Sometimes as a football manager there is no point in trying to dress up a poor performance with the usual cliches, it is just best to say it as it is and that is exactly what Paul Clement did after yesterday's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Clement was mystified as to just why the team's performance was so poor but was not pulling too many punches when he reflected back on the performance.

Speaking to the assembled media, the Swans boss was brutally honest on what he had seen “I am very disappointed with the way we played, and I am not quite sure why it turned out like that given the feeling we had going into the game.

“The way we prepared on the training field, in the gym and in the meeting room was good. The atmosphere around the group was very positive.

“But then there was the performance. I am finding it difficult to understand why I saw what I saw.

“Although the margin of defeat was very small and the goal came from a set-play, for me the difference between the two teams was greater than that.

“They played better than us. They were more combative in the duels, in first phase and second balls. For me they deserved the victory.

“From a technical point of view, we made too many mistakes

“We gave the ball away too often. Even right at the end, we could not get a decent ball into the box.

“Our shape didn’t cause them enough problems. We had the overload in midfield but we never got control of the game.

“Some of the basics we didn’t get right, like being competitive."

Photo: Action Images

clement added 15:17 - Sep 16 basics, like spelling someone's name right in headline?
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