Most complete performance?
At home, yes. Because of the goals and the clean sheet. In terms of performance, we’ve
been close to that level a lot here and then, in the end, I’ve been left mulling over
a 1-0 defeat.We’ve played some good stuff here, with energy, but haven’t got the unpredictable
bit right the goals that make it comfortable. We have reached levels but today it all came
together, the finishing, the energy, speed of pass, tempo. Getting after the ball and
winning it back. I said it after Liverpool, but we need to keep our feet on the ground,
but we saw some really good stuff today.
Entire midfield three out. So must be encouraging in the performance?
It is encouraging. We’ll always need your squad. We’ve got a lot of injuries, we started
the season with a lot and we have a lot now. But the only way to tackle that is to work,
fight and play at a high intensity and energy and trust in each other. When Billy is 18
and coming into the team is not a problem because I see how he trains every day. The attitude
and focus of the team was really strong today after Liverpool. That is sometimes I am sitting
here and searching for why we have played well at home and not score. There is something
missing, today there was pure focus within the group. Maybe the challenge of the injuries
worked out well today. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves but the application
of the team was spot on.
Are the team getting a second wind?
I’m a bit wary to say that. The last two performances would look like that, but I’m
experienced enough to know we go to Aston Villa away, a team who are fighting for their
lives have got good players, so we have to replicate what we showed today and every week.
Yes we had a good early patch this season. Then we’ve had inconsistencies recently.
Who hasn’t, other than Liverpool, in this league? I think with the squad, how we are
and the transition can be, not accepted those inconsistencies, obviously, but it’s understandable.
But we had to work today to show we can finish the season with strength and get better.
Are the younger players injecting more energy into the squad?
It is always a balance this season, and the younger players have injected energy to the
club and the fans. Look at the reaction to Gilmour. But also rely on the energy and nous
of the experienced players. Pedro running from virtually inside his own half for the
second goal, or Willian today all over the pitch. As a group, everyone can bring that energy.
Olivier Giroud repaying the faith?
He is. When you have Oli and know his attributes and work around that. His selfless self, he
gets the goal and his qualities. Then you must have runners with energy and players
around him getting the most out of it and sticking balls in the box. He is playing really
well. He’s been fantastic in the dressing room. He was brilliant in the dressing-room
in January when it was difficult and we didn’t know where he was going. I am have complete
respect for him for that. Now he’s playing well on the pitch and he’s a personality.
We need that to the end.
Front three experienced and out of contract in summer but are an influence on the kids?
Yeah and you could also probably talk about Kepa. He's not on the experienced plus-30
kind of line but at the same team has been out of the team, shown character by keeping
two clean sheets and there was a brave moment at the end of the game today. You can also
talk about Ross Barkley, who has had big period of out the team this year. And Marcos Alonso,
coming in and performing. That's what we need. That's football. No matter whether you are
four months from the end of your contract, whether you have been out of the team for
a month. You have to train every day at full pelt, you have to be a brilliant team-mate.
When you come in you have to contribute. All those things I've mentioned there, I think
they have done that.
How do you see race for top four?
Still a long way to go. Manchester United play today but are in great form. Their impactful
acquisitions in January have given them a nice spring in their step. They are going
to challenge. So there are quite a few teams, I don't have to name them all. It looks a
small cushion as I sit here now but I don't feel that way. We have to get ourselves right
and fight to the end fit it.
You said you were underdogs but now it's in your hands?
It’s in our hands. When I said underdogs I was looking at the big scene. With a lot
of games to play and a lot points to fight for, I’m not going to say we’re favourites.
There’s a lot of work to be done. At times we have had inconsistencies for different
reasons this year. We have to fight against that ourselves and get the points. I don't
know if we're underdogs or not but it certainly doesn’t feel to me like we’re favourites.
There's too far to go.
Gilmour set the tone in Jorginho's role?
He’s receiving the ball in difficult areas on the pitch. If you don’t move it quickly,
firstly you don’t get the rhythm in our play and it breaks down from, and secondly
if you give it away in those areas it is dangerous. I was going to see a rude word there but you
need confidence to do that. Jorginho has it and Billy has it. One of the most pleasing
thing with Billy today was he showed those balls in the first half but when he stepped
up and played higher up in the pitch second half he instantly took it on board, arriving
in the box and playing balls higher up the pitch. He showed he can do both, which is
a great thing for me when I’m thinking about how the midfield looks at times.
Signs of maturity on display after a rocky spell?
I don’t think we’re there yet. It would be easy for me to say it after today but I’d
much rather say it in mid-May, when the last game is. To think we’re there and to think
that we’ve got over the issues, even at home, would be to over confident and think
we are all right. We are improving in big degrees. We have to keep working. I see a
bigger picture, an even longer run than that. I think we have a gap that is big to Liverpool
in terms of points. At the minute it feels like we’re working in the right direction,
but we’ve got lots of work to do.
Pleased with balance of midfield considering three first-choice players out?
I'm not trying to be anyone but look at how Man City play it with offensive No8s working
off the ball. I'm not going to lie and say, not concerns, but you’re very aware that
when you play two players who could be No10s, they have a lot more work to do off the ball.
They had the capacity to do it so it was more can you be focused and use your energy, maybe
not all the time to go in a forward direction but to use it slightly backwards and be away
you need to protect Billy when the ball was on the other side. We had those talks and
that was one of the most pleasing parts of the performance for me. They gave us that.
When we had the ball, we had two really offensive players creating. Particularly at home. The
players and the midfield got that balance on the pitch right.