00:00Mental game of football, I don't really know where to start. What's the overriding emotion of the tournament?
00:06It's really difficult to explain. There were moments, even in the stoppage time, where you wanted the game to finish because it's OK.
00:18At the end you take one point, but the next ten seconds you were wait, wait, wait, because we were very close of scoring and then the momentum goes for us.
00:26And then you lose the ball and then maybe it's better, it finishes. A lot of up and downs. Normally 4-4 they always say the managers don't like this kind of game because there are some mistakes.
00:40It's one point for us, it's not a lot, but we also enjoy the game we've gone behind.
00:45I think if you ask me about the football side, I think United has been much better than us the first 20 minutes.
00:52Until we matched, we changed Alex Ximenev and then we controlled better this side with Ahmad and Mbeumo.
01:00And from there I think I finished quite happy with the performance, with the mistakes, with especially the second goal.
01:07We considered a corner when we were playing better probably with a 1-1 and finishing strong the first half.
01:12And you can see this sloppy goal. But overall I finished happy apart from this 20 minutes where they've started much, much better than us.
01:21What was the reason behind that slow start? You just seem to have much more energy than you and you seem to be off it.
01:29Yes, we haven't matched up well tactically until they were punishing us a lot, especially with Ahmad and Mbeumo.
01:36Until we haven't really put the duels that were better for us. I think Alex Ximenev has played really well, really well.
01:46Defending with Ahmad, almost like a full-back but then being very dangerous offensively also.
01:52But it has cost us, especially me, 15 minutes until all the match-ups were good for us.
02:01And for that moment we were already losing 1-0.
02:04To start the second half as he did and take the lead as he did again, obviously Evan Nilsson getting his first goal since August,
02:13you must have been really pleased with him but also the start from the team.
02:17Yeah, we've scored four, we conceded four. From the positive side also the offensive players have scored.
02:24Evan Nilsson has scored, Gino Klopp has scored, and two and a half players that we need them to be there in the score sheet.
02:30And I think it's good for their confidence. Obviously we need to look at the goals also we conceded.
02:36Especially the second one I think is very sloppy from outside. The corner is, the header I think is too soft over Marks.
02:43Even it's not a great header but we conceded a goal. And after I complained about the third goal,
02:47I don't think it's never a handball from Adam. It's the shoulder but it's true that after Bruno scores an incredible goal.
02:55And with the second goal you said, Petrovic presumably feels he can do better with that one?
03:03Yes, I think so. We were talking to him and probably he feels he could, but it's a difficult one.
03:09Now you see like slow motion and he's there and could save it. Yes, but everything happens very quickly.
03:15The reaction, I think it's like the big chance we had from Bruxy, the header. I think Lamens, you know,
03:22he puts the leg straight away, it's a reflex thing. He saves it, but sometimes it's a matter of nothing.
03:30And just on the character of the team, obviously, to go ahead at 3-2 and then go behind at 4-3,
03:36you must have been really pleased with how they responded to that.
03:41Yes, I think for both teams. Also they've gone behind and they've reacted and I think we've gone behind more, I would say.
03:48But I think both teams have been quite open. We were taking risks from the beginning, leaving spaces behind.
03:58You never expect, you know, this kind of game, but it could happen because both teams, I think we are, especially this season,
04:07we are having chances, we are also considering goals and for us, I repeat, it's not a lot at one point.
04:15I think I feel like from Chelsea and United, two good performances overall and two points is not a lot,
04:20but I think we can use a lot of things and try to get the three points in the next one.
04:28Which is funny for me on Tyler Adams. How was he first off and how much did that disrupt you in the early stages?
04:36I think it's the worst news from the game, definitely.
04:42I think the knee twist, the knee is not, I think it's just the MCL, but we have to check him and see if it's just a small sprain or something bigger.
04:59It's just, it's a clear play. Obviously it's not what you want, I think it was second or third minute.
05:07To lose a player like Tyler for us is massive, especially when you don't have Luis Cook suspended.
05:14So Alex Scott again, like against Chelsea has to play in that holding midfielder position and I think he has done it really well.
05:20But it's a big, it's bad news for us because Tyler is massive for us.
05:27You mentioned the tactical tweak you made in the first half. Were you surprised at all by how United set up today?
05:34Or maybe by how far Amman had pushed up? It felt like more 4-4-2?
05:39No, I think it's the same system they always play, but they adapt depending on who you put to mark them.
05:46At the end, it's a very flexible system, you know, depending on the outside players.
05:52If you mark them with a full-back, they will go lower. If you mark them with a winger, they will go higher.
05:58Also the positions in the middle, 6-8, Casemiro, Bruno, even us with Taft, Tyler, we were changing two against two, but it's not two against two.
06:08You know, they are different. And until we haven't matched up well for us, I think we suffered in this first 15-20 minutes, something like this.
06:17And after I think when we put Alex there, helping Adrian in that side, I think we felt much more solid without the ball.
06:25And when you feel solid, normally you attack also better. No, but it's true that has cost us some minutes, yes.
06:33Antoine is playing well. The other day he scored also disallowed by nothing offside. I think he's been a threat for us today.
06:51He showed also personality, good aerially when he dwells, and I think he's in a good moment.
06:59I don't analyse Antoine just because he hasn't scored last, I don't know, how many games.
07:05I think it's about team performance, how much he helps us, and the same with all the others.
07:10Evan Nilsson had scored just one goal before today, but he was playing well and he was being a threat and we trust him and it's the same, yes.
07:19What would you say your attack's greatest strength is at this point? Sorry?
07:23What would you say your greatest strength is when you attack?
07:26Greatest strength? I don't know. I think we are a team that normally creates chances, not a decision normally.
07:32The time I've been with this team, we create chances. It's true that we focus this season more on our defensive side,
07:40because we've basically changed all the defence and the keeper, so we've probably emphasised more in things that we still could see today.
07:49We need to improve and we need to become definitely more solid, but I wouldn't like to lose the offensive threat that we've always had.
07:59I think there are a couple of times in this game where a goal was scored when you had a player ready to make a change on the side.
08:07When a game is changing so quickly, so often like that, how hard is it to keep focus on what you want from your team?
08:14Sometimes you feel like just letting them get on with it.
08:17Yes, it has happened also against and for. Against because we considered and we were thinking in doing a sub,
08:23and also I think the 3-2 or the 4-4 maybe, we were going to do one sub and then we decided to change it.
08:32You have to adapt very quickly to the changes because it's not the same scenario when you are losing that you are drawing.
08:39I think it has happened the same for United because when you are losing they have to put very offensive players
08:43and then the system doesn't work because now you are ahead and you have to adapt.
08:48But it has been this kind of game, crazy game, crazy game. I think even in the stoppage time we were having the chances
08:57but then if you lose the ball you feel they are going to come here 3-3 in behind and it has been this kind of game.
09:04It's difficult to explain.
09:06Can you enjoy that?
09:07I've enjoyed it. They always say the managers don't enjoy 4-4s and I know we've made mistakes,
09:13but also there are moments where I prefer for the milling actually, even if it's the same point I prefer
09:22because at the end it's the same. So it gives us things to improve, yes definitely,
09:28but also things that I think we can use positively.
09:34Cool, thank you.
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