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00:00How are you?
00:06Very good, thank you.
00:16Have you got any fresh injury concerns after Tuesday?
00:21No, everybody finished the game well and nothing to add I think.
00:26Michael Marino and Jürgen Timber of course were missing,
00:30what chance either of them or both of them being available for the weekend?
00:35No, no chance for the weekend.
00:37Are you optimistic that before the end of the season you'll see them again?
00:41I don't know, there's still a fair bit to do,
00:45so everything has to be so smooth and quick if they want to have a chance to play any minutes.
00:53Before we get into West Ham, I just want to ask you about the Champions League finals.
00:57Paris Saint-Germain, now you know who your opponents could be.
01:00It was a semi-final of course last season, one of those what-might-it-be moments for Arsenal.
01:06Has that linked with you at all and does it almost make it the perfect final for Arsenal?
01:11It's what it is.
01:12We knew the level of the opposition that we had to face either way by Munich or PSG.
01:19We know the quality that they have and that's it.
01:23But obviously we are very confident that when we get to that moment,
01:26we're going to deliver what we need to do.
01:29Michael, you said you've never experienced anything like that atmosphere that you did on Tuesday.
01:34Can you point to words how powerful that emotion, that unity can be now for the final four games of
01:42this season?
01:43Well, I want to say it's crucial, immense and needed because what they can provide
01:51when we get the stadium into that emotional state,
01:55to that level of connection with the players is just incredible.
01:59The players describe it.
02:00They are the most important ones and they describe it like they never had that feeling before in the stadium
02:05and they make them better.
02:07With that atmosphere that was there, after the game and the few days after it,
02:14the celebration police has been out.
02:16I don't know if you're aware of this, but in some quarters,
02:20some people have criticised how Arsenal celebrate at the end of the game.
02:25I was expecting this reaction.
02:27What do you make of that criticism? Do you care?
02:31First of all, I didn't know about it, but I don't know.
02:34I think you have to respect every opinion and place them where they belong.
02:44Where do you place them?
02:45Where they belong. I don't know. That's not important.
02:51You said last week you've got the siege mentality in your make-up.
02:57Has all of the noise or the criticism just made you, the players, and even the fans stronger in their
03:06unity?
03:07Yeah, but I'm assuming that that criticism is positive and negative, yeah?
03:13I'm assuming.
03:14When we talk about criticism, it's positive and negative.
03:17And that's why it makes you better.
03:19When you want to set higher standards and performance levels that can give you the chance to compete for the
03:26two most prestigious competitions,
03:27probably in Europe, you have to be prepared for that because you know the challenge and the difficulty of it.
03:34And it does make you better, that's for certain.
03:36I'm sure the mood around the training ground is bouncing just now after what happened on Tuesday.
03:42Have you had to do anything to refocus any of the players ahead of Sunday or are they in autopilot
03:51and they know what's coming?
03:52We talked immediately after the game and this is great. What a moment.
03:57We earned it, we will have time to prepare and get ready for that final.
04:04But now the focus, the attention, the detail, the energy, everything has to be put into West Ham.
04:11There is nothing else there and we made it very clear.
04:15Just finally for me, Miguel, every week when I speak to you it's one game less, one game less.
04:22You are so close now.
04:23Four games from an extraordinary season, potentially an historic one for something the club has never done before.
04:37What's your feeling and what's your messaging to the players and maybe the supporters as well?
04:44Stay present, live the moment, prepare and show the same level of energy, hunger and desire that we've shown all
04:57season or more.
04:59Because as you said, we are closer and closer and everything that we do know is going to matter to
05:07win it or not.
05:10Hi.
05:11Good afternoon.
05:12Can I please ask you about Malstu Oskeri against the Fulham with the first team, the first time you started
05:17in the field.
05:18He played well, I guess that he goes well.
05:20Have you taken through the timing of the decision and how confident you had in him before those things?
05:30I think it's been a process of probably understanding him better.
05:34Him understanding as well the standards that are required when you play or don't play that much at this level.
05:41To understand the reasons why you play or not play as well.
05:44And then he's been exceptional.
05:46His attitude, the way he's been training, the way he's been supporting the boys when he hasn't played.
05:50And he's given us every sign to think that when we're given the chance, he was going to respond in
05:57the manner that he's done it.
05:58But after he's done it, and it's not easy, especially when you haven't played that much, to look that fresh,
06:03that confidence,
06:04that energetic, that playing with that determination, it's something that is surprising.
06:11Bukayo second scored the goal on Tuesday, and it hasn't been easy for him in terms of injuries.
06:16But in general, we've worked with Bukayo for so many years.
06:19How enjoyable would it be to work with Bukayo, the player, and the human being?
06:24A joy. I feel extremely lucky, I said it from the beginning, to find somebody at the club that you
06:30can lean into at any level,
06:33knowing that he's going to respond, knowing that his heart is in the right place,
06:37knowing that everything that he does comes beyond certain values, certain education, certain principles.
06:46It's been a joy. On the human level, I think we know him.
06:50And in the football level, what he has provided to this club and what he did the other night is
06:56just remarkable.
06:57Massive London Derby this weekend.
06:59Is it fair to say that it's a game with big jeopardy for both sides?
07:04Well, understanding the context of the game for both clubs, it's huge, obviously.
07:08So, we know the importance of it, we know what we want and what we have to do to win
07:14the game.
07:38I was in a really high emotional state after the game.
07:44Obviously, because we know what it means to everybody, to the club.
07:48You could tell what it means to everybody, to our supporters, players and staff,
07:52straight after the game.
07:55But you have to believe me, straight after that, my concentration, my focus, my energy was,
08:01OK, West Ham, what do we have to do on the mental side physically, tactically, technically,
08:06to prepare in the best possible way to go there and win the game. That's it.
08:09But you're so close now. Can you not even allow yourself time to enjoy this final cruise at the end
08:16of the season?
08:16I enjoy every day. I enjoy every day with the boys, with the staff.
08:21I love what I do, so I feel very privileged to what I do.
08:24I enjoy, but those periods are very short.
08:27I enjoy preparing a lot the game against West Ham now and understanding what we have to do,
08:32trying to pick the right topic, trying to understand very well our players,
08:38the situation that we want to generate in the game, how the game can pan out,
08:42how can we change it if we need to. So, that's what I like.
08:46To your group of players, the next three weeks could be life-changing,
08:51then we're in the Premier League and then we're in the Champions League.
08:54As a manager, is this bigger than anything you've encountered even in your playing days?
09:01Yes, but if and in football, if it doesn't work, we have to do it.
09:05What we're going to do today, what we've done today, that's a fact.
09:10That's the most important thing and tomorrow we're going to have to do what it takes
09:13to be in the best mood physically, mentally, to get ready for the battle that we have on Sunday.
09:21The professionalism in your squad, I think, was summed up this week by Declan Rice.
09:26He put out some really nice words about this former club who on Sunday
09:30could help relegate to the Championship.
09:34I suppose that came with no surprise to you that the boy you picked up from West Ham
09:39has grown into a man here.
09:41Yeah, well, he was already really well-developed, I would say.
09:45But, yeah, I mean, it's been outstanding for us.
09:48He's one of our leaders, one of the main players, without a doubt.
09:52And what he's doing for the club, for the team, is just really powerful.
09:58Hi.
09:59A couple of weeks ago, you said you worked on Vicky Ocres' time and a brand
10:03into the bottom half, he scored a couple of weeks ago.
10:06And the last week, in particular, it looks like his hold-up play has really improved.
10:10Is that something you've worked with?
10:11Have you noticed that?
10:12Yeah, but from the beginning, I think some of the things that you see,
10:17certain improvements from players, probably their work has not been the day before,
10:22two days before, maybe it's been done through months, and maybe months ago.
10:26But it doesn't happen overnight.
10:29And Victor has been working extremely hard.
10:33The level of demands that he put himself are incredibly high.
10:37He always wants to learn.
10:39He's always asking questions.
10:40He always wants to do extra things.
10:42He's always trying to find ways to find those connections with his teammates,
10:46whether they're in the canteen, in the dressing room, or on the pitch.
10:50And at the end, when you have that kind of behaviour, you get rewards.
10:55And just about some of the big decisions that you've made this season,
10:58particularly in the running, put Eze back on the left wing at Man City,
11:01what was the biggest game of the season at that point?
11:04And then Marco Eskeli in the centre midfield, Fulham and Atletico.
11:09Was that always the plan? Why now?
11:11And is it something you've learned from previous title running?
11:14No.
11:15I think there is something that is related to your intuition, you know,
11:20and what the game is going to require, the state of the play,
11:26is the way you can imagine the game
11:29and where the players can have the most impact.
11:32And then you can get it right or wrong, you never know.
11:35But if you do what you feel, at least you have the certainty
11:39that you've done the preparation, you've done the thinking,
11:42and when it comes time to deliver, that's something else.
11:46James.
11:47Hi, Michael.
11:48Hi.
11:49It's been a while.
11:50Can I ask you about the five-phase plan today?
11:54Can we do that at the end of the season?
11:56Could you just tell me what fate we're in now?
11:59I don't know.
12:00I'm lost now.
12:02It doesn't matter the fate.
12:04The only reason I keep bringing it up is because, obviously,
12:06a lot of managers go in with, you know, the blueprint,
12:09the vision board they get through, and then they get sacked,
12:11things go wrong.
12:12You seem to be four games from realizing something you laid out six years ago.
12:19I mean, it's an incredible journey on the cast to complete it.
12:26Yes, but, again, responding to that question, at the moment,
12:29it doesn't matter.
12:30Let's live the present.
12:32When we have time, we can talk about that.
12:36If we go, the timing's right, every decision's right.
12:38And the most important thing is, okay, what's the outcome
12:43when it comes to the end of May?
12:45Perfect thoughts.
12:46Hi, Michael.
12:47Just in terms of Dan Briar, I think it's confirmed now
12:51he at least has a share of the Golden Glove for the third season running.
12:55And this season, it seems like a lot of his saves have become a big moment,
12:59so whether the game's nil-nil or you've won-nil,
13:02and he's really springing to action and concentrating throughout the whole game.
13:07In those moments, what is going through your head when he makes those saves,
13:11and is it something that surprises you every time,
13:14or are you kind of used to it now?
13:17Well, first of all, obviously, he's been exceptional.
13:20His level of consistency since he joined the club,
13:23it's been something that probably nobody expected,
13:27probably I didn't expect it.
13:29I think he has reached a level that it's incredibly high.
13:34And yeah, sometimes we take as normal some of the things that he does
13:37that they're not.
13:40But yeah, he has responded in crucial moments.
13:43Obviously, I think the team deserves a lot of credit for that as well
13:47because the war that everybody puts in that phase
13:52for the third consecutive season to achieve that, I think is remarkable.
13:56And with Myles, you mentioned understanding him better,
14:00and you obviously spoke about that with Mare Eze a few months ago.
14:05So with Myles, what things do you kind of understand more with him
14:10as this season's going on?
14:14Because I need to put Myles Lewis Kelly hat
14:17to understand how he's feeling,
14:19and he's a boy that he was playing with under-18s, 21-some,
14:24that he wasn't even playing.
14:25He was playing in a different position.
14:27He comes in, he comes through.
14:28He plays in a completely different position
14:30that he's never played before.
14:31He's exceptional.
14:32Everybody's talking about it, and he goes to the national team.
14:35He comes back from preseason,
14:37and then he starts to realise that maybe he's not going to be a starter.
14:40So you need to go through those emotions,
14:43not only you, but the people next to you as well,
14:45giving you advice.
14:47And you have to navigate through that.
14:48That's not easy.
14:49I understand that.
14:50It's easy when it goes so well for you,
14:53but when it goes the other way,
14:56the temptation is going to start to point to people.
14:59And I need to understand that, and I need to guide him,
15:03and I need to give him my perspective,
15:06the reasons why he wasn't playing that much,
15:09and he took it on board.
15:11Not the first one, after three or four times,
15:15I think he realised, okay,
15:17I think if it's not this way,
15:18I don't think it's going to happen.
15:22We often ask you about injuries throughout the previous few seasons
15:25and this season,
15:26but as we enter this final stage,
15:28only Michael Marino has been out for a long time,
15:31and Juri is the only one who's missing.
15:33This time you have Gabriel available,
15:35you have a centre-forward available this season.
15:37How important is that for your team to enter this final stage?
15:40Very important.
15:41It was great to witness the quality that we had on the bench the other night.
15:45If you compare that to a year ago,
15:49that's a very different picture.
15:52We have managed in the last week or so
15:53to have some more players fresher,
15:56and you could sense that as well.
16:00I said it from the beginning,
16:01that's the most important thing.
16:03If we have that,
16:04we have a bigger chance to achieve the goals.
16:06And while it's really important to win,
16:08obviously, the Premier League games
16:09with the ultimate goal at the end,
16:11it's almost good luck with the players.
16:12Every game is almost an audition for the final.
16:14To get in your mind for that game.
16:17I don't think they think like this
16:18because they know the audition is every single day in training,
16:21and what they are doing and giving us the headache
16:24like they have been giving us all season,
16:27but especially the last few weeks as well.
16:28OK, what is the best thing to start?
16:31What is the best team to finish the game?
16:33Hi.
16:34Last few matches,
16:36we've seen more of the players
16:37related to the game on the right wing.
16:39How much of a strength is it
16:41to be able to play those teams together?
16:43Yeah, well, when you talk about the right unit,
16:45for example, I think the amount of minutes
16:47that they've played this season
16:49has been extremely low for different circumstances.
16:52and it's great.
16:53They have a really good connection,
16:55really good understanding.
16:56They have played many years together
16:57and you can sense and notice that now
16:59in a really positive way.
17:01And on Yuri,
17:02I think at the time,
17:02I was hoping to be out for a matter of days.
17:05Has that just been a more complicated injury?
17:08Yes, and that's been probably
17:10the most difficult thing to manage
17:13with the player, with myself as well,
17:15because we didn't expect to take so long
17:18and at the moment it's not fit to play.
17:22You speak in the morning.
17:23Please continue.
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