00:00Good afternoon.
00:18Okay, good afternoon and thank you for joining us.
00:21We'll take the usual format today with a broadcast section
00:24and a written section in Vargo for 10.30 this evening.
00:28We will start with Gail Davis and Sky Sports News.
00:32Off you go, Gail.
00:34Just a couple of things.
00:36But fitness-wise, where are we?
00:43Yeah.
00:43Are they sick?
00:44Are they calm?
00:45Are there James?
00:45Are there Laugenton?
00:47No, in terms of sickness, the players are coming back gradually to full health.
00:52We've had to be very careful with that.
00:54Esther Val was very ill.
00:56Jamie Gittins was very ill.
00:58So that altered our plans over the week in terms of what we wanted to do.
01:01But thankfully, the lads have come through that Enzo as well.
01:06Cole's in a good place.
01:08Joined training today, which is really positive.
01:10And we'll assess his reaction to training.
01:14Jorgensen had his scan, which is actually quite positive and not as bad as we first feared.
01:19He won't be available for Palace, but could be potentially for Napoli.
01:23Other than that, all is good.
01:27And in terms of, I know you've spoken quite a lot about necessity and spelling.
01:31Any movement on either of them given its open transfer?
01:36No, but we know the last week in January can get very busy.
01:40But no, at the moment, there's nothing new to report.
01:43And in terms of them on a personal level, are you hopeful that they can go and continue their careers?
01:48It's almost that someone will come in.
01:50It feels such a waste for both, doesn't it?
01:52Well, for me, I want every player that I work with to have the best career possible.
01:58So for me, whether that's moving, whether that's being here,
02:01you want to find the right solution for every player that you work with.
02:03And those two are no different.
02:05You mentioned Parma there.
02:09Clearly, it's been a very difficult season for him in terms of injuries.
02:14There have been quite a few reports this week that he's maybe not happy here,
02:19that maybe there might be a move on the cards.
02:22But what's your assessment of the situation?
02:24First of all, how happy is he right now as a Chelsea player?
02:27I've had numerous conversations with Cole, and he seems very, very happy to be here.
02:33He is very, very happy to be here.
02:35He's a huge part of our plans in the long term.
02:37He's an outstanding player.
02:39Every player goes through difficult moments in their careers in terms of injury.
02:42I don't think it's any reflection on his quality.
02:44He's an outstanding footballer.
02:46But my job and the club's job is to get him in a place
02:50where he can consistently perform at the level that he wants to.
02:54And there was frustration in the Brentford game,
02:56not because he wasn't happy here, just because he couldn't perform.
03:00He was in pain.
03:00He couldn't perform to the level he wanted to do for the club.
03:03He's a great kid.
03:04And he's an outstanding player.
03:06But we have to make sure that we look after him in the right way.
03:09That's why I haven't involved him in the last game.
03:11Is he 100% fit?
03:13Have you absolutely...
03:15You're, I think, about the third manager sat here
03:17and had to sort of talk about Palmer's injuries
03:20and how you managed him
03:22and whether or not you really got to the bottom.
03:24Are you confident that he's on the way to being 100%?
03:28That's my job.
03:30That's my job now.
03:31I want to look after the players, not to be nice to them.
03:34I want them to perform at their very peak level.
03:37So we, I think, not just in terms of Cole,
03:40there's a number of players in our group
03:41that we have to look after in a different way
03:44and not just force them out not to perform.
03:46I've got trust in the group.
03:48I've rotated with the squad
03:49and I'll continue to do that
03:51because I want us to be involved at the end of the season
03:54in big games and big, big competitions.
03:55So at the moment, we're in January.
03:58I want to make sure all the players come through this period
04:00with wins, but in full health.
04:03And Cole's one of those players.
04:05Thanks, Gail.
04:06Alex?
04:07Hi, Luke.
04:08Four games in, four different competitions.
04:11What lessons have been learned?
04:14Lessons, loads, in terms of individual performances,
04:18in terms of the improvements that I've asked for.
04:22There's been really, really positive signs.
04:25I thought our counter-pressing and our energy levels
04:28and our intensity was very, very good
04:30in the last few games.
04:32That needs to continue.
04:33So, yeah, there's loads of lessons for me
04:35and my staff to learn
04:36and there's probably a lot more to come as well.
04:38Are you enjoying it?
04:39Loving it.
04:41Looking ahead to Crystal Palace,
04:43with Mark Gayden leaving,
04:44all the good Gladden news on Saturday
04:46around Jean-Philippe Mateta's future.
04:47Is this a good time to play them, would you say?
04:50I think it can be reported in that way.
04:52What I do know is they're an outstanding team.
04:56Salhurst Park is, for me,
04:58one of the most difficult places to go in the Premier League.
05:00You have to be ready for a physical battle.
05:03The atmosphere in the stadium is going to be red hot.
05:06So we're not taking the game lightly at all.
05:08I was fortunate enough to play against Crystal Palace
05:10early in the season.
05:11I know what a good team they are.
05:13and we're going to have to be very, very good
05:15to win the game.
05:16I know there are no easy games in the Premier League.
05:19Looking at the run coming up,
05:21how good an opportunity could this be
05:23to go in and win the run?
05:26I don't look at it that way.
05:27I've said to the players,
05:28you focus on the next game.
05:30It's very simple.
05:30I'm focused on Crystal Palace.
05:32After that, it'll be Napoli.
05:34You start trying to create runs
05:35or look ahead.
05:37In this league, you see how difficult it is,
05:39you'll come unstuck.
05:40So the focus is on Crystal Palace
05:41and putting on the best performance we can.
05:44Thanks, Alex.
05:45Nizar?
05:46Hi, Liam.
05:46I just wanted to ask you,
05:48Dario Sugo and Dario Lapierre's obviously injured.
05:50Dario Sugo's not been in the last two spots.
05:52I was wondering if you're a bit short
05:53in midfield at the moment
05:54and if that's something
05:55that could be addressed in general.
05:57Yeah, unfortunately,
05:58Dario picked up a really unfortunate injury.
06:00He slipped in training
06:01and he's going to be out for a while,
06:04over a month,
06:05which is a real shame
06:06because he's an outstanding player as well
06:07that I was really looking forward to working with.
06:11Romero's on the way back,
06:13which is great
06:14because he's, again,
06:15I say it about every player,
06:16I think outstanding.
06:17He's a very, very good player
06:18at a very high level.
06:20But in terms of my midfield options,
06:22you've got Enzo,
06:24Moy, Andre Santos,
06:25Reece James.
06:26It's not bad.
06:27And I'm really being really clear on this.
06:30I don't want to bring in players
06:32that don't enhance the group
06:33or the chemistry that we're building.
06:34So we have to be very selective
06:35at this stage of the season.
06:37So if we do bring in the right player
06:39in a certain position,
06:40they have to have a clear impact on the team.
06:42No one doubts Romero's quality.
06:44He's always been excellent
06:45when he has played for Chelsea,
06:46but is there a bit of a concern
06:48that you can't quite rely on him
06:49at this minute?
06:49And maybe it's even better
06:50if he just goes away,
06:51focus on his fitness
06:52for the rest of the season?
06:53No, I want him back
06:57as quickly as possible.
06:58But I want him back
06:59as quickly as possible
07:00with no more injuries.
07:02That's the difference.
07:03I don't want to force him.
07:04We just had a conversation
07:05about Cole or other people in the squad.
07:08I've got a good enough squad
07:09to manage the group,
07:10I feel, and get results.
07:11But also I want Lavia
07:13to come back in a place
07:14where we know
07:15that he can get game time
07:17and get repetitive games
07:18and get a flow
07:19because he's an outstanding player.
07:21And I've seen that stress
07:22I thought you were quite flexible
07:23with your systems
07:24and you can use the back three
07:25at times as well.
07:27Obviously, since you've been here,
07:28it's been a bit more stable
07:30and there has been some flexibility.
07:31But I was wondering
07:32if you would ever look
07:33at a back three
07:34with Chelsea again,
07:35we've got great history
07:36in a back three
07:37with Conte, Thomas Tuchel,
07:38things like that.
07:39Yeah, I adapt to each game.
07:42I'm adapting to my group
07:43at the moment.
07:44The mid-season to come in
07:45and try and change everything,
07:47it's crazy.
07:48And actually things have been
07:49in a decent place
07:50before I came.
07:51You'll see over time
07:53the way I adapt systems
07:54or especially defensive organisations.
07:58I'm flexible.
07:59But at the moment,
08:00it's about what's best
08:01for the group
08:01and what they're used to.
08:03Because as I've said before,
08:04there is literally
08:05no training time
08:06on the training pitch right now.
08:07We are playing,
08:08recovering and playing again.
08:09And for the next two
08:10or three months,
08:11it's going to be that way.
08:12Thanks, Nizar.
08:13Simon?
08:13You obviously played
08:16in the area
08:17without the VAR.
08:19Is it something
08:20you want to keep?
08:21And if so,
08:22what is one thing
08:23you want to change?
08:24No, I think
08:25with the level
08:27of scrutiny
08:28and pressure
08:28on the games,
08:29you always want
08:30to have something
08:31that gives the referees
08:32help to make
08:32the best decisions,
08:33to make the correct decisions.
08:35The one thing for me
08:36is the time it takes
08:37for the flow of the game,
08:39for a spectacle,
08:40for fans to watch
08:41the game and enjoy it.
08:42If we can come
08:42to the right decision quicker,
08:44that would be
08:45the best thing for me.
08:46And Chelsea
08:47haven't won away
08:48from home in the league
08:49for a couple of months.
08:50That obviously has to
08:52improve, doesn't it,
08:53to if you're going
08:54to finish in the game as well?
08:55Yeah, it sounds crazy.
08:56I haven't even been aware
08:57of the record
08:58before I've been here.
08:59I'm focused on each game.
09:01That's certainly
09:01something I haven't seen.
09:03It's something
09:03that I'm not paying
09:04attention to.
09:05I know that if this group
09:06of players perform
09:07in the manner
09:08that I expect them to,
09:09we have a great chance
09:10of winning
09:10in any game
09:11against any team.
09:12And we just have to focus
09:13on that going
09:14into Crystal Palace.
09:15Thanks, Simon.
09:16And we'll finish with Rob.
09:17Hi, Liam.
09:17Once Caicedo said
09:19on Wednesday
09:19that he's happy
09:20to be seen
09:21as a leader
09:22around the place,
09:23even though he's not
09:24the loudest
09:25in the dressing room,
09:27Rhys James
09:27has said before
09:28that he's not necessarily
09:29the most vocal
09:30around the place.
09:31Is that kind
09:32of leadership
09:32sufficient,
09:34do you think,
09:34given that it's a young,
09:35inexperienced squad,
09:37or the players
09:38like this need
09:39more of a focus?
09:40No, I'm happy
09:43with the leadership
09:43in my group.
09:46No, I play with players
09:47who are very loud,
09:48who shout and point
09:49and actually don't lead
09:50because they hide
09:51from the ball
09:51and don't take responsibility.
09:53I won't name names,
09:54but there's different
09:55ways to lead.
09:56There's different ways
09:57that you lead.
09:58I think our generation,
10:00my generation,
10:01is different
10:01to the younger generation
10:02in terms of communication,
10:03but I love the group
10:05that whether it's Rhys
10:07or Enzo
10:07or Moy
10:08or Trevor Chaloba
10:09or Tosin,
10:10they're all leaders
10:11in their own right
10:11and they have to be
10:13themselves.
10:14I'm not going to ask them
10:14to be something
10:15that they're not,
10:16but at the same time,
10:17I'm very, very happy
10:17with the leadership
10:18in my group.
10:19Someone who's authentic
10:24and honest,
10:25trustworthy
10:26and true to themselves.
10:29Okay, thanks Rob.
10:30We'll end it there guys.
10:31Camera's off.
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