00:22okay good afternoon thank you for joining us today we will take the usual
00:27format and begin with the broadcast section James of Undra in Sky Sports News
00:32where you go James
00:33Hi Xavi, there's been an important change at ownership level of the club, do you see this as a positive
00:39step?
00:40Yeah good morning I think that is an important day for the club when there is a change an important
00:47change in the structure of the club
00:48in the ownership and a few points I have for sure thanks the former owners for the work they've done
00:55I was not here but I know that they played an important role and now that Bedad is taking more
01:03control almost full control
01:04I think it's good that the main one is clear I have very good relation with Bedad he was the
01:09one that came to Madrid to explain the project to convince me
01:14and we are working well together and as I mentioned this is phase one that we have completed in the
01:20project of the squad
01:22and it's good and now we move on together
01:27The ambition of the club is clear how confident are you that Chelsea will soon return to challenging for major
01:34trophies?
01:35That's why we are here to work to get into that position and knowing the competition that we have
01:48but for sure the ambition of the club, the potential of the club, the dimension of the players, of where
01:57we are
01:58we know where we want to be, we know that everything takes time but the ambition for that is very
02:05clear
02:05What can you tell us about João Pedro?
02:07Because he won't be involved with Brazil over the course of the next few weeks
02:13In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad we are having the last training session tomorrow
02:21so no one is ruled out for us for Friday so I prefer to be cautious and we will wait
02:29till tomorrow
02:30to take the final decision on every player
02:33Are you able to confirm what the injury is that João has?
02:36No
02:38Is there still potential he could play against Brent for tomorrow but then not play for Brazil?
02:43It is a possibility
02:46Moises Caicedo, you said you were hopeful he could play this week, is he getting closer?
02:50He is getting closer and tomorrow we will take final decision in the team and in the squad
02:56that is coming to Brent for
02:58Rhys James wasn't involved in the part of training which we saw on Tuesday, are there any concerns there?
03:05No, it was just a decision for Tuesday and we see his development and tomorrow we will decide
03:12On a positive note, Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson, are they getting closer now?
03:17Are they in contention for tomorrow?
03:19Tomorrow final decision, sorry mate, sorry mate, I am repeating but your questions are the same
03:25But before the players know, I think that we need to assess all the decisions with the last training
03:32And tomorrow we will take the decisions for the game in Brent for
03:38There has been a number of changes you have made defensively over the course of each Premier League match so
03:43far
03:43What are you looking for from your defence tomorrow? How are you ensuring that you do remain more solid?
03:49Well, the defence is all the team, it's not just the back four or the back five, whatever
03:55So it's about the team, it's how we compete, how we adapt to the different moments when we take the
04:04lead or when the game is even
04:07Again, we need to have the same mentality to be competing in different moments, we know that the Premier League
04:13is very difficult to control the whole game
04:15But to be able to adapt and to feel that awareness that is needed is very important
04:25And for sure we have had four weeks, four or five weeks, I don't know, since we started
04:32This is going to be the seventh game in this block
04:36It's an important one, of course, it's before the international break
04:39Because it's Premier League, because it's away against Brent for all, it's tough
04:43So we will have to play with high demand game
04:48Going back to Jao, clearly it was a real disappointment for him missing the World Cup in the summer
04:53So does he view it as a blow that he won't be joining up with Brazil?
04:57No, he has moved off from the summer, from the World Cup
05:00He has shown this desire, this determination to have a great season so far
05:05So the summer is far away now
05:10But how about this upcoming camp, is there a disappointment that he won't be with Brazil now?
05:15He will be in the future for sure, I'm pretty sure that he's going to be
05:19Thanks James, Vishali?
05:21Hi Xavi, I know you said that the defence is about the collective, it's about the team
05:26But Moises Caicedo, you know, he hasn't passed the Premier League so far this season
05:29But the win percentage when he does start games is quite clear
05:34When he plays, Chelsea win more games
05:36So in terms of the balance of your side and his presence in midfield
05:41How much do you feel that when he does start games for Chelsea, it will help with that balance?
05:46Moy is one of the top midfielders in the world
05:49And for sure anything with Moy in the middle is a better team
05:52And we are aware of that
05:53But at this moment, we will see tomorrow
05:58He has not been able to play
06:00So we have had to cope with that situation
06:06And when he will play, we will benefit from his qualities, from his balance, from his presence
06:13I think that he's very inspirational for the players around
06:15And I'm looking forward to it
06:17In terms of Brentford, a big part of their play is fast transitions, set pieces, long throws
06:23How have you worked this week to try and set your team up to combat that?
06:28Yes, they do that very well
06:30But not just that
06:31They do other things
06:32Not just the transition
06:33Not just the set pieces
06:35I think that it's a team that they have
06:38It's a club that they have developed their project and the game very well
06:43They have very complete in many, many aspects with the ball, without the ball
06:48So I'm playing there
06:50You see the numbers
06:52And it's a great
06:55They have great strength playing home
06:57So it's going to be a big challenge
06:58I saw the game from last year
06:59So it's
07:00You learn from everything
07:01And tomorrow is going to be a big test for us
07:04And one final one for me
07:05You played twice against Keith Andrews as a player
07:08When you were at Liverpool
07:09He was at Blackburn
07:09And you won both of those games
07:11How old do you know him?
07:13Well, old days
07:14Old days
07:15Good old days
07:16Yeah, but I remember always enjoying playing against Blackburn
07:21A few times that we had to play there
07:25And I have most of them good memories from my days in the Premier League
07:31Thanks for Charlie
07:32John?
07:34Just one more on Jean-Pedro
07:36Is he training today?
07:39Is he near finish?
07:41Is he training?
07:42Is he ready to play?
07:44We will see tomorrow if he's ready to play
07:46And we will take a decision
07:48Okay
07:49And one on Moises Keseido
07:51Do you expect him to join up in Ecuador?
07:53Or would you rather he didn't?
07:57I don't know if he's in the cold of Ecuador
08:02But we will focus on when he can play with us, with Moy
08:09And that's my concern
08:10And after the other things I don't control them
08:12I'm presuming that a player who's been out for quite a lengthy period of time
08:16If he suddenly comes back into games this weekend
08:18It wouldn't be ideal if he then joins up for three weeks
08:22Yeah, but it's international duties that sometimes you need to
08:27You can't control them, so we'll see what happens
08:30The international break is a long break
08:32I mean you're going to be without your players for two and a half weeks
08:35At this stage of trying to build something here at Chelsea
08:38Is that frustrating?
08:40No, no, it's frustrating
08:41It is what it is
08:43So I try not to get frustrated with things that are out of my hands
08:47So I can't control them
08:48So we have spent already some time together
08:54And we will have more time to spend together
08:57There is no Christmas break here
08:59So we will be together here in Christmas as well
09:02And there will be plenty of games
09:04So we have taken some steps forward
09:07And many more to take forward
09:08Just on the Premier League as a whole
09:10How have you viewed it so far?
09:13Do you see Arsenal as a cut above the rest?
09:16And how far behind them do you think you are?
09:18It's too early to sell
09:20For sure, Arsenal and City have won all the games so far
09:25But still, so many games
09:28I knew, but once you leave it
09:31You realise how tough is each game
09:34How tough is to win
09:36You can take for granted any game
09:39You need to give your best level
09:40Because you get punished whenever you are not
09:42And we have experienced that
09:46But I think there will be good moments for all the teams
09:50And bad moments for all the teams
09:51And just finally
09:52You mentioned that about Brentford
09:53And the set-piece threat
09:55So you spent a lot of time this week on set-pieces
09:57And Austin Dupree
09:58How important is he in the club?
10:02We want to have top specialists in each material
10:07In terms of offensive power, defensive power
10:11In set-pieces
10:11And Austin has this great experience in the Premier League
10:17He's helping us a lot
10:18And we have trained
10:22Like we always try to prepare the games
10:24And know what we are facing tomorrow
10:26Thanks, John
10:27David
10:28Hi, Xavi
10:29A question about Balesta
10:30I'm not asking if he's playing or not tomorrow
10:32He's not quite clear about that
10:34But he hasn't been able to play for you
10:36Since the start of the season
10:37I'm curious about
10:38How can you help an injured player
10:39Who has no Premier League experience
10:41To actually adapt him to what he started today?
10:46For sure, the adaptation
10:49Is through the competition
10:52Sometimes you can take it gradually
10:55But other players
10:56They need to go straight to the competition
10:58Straight to have a good impact
11:02To learn quick
11:03And who will be there to help Marco
11:06I think that he's young
11:07He has a lot of energy
11:09A lot of potential
11:11And the step is big
11:13To come
11:14Well, because it was his first year
11:16In Serie A last year
11:18And to make this step
11:20But he has a lot of qualities
11:21That we are looking for
11:23And that he has to adapt well
11:25To the Premier League
11:26And a more general question
11:27We are approaching international
11:29Right
11:29So obviously
11:33Are you happy with the level your team is?
11:36And what do you think you need to improve as a team?
11:39Well, it's obvious
11:40In defence we can do better
11:42In attack we are doing well
11:43But we need to find the right balance
11:45Between the defence and the attack
11:47To not consider that many goals
11:50It's for sure clear
11:52And I think that
11:54I'm sure that we will do it
11:56It's
11:57We have had
11:58Everything takes the time
12:00We have had
12:02Circumstances that
12:03Haven't allowed us
12:04To create the stability that we want
12:09But once we get it
12:10I think that
12:10We will be more solid
12:12Thank you Davide
12:13Thank you everyone
12:14Cameras off please
12:16Thank you
12:16Thank you
12:16Thank you
12:16Thank you
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