00:00Since January of last season, I think you brought in nine new players, plus Nick O'Reilly's emerged.
00:05That's ten new players. Many of those are in your first team, or certainly, you know, front-line players.
00:11Would you say you're ahead of where you hoped you'd be, or, you know, to be competing for the Premier
00:15League in the last week?
00:16Is that sort of, you know, could you, did you have a feeling you could do this this quick?
00:20Because that's a massive sort of implant of players.
00:23Always you have the, yeah, the hope to at the end, but I said last time I took a little
00:36bit of time to visualize really, really new players set it perfect in the way you have to do some
00:44pattern defensively or offensively.
00:47So, because, you know, change a lot of shapes, wingers, no wingers, with an inverse full-performance side-in-side,
00:54and for many different ways, in the past were more ABC.
00:59But it's because there's a lot of new players, and maybe I took a little bit of time to, that
01:05is the best way for the team, or the team feel safe.
01:07Because at the end, always where I look for, since I'm a manager, do something, let the players feel comfortable.
01:13It's not what I say.
01:15It's what I say, because I believe in how to convince them, but if it doesn't work, you have to
01:18change it slightly, a little bit.
01:23But it's where it is.
01:23Sometimes the process, I'm pretty sure next season will be more stable.
01:28We have another play is better.
01:30Hi, Pep.
01:32You've had a couple of title races that have sort of gone down to the last day of the season.
01:36I mean, how important is it that you take it to that?
01:38I mean, the pressure sort of mounts, doesn't it, if you get to the last day?
01:41No, but, so, yeah, we know, today Arsenal win, and if we don't win tomorrow, we will congratulate Arsenal.
01:50So, and we would like to, okay, arrive.
01:53Crystal Palace away is always Crystal Palace away.
01:55We play at home.
01:56I would not say Aston Villa is easy, but completely the opposite.
02:01So, you know, it's just, just, just, just extraordinary, exceptional, and, and, but we will love, we love arriving in
02:10the last, the people come at 3 p.m. next Sunday.
02:14Maybe what will happen here in, in South Wales Park will be, will be nice, you know, to extend this
02:18for five days, the hope that maybe we can win the Premier League again.
02:22So, that is, that is, that is what we line, but I don't know, the task is tomorrow will be
02:28so difficult.
02:29You said on Saturday after the game, Pep, that a trip to Bournemouth is a bit like going to the
02:33dentist.
02:34Yeah, it is.
02:34I take it you don't like going to the dentist.
02:36No, the way, no, the, no, always, I've been, so, it's an analogy to express how difficult they are.
02:42So, it's a day attack week, they, they didn't let you breathe, you know, and maybe always when that team's,
02:52I think when they are so intense, always the fatigue, the amount of games, they can reduce a little bit
02:58this tempo.
03:00But with 10 days to prepare that game, I expect the more intense, aggressive, and demanding team, and then you
03:09have to be smart to read what you have to do.
03:12Hi, Pep.
03:13In your previous title races that have gone to the final day, the final week here, you've been ahead.
03:19But looking back at when you played at Barcelona in the dream team with Johan Cruyff, you had three title
03:25wins there where you were behind, like Madrid at Tenerife and then Deputivo, obviously.
03:30Oh, you went to the GTP, right?
03:33Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
03:35So, it's so much better than Wikipedia.
03:38What do you take from those, what do you remember about those times and what do you sort of maybe
03:42take from those experiences heading into this week?
03:45I prefer when we have in our hands, because you don't have to take a look and after.
03:50And always I think, it's better, it's better depending on us.
03:56So, it's true, but the situation never exists.
03:59I said again, important is just to try right at that moment, I will be, if we arrive with a,
04:05James said, nine, I mean, nine new players, a lot in, playing a lot of men, and being at the
04:12end, being there, it's good.
04:15It's really good.
04:16But once we are here, why do we want to extend one more week?
04:18No, a few more days to arrive in more people.
04:21You know, and, but yeah, I prefer it to be in our control, because when, depends on the other ones,
04:27it's something you cannot do, but you never know.
04:30The importance is after to be there.
04:31I remember Johan Cruyff, before that game, I said, win our game.
04:35There's no other hand, but we cannot lose the Premier League, because they don't win and we don't win.
04:40That just cannot happen.
04:41We have to.
04:42It's the same, no?
04:43That game is, mindset is, let's win the game to arrive in the last chance, and after that, guys,
04:50win our game, don't focus on anything else, and after that, like, there's no control, wait.
04:55Just talking about those Johan Cruyff days, like, he's still now a massive reference for Barcelona, like, how they play,
05:02like, when you were there, and even after that.
05:04When you leave here, whenever that is, would you like to be sort of what Johan Cruyff is to Barcelona?
05:11Would you like to be Manchester City Johan Cruyff, basically?
05:14Nobody's like Johan.
05:16It's a big compliment, you say that, but nobody's like him.
05:19The charisma, personality, he changed the mentality for two clubs, Ajax and Barcelona, as a player and as a manager.
05:26So, but with a charisma that is impossible to replicate, and the self-confidence, and many, many aspects that he
05:36had, and it's impossible.
05:40Pep, is Andone Iriola's last home game tomorrow night as well, does that make it more difficult for you going
05:46down there, knowing that there'll be such a big atmosphere for him?
05:50Yeah, I'm pretty sure the gratitude I will have, because I made an unbelievable job, but honestly, unbelievable.
05:56So, I'll put Bournemouth in another step, and consistency in everything, and so play with incredible courage, without fears, and
06:05everywhere.
06:06So, in Anfield here, and Etihad, and Emirates, and whatever, done, the game plan.
06:12So, I'm making an incredible, incredible job, and of course, but in the last stages, always there are, you know,
06:18last games for many people.
06:20Bernardo, John will be next week, and next Sunday, so that's good.
06:26That's good, it's happened.
06:27So, I'm pretty sure that Andone will get the appreciation for the job has done.
06:33Have you ever thought about what kind of farewell you might want?
06:36Sorry?
06:37Have you ever thought about what kind of farewell you might want, if you knew you were leaving?
06:46Next, Ali.
06:48How was your own man with that?
06:50So many times, I have one more year.
06:53Tell me, Sam.
06:55Yeah, something different.
06:57You know, you said before, it took a while to visualize the players, and you eventually found a way that
07:02the team felt safe.
07:04What time of the season was that?
07:06What was it that you thought, okay, this is it, this is the way we need to carry on?
07:09What changed?
07:10Two or three months ago.
07:11We played a lot of injuries, and the wingers were sure to adapt, and to have more control, we put,
07:17I always say, the fullbacks inside.
07:20We put the wingers inside, like normally never happened in my career.
07:23I was split up with the wingers wide, wide, wide, and in some moments, we were comfortable.
07:27But we are more comfortable to play with the wingers.
07:30White, especially when Jeremy's, Antoine's, or Savio's, you are in this shape, like aggressive in that.
07:38But, yeah, but not just in attack and defend.
07:41We proved this season, I said many times, the principles are the same in terms of, like, go on attack,
07:47attack, attack.
07:47Always we want that, and no craziness or in some control, but attack.
07:54But the way we pressed, the way we had it was different, different ways, and to find the perfect field
08:00comfort, maybe we took, yeah, more time.
08:02So it was, it was when you had, it was the period when you had no wingers, because they were
08:07injured, you say, but then obviously recently you have been playing with wingers.
08:10So what was it that you were able to take from that period with no wingers, and then have it
08:15be the same even now with wingers?
08:17What was that essence, really?
08:19Well, always adapt for the wingers, help us, you know, when against, against man markings, that all the team can
08:24have.
08:25When you contact for the people up front better, it's, it's, it's quicker, it's better, and you play with the
08:29wingers, it's better,
08:30because we are protecting the, just in case you lose the ball, and a player like Antoine's or Jeremy, they
08:35have good to keep, you know, one against one in this type of balls.
08:38Always you can break that band mark in teams, like many, many times happen.
08:43So, but when we don't have it, always we try to make overlaps in certain positions, with midfield players, with
08:48fullbacks, and I don't know.
08:51So the game, the season has been many, many different ways, like never happened before, I would say, in my
08:58career.
08:58So I always have a more or less padded one, a slightly detailed, but here we change, which is more.
09:04Then, yes, it has been fun, it has been more entertaining, I would say.
09:11Pep, obviously a newly expanded stand is due to open on Sunday.
09:16There's a lot of talk among fans wondering whether the club might name it after you.
09:21Would it be a great honour if the club did something like that?
09:25Something what?
09:25Name the stand after you, obviously they've got the Colin Bell stand, if...
09:29Do, do, do, do, do, do.
09:31I have no idea that, no.
09:34They don't have to do anything, honestly.
09:38I'm just saying 20 trophies in 10 years.
09:41Yeah, yeah, but that's good.
09:45But, but they don't have to, no, no.
09:49The important thing, important thing in our lives, and I'm older than you, that is when you look back and
09:56say, wow, I was, well, you can look with a big smile and big, that is good.
10:03And Bernardo can feel that and John can feel that.
10:05So we spoke about last days and said, oh, what we live, you know?
10:08So when you are old, old, old, old, grandfather, and you look back, I said, oh, my life was, and
10:14you can laugh, you know, for the memories.
10:15That is the most important thing in the life.
10:17And whatever happened this next part of the season, and when I will extend my contract three more years, and
10:25after that, I just look back and say, oh, how nice I've been.
10:27And that is the most important thing by far, and I'm pretty sure most of the people we live this
10:35this time together, we can feel it that we can feel.
10:40Pep, you always say that the fatigue, silence is always in the mind.
10:46It's always mental.
10:47Is this last week something that your players should really enjoy, should really kind of cherish?
10:52Because, you know, ultimately there is a, could be a really big kind of prize.
10:55Yeah, I said many times, when it happened, I knew with that feeling in Barcelona and by Munich as well,
11:01but in Barcelona, for the first time,
11:03you see, when you write these stages, and you play the note that it's 90, 95 minutes to extend or
11:08to win the titles or be in there, you are tired, yes.
11:11So, for example, what happened last, last game, no?
11:15So we play against Crystal Palace, Brentford, three days at Crystal Palace, and after six-hour train, no recovery, and
11:20that it passed in November, December,
11:24maybe fatigue is much more, and maybe that game, we don't feel it, but it's a final, it's a final
11:29tomorrow,
11:30we are tired, yes, but the players make, the human being have incredible ability to, when you are completely, completely
11:37dead,
11:38if he is in the right spot, you do an extra run, an extra focus, an extra, you do it,
11:44for sure,
11:45and I'm pretty sure, last two games, the players will give everything, even if they are tired, or even if
11:53they are going to the World Cup,
11:54or on the holidays, or whatever, they will do it, because it's, you know, it's six days, no, at the
12:00end of the season,
12:01so the players, they will do it, even the fatigue is there, so we cannot deny it for the amount
12:06of games in the last games,
12:07especially the players, they play, the players they don't play, they don't have that problem.
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