00:00 What did you think of your side's performance?
00:05 I think I was very, very happy with how they performed and how they dealt with this game.
00:10 It was a little hard before this game to know where we are, how good are Chelsea, how good
00:14 are we, how good will the players adapt to the game model we have and everything.
00:19 I think after this 97 minutes I realised we have taken big steps.
00:23 I think we can actually play a good game against them where we actually compete for 97 minutes.
00:28 I think we are brave enough to have a build up and try to play through them.
00:32 We create goal chances, a lot of shots on the goal, we score one goal, we should have
00:35 scored a few more perhaps.
00:36 And then of course you see that they are a really good team that create some really good
00:42 attacks for us as well and we need to behave even better to defend right.
00:45 I think a big step to see what Tottenham, the kind of football we're going to play this
00:50 year, you can see that today.
00:51 You said before the season that this season is not about qualifying for the Champions
00:57 League necessarily, but winning the WSL is about playing better football.
01:00 Obviously only one game so far to get to the defending champions, but did you feel there
01:05 was evidence that Tottenham are playing better football already?
01:08 Yeah, I mean I didn't see it from the stand but what I saw on the pitch were quite even
01:13 game even if they had some really good chances.
01:15 I saw players want to play out from the back, want to play through their press, want to
01:20 attack with control, I saw players running and pressing and I saw the 97 minutes fighting.
01:26 So I think our fans were, even if they're not happy that we lose, I think they're happy
01:31 that we're actually taking steps with how we want to play Tottenham football.
01:34 And I think you can see it quite often in this game and hopefully every week now we
01:38 will improve from there.
01:40 In both halves you seem to end the stronger team as the minutes went on, are you very
01:55 pleased with that aspect?
01:56 You seem to be in top condition already.
01:59 Yeah, I mean we worked really hard to focus on how we can make them stronger and more
02:02 fit right?
02:03 So I think when you see it and they actually can handle it, it makes me really happy because
02:07 we have put a lot of effort into that.
02:10 And I still think we can have some improvement there but my staff around me is really good
02:15 in how we can push them without hurting them.
02:18 So I think it was a good step to see that and also for the 97th minute when they go
02:22 down to the corner flag you actually see that they are a little bit scared of us basically
02:26 and I like that.
02:27 But then of course we need to be more sharp in the end of the first half, we actually
02:31 lose the ball too easily in five, six, seven minutes so they can create a few chances.
02:35 So if we can be sharp and not be too tight then we are not going to do those mistakes
02:40 and then we are going to create more chances.
02:41 But it was a good first step I would say.
02:43 Is that the positive, is it just about being more clinical next time?
02:44 You said there were a couple of opportunities that you missed particularly in that first
02:45 half an hour when you had a ticket to go?
02:46 Yeah, I mean we need to be sharper in a few situations, we have really good chances.
02:58 I mean Marfa of course obviously scored 50 per cent of those chances which you get one
03:03 against one of the goalkeepers, we had a few more of those, Grace shot when Serena does
03:07 a really good save for example.
03:08 But I think the main thing is basically where we try to find more different ways of playing
03:14 and styling and attacking them, but that's about relations and I think these players
03:17 have only played a few games with each other.
03:19 Marfa has only been in three trainings and one friendly game so when they get to know
03:23 each other you are going to see how we can actually hurt them even more because they
03:27 have the quality, they are really talented players.
03:28 That sort of thing not fit when she was here in the stands, how important is her influence
03:35 on the team?
03:36 What is the guy like in her everyday life?
03:38 Bethany is an amazing leader, the armband that she is going to wear this year is because
03:42 she is a great person, a great leader and I am using that leadership already now.
03:45 So she is a part of the training, she is a part of the meetings, having a lot of words
03:49 to say, she was here with us before the game having the speech before we go out on the
03:53 pitch in half time afterwards.
03:55 So she is already the leader I want and I need her because she is a respectful person
03:59 that everybody looks up to.
04:01 So we are going to start this year to make sure she becomes this amazing leader and when
04:05 she is back on the field we are going to see even more quality of course.
04:08 I appreciate it is the men's game and the women's game but Vincent Company said that
04:27 there is only one solution to change something, maybe if all the players decide for themselves
04:55 they can stop.
04:56 I appreciate it is a separate issue for the men's and the women's game but I just wanted
05:00 to get your thoughts on those comments.
05:02 I think for the national team football and women's football is basically because before
05:06 when it was not so professional environment in the leagues the national teams were the
05:10 professional environment so I think it started there where everybody needed to go on the
05:13 national team to get a better environment right?
05:15 And now when we are stepping up in the club football and everybody is very professional
05:19 I think they just need to find a way to make sure that the World Cup, the National League,
05:24 the Olympics, everything suits the way we play in this environment.
05:28 I think we cannot compare it to the men's football, I just think we need to find a way
05:31 where we protect the players more.
05:34 But of course we need to have discussions about how and when we can find ways because
05:37 they played a long World Cup, they are coming back, having a pre-season, going back again
05:41 before it actually starts.
05:42 It is not easy for them and they do everything for the club and for the national team, they
05:47 put themselves out there.
05:48 So we need to have a discussion to see how women's football do that, not comparing it
05:52 to men's football I would say.
05:53 What is your plan regarding the two goalkeepers?
05:54 They are very different goalkeepers I would say and different style.
06:07 Becci had an amazing World Cup coming back with that self-confidence, Bara coming as
06:12 a new player to England, still adapting to this league so I think he will have a really
06:16 good battle there.
06:17 But for this game I thought Becci coming with that self-confidence from the World Cup, showing
06:21 in training that she wanted to play today and Bara will compete against her and who
06:26 knows, I mean, I don't pick one right now, today was Becci, the one we picked and then
06:31 we see from here.
06:32 But these two national team goalkeepers, they are really good both of them.
06:35 What are your realistic ambitions for the team this season?
06:46 We had a discussion how we are going to try to look at results.
06:50 The board is really clear that next year we are going to compete at the top of the table.
06:54 So this year is about trying to play the games until Christmas and see how many points we
06:59 can get, how good football we can play, have a meeting there and see if we can nail a result
07:03 goal for this year.
07:05 But before now it felt a little bit stupid to take a result goal when I don't know the
07:08 league, I don't know the players, they don't know me, we are going to play a new style.
07:12 So we said we are going to try to win every game the way we are going to play but still
07:15 have a game plan for this kind of game.
07:18 So if you ask me that question around Christmas you are going to get an answer but before
07:21 that we are going to focus on the performance and how we develop the performance to get
07:24 results.
07:25 Are you not concerned therefore by the time you get to Christmas, maybe in a position
07:29 where you are not particularly happy?
07:31 I mean, we are not going to, we are always going to try to win the games.
07:34 We are just going to make sure we have a progress where we play our style.
07:38 So every game is going to be a game on how we win the game.
07:41 So even if I say that, we are always going to try to get as many points as we can.
07:45 For me to teach the team to play a certain style I need to be really sharp that we try
07:49 to do it the right way.
07:51 But I am quite sure that we are going to end up with those points because we are going
07:54 to play that football.
07:55 So I am very calm with that.
08:01 Thank you.
08:04 (door slams)
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