Clement warns Swansea players against complacency after vital Sunderland win

13 May 2017 18:54

Swansea boss Paul Clement has warned his players the job is not yet done after they dragged themselves to the brink of Premier League safety.

The Swans, who were bottom and four points adrift when their new manager took over in January, eased themselves four points clear of Hull with a 2-0 victory at relegated Sunderland on Saturday.

Their top-flight status will be guaranteed if the Tigers lose at Crystal Palace on Sunday - even a draw could be enough as they enjoy a superior goal difference - although Clement is taking nothing for granted.

He said: "Obviously there's a lot of pressure on both of those teams now, not just Hull, but also Crystal Palace as well.

"We have done our part for this weekend. We don't think the job is done - that would be unprofessional to think it was.

"We have to see what happens tomorrow and get back on the training ground and prepare for a very important game back at our stadium against West Brom next Sunday."

The win at the Stadium of Light, which was secured by first-half goals from Fernando Llorente and Kyle Naughton, extended Swansea's unbeaten run to four games and took their points haul to 10 from a total of 12.

Clement said: "I am proud of the players, the performances in the last four games. We have beaten Stoke, we have beaten Everton, we have drawn at Manchester United and we have beaten Sunderland. It's a great run of form at this point of the season.

"The game against Stoke was so big. That was the turning point. There were still enough games to get valuable points on the board and we have managed to do that.

"But we have got to focus on finishing the job. I said to the players today: 'You can't rely on other teams, you can't rely on Palace, you can't rely on Hull, you can't rely on Manchester United in the last game of the season playing against Crystal Palace'."

For opposite number David Moyes, it proved a dispiriting afternoon as fans once again turned on him.

He is set to meet owner Ellis Short and chief executive Martin Bain at the end of a difficult season to discuss the blueprint with which he presented them in the wake of relegation, and that meeting is likely to determine his fate.

He said: "It's the same as it was. Everybody can see that we need to make big improvements, big changes and I'll hopefully hear and understand a bit more in the next...well, probably in a week's time after we meet again.

"I am disappointed for the supporters - I know exactly how they feel. But this was the situation two weeks ago and it was always going to be difficult what reaction to give the supporters after the game.

"But we couldn't say more. We have thanked them all year. They come in their numbers, we praise them when they go away from home, we thank them for everything they have done. The reason this is a great football club is because of the supporters they have got.

"But we are all embarrassed and we are all disappointed."

Moyes headed straight down the tunnel on the final whistle as striker Jermain Defoe, who has a relegation release clause in his contract, appeared to bid farewell to those fans who remained.

The beleaguered Scot said: "The fans have shown their disappointment at me, so I didn't want to make it any worse, so I got myself quickly down the tunnel."

Source: PA