Afternoon, Graham, can we start with the latest team news, please?
"It's as we were, no problems from the weekend."
Is Kepa now your first-choice goalkeeper?
"I always think it's better to let football decide and Kepa has done really well. He has been supported fantastically by Edou [Edouard Mendy] and Bets [Marcus Bettinelli] and they've provided good competition.
"But Kepa's form is really pleasing for everybody, especially him. So it's nice we've got competition in that area because we need that in the team. We need to push each other and it's how players get better."
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Your goalkeeper coach, Ben Roberts, seems a very special one?
“We think so, it’s why we brought him with us. He did fantastically at Brighton with Rob and he is a good guy, good around the group, and he works the keepers really well. He creates a nice environment for them to push themselves, enjoy their football and be stimulated. He is an important member of the staff.”
There’s talk Denis Zakaria may be considering his future and could go back to Juventus in January, is there an update on that?
“There is no decision been made at all on that. Denis is in the group and has been training well. He is ready to help the team but there is competition for places in that area. He is an important member of the team and is patent and trying to help the team from the side at the moment. He is waiting for his chance.”
Is there any update on contract talks with Jorginho?
“No, no updates.”
What are your plans for the World Cup when a large number of the squad are away?
“We’re probably in the planning stage. We’ll have some time off and then we’ll look at a warm weather camp I think. So it will be a combination of the two.”
What are you expecting from Brentford?
“That’s the beauty of football, you can never predict. I think Brentford are really good at what they do and Thomas [Frank] has done a fantastic job there. They use the quality of their players well, have limited resources compared to everybody in the Premier League but make the most of what they have. That is credit to Thomas and his staff and the players at Brentford. I am always impressed with the job they do. They use Ivan Toney well but it’s not just that, they attack with clarity and defend with aggression and organisation. They are a tough team to play against.”
There was talk that Thomas Frank could have replaced you at Brighton, how highly do you rate him?
“Very, very. I’ve followed his career since I’ve come back to the UK and I knew him in Sweden as well. I know him well, I like him as a person and we have similar thoughts about the game and life in general. I think coaches are judged by how much they get out of the players, how much the organise a team, how the results are in comparison to the expectation of those results, and he does a fantastic job.”
It’s less than six weeks since you took charge, did you expect as good a start as this one?
“Naturally I’m not the most optimistic, I’ll give you a bit of insight into me there. You can’t predict anything but it’s gone fantastically well in terms of results, I can’t complain with that at all. But the way the group has responded, the way we feel in the team is really positive. But it’s only six weeks – feels like six months sometimes – but we have a long way to go and keep moving.”
How is Thiago Silva, is he fit?
“It’s obviously 24/48 hours [since Aston Villa] so we need to make sure the recovery is right for him. But no problems injury-wise, it is just the recovery.”
How big is it for Kepa to have fought back from the position he was in?
“He's a human being, a player, and they want to play and contribute. And he's doing that, so it's brilliant for him. It's a nice example for everybody that it doesn't always go your way and you have to suffer in life sometimes. It’s not always ideal and perfect.
"But I must admit, I've been really impressed with his character and personality, he's very professional, understands the game really well, takes responsibility. So it's nice when those types of people get the rewards, which is a reward of their hard work and effort.”
Brentford were two of the toughest games for Chelsea last season, how do they do that with their limited resources?
“They align their resources really cleverly. The way they play fits the players they have and they are very organised around that. They know clearly what they are doing in all the phases, set-plays are very dangerous, and Ivan Toney as a centre forward is as dangerous as anybody in the league in his way. They have a spirit and understanding and are really well motivated and organised and that is a credit to Thomas and his staff.”
Impressed with how they reacted to defeat to Newcastle?
“I’m not surprised because Thomas knows the process, knows the Premier League, and knows there will be days where it doesn’t go your way or the opponent beats you.
"If you’re not quite there, you can suffer and that is ok, it can happen. It is about how you respond and they wouldn’t have got to where they are if they were unable to understand and deal with that. So it’s an example for everybody as to how you deal with professional sports.”
It’s four games without conceding a goal, what is behind that upturn?
“It’s pleasing and credit to the players, credit to the group. You can't defend with a settled four or five these days because the games are relentless. The challenges are huge in that regard. It's about the team and the togetherness of the squad.
"If you're prepared to suffer and deal with discomfort in the games then you give yourself a chance to keep a clean sheet and that gives you a chance to win, certainly with the quality we have.”
What has it been like working with Mason Mount so far?
“It's a joy. He's a fantastic person, he loves to play football and he loves the club here. It's surprising, though, that I get a few questions about there being to be mixed opinions on Mason. I find that strange, especially from the outside and then when you start to work with him, he's got everything you need to be a top, top player. Great attitude, understands spaces, can execute assists, scores goals, so he's top.”
Given Thiago Silva’s age and injury concern, how do you handle him going forward?
“I have to involve him in the conversations, he is 38 years old and is a man who knows himself better than I do. He’s a really important person, a really important player for us, but we have to manage him correctly and he has to be involved in that process.”
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