- Title: Clement excited to land top job at Swansea
- Date: 5th January 2017
- Summary: SWANSEA, WALES, UK (JANUARY 5, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** NEW SWANSEA CITY MANAGER PAUL CLEMENT ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SWANSEA CITY MANAGER, PAUL CLEMENT, SAYING: "Well, you have got to get results. I have been very lucky over the last years to work at some wonderful clubs and win a lot of games and be involved in competing for titles at domestic and European level. So, I am a competitor and I love to win so the first thing is to try and get some positive performances and as a result of that, good results." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SWANSEA CITY MANAGER, PAUL CLEMENT, SAYING: "I know it can be done (saving Swansea from relegation) but that target is so far away. The concentration from my point of view and for my staff is about details, much smaller things. Getting the team organized, good defensive shape, getting people to understand their roles and responsibilities. My belief is that if you get that right, if you get the preparation right and then you are able to go on the field and execute it, then you have a better chance of the results coming. If you focus on that and I know a lot of talk will be about that; can they survive, yes they can, they have no chance. We are really focussing on playing football and putting in performances over a 90 minute period." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SWANSEA CITY MANAGER, PAUL CLEMENT, SAYING: "Alan (Curtis) I know has been here for many, many years. A legend as a player, backroom staff, first-team coach, caretaker manager. The situation with Alan is that we want him to stay at the club and discussions I have had with the chairman Huw Jenkins today is that as far as he is concerned - and I am the same as this - is that Alan has a job here for as long as he wants. Life if necessary. I know he is absolutely respected by the players, by the people at the club and most importantly the fans as well. But that is down to him to discuss with the chairman now and he will be doing that tomorrow. He will be stepping aside from first-team coaching duties on the field." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW SWANSEA CITY MANAGER, PAUL CLEMENT, SAYING: "A little bit different this weekend. We are going into the FA Cup. I am going to make some changes but I don't want to make massive changes because we also want to try and create some continuity and also create some cohesiveness in the team. So I am, between those two things, thinking about how to give the players confidence and give them an opportunity and at the same time, difficult decisions have to be made for the best of the club and for the best of the team." CLEMENT STANDING UP AND LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 20th January 2017 21:26
- Keywords: Swansea Paul Clement soccer Alan Curtis
- Location: SWANSEA, WALES, UK
- City: SWANSEA, WALES, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0015XSZ5TR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Swansea City's new manager Paul Clement held his first pre-match news conference in the role on Thursday (January 5).
The Swans travel to play Hull in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday (January 7).
Aside from the FA Cup the two clubs are battling each other to escape the Premier League relegation zone. Swansea lie 19th out of 20 clubs in League - and Hull are bottom.
Clement left his job as assistant coach at Bayern Munich to take over at Swansea.
"I have been very lucky over the last years to work at some wonderful clubs and win a lot of games and be involved in competing for titles at domestic and European level. So, I am a competitor and I love to win so the first thing is to try and get some positive performances and as a result of that, good results," demanded Clement, who has also worked at Chelsea, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant.
His hopes may have been raised on Tuesday (January 3) when he saw the Swans beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
As Clement had joined the club earlier on Tuesday the team selection for that match had been made by coach Alan Curtis, who stepped into the role temporarily when former manager Bob Bradley was sacked at the end of December.
Clement was asked at the news conference about his decision not to include Curtis, a former Swansea forward and a club legend, in his first team coaching staff.
Clement was very diplomatic and complimentary about Curtis but, ultimately, he doesn't want the 62-year-old as part of his backroom team.
"(Alan is a) legend as a player, backroom staff, first-team coach, caretaker manager. The situation with Alan is that we want him to stay at the club and discussions I have had with the chairman Huw Jenkins today is that as far as he is concerned - and I am the same as this - is that Alan has a job here for as long as he wants. Life if necessary," said Clement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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