Monday 2 January 2017 12:28, UK
Swansea caretaker manager Alan Curtis has opened up on the fragility and low confidence the team are currently suffering.
Paul Clement, expected to watch the team at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, is set to become the third boss in a very troubled season after talks to finalise his move from Bayern Munich, where he has worked as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant since June.
It has been a miserable campaign so far for the Swans, bottom of the table with 12 points at the halfway mark after 19 games and next head to south London on the back of four successive defeats.
Curtis - in charge for Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth following the sacking of Bob Bradley - said: "The first goal seems to be crucial at the moment. Confidence seems to drain from us when we go behind.
"I suppose the explanation for that is that we are bottom of the table, we are not winning games and we are conceding too many goals. It's a crisis of confidence when we concede a goal.
"I still think there should be enough in our squad to get better results, but confidence in sport, especially football, is such a fragile thing.
"But we just have to get on and prepare for the next game. That's all we can do."
At least Swansea can take heart from their astonishing 5-4 Liberty Stadium victory over Palace on November 26.
On that occasion, Spain striker Fernando Llorente - doubtful for the trip to Palace - scored twice in injury time after they fought back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3.
It was a cruel blow for Alan Pardew, subsequently sacked as Palace manager less than a month later.
Since then Pardew's successor Sam Allardyce has picked up one point from games at Watford and Arsenal, and the former England manager takes charge at Selhurst Park for the first time with his new team four points above Swansea.
"They've nipped in and got a very good manager," Swansea defender Neil Taylor said.
"He's a specialist in being at this end of the league and pulling people through. I'm sure he will turn their fortunes around. But for ourselves it's the same old thing, we have to go there and get a result.
"It's another big game, but then I've been saying that for the past month."
The 44-year-old Clement, who has worked alongside Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern, is due to fly into the UK on Tuesday to secure his appointment in south Wales.
