Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Gonna be Swan hell of a party
PAUL CLEMENT paid tribute to his players as Swansea celebrated Premier League survival and a £100million pay day. The Swans were 2-0 winners at Sunderland on Saturday, and Hull’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace yesterday means the Welsh side stay in the top flight for a seventh successive year. Clement said: “When you put into context where we were when I arrived – bottom of the table with just 12 points from 19 games – it’s been a collective effort from everyone connected to the club. “Congratulations to the players, backroom staff, club staff and our supporters for their help in getting us over the line. “I honestly thought it would go down to the last game of the season. But credit to the players for showing the form they have over the last four games to pick up 10 points from a possible 12. “They deserve to be where they are – playing in the Premier League again.’’ Clement deserves almost all the credit for Swansea’s survival. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich assistant took over in January as Swansea’s third manager of the season. Bottom of the pile, they looked doomed to failure. But he fixed his new team’s leaky defence and has taken 26 points from his 18 games in charge. Clement is planning for next season, but first wants a party with the fans. He said: “Our supporters have been amazing. I’m looking forward to enjoying the last game of the season with them at the Liberty on Sunday. It should be a fantastic atmosphere..’’