Injury update
Luke Ayling had successful surgery yesterday, based on how the surgery went we’re hopeful he’ll be out between two and four months. We’ll see how he progresses but it’s a knee issue that he had to get sorted out so we decided to take this time to get him healthy.
Tyler Roberts was in training today but will not be available for selection, it was his first day back in training. It’s good to have him back and he’s ahead of schedule and will certainly be ready for the start of next year.
Patrick Bamford has looked really good this week, we still haven’t made a final decision on where he’ll stand for the moment on Sunday but he had a day off today inside to recuperate effectively but we’re hopeful we can make the decision in the next couple of days that we can make him available for minutes on Sunday.
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Second, I want to congratulate Everton for a hard fought last couple of months for them but what a game to come back and show resolve and belief and manage to keep themselves in the league so congratulations. For us the results haven’t always gone our way in the last month. We went from after Watford being eight or nine points up and looking like things were relatively secure to then having a lot of teams around us win matches and being sucked down back into the relegation zone.
All I can say is that we’re excited for this challenge, we know we have to be at our best. I never came here to think that this was going to be easy or that it was a given we were going to stay in the league. I knew we would have to fight for everything and that’s the way it’s been and I’ll make sure that’s what I represent on Sunday and make sure the team does the same. Again, we’re really excited for the match.
Emotions of last night?
I watched the matches last night, it’s obviously not easy and there are a lot of emotions going through me when there’s different moments in the games. Watching the matches as well there is always something you can learn about how teams respond, how teams handle moments, what the body language is like, how players and teams handle difficulty. Make sure that we are ready in all those ways, going into the match we want to be aggressive, we know that we want to win and if we win we give ourselves the best chance. I’ve been in these situations before in different leagues where on the last day, whether it’s for the Championship or the placing in a league that you need to know a little bit about what’s going on in another match and how to manage that throughout the game and at half time.
We’ll have communication with our team at halftime for sure and throughout the second half but the key is that the focus for us is to have a good start, bring ourselves into the match really well, be positive, find a way to get a lead. In the reverse way that can put Burnley under pressure if they know that we’re having a positive result in our match. It is still a moment where we have to focus on ourselves to be at our best and play our best, but know exactly what’s going on in the other match.
How have players reacted after last night?
I think everybody’s got a few comments about a mixture of being pissed off, emotional, or disappointed but the mood in the training centre today was really good. It was upbeat, it was positive and we know that we have to maintain a strong mindset and be ready for a big game on Sunday.
Biggest game of your managerial career?
Yeah, I was asked that in a few different interviews yesterday and I answered it in different ways but in the end who cares? What’s important is our team and that we here at Thorp Arch are ready for a huge challenge. We’re positive in our mindset that we believe we’re going to get this done and we’re clear with exactly what we want the game to look like, and what the opponent is. That’s what’s most important.
Easier knowing exactly what needs to be done?
It would’ve been a lot easier if we were already locked into the league but the fact we only have one match to keep track of, and that we have to outpoint Burnley, I think yeah it does make it very clear for us. A win gives us the best opportunity.
How’ve you handled the player's emotions this week?
I think I do that anyway, that’s something I care about – what is the mental and emotional standing of every player in our team and then the group as a whole. I try to represent by how I carry myself and the things that I say, what I would like our team to be and how I would like our team to behave and handle moments. On days like today, days after losses, as a manager I think that’s when you have to be at your best.
Certainly come Sunday I will want to be at my best and give our club and our team the best chance to perform at the highest level that we can and that’s been the focus all week. But it hasn’t required a lot of extra energy, the lads have been focused and the desire to do whatever we can is at an extremely high level and we’re going to need that again. We’re going to have to dig deep again to survive and thrive and get through this.
Robin Koch – available?
Robin trained today, then everyone else who was available for last weekend will be available here. I think he [Koch] will be ready from the start.
Bit of needle between two clubs – come into your prep?
I heard about it and obviously some of our players are connected with that and the history of the two clubs. Eddie Gray was here yesterday and he told me that in the old stadium at Brentford it was always incredibly difficult to play there and with the newer stadium it’s really nice, but that energy is not as powerful and it might be a little easier to play there now. We expect in their last match of the season – in their first season in the PL – for their fans to be there to celebrate what an incredible season and their team to perform for their fans. I think at this point we don’t need any extra motivation and we need to expect that Brentford will be at their absolute best and that’s what we will do.
Spoken to the board about what could happen the other side of the weekend?
We’ve not had any communication other than to say they have done some behind-the-scenes planning to make sure that we’re in good shape in any direction the season may go in. That financially with the player pool, what the future may bring, that we’re very secure and able to move forward in a positive direction, which they said to me at the very beginning. Before I came here, and I asked the questions about what it would like if it goes in this direction, or what it would look like if it goes in that direction.
They were clear that they had a plan, they were able to map out what some of that plan looks like, there is clarity already. In that sense, they’ve kind of left me alone to not have to focus on anything other than the job at hand and do everything I can to keep us up.
How do you cope with the pressure?
I actually slept pretty well last night after the matches, because I still have a lot of confidence in our group. It’s better when we fully control, when with a win we’re definitely in, but that’s not the case. The preparation that we do whatever we can to get the three points on Sunday is the most important thing. Obviously there are stresses involved but I’m OK.
Like I said, I’m not just saying I’m excited, I am excited. For me you don’t work in this business unless you want to be in these situations. At one point most of these situations for me were fighting for titles rather than fighting for your life but whatever. Fighting for results, doing whatever it takes to be successful, is what will be required.
How much of a boost would Bamford be?
Yeah I would say that in training he has looked quite good. I think I may have even said that when he had this injury that sometimes the best thing to do for this injury is to actually rupture it because then it releases the tension in the tendon. That has been the case – he feels very different to what he felt like six weeks ago when he was trying to play. That’s good, he’s looked good, I think he’ll have a positive impact and we’re just trying to physically prepare him in every way to give us as much hope that he can play as many minutes as he possibly can.
Key to getting the better of Brentford?
There are moments in the phases of the match that I think we have to manage. They’re good against the ball and in good in pressing moments, but they also have really good movements when they have the ball. Eriksen is a key for them, he’s had an incredibly positive impact on their team since he’s got healthy again, which is obviously a great story in football. One thing you know about them is set piece situations, they’re very creative, they have dynamic players, Eriksen puts very good balls in and they have a lot of variants in what they do. We’ve prepared our team – today was a set piece day so we worked entirely on video and on the pitch making sure we know what we want those moments to look like.
Have any in the staff been through a scenario like this one?
Like I said, I have. I’ve been through this a lot and I know how to stay focused on us, but also how to make sure we communicate the correct information at the right time so we know exactly what’s important. Three points is the most important, but you can be in the situation where one point is enough. What does the game look like, what does the other game look like. Everybody in the staff has some football experiences for sure, but I’ve been on the last matchday. The weirdest thing for me is that we had to sit and watch a matchday last night that wasn’t in congruence with the rest of the league and then wonder what the results are going to be on the last week of the season. That is very unusual but all managers have been through these moments.
How do you create an environment that takes the consequences away from the players?
Right now it’s virtually impossible. I try to not be a result-based manager, I try to be based on the process. But I’ve had 12 weeks where that’s been really tough to manage and certainly this one will be the toughest. However, the message has been that we’ve had a lot of experiences together in a short time and I think we’ve grown together a lot as individuals and as a group. We’ve modified a lot of the things we do – everything from how we behave at the training centre to the way we play, to our routines and this final matchday has to be a representation of everything we’ve been through in a positive way to be at our best and put our best performance out on the pitch for this moment in time.
What do you need to see in the next 48 hours to make a decision on Bamford?
More than anything that we’re not risking him at any level. At the moment I don’t believe we would be and then to just have one more meeting tomorrow with Patrick what it looks like, what the loads have been, how he feels and then do a final assessment of is he available, how many minutes, what’s the best strategy and then we have to be ready to let him go and play. That’s where we are at.
Eddie Gray – only spoke about Griffin Park or did he speak about more?
Eddie didn’t come to give a talk, he was just here but he’s such a wonderful man and he has a lot of wisdom. He’s been very generous to me, I like speaking to him, I feel like he’s a real person and has real experiences. He’s incredibly positive so we spoke about what this club is to the community, to what it’s like to come here to this training centre, to what it’s like to represent Leeds United, to his nephews and sons, his connection to what football is, this club is, the future of the club with his great nephews and grandsons. What an incredible man he is and that he can still at his age go jogging three or four times a week and stay fit. He looks like a machine so it was great to have him here and nice for me to have that experience.
You said you see yourself as being here regardless of division Leeds are in – still see that now?
Yeah absolutely, when we talked about coming this was about a long term project and I am thankful the club committed to me in that way. You always know as a manager if things get tough that you never know what the future may hold, but I believe with the connections we’ve made and the work style, and ideas of what this football life is, really mesh well together. The support I’ve had from everyone has been amazing but again I’m not thinking about the long term project in this moment. I’m thinking only about Sunday and doing everything we can to prepare ourselves for that.
How do you strike balance between aggression and over aggression?
We talked about that a little bit after the red cards. The motivation here is never a question mark, and the work ethic and commitment. I’ve said all along that it’s about my ability to guide their efforts in a way they can be successful as a group. That’s a challenge right now, it’s just about my behaviour, my beliefs and exuding that in everything I say and do. Then making sure that the clarity of what exactly the match plan is, what we want the game to look like and how to handle different moments in the match and to make sure each player is clear with their role and what we want it to look like and that as a group, guys off the bench and that we’re together. We’re bringing Adam, we’re bringing Stuart, we’re bringing Luke, we’re bringing Dan, everyone is going to be there together. This is going to be about us being a strong a group as we can possibly be and be able to stand tall in the biggest moment in our season.
Thought about the final words you’ll say, or leave it to players?
I’ve done a mix of that always and I have ideas through the week that I think will be important for some of the motivation clarity. But I also kind of have to feel the moment at the end too, so it’s a combination of everything. There are times when I ask the players to say something or to be ready to say something. At the very least to be able to have energy to support the group in all these moments and they have done a great job. The fans, as difficult this has been, they should be really proud of these young men and the way they’ve come to work every day and the belief they’ve shown and the commitment to each other.
Everton pitch invasion show the impact survival can have?
Yeah I saw that [Patrick Vieira incident] and the incident in Nottingham too. You want to see passion from the fans, but you also want to see respect for the game and the players and the teams. Some of these scenes are tough to watch, however I don’t need reminders of how important the moment is. We are very clear on that and our fanbase has been amazing throughout the process.
Players been through loads together – is survival key to keeping this group together?
I haven’t gone through player by player and scenario by scenario exactly what the consequences could be but I am very aware the best chance for us – though there’s always changes season by season – to keep the core of the group together is to stay in the league. I’ve really enjoyed the group, so I would hate to see some of the guys go because I think I’ve made a real connection with the players here. We’ve really enjoyed our time together and I think there’s big potential of what we could become. That’s a big part of my personal motivation is to continue the relationships that I have here.
Done anything different to inspire?
No and I think sometimes in moments like this you have to be careful about over motivating or changing too much because it can sometimes add more pressure and more gravity. I don’t think we need that, I think we need to stay calm and be clear. That’s been a big part of what this week has been, really focusing on Brentford, what we want that match to look like and how we want to play.
Did Eddie speak to players too?
Eddie was at the side of training and he had a conversation with a couple of guys that have known him over the years, then we spoke, Jacko was around too.
