Thoughts on Chelsea's anti-Semitism campaign and using the definition by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance...
I think it's an important statement, we hope it makes an impact, that's the whole point.
Bruce, Dr Meyer and Lord Mann spoke very well about it, and in much more detail than me.
But in simple terms as manager of the football club I am proud that the club takes such a
strong stance against any form of discrimination.
And we'll be active in that going forward, which I think today shows.
Words are one thing but actions are another, and we'll always be very strong on that and
will continue to be so.
Reece James new contract, how important is that for the club?
I rate him very highly, I knew him as a youth player in the academy here. I saw him on loan
last year where he did fantastically well at Wigan.
I tried to get him to Derby but he couldn't come in mid-season. But I admired him a lot.
And then work with him, I feel the same, and even more so now he's got his foot into the first team.
I think there's a lot more to come from Reece James, a really talented player. Like a lot
of the younger players, he wants to learn, improve, train and do the right things.
And he has that talent, so it's great for the club that he's signed for so long.
Bruce Buck said he knows who is going to be signed this month?
That was a joke! There is nothing imminent, there aren't people waiting in the wings that
I don't know about, or you don't know about.
So there's no news on that front.
Any imminent transfers coming in to the club?
I won't talk about any individuals and there is nothing as I say.
I'm not going to be embarrassed by anything happening soon, there's nothing.
What remains the same is that the window is open and if there's anything when can do to
improve us then we will attempt to do it.
We are working on that, but also I'm very aware of how I want the squad to be, and how
much we must focus on what is our job in hand which is winning matches.
So that's the focus on Newcastle tomorrow. We'll keep working and there may be news;
I'm not closing the door as such, but it has to be right, in January.
What about the players who could leave? Barkley, Willian or Giroud?
There's no talk here of Ross Barkley going anywhere. He is our player, he played the
last couple of games and he has done very well and because of certain circumstances,
Ross hasn't featured as much here. But, I have got a lot of faith in Ross. That was
just news I heard like everyone else this week and I have no feeling towards it. I am
very happy with him. Olivier Giroud, we all know there may be something that can happen.
The good thing about Oli is that he is so experienced. I have a good relationship with
him as does the club so again, if all circumstances are right it could happen. Whilst it is not,
he is our player. Willian is not going anywhere. We know his contract is up at the end of the
season and he is in conversations with the club which is still ongoing. There's no news
on that. He is certainly our player now.
Newcastle coming up and away form is good?
It is an opportunity but every game in the Premier League remains vital and this is the
same as all the others. Even though we have good away form in general, every game brings
new challenges. Going to Newcastle, I know it as a player and I know it now. The emotion
of the crowd, they are a very organised team with the manager that they have. Also the
threats they have, they have got some good results this season. We will be taking nothing
lightly or expecting anything because of our away record. We have to take this game head
on, as we have to do in these games coming up now because it is massively important we
keep or focus game in game out. We certainly don't underestimate Newcastle. You shouldn't
do because of the season they are having.
Injuries at Newcastle, down the bare bones making it easier?
No, Bournemouth were relatively down to the bare bones and we played them and lost. This
is the Premier League. The bare bones itself can bring out a different feeling in a team,
in a stadium and in players. I think that the way Steve Bruce has handled this season
shows. They were expected to have a lot of difficulties this season and they have fought
against that and done well. So I don't look at the bare bones, I understand a few of their
players are coming back for this game so it is a tough one to approach in a way as there
are some individuals that may or may not play. So I am not considering that side of it.
A good chance to open a gap on United with them facing Liverpool?
They are all ifs aren't they, that's one part of it that we can control is us and Newcastle
so we have to give everything so we have to try and get a result because there have been
moments lately where we could have got results that made us more secure in fourth but we
haven't. So we have to try and learn from that. On the same side you look at Manchester
United, no one would have fancied them to go to Manchester City away and win in the
league. They did that. So I won't expect anything. What I want us to do is to try and win our
game and then we can see what happens with the rest of the weekend.
Is Tammy the main number nine for England with Kane injury?
Only Gareth can tell you that. I look generally at England and the competitive nature of the
squad and how it goes on form and playing for your club, you should never jump forward,
say anything or expect anything. I speak about Tammy most weeks here and the way he is playing
at the minute he is hugely in contention for that, but he has to sustain that performance
and prove it.
VAR, refs using pitch side monitor
What’s the result going to be? It is one of those. I think it is. I understand the
intensity of matchday and some things from the referee’s side that concern them a bit.
But where we are at with VAR, we all have some doubts. It keeps some power in the referee’s
hands on pitch and I think we may get better results. We’ll see.
Top four, usual suspects or can Wolves or Sheffield United challenge?
Of course they can. I don’t think the Premier League, the usual suspects one works so well.
The landscape has changed a lot. A lot of teams have invested money, invested wisely,
improved or bringing something different to the table. The league is so competitive this
year. I don’t think we should look with a prejudgement of any team. If they can stay
in the race of the top for, then they will believe.
How important is it to bring players in this month?
From my point of view, and I will be open about it here because nothing is done yet,
if we can improve us as I see then it would be important. At the same time, if I go striving
for that and lose the balance of what I have got already, then I won’t do that. Whatever
happens bringing a player, players or no player, the fight for top four is going to be really
tough, all the way to the end of the season. We couldn’t do business in the summer window,
it is a transition going into this year and we have had some inconsistencies, which we
are working against. There are teams around us that have got lots of power and weapons
who can win them a big run of games. It is going to be tough, no matter what. But we
have to focus on ourselves.
Pulisic, quicker progress than thought?
No, but I don’t know what kind of rate expecting?
A couple of weeks?
Yeah, we’d like to think so which goes towards the break for us in February, which might
fall at a nice time as it will give us time to play with. Hopefully he will be back on
the other side of that break. It is kind of in line with how we expected to be.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, how is he getting on?
I can actually answer you better this week. He is training now with the U16s. He’ll
train with the U18s, progressing to the U23s in a pretty short space of time. The sooner
that he can be back with us training, the better. But with the injury for a long time
it is standard that you bring him through the academy. We are working every way. But
there is a different look on Ruben’s face, more smiley and happy, which I absolutely understand.
How tough has it been for him?
Tough. The good thing about him is he is not one to walk around with his head down or create
a negative atmosphere, but it is just a lonely place. That is for everyone. He is integrating
more towards us now. Which is great, but with the lad that he is, he could be easily forgotten
from the outside that we have missed a hugely influential player for us. And hopefully we
will get him back, and if we get him back after the break, it might need some competitive
games for him because of the nature of the injury, but he might not be far away.