focus fully on the football, Leon tells team

LEON Britton has urged his Swansea City team-mates to focus fully on football as the sharp end of the season approaches.

Swansea head to Crystal Palace tonight to play the first of 18 games that remain between now and the end of the campaign.

They travel to Selhurst Park boosted by an impressive 2-0 win against Preston on Saturday.

And after the transfer window shut last Monday, Britton insists the players can concentrate on a Swansea play-off push.

"We're in February now, so there's February, March and April left, there's only one league game in May," he said.

"We're coming to the final run-in so we want to kick on, keep getting results and stay in the play-offs.

"Now the window's shut it's settled everyone down. We've stayed much the same as we were at the start of the season.

"I think now everyone's happy that the deadline's passed and we've managed to keep everyone together."

Swansea drew 0-0 with Palace at the end of December in a game marred by a controversial early red card for Albert Serran.

That hit Swansea's hopes of victory and it took a battling display to secure a point.

Since then Neil Warnock's side have been deducted 10 points after going into administration and have lost star player Victor Moses to Wigan.

Lucky

"We didn't play Palace that long ago, when we went down to 10 men really early. That was a tough game when we were lucky to come away with a draw," said Britton.

"They've had a bit of trouble off the field, but it's going to be a really difficult game.

"They've come through adversity and come together because they think everyone's against them. Their team spirit will become stronger.

"I know they've lost Victor Moses, but I don't think they've lost anyone else. He's a big loss, but it's going to be mainly the same team that played us last time."

Britton was also the subject of Wigan interest, while Darren Pratley caught the eye of Nottingham Forest and Fulham wanted Angel Rangel.

But neither Britton nor Pratley showed any signs of being unsettled by speculation surrounding them during Saturday's victory, while Rangel sat out that game and is also likely to miss the trip to London with an Achilles problem.

"I'm glad just to be playing football and getting back into a match routine," said Britton.

"The last few weeks have been a bit of a busy time with a lot of speculation, but I just wanted to get back out on the pitch because that's where I'm happiest."