The arrival of Scott Sinclair from Chelsea at the beginning of the 2010/11 season saw Cotterill employed more as a second striker behind Stephen Dobbie, rather than in his preferred position on the wing. He started the season off well under new Swans manager Brendan Rodgers, putting in some good performances and converting a penalty in a 4-0 win over Preston. However, Cotterill then missed his next two penalties, which on both occasions would have put his side in the lead, and his confidence on the pitch appeared to drop. The first miss came against Norwich City, a game which the Swans eventually lost 2-0, and the second came in a 0-0 draw with Championship pace-setters Queens Park Rangers at the Liberty Stadium. Cotterill did not feature in any games following a 1-0 home win over Barnsley on the 28th December, and was sent out on loan to fellow Championship side Portsmouth on the 17th February 2011.
