00:00Hi, Thomas. It's Boris from Antenna 5. So many positive aspects after this victory.
00:18What can you single out as the most important thing tonight?
00:22This is the second win in a row at this magnificent stadium, and you didn't concede any goals,
00:28and no goals conceded at home in the Champions League as well this season.
00:33Yeah, I was very happy that we built on the momentum from the Brentford game, both home, but in general just in terms of performance.
00:40I think there was more offensive, positive notes to take from the game as well, positive individual performances,
00:51but also the team just gelling a little bit more and more together in a tricky game against an opponent
00:59that is not easy to play against. Slavia Prague, big respect for them.
01:04The man-man physical pressure, but we got the job done and got three points, so that was good.
01:09You saw Cristiano Romero being quite decisive with the penalties and who would take them.
01:16Is that something you really encourage your leader to sort out?
01:21Yeah, but it's clearly, how can you say, it's decided before.
01:31So there was no problem, it was exactly how it should be.
01:34Just enforcing what you want, really?
01:36Yeah, I don't think there was, I think he was, I don't know, he was with a little bit of banter with Xavi and I think he was more that.
01:43And one kind of slight negative, Mickey van der Ven, the yellow card that suspends him, you look quite frustrated by that.
01:49Yeah, which I understand, of course, but yeah, that was the minor negative thing here, but yeah, it is what it is.
01:58Hi Thomas.
01:59Hi.
01:59Why did you decide to bring Tao into the squad for this match rather than previously when you had the option to?
02:05Because, as I understand it, it's something with 60 days, an injured player needs to be injured in 60 days, relatively complicated,
02:15so it's not like I could have done it three games ago, plus it's also depending on how long will Dortmund be out and so on.
02:23So that's why there was an opening now, that we could do it and we can change it again, so that was good.
02:28Has there been a setback with Dortmund, is that anything to do with it?
02:30No, it was just an opportunity to get Tao in, which is nice to have that opportunity and we can change back if we want to do that.
02:39And I think the last Frankfurt games, the last league phase match, that's the end of January, do you expect Dortmund to be back before then?
02:45I think I've said before that as soon as he's ready and available, then I will say when he's ready.
02:52Hi Thomas.
02:53You won most of the individual battles there tonight out on the field, but it was a great opportunity for Wilson Odebeer to stamp his name on this game.
03:02Great moment after 30 seconds, but afterwards he seemed to drift out of the game.
03:06David Hollis, Thomas Hollis, the full-back, really dominant there and Wilson struggled maybe another 30 seconds at the start of the second half, but really struggled to get any influence in that game tonight.
03:20Yeah, I think for Wilson, he's a young player, he no doubt learned a lot from this game today.
03:26I agree, I think it was a great action after one minute or 30 seconds where he got the better of his opponent.
03:33And then I think second half also got into a very good chance, good finish, great save from their keeper.
03:40And then there was definitely a situation, as you said, where he needed to protect the ball better and handle the aggressive pressure.
03:46Yeah, and just last one on that, with so many talented players that you have out at your disposal, now they're currently injured, but making their way back, I suppose opportunities are rare.
03:56So when they get to opportunities like this, they have to take them, Thomas, really.
03:59Yeah, I would say that it's every day in training, every day when every game they play, if it's 10 minutes, 15 minutes or 75 minutes, of course, it's all about putting good performances in.
04:12Sorry, Thomas. Can you talk a bit about Xavi's performance? I mean, another goal, another good display, I thought. Do you think he's kind of getting some confidence?
04:19Yeah, definitely. I think he built on the good game on Saturday and produced again, I would say. Good link-up play, nice turns in the middle of the pitch where he also got that acceleration to go past the player and open up the spaces.
04:35I also like his work ethic. And for example, there was a great recovery run in 90-plus minutes where he just get all the way back under, which is crucial for me, for us, for everyone to work very hard.
04:47So I like his overall performance.
04:49Hi, Thomas. Nice to put on a special performance for what was a special night for Sonja Mane coming back.
04:54Did he come and speak to the boys before the game yourself? Did he give any extra motivation tonight?
04:59Yeah, it was good to see him. Mainly saw him straight after the game here.
05:05I'm happy that the reception and well-deserved reception he got at Tottenham Legend, truly Tottenham Legend, coming back home.
05:13So I was very happy. It was good to see him. He seems happy and said he's settled well in.
05:19When he left, obviously, the team lost not only a talisman, but a big creative part of the team.
05:25It felt like Xavi and Mohamed Koudous were the two signings that came in to replace that creativity.
05:31How happy are you with the way, in particular in recent weeks, they seem to be sort of moving through the gears with their form at the moment?
05:38Yeah, I agree. I think actually Mo started the season quite well, then he had a dip,
05:44and now I think the last reason, maybe three performances or something like that,
05:48it seems we had that freshness, energy, acceleration, decisiveness in his actions,
05:54and Xavi's two performances have been positive.
05:57So that, of course, is so important.
05:58And that, what I call form, sharpness, getting more in sync with each other, the team,
06:06I think all that is important.
06:09Hi, Thomas.
06:10Following on from the weekend at home, another strong performance,
06:14another strong kind of front-footed performance.
06:16In the first half, there were kind of a few moments where Prague kind of looked like
06:21they might be threatening in transition.
06:23Is this just kind of like part and parcel of a team learning to play this way?
06:27Yeah, I think the way Prague play, there will always be a threat on transition,
06:35and any game that is transition, you need to close down.
06:41I liked a lot from this performance, but it's also a performance that I think we can do much better in the future,
06:50be even more in control in the elements of the game.
06:53But I think with all due respect to the crazy programme we've had,
07:01as I said, we had those four games in ten days' time,
07:07and then we just only had three games before,
07:09and Brentford high numbers,
07:11and then to produce today and get over the line,
07:14that's the positive I take away from here.
07:16And then there's things I learned constantly about the squad.
07:21Spurs are obviously now in quite a strong position,
07:24thinking about potentially automatic qualification for the knock-outs.
07:28How much are you kind of considering that now,
07:30with two games to go, one at home and one away?
07:33Of course, first and foremost, I'm very happy for the win today,
07:38because that means more or less,
07:39we're in a very strong position to definitely be in the play-off, you could say, to progress.
07:45Those two games are so far ahead.
07:48I'm just happy that we've got four days now before we face Nottingham,
07:53and that's everything I focus on.
07:54Hey Thomas, with the form that would be two home wins,
08:01how would you turn this form going to Forest and Liverpool at home?
08:05How can you turn it into two more wins there?
08:08Yeah, of course we can build that momentum.
08:11I think there's also a team that...
08:12I think we played a good game overall against Newcastle,
08:17I think we played two good home games.
08:19I think the extremely positive thing about this season
08:26is that we've been so good away from home,
08:28which I think is incredible.
08:31To be very good away from home, that's a huge skill set,
08:35so hopefully we can build on that.
08:37It's a team and a manager respect a lot we face on Sunday,
08:40but right now it's everything about recovery,
08:43and then we'll make sure we have a good plan for Sunday afterwards.
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