Leon’s ploy gets Swans flying again
LEON BRITTON hopes a special DVD can help Swansea secure their Premier League status.
The Swansea captain handed out copies of ‘ Jack to a King’ – a documentary fi lm about the club’s rise from almost going out of the Football League to reaching England’s top tier – to his team- mates on Friday.
And it had the desired effect as goals from Fernando Llorente and Tom Carroll ended a run of fi ve defeats from six games to boost the Swans’ survival hopes.
“I gave them the DVD of Jack to a King,” said Britton, who played his fi rst game under Swansea head coach Paul Clement against Stoke.
“I got 25 copies and gave it to each of the boys and said: ‘ Listen, if you get a spare hour or so before the game against Stoke just have a watch’.
“Maybe some of the players don’t understand – they come to a Premier League club and think it’s always been like this and you don’t blame them.
“It wasn’t that far in the past that we were washing our own kit and trying to fi nd somewhere to train.
“So I just wanted them to have a watch and see how much it means to people.”
Swansea, who are still two points from 17th- placed Hull with four games left, went ahead when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s corner found Llorente, who headed in his 12th goal of the season after 10 minutes.
But the Swans had luck on their side when Marko Arnautovic skied a 69th- minute penalty and seconds later, Clement’s men
SWANSEA
went up the other end and doubled their lead through Carroll’s 25- yard strike, which took a defl ection off former Swansea midfi elder Joe Allen.
Britton has been making sure the players stick together. “We have had a few meals as a squad over the last couple of months,” said the veteran midfi elder.
“It is diffi cult when you are losing but we try to remain a close- knit squad. When you are in a working environment it is a bit hard to get to know people and what makes them tick. It can bring you closer together inside the club.”
Stoke manager Mark Hughes has told struggling striker Saido Berahino to be more selfi sh to break his Potters duck. He had another day to forget, missing two fi rst- half sitters.
“He might be short on confi dence,” said Hughes. “He just needs that one break. He’s probably putting himself in positions where it’s not his natural game because he wants to help.
“That’s admirable but sometimes you want your strikers to have a selfi sh streak.” BRITTON: Film watch
SWANSEA ( 4- 4- 2):