adminLONDON. – Paul Clement, who took charge of struggling Swansea City at the start of the year, was named the English Premier League soccer manager of the month for January yesterday, after guiding the club out of the relegation zone with three wins in four league games.
Swansea were bottom of the table when Clement replaced American Bob Bradley on January 3, and the former assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich made an instant impact, winning his first game in charge at Crystal Palace 2-1.
Defeat in the FA Cup at Hull City and a 4-0 home loss to Arsenal in the league followed, but Swansea rebounded to beat Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield, one of the shock results of the season, and followed that up with a 2-1 win over Southampton.
“It was a nice surprise,” said Clement, whose team are 17th in the table, a point above the relegation zone. “Also because of the other managers who had very good results and teams this month.
“I was absolutely confident in my ability to do this job, and I haven’t done the job. There’s a long way to go.”
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli won the monthly players’ award after scoring five league goals in January. – Reuters.
Online Reporter