Paul Clement shunned 'easy life' to join Swansea, says Rangel

Paul Clement watched his first game since being appointed as Swansea manager

Paul Clement has opted out of an "easy life" to attempt to keep Swansea in the Premier League, according to defender Angel Rangel.

The Spaniard, who scored the Swans' winner in front of their new boss at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, said: "He could have probably stayed at Bayern Munich and had an easy life.

"But he's decided to come here and face it and you have to give credit to him for that.

"Now we have to respond."

The 34-year-old defender's 88th-minute strike lifted Swansea off the bottom on the day Clement arrived from his role as assistant at Bayern.

Alfie Mawson had headed Swansea in front and, after Wilfried Zaha equalised, substitute Rangel struck late for the winner.

Angel Rangel celebrates his goal at Selhurst Park

Rangel says Clement's passion for the club and task at hand was evident when he met the players beforehand and during the game.

The former Derby County manager came down from the stand to join the pitch-side coaching staff and spoke to the players at half-time and on the field.

"It's a good sign that he was already going through emotions like us and he'd been only one day here, not even that.

"So he feels a commitment already and we felt that from him as well.

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"The fact that he came down and he put a few comments in the changing room and also on the pitch shows that he is ready for the challenge.

"He said he clearly wanted to focus on the performance more than the result and I think we did that.

"We put in a great performance and the result was there too."

Rangel believes Clement's coaching style will complement the ethos that took Swansea from the fourth tier of English football to the top.

"He's worked at big clubs with great footballers and a great way of playing football," he said.

"At Derby you could see as well that even in a lower division he tried to produce good football and obviously the pedigree is there."

Rewarding the fans

The player was also pleased to reward Swansea's fans with only a second away league win of 2016-17, the first having come on the season's opening day at Burnley.

"For them it's been hard, but having a new manager in and starting 2017 with a win and 18 games to go, beating a rival is good," said Rangel.

"With us, confidence needs to be high. I think we need to believe that we've got enough quality.

"I think it's been a confidence issue, for me. Not picking up points, you don't play the same way and I think that's been the main issue.

"But with a win, you can look forward to the next few games."

'A proper team, not a shambles'

It was Rangel's 10th goal in 10 seasons at Swansea and he believes it may prove to be his most important.

"It's still too early to say we are going to stay up, but for sure now we can look forward to the next few sessions with him and see what he wants from us," said Rangel.

"I was the lucky one to score the goal, but after so many weeks being probably, if you want to call it a 'shambles' or 'not well organised', we looked like a proper team and we deserved the win.

"Nothing's done yet. There's a long way to go."

Swans midfielder Jack Cork and Clement crossed paths at Chelsea when the latter was assistant to their former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Cork said: "I worked with him (Clement) briefly at Chelsea and he was a good coach, a good man manager and he wants to play football the right way and with confidence so hopefully he'll be a good fit for us."