Any team news?
Not much.
How’s Declan?
He’s fine. We will make the decision on whether he’s available or not.
Calafiori and Zinchenko?
Alex and Riccy will still be out of the squad for tomorrow.
Will you make wholesale changes again tomorrow?
We will decide that in the morning in relation to how the squad is. It’s obviously the quarter-finals so it’s a very important match. We will try to be the best team to win it.
You’ve only won one trophy. Is this a chance to win another?
And the Charity Shield as well no? So that’s three. Winning more that’s what we want. We want the big ones that’s for sure.
Can you fix any open play issues with the squad you’ve got or do you need to do something in January?
I fully trust the squad and our players. The amount we generate in the match and how little we concede I fully trust my players.
What are you expecting from Palace?
It’s always really tough. When you look at the results they’ve had recently and their approach it’s always really tough. It’s another layer of difficulty particularly when you play a team twice in four days. We’ve prepared for that.
Do you need to win this trophy or would you want to win it?
We want to win and do everything we can to win it.
So you don’t need to win some silverware to relieve pressure?
It’s not about that. The pressure is about being at a big club or winning the major trophies. This is what we want to do.
How frustrating was Saturday?
The frustrating part is watching it back and seeing all the things that team has done without getting a reward. Looking back at all the games in the league our margins are 10 times bigger than many other teams that won that day. This is football. At the end what we have to do is put the ball in the net and then we don’t have that issue. With the way the team dominates the game there’s very little to say.
Do you see why people say you’re over reliant on set pieces or Saka?
That’s always the narrative. When you score five goals and another five and three you’re not going to talk about it. If you concede it’s ‘you don’t have many clean sheets’. That’s normal. That’s the narrative. For us it doesn’t change. We want to improve regardless of if we score three or five. Even though we didn’t score on Saturday we want to do better defensively.
How much do you need to balance the need to rotate?
We have managed the squad in the best possible way to make sure the team is fit and available, feels part of it and is ready when the team needs it. If we have to make changes I’m sure the boys are available. We have to make changes as well because of the numbers.
What’s your assessment of that stats saying you’re not scoring enough or creating chances?
It’s very different to that.
How so?
The depth. The depth of the analysis is what I’m interested in.
Are the players prepared for Palace to do what Fulham and Everton did by sitting back?
They are slightly different. As well, I don’t think Fulham wanted to sit back. They never have that approach. They have played against Spurs and Liverpool and haven’t done that. It’s what you’re able to do to teams sometimes that they have to do certain things. The score has a big impact on that. We will face one game or another.
How hard is a magic moment to create?
A magic moment is not only scoring a goal, but it can also be against Manchester United last year when Gabriel plays the striker offside by millimetres. That is a magic moment in my opinion. We have players that are capable of doing it, doing it every three days, that is when you become a world class player and a player that wins games by an individual action and we are trying to develop our players to have more of that because that will be another source of winning games.
A lot of that (is mental) and making it happen and believing it can happen again and creating the fear in the opposition that a player or two can deliver that. A player can become easy to say predictable. I know what he is going to do but stopping what he is going to do is something else.
Snowball effect of winning a trophy?
I think so. I fully believe in that, the fact that you are winning and you get into the next round and it creates something different around the team and that is why these kind of games are so important.
Pep took these games v seriously – is that something you learnt from him?
Yes, because it keeps everyone on their toes and everyone is willing to play those games and those competitions and if you can win it is momentum and belief and you are ready. The team is engaged every three days so to try to achieve that for the bigger ones.
Do you have the resources to go big this January?
It will depend on what player it is, the value in that player, and if there is any movement in the squad so it is difficult to answer.
First trophy, that pathway still applies if you win the League Cup?
It is really helpful, it brings belief, trust, positive energy, touching the cup, and being in the semi-final and beating somebody in the final, it is that energy and it creates the right path to go and do something else, particularly because of the timing and when the competition is played in this country, it gets that momentum going.
Five-year anniversary?
I don’t drink wine but it will be a special day, five years in this job of a club of this size is a big thing so I am very grateful. I won’t do a celebration but I will reflect on it and we will have some memories and look through pictures and comments and a few moments that we have spent together and recall it and value it because it is quite a long time.
Angry and frustrated fans, do you understand that?
Yes. We have to win. We are here to win games and although I think we did enough to win it (against Everton), the fact is, we didn’t.
Sterling did it come on – a reason for that?
No.
Can Ethan and Odegaard play together?
Obviously, depending on who they are surrounded with, and depending which position, Ethan can play as a right-attacking midfielder, a left-attacking midfielder, he can play as a right winger and there is another position I think he can develop into.
What do you like about him being No 9?
He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
