Dele Alli had a big chance at 2-1 and the game suddenly went the other way after
that, does that show how close these matches can be?
The match was close and will always be close. If you look at it in that perspective then
yes we missed a big chance to score a beautiful goal and to make the score 3-1. That's football
though and nobody to blame.
Ben arrived in a great position, the cross is great and Dele makes the run that he has
to make. He's pretty good in the air for a player who is not a striker. He's a good header
of the ball. He was unlucky.
When do you think you'll have Hugo Lloris back from injury?
I don't know. It's hard to say when he's going to be back. Is it a big problem? I don't think
it is, but ready to play today and have to wait.
Was it a fair result?
I don't think so. I think it was a very good game with two teams that nobody was happy
with the draw. Two teams trying to win it. Of course two teams with different styles.
They are what we all know they are, incredibly fast and strong in counter attack. We are
a different team. Obviously without the strikers we tried different solutions.
I think it worked in the sense that we managed to score goals. We managed to have some opportunities.
We managed to arrive in dangerous positions. I don't know as I don't have the data at the
moment but I believe we had more possession than them. We had more control than them.
I think it's unfair, the result is totally unfair for us but that's what it is.
Was the difference that they had a striker in Jiminez, someone who has scored 23 goals this season?
It would be too easy for me to say that. I prefer to focus on this game today and try
to forget the players that we are missing. They have Jiminez yes, fantastic player, and
they have that incredible counter attack which is very difficult to stop, especially if you
don't have that mentality they showed.
For example in the first minute of the game Ruben Neves makes a tackle on Lucas, going
to counter attack attacking spaces. That is nothing to do with the game but it is something
that one day I would like the opportunity to ask the PGMOL people.
The game is from the first to the last second and what happened I don't think the referees
have to look at their watch. If there's a penalty in the first minute it's a penalty.
If there's a red card it's a red card. If it's a yellow card then it's a yellow card.
So that is a yellow card. That is a way where the referee shows immediately what you can
and cannot do. In the last minute they did the same with Dendoncker which the referee
gave a yellow card. The referee correctly gave a yellow card.
I think that's the way a team has to play football. That's the way they did.
The referee is there to punish but they had the correct mentality. I think we were punished
not just today on the second and third goal but for quote a long time because we don't
have that aggression, ruthlessness. I think we are too good, too nice. That was the only
thing that made a difference to the game.
Otherwise I think the team was really good. Wolves were not expecting, they were in trouble
for periods of the game. We didn't have one single problem apart from Wolves' individual
qualities so it's difficult to cope with those qualities they have. So unfair result, totally
unfair, but for the neutral I think a great game.
Is it frustrating to keep closing that gap to the top four but then missing the chance?
If I am going to explain I am going to be repetitive. This week I used the words, we
have to try to keep close until the moment we have our power back. But you are right,
it’s frustration not just for me but also for the players. We recovered 11 points and
went to one everything changed for us. It’s frustrating but we have to keep fighting like
we did.
I cannot complain about the players’ spirit about their fighting. I can complain about
some psychological characteristics - that is something not easy to pretend. But I have
nothing to complain about the players at all. I think the result is very unfair.
Can you explain your defensive line-up as it's unusual to not see Toby or Jan out there?
Eric played very well. I think Eric played very well. So I think if Eric’s performance
was not as good i would understand the question but I think it was very good. The thinking
was simple, the think i was Davinson and Tanganga are the two fastest central defenders that
we have.
Eric is the one who by nature is a midfield player so playing in the middle between those
centre backs is the one who is normally more comfortable to step up, he's more comfortable
with reading the game and passing.
So it was a mixture of giving security but at the same time keeping fast people at the
back. I think they played well, especially Eric was very, very good and sometimes you
concede goals and you blame goalkeepers and defenders. Other times you concede goals and
it is a global situation and I think it was when it comes from a transition. Sometimes
when it comes from behind midfield I think it's not about them.
You've previously said Troy Parrott was not ready, now he's on the bench is he ready now?
He is not ready, he is not ready.
He was on the bench?
He’s a good kid, a good talent, he’s a kid we want to help. He’s a kid who needs
help, not just on the pitch but outside the pitch. He’s a kid we’re going to take
care of like we have since the beginning. And he’s a kid who is obviously going to
have a real opportunity in the right moment when we feel it is the moment.
Why was he on the bench? He was on the bench because Lamela told me before the game he
was not even ready to go on the bench.
So in that moment, without Lamela, we brought Troy in and in the last five minutes we put
on a striker who at least knows the position so he could try to fix Coady and at least
try to give some more space and freedom to Dele. That’s the way it is.