the Chairman here we are again thank you
very much for inviting us to your home
again great to be discussing a double
how do you feel this seasons gone you
must be ecstatic yes I'm very ecstatic
it's it's an amazing season something we
should we should all be so proud of it's
not the first double if you remember
we've done it in 2014 but this one had a
had a very special feeling to it the
seasons been incredible
obviously the records will speak about
that later it's quite sensational so yes
extremely extremely delighted and the
media talked a lot about beautiful
football and the way we want it is that
make it to how much of a difference does
that make to you seeing the team win in
that manner it makes a big difference
there's no doubt about it enjoying the
beautiful football we played this year
normally you say you say that as an
aspiration
it's an aspirational target but we
really have done it this way you look at
the performances throughout the season
I mean I've enjoyed every single game
this season full stop and I think for
anyone that enjoys the creativity aspect
of the game I think what this team has
done this year it's a sensational it
used to be a rowing machine here over my
right shoulder that you used to get on
when you were stressed your ends games
that you were watching on the TV that's
gone honestly Chris it's been a strange
season from my perspective I mean the
enjoyment is always you know a big part
but the stress is a big part this season
I must say it's been it's been mostly
enjoyment the stress side was a lot less
particularly because of the way we
played and the way we've dominated most
of the games it's been truly a joy to
watch and I can tell you I well I didn't
use the mid throwing machine as much as
last year
so what would be your personal
highlights in terms of goals games
performances individual matches well
let's start with the the records that
have been
cheap by the team because I think you
know every one of them has it has its
own uniqueness and specialness 100
points
outstanding I think achieving this tally
it's gonna be very difficult very
difficult for our team or for any team
on that note so I think that that's
that's no doubt that's a very special
thing that I will take forever this 100
points 18 games in a row incredible I
mean anybody that knows football you
know you know a lot better than me cause
winning 18 games in their own and
football frankly in any sport this is
quite a feat and to do it in this league
with the competitiveness that we have in
the Premier League is is unbelievable 32
wins quite remarkable so difficult to
beat 50 points away 50 points away
that's 16 wins 2 draws and a loss that's
me least effective two seasons to get 50
away can you remember let's let's pause
for a second about this 50 points away
from home these are all from a team
perspective incredible incredible
achievements but then there's these
complementary what I would say records a
number of passes per game possession
then you look at the individual numbers
that complement these these records you
look at for the top four assists makers
in the Premier League top four
Manchester City players Kevin Devine 16
Leeroy 15 silver sterling it's it's
outstanding this is what make this this
season so unique I didn't even mention
winning the Premier League or winning
the karabakh up you know we're gonna
look back and I think and I believe that
for for generations to come
they will look back
at this team and at this season as one
of the most incredible seasons of any
premier league team in an English
history I mean that's that's to be out
what are the specific highs and any
specific low if there is one what do you
want to start with the highs were the
lows you choose well fortunately there
was far more highs than lows I'll tell
you a low but it was actually now in
retrospect at high our home game second
hit the second game of the season
against Everton and peple remember that
I remember you know we drew 1-1 it was a
very frustrating game it was if you
remember all the frustrations we had
from the previous season and in that 90
minutes against ever and everything we
went through the same frustrations you
know we had possession we you know
missed so many chances we had a bad
refereeing all sending off Walker the
game changed and suddenly we end up from
a game that we should have won the game
we drew really the story of the previous
season I remember sitting with pep after
the game and and pep was crushed and I
remember talking to him that they trying
to you know pull his spirits up I told
him pepper and it's not gonna be the
same as last year
but when I said that could I have
imagined we're gonna end up with a
hundred points and scoring 106 goals but
that was that was a low that ended up a
high believe me another low for me was
Anfield I mean that was a difficult
difficult day I mean going through the
day getting to the stadium
the unfortunate events that we had to go
through to get to the stadium and then
the way that game played out was really
frustrating and very disappointing I
mean that was a that was another low
highs have been I mean so many so so
many I remember Old Trafford the last
five minutes
I cannot remember ever playing a United
team in which even though the goal
difference was only one I was so relaxed
in the last five minutes but that's how
much how well we played that day and how
dominant we played that way the last
five minutes was a joy to watch was a
high for me just in the way we
controlled the game the way we just saw
this one through without any stress last
five minutes you know it's gonna be
tough
I need to watch Darby much he sat next
to you and it was a joy to watch the way
they just kept the ball kept the ball
kept the ball frustrating the opposition
then I think the away game at Chelsea
that was a massive statement again in
the way we played we went to the
champions we played our brand of
football we dominated and we want
comprehensively it was only 1 0 but I
think anyone that would watch that game
would have known there was one team
playing to win there and one team that
dominated again and the way we played
that I think was it was it was an
unbelievable high so plenty of ice Lanny
miles of ice and those gabriella zoos I
mean come on I mean I all of us maybe
before the game had you asked us you'd
have said in the 97 points if we get 98
if you get a hundred great it would be
nice to get 100 and we've been satisfied
with 97 satisfied with 98 everybody
including myself was like everybody
wanted a hundred points the hundred
points meant so much really meant so
much and then to go through that game
and then for us to score and Gabriel in
the 93rd minute with all the symbolism
that comes with that I mean
you know foot there's a romantic side to
football and I think that you know we
had a romantic season and the way we won
that game in the 93rd minute to get the
hundred points is it is just a beautiful
story to culminate the beautiful season
of playing beautiful football I'm one of
the most satisfying things I would guess
from your point of view is watching pep
guardiola on the coachee field and
getting the best out of players who have
been around for a while I mean is that a
testament to pepped coaching the ability
and how much satisfaction did you
actually get from one you know one of
the things I enjoy most about my job
particularly now is watching us prepare
for four games you know the way pep
coaches and managers training is it's
truly a joy to watch the way he prepares
these players is is really something
that that I will always enjoy but I
think also his ability to develop and
improve players you look at sterling I
mean sterling has been transformed like
that a lot of people don't give sterling
the credit he deserves but you look at
his his his outcome and as his results
this year his personal data in terms of
goals scored in terms of assists he's
you know at the age he's at I mean his
numbers are unbelievable and and I think
you know obviously this is testament to
his character and his ability and but
also and the way pep has helped him
really evolve as a player then you look
at John stones I mean John stones you
know from day one pep has has always had
been a massive fan of John and a big
believer and you look at how he's well
again in his understanding of the game
in his ability to understand the way pep
wants to play and the way that role that
central defender is so critical in the
way this team plays John has done an
incredible job and has evolved
unbelievably again over the last 24
months
Leroy sanik I remember Leroy's first
game I think first minutes and that was
at old trafford away last season and you
know he started he was nervous it was
his first and you didn't know what
you're gonna get with Laroy you take it
that Leroy that nervous sort of
confidence young player first entry into
the Premier League and then he look at
what he's done this year at his age his
numbers are unbelievable I mean you know
this guy was tied for the most assists
and the entire Premier League to the
last day of the season and and only got
beaten by his colleague on the last kick
of the game and then maybe finally I say
Fabian Delph I mean look at Fabian he's
gone from a central midfielder a player
that's plays in the midfield
across you know that midfield three or
four whatever formation he's always
played in to becoming one of the best
left backs in the league and that is not
an easy position a left back for stop
then a left back in a pep system there
is a highly demanding role that I think
is a testament to to dowse ability and
character but again to tip Epps coaching
and ability to transform a player like
Adele into that position and making so
successful ways hardly we may have been
one of the best left backs in the league
this year so so really I think PAP has
done a great job in developing players
and I think there's not a single player
in our squad there's not a single player
that's what that's not that has not
improved under pebble in terms of our
youth players some really good stories
so young Folden was the youngest ever
Premier League winner
Diaz came through and Tosun and the
Mathieu both both played how please view
with the progress on that side you know
Chris we've spoken about this many times
over the years and and I would say this
is one of the things I'm most pleased
about it is incredibly rewarding that a
product not just any product of the
Academy is finally now part of this
first squad but not just part of it part
of it with real contribution and
with a what an exciting future had you
look at the names you mentioned Phil
Foley
Brian Diaz Lucas dementia Tolson I mean
these are all players that have come
through our youth systems come to our
Academy and have contributed contributed
to the first team and it shows you that
the commitment and the investment we've
made over the years and the commitment
that pep is putting through to that part
of the of the team development is now
paying off who is going to hopefully
have a a great future is only 17
brahim is only 18 Lucas is young I mean
these are young lads that are developing
well we will continue to support them
and there are others many others that
hopefully are you know we can see line
of sight right now where we know we have
the quality in the Academy and we know
we have a manager that's gonna give them
their chances to contribute to the first
proof of that would be the UEFA League
semi-final for the first time ever to
the finals weekend an incredible game
against Brussels to lose five four at
the ends I think no nothing to be
ashamed of forward in and brahim their
work up time because they played with
the first team in the champions they're
gonna think of that both Phil and brahim
played for the first team in the
Champions League this year and that's a
testament really to the way our first
team has performed and the way our
manager has consistently stuck with the
with the commitment to give these boys
the chance to to play at the highest
level but even without them we made it
to the semi-final and and you know to do
and we lost 5-4 to the eventual
champions so we're making great progress
in the under-19 group and in the Academy
and uh honestly across this is an area
that I'm very very proud of so having
said all that I guess the elephant in
the room would remain the Champions
League and reaching the last day is no
bad performance but it's not quite what
we wanted how would you how do you feel
about that and frankly Yahoo one of the
biggest thing that disappoints me this
year I mean there's been so many
obviously great things but the one
disappointment that will stay with us as
we could have done better and in the
Champions League
we should have now the positive
that's gonna give us so much more hunger
for next year going knowing how close we
were this year we're on the right track
I feel good about really the development
that's happened in the Champions League
for us over the last 12 months and yes
I'm disappointed but I'm optimistic
because because of the standing we have
how do we ensure that we don't tail off
as we did in the two years after we lost
one or two titles so is it a matter of
more changes in the squad buying better
players this time making sure were
active in the market changing the squad
a little bit is are all those things
important because each last 10 years
nobody's defending the Premier League
title it's all of the above we have real
experiences real learnings from how we
manage our seasons or following seasons
following following them the last two
times we won the league we've worked
very hard over the last couple of years
to build the squad not just only for
this season but for many seasons to come
this is a young squad many of our most
talented players are you know under the
age of 26 my expectation and the
management expectation and certainly
perhaps expectation is that this team
will continue to improve we have a coach
in or a manager and pep that is
relentless there is not gonna be any
content here or any relaxation but now
that I can assure you I have no doubt
that I think this summer we're going to
come back and we're gonna come you
hungry and we're gonna be more
aggressive and we could have continued
to grow and improve and I think in terms
of improving the squad also we've had a
lot of learnings over the past today we
have a superb high quality score you
don't get to a hundred points without a
full high quality squad which is what we
have now any additions have to improve
this model and I think this is my
biggest learning from from the years
obviously of chairing this club when
winning bringing new players in is a
very important decision because you have
a winning formula that's just one
whatever you can add has to be a
decision that you don't take very likely
at all and you have to bring players
that will strengthen
improve and add competition into the
squad so that is key and by the way as
always when we look at what we need to
add to the squad that work starts a lot
earlier even before we won this league
and even before we want all these
records we've made our decisions from
January in terms of really what the
squad needs to needs this summer so
it'll be business as usual you've seen
us operate over the last couple years
you see the same this year we know
exactly the targets pep is identified
what he needs and we will support him in
the same way that we supported them
since he started with us almost answer
the next question is how far advanced
are these talks and does the World Cup
and the transfer window opening and
closing earlier make any difference well
number one course it's not gonna be
about numbers it's really about quality
for us this year
we don't need six or seven transfer we
don't need that we have a squad we need
one or two editions of quality of high
quality to support this bottle and
that's what we're gonna do Peck's new
contract is a wonderful exclamation mark
it's what's been an incredible season
what pop has been has been an really a
joy to have as part of this club we
finalized the contract of agreed on a
three-year a new three-year contract so
this is great this is fantastic news I'm
delighted that Pep has committed to
continue with us and frankly you know
this is really a product of the
environment we have of the culture that
we've developed in this club of you know
the entire organization from the
ownership design a chef muscle he's
built a fantastic relationship with
everyone so this was not a hard
discussion this was frankly I think a
conversation where that was relatively
easy I think we see eye to eye and we
shook hands on it and I'm happy to
continue this journey I think a lot of
people all over the world who wear
sky-blue colors were very happy well
they should be they should be we have an
incredible manager we have an incredible
team we have an incredible organization
and I think everybody should be proud
about what's been achieved this this
past season it's so it's a season that
you know
you have to be on very proud of and and
we will continue to do what we've been
doing to continue to improve and
continue to try to to do better