00:00Hi Pep. What's the plan now for the next two days? Will you have enough time to prepare the side for Arsenal?
00:10Are you going to give them a rest, full training? What's going to go on?
00:14No, we are going to make hiking in the mountains.
00:18I'm going to do that these two days.
00:22I don't know. Tomorrow's recovery, the players like we have just to have a lot of injuries, they're there, but yeah, rest and energy for them on Sunday.
00:34Have you spoken to the Premier League or UEFA or anyone about the schedule?
00:38Don't go for that side. Not necessary.
00:42Rob?
00:44I know you've just spoken about Rodri briefly then, but is he capable, do you think, of starting three games of that intensity in one week with United, Napoli tonight and then possibly Arsenal or something?
00:56It's a good question. I don't know yet.
00:58But he was so smart. I know there's always no tobo, one series is always tricky, but he doesn't feel good always.
01:04We try to talk, please. We have to sustain and feel that not comfortable and it's better.
01:11We see day by day, but it's important to play already two games.
01:16Yesterday, for example, the training schedule, he didn't feel much comfortable.
01:20He didn't train good, but said, no, no, I will be fine tomorrow and play extraordinarily like Rodri is.
01:26And with him in the pitch, we feel more comfortable.
01:29But of course, come from a tough, tough injury, you have to be alert and we will decide on Sunday how does he feel.
01:37Hi Pep, have you re-watched the defeat at Arsenal last season this week at all?
01:44Is there anything you kind of look back and take from that game?
01:47Or is it one of those off days you had last season that you just try and not look back on?
01:50The game last season, it happened many times last season.
01:56I'm the 14th team, like we gave a thousand million goals.
02:00And after we were, during a lot of the time, pretty good considering how we were last season.
02:07And the last 50-20 minutes was a disaster.
02:10We forgot to do what we had to do and everyone do it there and after that Arsenal was easy for them.
02:18But hopefully this season we can make a little bit more challenge in the last years because Mikel is an extraordinary manager and what they increased the squad for this four or five transfer windows.
02:36So, it's an unbelievable squad and an unbelievable team.
02:40It's one of the toughest opponents you can find right now in Europe.
02:44And we see what we have to do and the players are fit and we try to compete.
02:53Whether we want to compete or be a better team than that was in the last season, especially in the last 20-25 minutes.
02:59And do you think those kind of disastrous spells you had occasionally in games last season are gone now?
03:05That they're out of the system of this team?
03:07Sorry?
03:08You mentioned a disastrous 15-20 minutes there and you had spells like that in a few games last season.
03:12Do you think they're gone now? They're a thing of the past for this team?
03:16No, you should ask me after Brighton, ten days ago.
03:19I know what the people say. They were not good, really.
03:23I know my team was consistent because when you win six Premier Leagues we are being a machine.
03:29A consistent team. And for that they have to prove more.
03:33But, of course, we arrived the week against United, against Napoli and now that is not, I would say, an easy week.
03:40But in the Premier League always like that.
03:42Important feeling, the vibe of the team, body language especially. I'm just focusing on that.
03:48Kindness and the body language of the team has grew up.
03:52And, yeah, I'm pretty pleased for that and hopefully we can win or lose.
03:58Yeah, we won't try, but when you see the team is in good and good vibe, that is what you have to try to do.
04:04Pep, with all that in mind, how key can a game like this, albeit still early in the season as well,
04:09against one of your potential title rivals be?
04:12Because, obviously, you can move level on nine points with Arsenal now as well.
04:16Listen, it's the fifth game. It will be the fifth game, no? The fifth game of the season? Come on.
04:23Would it put a different complexion on the start of the season?
04:25Sir Alex Ferguson, when I arrived here, said to Brian Kitt, I said,
04:30in the Premier League you have to, after Boxing Day, stay close to the top four.
04:35After that you can think about it. Last season, after Boxing Day, we were another country.
04:43So that's why, let's go today and we'll see what happens. There are many games.
04:48For experience, in the sixth Premier League, I think four or five, we were in December, January,
04:53was behind Liverpool and behind Arsenal. And at the end we won it.
04:58So that's why, see the team growing up. That is all my concern right now.
05:02See the team make a step forward every day. We're not going to win the Premier League on Sunday,
05:07we're not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday. So we see the team that we are better than the season there,
05:13and we are better and continue a little bit, many good things that we have done in these two games,
05:17and continue with that.
05:19Just on Rodri again, when he was playing in America in the Club World Cup,
05:33he looked a little unsure of himself, and then he obviously got that injury again.
05:37Do you think he's getting back to that level of confidence now where he can start?
05:41Is he still a bit short?
05:42Confident in Hux, because Hux is always self-confident and so, so high.
05:46Always aligned with the greatest, greatest players I ever trained in my managerial career,
05:50even as a football player, when I see him, he's here.
05:53And here they are incredible self-confident himself and Rodri is that.
05:56But the knee is completely different in how you think, and the knee needs his process.
06:01As much as he's patient with that, and we are patient with him, he will be back.
06:06Because he's being there in the middle and know exactly what happened, what you have to do,
06:12it's on our level.
06:14So it's a bit like Phil we talked about before, with Phil Foden last season,
06:19and the best player in the world, he was Rodri with a habit.
06:22So having back is important.
06:25He tried to don't do what happened in the States, like was injured again and injured again and injured again.
06:30That will be more difficult for all of us, but for him to come back and his best.
06:35Last one more, Richard, please.
06:37Hi Pep, you talked about Arsenal strengthening the squad over the last few windows.
06:41I mean, they spent about £250 million in the summer.
06:44It feels like they're trying to take that next step to win the title.
06:48I mean, what sort of a statement do you think they've made with their spending and what they've done?
06:54Well, it is, they decided to do it with Arsenal.
06:59Only I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title, it will be just because of Spain,
07:04not because he worked a lot or he's played at Liverpool.
07:07If Arsenal win again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right?
07:12Because it's not just Man City that happened that, right?
07:14So, for all of them.
07:16Listen, for many, many years, every club can do whatever he wants.
07:20You know?
07:21I know how I've been treated is completely different, but what he won in Spain is because they want it and it's fine.
07:28So, only I can say they have been wise.
07:30They spend what they believe they can do it, you know, to compete against the best teams in the Premier League in Europe
07:36and that they've reached that level.
07:38So, when he found, I think, a team in that way, a club and step by step, window by window, step by step,
07:44the Arsenal is getting better.
07:45So, last season, you know, Europe making incredible step forward.
07:49And it's the most, for me, the most solid team.
07:52They don't make mistakes in the back and this incredible solid team.
07:57They have space up front.
07:58They have, of course, set pieces with Nico.
08:00Nico Jovet, he was here.
08:02So, it's in every department, it's like a team in every department.
08:09So, but we know it.
08:10So, every team is better and better and better and I know the quality that all of them they have.
08:16Thank you, everyone.
08:17Thank you, guys.
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