SWANS HAVE TO BEAT THE BIG FREEZE AT WATFORD
WATFORD V SWANSEA CITY, VICARAGE ROAD, 3PM
PRESSURE, tension, anxiety, nerves. Call it what you will, characterise it however you want, but Paul Clement reckoned Swansea City were firmly in its grip at West Ham last weekend.
These things go with the territory in top-level sport, be it fighting for a trophy, or fighting for your life. Sergio Garcia gave us a memorable example of a man overcoming those obstacles at Augusta just last weekend, ditto Nico Rosberg in last season’s Formula 1 decider in Abu Dhabi.
But that doesn’t mean it is easy, and Swansea City have been living proof of that in recent weeks.
Under head coach Clement, the Welsh club had threatened to put any relegation fears firmly in the rearview mirror when they beat Burnley at the Liberty at the start of March.
Five points clear of trouble with four of the next five games coming against teams in the lower-half of the table. It was in their own hands.
Of course, we know how that panned out. One point in five games and a frozen, lifeless performance at the London Stadium leave the Swans back in the relegation zone with time running out.
The stakes are high; they will be against Watford at Vicarage Road this afternoon, and they will be for each of the five games that follow. Swansea’s already-slim margin for error is shrinking with every passing week.
It is a different type of pressure to that Clement has faced over most of his career. He has been chasing trophies or play-off places, relegation has not really been on the agenda.
But that ability to block out the doubts and perform when the chips are down applies at the top and bottom of the table, the best are able to handle it, as was illustrated to Clement as he stood in the tunnel in Lisbon as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid prepared to take the field for the 2014 Champions League final.
“It is about belief in their own ability, belief in the ability of their teammates,” said Clement.
“I remember the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. That is a huge game, a final and a derby rolled into one.
“From my point of view, you never know if you’re going to get there again. Lining up in the tunnel I was behind Cristiano Ronaldo, looking up at the trophy on its podium, and the colours of Atletico and Real displayed on it.
“It looked amazing. It took my breath away and Cristiano looked over his shoulder and said ‘don’t worry Paul, we’ll win it’.
“Now, that’s confidence and that’s belief. I wasn’t even playing the game and I was nervous!
“That’s what the big players have, they relish it, the challenge to be competing or fighting for something at the crunch end of the season.
“When you get there, you don’t want to be on the losing side. I’ve been really lucky that every final I went to, bar the Spanish Super Cup final, I’ve been on the winning end.”
Safe to say, Clement has no intention of finishing this season on the losing end, but so much better than what was on offer in London last weekend is going to be needed over the next half-dozen games.
None of the Swansea club have followed the Ronaldo lead and told their boss he has no need to worry and everything will be alright.
But it is worth remembering this squad has a World Cup and European Championship winner in Fernando Llorente, a World Cup finalist in Federico Fernandez, and an FA Cup winner in Lukasz Fabianski among its ranks.
These are players used to handling high-pressure situations, dealing with expectations. This situation may be very different, but Clement wants to see them use those experiences to lead their team-mates through this period of adversity and exhibit some hint of that priceless ability of Ronaldo’s to exhibit a focus and confidence that can get Swansea out of trouble.
“We have a whole wide range of players who have had different experiences,” said Clement.
“Some players have played at big
clubs, Fernando Llorente is an example of that.
“Tottenham are a big club and several of our players have played for them recently.
“We do also have young players who are new to this and do not have so much Premier League experience.
“What you hope from the experienced players is that they try to galvanise the dressing room and give their advice and experience to the younger ones and help them.
“Guys like Fernando, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Federico, they know what it is like to play in big games and have to deliver. Two of them have been part of squads for World Cup finals.
“No-one here has done what Ronaldo did and told me it will be alright, but there is still a lot of belief here.”
Belief. A word we’ve heard a lot of this season. Swansea now have to offer more than words.
Pressure. tension, anxiety, nerves. Call it what you will, characterise it however you want. Swansea need to get back to where they were in the opening weeks of Clement’s reign and find a way to deliver when it counts this afternoon.