Clement tries to stay calm as Cork keeps Burnley bobbing
PAUL CLEMENT twitched and his feet restlessly scuffed the floor while he attempted to summarise the latest Swansea catastrophe.
‘Better times are in the future,’ he offered with an air of nervousness, lacking true conviction or belief. The clock is unquestionably ticking on his reign.
Clement arrived at Turf Moor with assurances over his job prospects after talks with co-owner Steve Kaplan but the manner of this loss may well change that.
His players showed no fight, no quality and no organisation. The manager again wore a haunted look, just days after appearing bullish, enthused after team-bonding trips to the beach and ten-pin bowling.
Six defeats in seven tell a story of irretrievable decline for a man who admitted he rode a wave of momentum last season. The Swansea board must decide whether Clement is still worth gambling their Premier League fortune on.
Clement said: ‘Of course I’m concerned — I ’d be stupid if I wasn’t. If the owners feel there is someone that can get better out of these players, it is their right to do that. We need to find a way of breaking the cycle.’
This is Burnley’s best start since 1973 and they are level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool. For the first goal Jack Cork, who Clement suggested was sold by Swansea against his wishes, wanted a loose ball more than Kyle Naughton.
Cork found Ashley Barnes in the box and carried on his run. Barnes fed Robbie Brady, whose cross planted right on Cork’s unmarked forehead and Lukasz Fabianski was left stranded.
Eleven minutes later it was 2-0. Steven Defour won the ball and found Jeff Hendrick. He fed Barnes who controlled before finishing. Winning manager Sean Dyche said: ‘The reality is still out there — 40 points is still a big marker. Don’t get me wrong, this is to be enjoyed. I’ll have my window of about an hour.’
Swansea’s plight got worse when Tammy Abraham departed on a stretcher with a back injury.