Team Focus: Analysing Clement's impact following Swansea appointment
“I am very happy with the form of the team, the confidence of the team,” Swansea boss Paul Clement said after he oversaw a 2-0 win over defending champions Leicester. The Foxes’ title defence has been nothing short of shambolic, with Claudio Ranieri’s side now just one point above the relegation zone with spring swiftly approaching. That’s not to take anything away from Clement’s impact following his appointment as Swans boss at the turn of the year.
The Englishman came in as Swansea’s third manager of the season on the back of Bob Bradley’s dismissal, with his appointment announced on the day they secured a 2-1 win at fellow relegation rivals Crystal Palace. In the six games this year, Swansea have won four, with 12 of the 24 points they’ve earned coming in 2017 and while Clement wasn’t in the dugout for the first half of the victory at Selhurst Park, his influence evidently had the desired effect in south London.
Now four points clear of the relegation zone, it’s crucial Swansea do not rest on their laurels in their pursuit of safety with Clement quickly working wonders to haul them away from danger and up to 15th. What’s been crucial following his appointment has been the clear gameplan in play to boost the team. Swansea have averaged just 41% possession since the turn of the year, which is down a little over 10% from Bradley’s reign (51.4%). While it could be something of an admittance that Swansea are better without the ball, Clement has evidently implemented a style that plays to the players’ strengths.
Indeed, of just three counter attacks Swansea have attempted in the Premier League this season, two have come with Clement at the helm. Considering he is able to call on rapid offensive outlets such as Luciano Narsingh, Wayne Routledge and Jefferson Montero upon his eventual recovery, as well as new arrival Jordan Ayew, the 45-year-old will look to maximise their pace in the final third to hurt opponents. What’s more is he has the ideal variation of speed, physical stature and creativity in the 4-3-3 formation he has routinely deployed since his appointment.
Fernando Llorente is able to hold off defenders to help bring others into play and ease pressure on the defence, a crucial asset for a team that doesn’t see much of the ball, while Gylfi Sigurdsson provides the innovation in the three-pronged attack. It’s no wonder the Icelander has a better WhoScored rating (7.67) than any other Swansea player this year, with Llorente (7.07) third. What’s been the crucial improvement, though, is at the other end of the pitch. Under Bradley, Swansea were shipping an average of 2.64 goals per game and conceded three or more goals in a game on eight of the 11 matches he oversaw.
Only Hull and Crystal Palace (both 5) took fewer points than Swansea (8) in Bradley’s time at the Liberty Stadium and, had he remained in charge, it’s likely that Swansea would have been relegated. What’s more is that having come in as Franceso Guidolin’s replacement, Bradley showed little in the way of positive direction. His Swansea side were averaging 18.7 tackles per game - more than under Guidolin (17.9) and Clement (15.8). What this merely highlighted, though, was that Swansea were relying on physicality off the ball in an attempt to deny opponents, despite averaging a respectable 51.4% possession and 355.5 passes per game, both the most of Swansea’s three full time managers this season.
This did little but pinpoint the underlying issues within the team, with Bradley not only struggling to settle on a specific system, but also a settled XI, which has seen Swansea develop a statistically calculated WhoScored style when it comes to rotating their first XI. Under Clement, though, the players know where to be and when to ensure Lukasz Fabianski faces as few shots as possible. 33.5 clearances per game brings to light the proactive side to the team as they remain compact to deny opponents before looking to hit teams on the counter attack.
It’s no shock then that Clement’s Swansea are conceding fewer shots per game (12.2) than they were under Bradley (14) and Guidolin (16.7) as the former Derby boss sets about solidifying the backline for the benefit of the team, despite seeing less of the ball. Now, after a rudderless Swansea looked destined for the depths of relegation, Clement has taken over control and looks to be steering the team away from danger. Of course, there is work to be done before they are safe from the drop, with Swansea still to face Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United before the end of the season, while meetings with fellow relegation candidates Hull, Middlesbrough and Sunderland will shape their campaign.
Yet, they look to be on the right track as Clement oversees an upturn in fortunes on the back of his appointment. There has been the odd blip, of course – the 4-0 trouncing at the hands of Arsenal on his home debut could have prematurely had alarm bells ringing – but the young manager has worked wonders in a short space of time to navigate Swansea up the Premier League table.
After the Leicester win, Clement added: “It's only a small step in what is ultimately our objective, which is to sustain playing at this level. There's a lot to be done still." He is keen to keep the players grounded to attain the ultimate goal of staving off relegation and rightly so, but Swansea are a far more organised unit since Clement’s appointment, instilling the necessary belief and guidance at the Liberty Stadium to ensure the club consolidate their Premier League spot.
