00:00for 10.30 p.m. this evening.
00:01We'll start with PLP. Thank you.
00:04Hi, Pep.
00:06Just a quick word about the squad.
00:08Is Erling back fully fit?
00:10And is there any word on Doku and Savinho?
00:16Doku's not ready and Savinho's ready.
00:20See, recently Arsenal were nine points clear.
00:23Now your destiny in the title race is in your own hands.
00:27Are you surprised how quickly things have changed?
00:31There were nine points because we have a game on hand.
00:35When everybody has the same features,
00:37same games being played,
00:38and after we have the difference,
00:40many things are going to happen.
00:42I said two weeks ago.
00:44Many things are going to happen until the end of the season.
00:47But in a title race, how important is experience?
00:50Because you've done it many times before.
00:5370% of the players are new,
00:54so they don't have experience to live these kind of situations.
00:58No.
01:00An experience is win tomorrow.
01:02It's the only one.
01:05Hi, Pep.
01:06I would like to ask you about what happened in Portugal
01:08this week in the Benfica and Real Madrid match.
01:13On the pitch and on the stands,
01:14what happened to Vinicius.
01:16You have said here several times
01:18that football is an expression of society.
01:20It's not an isolated bubble.
01:23So, what are your thoughts when you saw what happened?
01:25I said the week before,
01:29not for who you were born,
01:30not for the colour of the skin,
01:31make us better and worse.
01:33There's a lot of work to do.
01:35So, it's in the society, it's not in football.
01:39So, racism is in everywhere.
01:42You pretend that racism is just for the colour of the skin.
01:46It's how you behave.
01:48It's racism.
01:49It's how you pretend that you are better than the other one,
01:51just for many reasons, you know?
01:59Do you think football has tools in place to try to...
02:05Schools pay a lot of the teachers.
02:09That is the person I must be paying in the schools,
02:12not in the football.
02:15The teachers and the doctors have to be the best,
02:17the most important people in the society,
02:19for sure, by far.
02:22Not the managers.
02:24Beb, good afternoon.
02:25Hope you're well.
02:27After the game against Salford,
02:28you looked tired.
02:29You said you were ready for a break.
02:31I'm guessing you've come back revitalised.
02:34And as part of that revitalisation,
02:36has what happened in the Arsenal game at Wolves helped?
02:40Do you sense that with the squad?
02:42No, the important part of the play is revitalised.
02:45After three days, we have a lot of months
02:46with no day off,
02:47a few, few, few days off every weekend and midweeks.
02:51So, I don't have to run one metre.
02:53So, for me, it's not a problem.
02:54After one or two days,
02:55a sleep well is enough with the players.
02:57And the players are really good to have sometimes long weeks,
03:00you know, to rest.
03:01This one and the next one.
03:03To, you know,
03:04to forget and train good.
03:05And they train good in the last two days.
03:07When you look at the next 12 games
03:09that you and Arsenal both have to play,
03:11you've obviously got the League Cup final.
03:13They have to come here.
03:15We're all looking forward to a really exciting run-in.
03:17What are the factors?
03:19What's going to make the difference
03:20between winning a seventh title
03:22and finishing runner-up?
03:2412 games is a lot,
03:25like I said before.
03:27So, it's Newcastle.
03:29It's only I'm concerned.
03:31I'm not concerned.
03:32We're concerned in the League Cup,
03:33the final against Arsenal,
03:35when it's coming there.
03:36But it's now rest and after Leeds.
03:38It's always been like that.
03:40You won't anticipate,
03:42as a journalist,
03:42I understand.
03:43You won't anticipate
03:43what is going to happen.
03:46You know,
03:46it's going to be champion this team.
03:48Now it's going to be champion this team.
03:50That doesn't count.
03:51It's Newcastle.
03:52That's all.
03:53But do you now feel
03:54you have a better chance
03:55of winning the title
03:56than you did, say,
03:57at Christmas?
03:58To be honest,
03:58I don't know.
04:01I don't know.
04:02I don't know what's going to happen
04:03this next 12 games.
04:04So, I don't know.
04:06Do you and the players, though,
04:07have that confidence
04:08that it is now possible?
04:10I didn't speak one second
04:15about that with my players.
04:17Yesterday, the day before,
04:18it's just Newcastle.
04:19Newcastle and Newcastle.
04:20I didn't talk about the table.
04:22I didn't talk about the position
04:24or something like that.
04:25No title talk at all?
04:26I could not care less.
04:28It's 12 games.
04:29If you tell me this question,
04:30two games left,
04:31three games left,
04:32I will have your answer.
04:33It's the fourth time
04:34you ask me the same question,
04:35I will answer you.
04:36You should know me.
04:37So, it's 12 games left.
04:38It's an eternity.
04:40So, many things
04:40are going to happen.
04:42That is the only truth I have.
04:45Hi, Pep.
04:46Can I ask you about Semenyo?
04:48He's obviously made
04:48a really strong start
04:49to his career here.
04:51You've played him
04:52in a number of different
04:52positions already.
04:55When you were talking
04:56about signing him
04:56with the club,
04:58how important
04:59was his versatility
05:01in different positions?
05:04Yeah, it's not just
05:05of course,
05:06score a lot of goals
05:07and the strikers
05:08that people play up front
05:09is so important,
05:10but not just that.
05:11So, make a special rhythm,
05:12the versatility,
05:13as you said,
05:14play in many positions
05:16up front,
05:16or three positions.
05:17We knew it.
05:18And Kampferer in Bournemouth,
05:20they are exceptional
05:22in the rhythm
05:22and defensively.
05:24So, he has his DNA.
05:25So, yeah,
05:27the impact has been
05:27really good.
05:30Are you able to
05:30sort of shine
05:31a bit of light
05:33on when it became
05:34obvious to you
05:35that he was
05:36an elite footballer?
05:38Was there a moment
05:39when he was at Bournemouth
05:40that you thought,
05:41yeah, this is someone
05:42who can reach
05:42the very top?
05:44No.
05:45Listen,
05:46Antoine,
05:46we played against him
05:47many, many times
05:48since the last years.
05:49When he became
05:50a top class
05:51and elite,
05:51you have to see.
05:52So, I don't know
05:53when you buy a player
05:54from that club
05:55and come here,
05:55how he adapt
05:56and play in Champions League
05:57and never played before
05:58in the biggest stages
05:59in Premier League,
06:00but in no-card stages
06:01in that position.
06:02It's a good test
06:03for him
06:04how he reacts.
06:05But I'm pretty sure
06:06for his mentality,
06:07I think he will handle
06:08quite well.
06:09How has he
06:10sort of settled in
06:11with the group
06:12and the coaches
06:13in the first few weeks?
06:15Normally,
06:16the guys who came
06:16adapt really quick
06:18because the guys
06:18are here for a long time
06:19and embrace
06:20the people so quick.
06:21No problem.
06:24Pep,
06:24the record shows
06:25that it's been
06:27over a quarter
06:28of a century
06:28since Newcastle
06:29won away
06:30against Man City.
06:31That was before
06:31the Etihad.
06:32That was a main road
06:33and a man you know
06:33very well,
06:34Sir Bobby Robson
06:35was the manager then.
06:36It would have been
06:37his birthday
06:37on Wednesday past.
06:38Just the fact
06:39that you're playing them,
06:40maybe it's an opportunity
06:41to honour him
06:42and reflect on the man.
06:44You know him so well.
06:45Yeah, what a man.
06:46You know him better than me.
06:47I was fortunate
06:48and lucky to have him
06:49in Barcelona.
06:51Yeah, one season.
06:53Truly gentlemen.
06:57It was a really,
06:59it was not easy
06:59because it was replaced
07:01the legend
07:02in the Barcelona team
07:03was Johan Cruyff.
07:04So it was not easy
07:05and replaced
07:06a huge personality
07:07like him
07:08with all the situations
07:09happening in Barcelona.
07:11But yeah,
07:12it was a huge honour.
07:13The impact in football,
07:14not just in the teams
07:15that have trained
07:15in Newcastle especially,
07:17but the national team
07:18making an incredible
07:19World Cup in Italy.
07:21So yeah,
07:22it was really good.
07:23You were nearly
07:24a Newcastle player
07:25or there was a chance?
07:25Who?
07:26Me?
07:26Did you not write
07:27to Sir Bobby Robson once?
07:29No?
07:30No.
07:31I was not fast
07:32and quick enough.
07:34And just if I can
07:35ask you one more thing
07:36slightly different,
07:37Wayne Rooney has said
07:38he hopes you stay on
07:39as Man City manager
07:40because of everything
07:41you've achieved
07:42and everything you offered
07:43to the game,
07:44you know,
07:44genuine praise from him.
07:46What does that mean
07:47for you to receive
07:49that praise from
07:49someone like Wayne Rooney?
07:51A huge honour.
07:53So when the compliments
07:54come from the football players
07:55or the players
07:56have been involved
07:57in that game
07:58and Wayne have been
08:01what a player.
08:03I would say
08:03starting Everton
08:04after United
08:04for all his career.
08:06But I have to come back
08:07to Everton again.
08:09So,
08:10and yeah,
08:11so just can't say,
08:12you know,
08:14I think in all football
08:16in this country
08:16and everywhere
08:17there are thousands,
08:19millions,
08:20I would say,
08:20huge personalities
08:21that make
08:21that sport better
08:23and Wayne have been
08:24one of them.
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