00:00I don't know, but I think the previous year they didn't spend much and they managed to win the Premier League, you know.
00:20So that's football and that's the reality of that.
00:24At the end you need a lot of things to go your way to be champion.
00:28And almost everything has to be perfect.
00:31And the moment you have issues around the squad or with players injured or whatever it is,
00:38then it's not that perfect.
00:41And we all have gone through those stages and we all go through those stages throughout the season.
00:46And we have to navigate through that.
00:48Do you think it underlines that money doesn't necessarily guarantee success?
00:52If you spend big money, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get through it.
00:55Well, there is a lot of stories, you know.
00:58Especially when you talk about the level of wages that you spend in the squad and the level of players that you have.
01:04That over a certain period of time you are going to be very successful.
01:08That's the history of the Premier League.
01:10It's not something that I'm saying that has happened time after time in this league over the years.
01:14You said earlier about how you didn't necessarily ask or demand to be manager rather than head coach.
01:21How did that conversation come about then?
01:23That transition?
01:24Because surely you just want to come out and believe it.
01:26No, it was in my house and they came to me and they started to propose the idea of what I thought
01:33and the way they wanted to structure the club.
01:36That was after probably five, six months in the job.
01:39And they believed that it was it.
01:42This is where I think I can help.
01:44This is my vision.
01:45This is what I would do.
01:46This is how I see this project.
01:48I presented it and from there we started all together to start to add value to those ideas.
01:55Who was it that came to your house?
01:56Sorry?
01:57Who was it that went to your house?
01:58No, I prefer to keep that private.
01:59And in terms of the change, what are the main differences that you've seen with that title?
02:03We've seen obviously with Amarim, with Moraska, the problems that they've obviously said about being caught up with the difference.
02:09What's the main changes?
02:10Honestly, for me it was the same here.
02:14The next day, because even doing that I never am forced to say I want this player and say if you need it.
02:20Don't talk.
02:21And it's my decision.
02:22I think the best decisions are always when people can discuss them, can reflect on the reasons why we have to do what we have to do.
02:29I agree to that and then once we make a decision whether it is the right one or the wrong one, stick by it.
02:35Can I ask you about Martinoly.
02:39He has three goal contributions in the last three games and you've won every single game that he has started in, bar the Villager so far this season.
02:46He's only one player in the XI, but what does that say about his importance to your team when he does start this match?
02:51He's a massive player for us, that's why he's our captain.
02:54And this season we started a long part of this season without him and especially with a lot of interferences in relation to the injuries that he had,
03:05the starting games and having the problem in the shoulder, coming back, having another wound and having the knee injury.
03:10So, yeah, the team obviously, it is different with him.
03:14It's true that we have very good options as well to do that when Martin is at his best and the manner that he's playing at the moment,
03:19he's a player that makes a huge difference for us.
03:22And Ebs has come in this season.
03:24Probably the first time Martin has a player of a similar age to him, similar seniority and of course value in the team.
03:29Do you feel like Ebs has a rival that has pushed Martin and made him more focused to compete for that first team position slot?
03:35Yeah, but I think we can extend that to any position in the squad and that's what we have tried to do with Pierre arriving or Mosquera.
03:42Probably guys didn't expect that much of the level of performances that he had, but that's what we want.
03:50And Ebs has been exceptional when he's played and when he hasn't played that much.
03:55And that's a big quality that we have in the squad that we have to recognise because then the other players can fulfil their role
04:01and everybody's happy because the team is performing and winning.
04:05Can you say he's been exceptional when he's not played? What does that mean?
04:10Because his level of desire is going to be even higher.
04:12The way he trains every day, the way he wants it, the way he wants to make everything that it takes to change my mind
04:19and give him more minutes, it's been phenomenal. And that's not easy.
04:24It's easy to expect it, but with the level of players that we are talking, that's not easy.
04:29And I'm very confident that we're going to see a great version of Ebs in the recent months.
04:34He obviously can play centrally or on the left, he's always played both.
04:38Do you have a feeling now after a few months working with him where he's best on the pitch and where he can get the best out in the past?
04:45Depends on the relationship that he has around him and the type of game that we have to play.
04:49It's true that he's always been more shifted to the left, whether he's wide or in that pocket space.
04:56Paraswale has some great games with us playing the right.
04:59I mean, he's that intelligent, he's that good as a footballer that he can occupy any space.
05:05I'm more driven to decide where he plays in relation to the players around him than his position, basically.
05:13We're not going to get to everyone today, I'm really sorry.
05:15The last couple, Gary.
05:17The Liverpool game over the season when people said about the tactics and the stuff, did it irritate you at the time?
05:27And maybe that in the city that people from the outside were commenting on how you played those games?
05:33No. I mean, it's normal. At the end, you are getting judged whether you win or not.
05:40We have a massive challenge in the second half. We won one-zero. Zero discussion, zero questions about that for sure.
05:47So I understand that that's where we work and it's fun.
05:51And the people can have different opinions and understand why we decide certain things or pick certain players as well.
05:58But we know, we know their physical state probably won't because nobody asks me,
06:03is the other players available to start? Nobody asks.
06:06People assume that. We have all the information.
06:09You guys don't and it's normal and we don't want to provide that either.
06:12So, normally, with the information that you have, you have to make the judgment that, in your opinion, was the best case to win the game.
06:20And that has to be accepted.
06:22Finally, Ted.
06:23Hi, Mikel. I've got another snap for you, sorry.
06:26Good.
06:27In this world, you can see what you think.
06:30Your two top scorers have got five goals.
06:33The lowest top scorer for a Premier League title winner, if you get my meaning, is 13.
06:40So, at the moment, you're not on course to certain new record positions.
06:43Do you think that's an issue?
06:44Or is that something that you've created in the team that you've spread the goals around rather than have to rely on one person?
06:50We want the goals to spread and our strikers are scoring over 20 goals.
06:55That's the idea of the SLA.
06:57OK.
06:58And in terms of the piece of golf, he hasn't scored a goal from like 10 games, I think it is.
07:04Obviously, that's something you're working on.
07:07But do you think that he is getting closer to going on a bit of a run?
07:11Yes.
07:12And probably better not to talk too much because those players and the quality that they have around them,
07:18then they can go and score 10 games in a row.
07:21So, we've gone through that.
07:23That's normal.
07:24Take it with naturality.
07:25The good thing is that team is performing really well and winning matches.
07:28And that's what we need at the end.
07:30And do you think having a bit of a conversation with Kaya back and Gabriela?
07:35I don't think it's related to...
07:37I mean, we're not going to change Victor's desire or his attitude or his work rate
07:41or how much he's willing to score goals because he's got another player in.
07:45It will be because of the circumstances,
07:47because sometimes there is an element of luck to score goals as well,
07:50or energy that has to go in your way and he will come.
07:54Okay.
07:55Thanks so much.
07:56Yeah.
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