00:00I'm okay with it. I'm not super happy about it. I liked the second half more than the first half.
00:06I think we had more bite in the second half. We were more aggressive on and off the ball,
00:12created a bit more, some good half chances and some good penetrations into the box.
00:17We played more from our positions and that's why we played with more speed.
00:24Off the ball, like I said, we played with a bit more bite.
00:27The first half we were out of positions and it was a bit too much freestyle.
00:32And that slowed our game down and made it difficult for counter-press
00:36because we were not in the positions that we wanted to be when we started attacking.
00:42So that's basically the story of the match.
00:47I mean, to put it in context, a lot of our players played last time together in November.
00:55So it was half a year ago and we had four training sessions together.
01:00Then we mixed the team up completely.
01:02So I think we never played before in these combinations, in these formations,
01:06to give everyone 45 minutes.
01:08And then you have the conditions, you have the pitch, then it can look like this.
01:13In terms of the heat, it was really hot.
01:18How did you feel they are on climate time?
01:21Well, we didn't have a lot of exposure to the sun because we were like three days in the rain
01:27and great skies.
01:29So we had one training in the sun and now this match felt really, really hot.
01:33But it's good that we were exposed because that's why we're here.
01:36We wanted it that way and we need to get used to it because it will come at some point.
01:41When you said a bit too much freestyle in the first half, what do you mean?
01:45From position-wise, I think it was not so clear, we couldn't translate it so clear on the pitch,
01:53like our positions and when to start the attack and neither on the right side.
01:58We were lacking widths, so players were like coming inside and inside.
02:02So in many moments we were lacking 20 metres off the pitch and narrowing ourselves down
02:08and slowing ourselves down and changing positions for too long.
02:12It's not a problem to change positions but you have to find your position again
02:16so that everyone knows how to start the attack and then you can just accelerate the game easier.
02:23We were taking crosses from a lot of crosses, long-range shots, which is normally not our style of play.
02:32We played a lot of long balls, we played a lot of long passes.
02:35That was not part of training in the last four days.
02:40It was a bit of a mix of everything, so that's why the first half looked how it looked.
02:47The second half, like I said, I liked the second half more on the side.
02:52You talked yesterday about how sharp Harry was, that goal showing.
02:56Yeah, that's what he does.
02:58He's always there to score and in the end it's a decisive goal.
03:03And like always, no secrets there.
03:05If you score, it helps you and gives you a bit more rhythm, a bit more confidence.
03:09It's a bit easier for the second group to start with a 1-0.
03:16Harry's in top shape.
03:18I think anyway that when the pressure comes and the tournament starts,
03:25that will bring the best out of our players.
03:28You mentioned the pitch earlier, Thomas.
03:30Obviously a lot was said and written about it.
03:32What did you make of it and has everybody come to be able to scale?
03:35It was very difficult to play on.
03:37I think it was not so dangerous to have injuries.
03:40We have no injuries and there was no concerns.
03:42But it was very uneven and it was difficult to move the ball and move the ball quickly.
03:49When you have the ball for the majority of the match, it doesn't help you.
03:55Does that surprise you that you've had to deal with that in the first game?
04:01It is what it is.
04:04It can happen.
04:05I know it from period season tours and overseas that this can happen if you play in stadiums
04:12that are normally not football stadiums, that the pitch is maybe too new
04:17and not fully grown and not fully even.
04:20It was a part of it.
04:21How important was Jude in bringing the extra bite in the second half?
04:26It was a part of it.
04:28I think that you can see that Jude has for sure the decisiveness and he has the bite.
04:37This is a key characteristic.
04:40But you can see that he comes from an injury and is full of energy and happy to be back
04:47on the pitch.
04:47He had his break unfortunately in a decisive part of the Champions League season
04:53and a national campaign for the championship in Spain.
04:59So this was very unfortunate for Real Madrid and for him personally.
05:03But you can see now that he is actually in a sweet spot.
05:07He comes back, he's fresh, he wants to play and he's in top shape.
05:12Thomas, we've seen Nico O'Reilly play in midfield in the age group and with England as well in the
05:18age group.
05:18Obviously that used him a lot as a left back.
05:20Where do you play in midfield?
05:22Yeah.
05:22Where do you see him?
05:23Normally as a left back, but we have nine defenders for eight positions today and the position from Declan Rice
05:34was free.
05:36Even if he plays left back, he plays as a left eight and left ten.
05:40So we saw him many times playing for Pep in this position and for Man City.
05:46So we thought we'd just do it.
05:48But he trained the majority of the time as a left defender.
05:52I think both is possible.
05:58How much flexibility does Nico O'Reilly being able to play as an inverted fullback,
06:03play as a six, play as an eight as we saw him today, and Rhys James being able to tuck
06:07into midfield?
06:07How much does that help your squad selection in your day?
06:10I was just happy to see Rhys back and fresh back in training and with confidence in his body
06:17because you can just see out there, once he has his 45 minutes, he can produce special moments any time.
06:25He has the body to defend on the highest level and the physicality.
06:30So it's a full package as well and he gives us flexibility because he plays many times for Chelsea under
06:37six.
06:38So he is a candidate to play there as well.
06:41At the moment he plays for us and he plays for us in international football as a right fullback.
06:47That's for me his main position for us, but he stays and is an alternative in the middle of the
06:53pitch.
06:53But Elliot is doing very well.
06:57Also for Rhys, he had his injury, unfortunately for him and unfortunately for Chelsea.
07:02But you can see now he's actually also reaching kind of a sweet spot of excitement and hunger and joy
07:11to be back on the pitch.
07:18Why did you choose Costa Rica for the other game and another national team for Central America?
07:24Why Costa Rica?
07:25What do you want to see?
07:28We will focus.
07:30I have to be very honest.
07:31I haven't prepared Costa Rica until today, so we will start with it tomorrow.
07:35So please forgive me for that, that I am not very well prepared for that in detail.
07:42We wanted to play against different continents.
07:46We wanted to play against different styles and not against European teams.
07:51And Costa Rica is a football country and will bring emotions and will bring excitement.
07:59And of course it's a good test for us.
08:01So to adapt to a different style, to adapt to a different mentality were the key reasons.
08:10And we will prepare from tomorrow and then we have three days to be prepared and take the next step
08:16against your country.
08:19What was your opinion on Ivan Toni's performance amid some public scrutiny about his inclusion in the squad?
08:27Ivan was very impressive in training and he plays a kind of a special role in our team.
08:35I think he gives us the possibility if we dominate and if we have a lot of touches in and
08:41around the box,
08:41he gives us the chance to play with Harry, take attention of central defenders and be strong in finishing and
08:50strong in set pieces.
08:51He had one big chance today that he missed but it was offside so this let him off the hook.
08:59But he trains very well and he's a very important team member because he connects with everyone, very social and
09:12very happy with him until now.
09:14Thomas, yesterday you said there were two main focuses today, one was minutes on pitch and one was connections between
09:21two or three players.
09:23Should we read anything into your decision with your centre-halves and your goalkeeper in the first half and then
09:30Marcus, Morgan and Harry?
09:35No, not too much. The connections were more like we put Morgan and Oli together because they know each other.
09:42We put a left side together with Dan Burn and Tino and Anthony Gordon from Newcastle so that they have
09:51it a bit easier.
09:51But decisions are not made yet for Croatia and there were no hidden messages.
09:57We tried to have more or less equal teams and Harry and Morgan played many matches for us together.
10:06And then we had yesterday a strong group in training with Jude and Nico and Elliot Henderson and we just
10:11kept them together
10:12because they enjoyed playing together yesterday in training so that was it.
10:17But there were no secret messages behind them.
10:20Thank you very much.
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