Swans are up Fer it
PAUL CLEMENT saluted Swansea City’s players after they gave him one of his proudest moments in management.
The Swans manager thanked all his stars after they made the most of Hull’s slip-up at home to Sunderland and beat Everton thanks to Fernando Llorente’s first-half header. News of the Tigers’ shock
THERE was no avoiding it for Gabriel Jesus, even though he did not look overly keen. The full Pep embrace, a lingering man-hug that seems to be all the rage amongst the modern-day managerial elite. Nothing wrong with that. And nothing wrong with the performance of Jesus, even though – as a striker – he looked Crystal Palace’s gift horse in the mouth. Jesus was withdrawn from this walkover without scoring, but played his part in what essentially became an attacking exhibition. It was showy, sometimes verging on the showboating. That Guardiola reserved special affection for Jesus was typical of his idealism.
He sees Jesus as symbolising the future of this club.
What will be absolutely certain, regardless of how this season ends, is that Guardiola’s mantra will remain attack, attack, attack.
Just as they did here, albeit against a Palace team that became shy of the counter, shy of the tackle, a Palace team that looked happy to rely on events outside their control.
Little wonder Sam Allardyce spoke of it as a “capitulation” and “unacceptable”.
Allardyce was brutally correct in his assessment, but that still should not strip too many layers of gloss from a