Did you see the last two results coming because of the gruelling fixture schedule?
The schedule is really busy, but it is busy for us and the other teams. I always said to you that when you play every three days that you must have a strong squad, to be lucky, not to have big injuries. This way it is easier to face this situation. But we knew about this situation from the start of the season. Now its a moment we have to manage very well, cope with many injuries and to overcome a period of difficulty because we lost the two last games.
Tomorrow is a different competition and we have a good opportunity. We need to go to the next round and it will be a really good achievement for a club like us that last season played in the Conference League and in November we were in trouble.
Confirmation on Romero, Hojbjerg, Kulusevski and Richarlison injuries?
Richarlison and Kulusevski are out, recovering but still not available. Romero and Hojbjerg tomorrow morning we will see. If there is a possibility for them to recover we will try everything because its an important game for us. But we have many games to play until November. We will see tomorrow morning and make a decision.
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After Kulusevski and Bentancur's impact last January which helped you get top four, when the break comes will you have conversations with Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici about adding players in January as there will be so many fixtures?
I think the club understand very well the importance of bringing in important players, good players, in January. I’m not the person who has to explain this to my club.
If you ask me in January what happens when we have to play many other games, we will have to try to do our best. I repeat we have to take this big achievement of going to the next round tomorrow and take this opportunity to do it.
We want to finish in the best possible way before the World Cup. My priority now is not January but to finish in the best possible way before the World Cup.
Best solution for tomorrow, such an important game? Lucas coming back?
If you ask me my idea it’s always to score one more goal than your opponent because that means you are going to win and winning tomorrow is vital because then you avoid having to go to the last game in Marseille to play for qualification.
Lucas Moura is a player who is recovering from a long injury in his tendons. But there are moments when you have to try to take some risks. But we will see.
I want to check tomorrow the real situation with the injuries, who is ready to play from the start or not and I’m waiting until the morning and then I will take the best decision.
Speaking about the growth of the club, how important will it be to get to the next round?
I think it’s important, it’s important for everybody, important for the club, important for the fans, for the players and for me.
We are talking about a big, big competition in the world, in Europe, and for this reason we have a great desire, a great will to go to the next round. Especially because we want to show we deserve to stay in this competition and to fight in this competition.
Is there an opportunity for the players to get into the top two or three level with Chelsea and Manchester United in transition?
I am surprised you are asking about Manchester United and Chelsea being in transition. If Chelsea are in transition after they won the Champions League two years ago and last season they won the Club World Cup. United two years ago finished 2nd. If these clubs that can invest a lot of money are in transition, I don’t know who are the title contenders? Maybe we have a different vision. It’s good to have different opinions.
In November we were ninth. We were playing Conference League. And you think United and Chelsea are in transition? With Ronaldo, Varane, Sancho, in transition? I hope to be in transition this way. I hope so.
I have been here 11 months. You can change the coach but when you arrive and you find a group of players that won the Champions League two years ago, last season the Club World Cup for teams, maybe you find an important squad with players that won a lot. In transition for the coaching and the squad are two different situations.
Your think that Tottenham's transition will take longer than those clubs, are you prepared to see that transition through yourself or be here for the duration of however long that takes?
This is an issue. This is a topic we have to face with the club. We have to focus on the present and try to do our best. This season will be more difficult than last season because after the transfer market you have seen many, many teams have spent a lot. You have to face a lot of big teams. For sure it will be the time to speak with the club. To understand what is the best solution for us.
Do you regard Tottenham as a team still in transition?
This is not the right moment to answer. Since November now and after one year I understood a lot of things. The first moment for me was really difficult to understand. Now I am going into the Tottenham world. I understand very well what our situation is, what is our position, what is our starting point, how long is our path to be competitive and to fight for something important.
Now for sure my knowledges about Tottenham is more complete. For this reason I will be prepared for the moment when we speak with the club and understand what is best for the future. For now we need to focus on the present because we want to do our best in the present. My desire my will and of the players is to do our best and give satisfaction to the fans. That is the best aspiration of everybody. For the other situations we will see the right moment.
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