Clement backs Carroll at set-pieces

PAUL Clement believes Swansea City can solve their set-piece struggles this season and that Tom Carroll is the man to do it.

Set-pieces were an area of real attacking promise for the Swans last season, with the combination of Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pin-point delivery and the aerial prowess of the likes of Fernando Llorente and Alfie Mawson often proving deadly.

With Sigurdsson now at Everton and Llorente at Tottenham, Swansea were always going to face an uphill task to be as effective this season.

Even so, they have struggled to find consistent quality deliveries into the box, and that again proved to be the case against Huddersfield at the weekend.

Midfielder Tom Carroll has borne the brunt of frustrations, having taken the majority of Swansea’s corners and free-kicks this season.

The former Tottenham man’s confidence had seemed to be affected by his difficulties to find a consistently good level of delivery, but his allround game was vastly improved against the Terriers at the weekend.

The 25-year-old set-up Tammy Abraham’s opener and played with a lot more of his familiar energy and work-rate at the Liberty.

Head coach Clement praised the character Carroll had shown after a difficult few weeks, but accepts strides need to be made from setpieces after another day where the hosts did not make the most of several promising position.

“He is a very good professional. Tom works so hard for the team,” said Clement.

“He has been a little bit up and down with the performances but he is working hard at his game and at the set-play delivery.”