Clement focus is on the future despite Swans’ piece of history
It was perhaps telling of Paul Clement’s approach to things at Swansea City that at least some of the significance of their win at Anfield had passed him by.
Interviewed by broadcasters in the immediate aftermath of a victory stunning in its unexpectedness and importance to the Swans’ survival hopes, the 45-year-old was congratulated upon becoming the club’s first manager to win a league game at the iconic Merseyside ground.
“Is that right? Wow, I didn’t know that,” he said with a rise of an eyebrow.
Clement would have had every right to have made the most of the historic nature of the result, to press home via the press his credentials as a No.1 having had plenty wonder whether his arrival at the Liberty would expose him as being a good right-hand man, but not the main man.
But that doesn’t appear to be in Clement’s character – he appears to lack either an ego or inferiority complex – and it certainly isn’t of importance to him or the side and their current situation.
Rather than bask in an afternoon that former Swans boss and Liverpool favourite John Toshack was describing as one of the greatest results in the club’s history, Clement’s satisfaction came from more than just the result and result alone.
He has maintained – and he did so again after this match – he is only focussing himself on the small, short-term gains right now. Performances matter and the performance here meant a great deal as an indication of what this side can do, the team passing tests against Jurgen Klopp’s side that they have, by and large, failed all season.
Clement may have the feel of a longterm appointment at Swansea, a suitable press of the Liberty reset button, but his focus seems to be on the short-term details that create the bigger picture. Even when there is much more of a sense of looking towards a return to the club being in a better footballing place with this managerial fit, it doesn’t mean there’s not room for thinking about one steps at a time in a bid to take the strides towards Premier League safety.
And there were certainly steps taken at Anfield, ones that should turn out to be every bit as important – if not more – than the three points sealed by the goals of Fernando Lorente and Gylfi Sigurdsson which took them out of the relegation zone on Saturday evening.
Clement has made no secret of the work being put in on the training ground and analysis rooms at Swansea’s ever-growing Fairwood training base, its latest phase recently made available to the new manager and his squad.
He has not shied away from his reputation for being a forensic coach, one ready to wile away the hours on getting the little things right. Likewise, he has made no secret of accepting the fact that, first and foremost, he had a mission to make Swansea tougher to beat, better organised and promising that every player will know their roles and responsibilities when they stepped out onto the pitch and that confidence and points would come as a result.
A coach by trade, Clement admitted that seeing the work pay off during a first-half that may have been dull for the neutrals, but was delightful in its determination, doggedness and discipline for anyone who has suffered seeing Swansea sliced open so many times this season.
“There’s a big satisfaction from that,” said Clement of seeing the preparation turn into performance. “We’ve had a really good week in training, both on the pitch and in the video room, and to come to a team who have such a fantastic record here, who are title contenders, to put in that type of performance is a really nice feeling.”
Clement saw his side carry out instructions, keep a shape that was rigid in its stubbornness with, in the main, the same players who have had the firmness of a blancmange at times this year.
And with each passing phase of resistance, they visibly grew in belief – adding to that surge of confidence when they took the chances via Llorente, refusing to buckle when Roberto Firmino returned with a brace of his own and grabbing their winner through Sigurdsson.
They passed well when they had the chance, had more energy and belief in the passages of play they enjoyed with Tom Carroll making a difference.
“It would have been easy to crumble, but we didn’t. We stayed resilient,” said Clement.
And, as a result, players saw the rewards for the work Clement is asking of them back at Fairwood. Training is said to be hard – he has spoken of the need to get fitter to match his intensity requirements – but players will respond if they know it will help get them away from the trouble they have found themselves in. They will run through walls for managers if they have faith it will matter.
Swansea’s small details, small but significant improvements, gave greater reason for such faith. Clement knew that as he tried to take in the result, and knew it would mean more to the club’s hopes for survival than any history.
History does not matter when this is about securing a future – but Clement knows right now it is the day-to-day that is so important and so obvious in bringing its improvements.