What's your reaction to Conor Gallagher getting into the England squad? Did it surprise you?
"It's not something I gave too much thought to, if I'm being honest. It's nice for Conor, fantastic for us, and great for him. He's going to have a really positive experience, I think. I'm delighted for him because he's worked really hard and he's a fantastic person. So it's nice."
Have you had a chance to speak to him?
"I saw him the other day. It's a fantastic honour for him, so everyone is really pleased. It's a nice story. He's come through the club, been out on loan, and the chance to play in a World Cup is great news for him."
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Obviously, Reece James and Ben Chilwell aren't going. Have you had to make sure they're alright?
"Yes, but it's a natural reaction to be disappointed. Reece thought he would be close and did everything he could to give himself a chance. In the end, he fell a little bit short. I can understand the decision and can understand Reece's frustration and disappointment. So we have to focus on the rehab and get them back as soon as they can."
Have they seemed a bit down?
"Yeah, I think that's fair to say. It's normal, though, isn't it? A World Cup doesn't come around very often, so to miss one is disappointing. But they are strong characters and will be fine."
Is it positive that they will have six weeks to recover?
"If you're going to look for a positive, it's time to do the rehab as thoroughly as possible without a timescale hanging over them. So they can focus on that, and then hopefully, we have them when we start fit, strong and well."
Could Kepa have gone to the World Cup had he not been injured?
"I've no idea. Obviously, he is not training, so it's not possible now."
What will you do with the players not going to the World Cup over the next six weeks?
"We've got a few days break as there are only about three or four players left. We will have a bit of a break and then reconvene, a bit of training, and are off to a warm weather camp. There will be a couple of games to prepare for the restart."
Ahead of the World Cup, who do you think will win it?
"Honestly, I've had no time to think about who the strongest teams are at the World Cup. I'll be rooting for England, obviously, and fingers crossed for them."
Are you looking forward to the World Cup break to catch your breath?
"I wouldn't say I'm really looking forward to it, but we have to use it for what it is. It is an opportunity for us. We have a game to finish tomorrow, and whatever happens, then we have to take stock of the time we've had. It's thirteen matches in six weeks, eight away from home, it's been incredibly intense, and we've learned a lot. So we have to take the time to reflect and come back in a stronger way."
Do you need to win at Newcastle going into the break?
"That's what we will be trying to do, of course. Everybody will feel better if we can get the three points, but we know Newcastle will be fighting for them as well. It will be an exciting game, a tough match, but we will try our best."
Are Newcastle ahead of schedule, given they are already in the top four?
"I think it's more a reflection of the job they've done. I think Eddie has done a fantastic job. He has improved the players that were there, improved the team with some really good recruitment – they've spent some money to reinforce the team. I could speak for half an hour about how good I think Eddie is as a person and as a coach. I have huge admiration for him, and he has galvanised the team, and there is fantastic support there at St James' Park."
You know Newcastle's sporting director Dan Ashworth from your time at Brighton. What does it tell you about having the right people in the right positions behind the scenes?
"I've said since Brighton. It's not one person. It's a football club. You need good organisation and a good structure. You need to align all the resources you have. Dan, I'm sure will help with that. Eddie is doing a fantastic job, and Dan is another person who I'm pretty sure will help him."
What have you learned over the past three or four weeks, as it's been a difficult period?
"You learn that it changes fairly quickly. We had a good performance and result in Salzburg, and then it all went a little bit wrong in Brighton. That is a part of life. You have to suffer even though it's not something you don't want to do. We recovered quite well against Zagreb but then didn't play so well against Arsenal, and our performance was not good.
"I thought we played well against Man City, but it's always a process. We are finding out what the players can do, what they are comfortable doing, where their strengths are, and how we can balance the team. I'm pretty sure there will be loads of things that enter the head as we reflect. We need that time as we've been in that period of going game to game and trying to prepare the time. In the six weeks since the international break, it's been incredibly intense and incredibly challenging."
Can you pinpoint what has gone wrong in the league in recent weeks?
"Not pinpoint to the point that there is a simple solution. We played Milan either side of Wolves and won 3-0, 3-0 and 2-0, but then Reece got injured, and he is a key player for us. We lacked a bit of stability then in terms of the right solution and lost Wesley at that time as well.
"We went from NG [N'Golo Kante] being close to being involved and then all of a sudden, a blow with him. We performed well against Salzburg and got a result there when they hadn't lost for 40 matches or something, so that was a good performance from us. We suffered in the first 20 minutes at Brighton, and the first half was uncomfortable for us. That has probably knocked us back a little bit."
Has that knocked you back mentally?
"I don't think so, but any result makes it more difficult for you. It's more the balance of all the matches and understanding the combination of injuries, injury prevention, and load. Rotation is ultimately the enemy of stability and building a structure. But in this period, it's been necessary. But in this schedule, there's been no other way."
Will you need to reinforce in January to get more bodies in?
"Not necessarily. I think there is more to come from the team we have, more to come from the group we have. As I say, we've got some key players out: Kante, Chilwell, James, and Fofana. These are key players, and a couple of them are replacing key players that left in the summer. So the point for me is that we can do better than we have. From a performance perspective, I think the team can function better, and that is where my focus is on."
You played Newcastle earlier in the season with Brighton, are they now a different proposition?
"Yeah, because they've got results and got results deservedly. That builds confidence and momentum. They were a strong side when we played them and probably if I look back, should've won the game. You could see they had physicality, intensity, and good in all phases of the game. As I said, Eddie has done a fantastic job. I really like what they are doing and how they are playing. It will be a tough game."
How much will you benefit from the break personally?
"I'm a human being as well. I've come from Brighton, where everything was pretty much organised over a three-year period and had similar pain that you go through. I ended up here pretty quickly, and you are into the washing machine in terms of the games and the turnaround. You have to deal with all that is going on and the amount of matches you play. You do need time to reflect, and there is because of the World cup break. It would be stupid of me not to do that, to rejuvenate, to recover, to reflect, to improve."
Had words with Trevoh Chalobah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek – unlike Ben and Reece, they were left out of the England squad by choice?
"I have had a brief conversation (with them). They are both level-headed guys, both understanding and very respectful. They understand the decision is not an easy one. They thought they might have a chance, but that's life. They accept it. As with Ben and Reece, there is still disappointment because they had half an eye on going, and naturally, there is going to be disappointment."
What's the latest team news, is Jorginho available?
"Jorgi trained today, and providing there is no reaction, he should be in the squad. Nothing else to report in terms of players returning."
In terms of the break, will you sit down with owners to discuss how things have gone so far and maybe what's to come in January?
"Yes. I'm pretty sure we will. We have regular dialogue, so that's part of an ongoing process. Sometimes you need to reflect, to think, to analyse, and if you have the space to do it, it's better. But absolutely, we need to think about what's happened and what we need to do to improve."
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