Paul Clement believes keeping Swansea City in the Premier League this season would be his greatest achievement in football, eclipsing anything he achieved during his time as assistant manager at Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, where he enjoyed huge success alongside Carlo Ancelotti.
Swansea’s 1-0 victory against Everton on Saturday, following Hull City’s defeat at home against Sunderland, means the Welsh club are out of the relegation zone with two matches remaining. They travel to Sunderland on Saturday and then host West Bromwich Albion on the final day, with survival now a step closer for a club who appeared doomed when Clement was appointed at the start of the year. Swansea had 12 points from 19 games at that stage and were bottom of the table.
“I’ve been in a very privileged position in the past to have worked with some fantastic teams and different players and got my hands on some unbelievable silverware,” said Clement, who helped win domestic titles with Chelsea and PSG and the Champions League during his time at Madrid. “But this will be the best by far if we manage to stay in this league because I’m the one making the decisions – I’m the one in charge – and because of the position when I came into this club. It was difficult for the supporters and for the players. I was the third coach in one season, so it will be a fantastic achievement if we do it.”
Clement described the Sunderland match as a “big opportunity” for Swansea, especially with Hull travelling to Crystal Palace the following day, but he will not be taking anything for granted. “I am glad they won [against Hull],” he said. “One, because it helped us, and with our win we have gone out of the relegation zone.
“But also with their win, it shows they cannot be underestimated and our players will need to understand now that even though they have been relegated, their players will have a different objective. They will have more freedom in the minds to go and play and enjoy their football and give their best, and they will give us a tough game.”
The mood among the Swansea supporters has been transformed since earlier in the season when the combination of the controversial change of ownership last summer and awful results on the pitch made the atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium toxic. That same fanbase is now united behind the team, creating a cauldron of noise for the Everton game that prompted Clement to claim that he had never experienced anything like it before.
“It was brilliant. I have been with Real Madrid when there has been 85,000 there and is it not as loud as that because they tend to sit and watch,” Clement said. “If they are happy they will cheer and if they are not, they will show that. But the noise our fans made [against Everton], from all the ends, was unbelievable.”
Fernando Llorente’s goal provided the defining moment against Everton, it was his 13th of the season and continued the Spaniard’s impressive form since he was heavily criticised for his performance against Watford last month, when Frank Lampard, speaking on Match of the Day, highlighted the striker’s lack of running.
Asked about the statistics that showed Llorente sprinted less than 19 metres at Vicarage Road, Llorente replied: “I don’t say anything. I am only concentrating on my work to help my team. My numbers are there [to see]. I have had problems at some moments of the season with injuries. It’s difficult when you have injuries to come back and be the same.
“But I think I do all my things for what I think I need on the pitch and nothing more. I do a lot of work for my team, not only the goals, but I think our coach sees my work.”
Swansea City Played 36, points 35
Remaining games Saturday Sunderland (a) 21 May West Bromwich Albion (h)