Carvalhal scream of the crop

CARLOS CARVALHAL says now is no time to scream at his struggling Swansea players, who tonight face a relegation showdown with Southampton. The Welsh club, who have not won in seven league games, have slid into the drop zone for the first time since March 3. Shot-shy Swans have not scored for nearly a month but, with games against the Saints and already-relegated Stoke to come at the Liberty Stadium, where they have only lost twice under Carvalhal, they still have their Premier League fate in their hands. And the Portuguese coach, who took over on December 28 with the Swans rock-bottom and five points from safety, said: “I believe in myself. I believe in my players – my target is to try to get them to believe in themselves. “I would be talking in a completely different way if, for example, we had to win on Tuesday and had to wait for two or three results. That is something really bad. But when it is in your hands to do it, just do it. “I don’t need to scream at the players. We must play with confidence and emotional control. It is not a time to scream. It is a time to be focused and do the proper things.” Carvalhal (above) got his message across well during a 10-match unbeaten run at the start of his reign when he offered off-the-wall quotes about Formula One cars and lobsters. But recently it has got more serious – the next two games are a big test of his managerial credentials. “We have two home games against teams that have been fighting with us,” he said. “It is a crucial time but it is the same for our opponents.”