Why choosing the right words has made such a difference for Clement
PAUL Clement will decide sometime tonight if he will spend Sunday watching Swansea City’s survival rivals in action, or press play on a TV box set.
“Either that or just lie in a dark room somewhere,” he laughs.
Clement admits going through selections on Netflix has been one of his ways of trying to switch off from a relegation fight he admits is consuming him.
One of his current choices is a documentary called Minimalism, perhaps fitting given the simplistic nature of Swansea’s new situation in their aim to stay in the Premier League: beat Sunderland and safety can be assured come 2.30pm on Sunday should Hull lose at Crystal Palace.
Should they pull it off – even if has to be next weekend and a clash against West Brom – he says the context and the circumstances of the campaign mean safety should be celebrated.
Clement’s other escape is running along the Swansea Bay front towards Mumbles, smiling how he’d get thumbs-up from passers-by after a win or get ignored after a defeat. Monday’s jog could be interesting.
He revealed he’s played the Sunderland game through in his head more than a hundred times and spends considerable time planning his words to his players, aware of the need of that minimalist approach when it comes to delivering the key messages.
“Players fall asleep, I think, if you speak for too long!” he smiles.
“I spend a lot of time trying to get it right.
“When I’m looking out of the window of my office it probably looks like I’m not doing anything. But they’re the times that I’m thinking about the right messages and when I drive in, when I wake up, even when I’m staring at the TV at night, maybe I’m not watching what is on the TV, I’m actually thinking about what is the best thing to say to an individual player or to a group.
“When we do speak, the meetings we have are short, sharp but with strong messages. When a player STADIUM OF LIGHT 3pm SUNDERLAND v SWANSEA CITY leaves a meeting, if I asked them: ‘What are the three points from that meeting?’ You want them to be able to go: ‘Bang, bang, bang.’ Not: ‘Ummm.’
It is a point perhaps best illustrated by the words, not of Clement, but of Wayne Routledge in the final moments before the side took to the field against Everton. Buoyed by news of Hull’s home slip-up against Sunderland, the win Swansea wanted would take them out of the bottom three for the final fortnight.
“Wayne spoke in the dressing room just before we went out against Stoke,” Clement revealed. “He had his civilian gear on because he’s injured.
“He came in just as we were about to go out, and he said: ‘I hope you all know how important this is. I hope you know.’ They were the last couple of words.”
Clement admits he is thankful to have players who have been at the club so long, grateful they have wanted and relished responsibility, aware it could be a potential difference as they go up against a side who have seen a far greater turnover of players.
“That could be seen as an advantage (over Hull), that we have people that understand the history,” he says. “As an example, Leon – what an affinity he has with the supporters. Unbelievable.
“I’ve seen something similar with John Terry and Frank Lampard at Chelsea, but that was special against Everton.
“He went for one with his head, the crowd were going crazy. He put a really strong tackle in as well. Then when he came off as well – cor, that was amazing.”
He now acknowledges he should have brought Britton back into the side sooner, admitting he was “maybe one game too late” having had the chance to play him after Jack Cork’s injury against West Ham.
But he is confident, thanks to his players, that the commitment won’t be in doubt, knowing that sometimes it’s the minimums at maximum that can make the difference.