Congratulations, Jesse! How much does that go down to your response when going behind?
We’ve talked a lot about good starts and I actually thought we had a good start. We gave up a little bit of a strange goal and we talked that they like to play a lot of chips to the second post and we don’t deal well with that, it takes a real balance that doesn’t allow Illan to have a good read on it. I thought even after going down that we responded in the rest of the half and pushed game, found the goal and some ways a little unlucky not to find the second goal in the first half.
To give credit to Wolves they pushed the game really hard in the first 15 minutes of the second half. We weren’t at our best, we were running too much and we didn’t have our legs. I knew at that point that making the right subs was going to be important and Klich came in and made a big difference and then Sam Greenwood as well. It was a good to see those guys come in and make a difference and then to see us be resilient like we know we are and find a way to validate the good work with a good three points.
How do you see that, Klich and Rodrigo are different sorts of players but why did you think that move would create the advantage?
READ MORE: 'No faith in VAR' - Pundit stunned after Rasmus Kristensen denied Leeds United penalty
One of Klich’s qualities is he can run. I knew we were struggling to cover spaces a little bit where Neves was and to pick up some second balls. Right away when he came into the match he helped settle things down a little bit and he was in some good spaces. I thought he was disciplined with his positioning and then he made some good plays with the ball including the second goal action. So yeah, it was good.
There were four debutants today, how did you feel Aaronson did amongst the others as well?
We've talked as a team to with our new players about what the league level is like. Even in practice matches, it's hard to mimic exactly what the intensity is. There's three players that have played for me before but also Mark Roca, when he was at Bayern Munich he learned a lot of the kind of behaviours about what we'd like to do against the ball and so I think his adaptation has gone really smoothly.
Brenden, I thought had a good performance. You know, I hear it's being credited as an own goal, but I thought he was active and lively and dangerous all match.
And Rasmus, how did you feel he did?
Yeah, good. I thought he won some duels, a little bit unlucky on the goal that when he goes into body that the loose ball winds up costing him a little bit, but I thought he defended well, I thought he ran hard. I thought he made good decisions with the ball and this is what I know of Rasmus is he'll give everything pour his heart into every match.
The left-back has been talked about a lot, how impressive was Pascal Struijk today?
Yeah, thought Pascal was good. We talked a little bit about his positioning with the ball and when to be in like sort of a quasi-three build-up and when to be in a four build-up and to read the opponent and then how we create rotations in the timing and some of these moments. For me, I'm really pleased that we look like a team that understands what the tactics and ideas are with the ball much better than what we were last year. That was a big struggle to try to implement, tactically what we wanted to achieve. So we still have a lot of work to do. But I think again, the three points validates the pre-season we've had and the work that we've done
You and Bruno had your own little battle off the pitch, what was going on there?
It's normal in some ways. I respect Bruno a lot. He does a great job with his team, so no problem.
Pascal seemed intent on explaining something to you at full-time…
That was what I said about some of this positioning and build-up phase and then how to read a little bit what the opponent's doing and how to position himself easily so that he's playable and that he can also have solutions for what the next action is. The discussion was really good because he's smart and so we talked.
He was explaining what he felt and when he saw it, I was explaining a little bit what I felt and what I saw and it was good discussion. I thought Pascal defended well and was good on set pieces played really well. So really happy, really happy with him.
Should you have had a penalty in the first half?
I have to see it again. I felt live like Rasmus, after the ball was gone, was just taken out. A lot of times they give the goalies the benefit of doubt, but if you touch a goalie when you go to challenge him as a field player, it's always a foul.
It looked like to me that Rasmus headed it and then he was taken out by the goalkeeper which in many ways, if that's a defender, I think it might go down as a penalty. So I'm not sure I haven't seen it again, but I'll say yes, it should have been a penalty.
You talked about the start of the second half when Wolves came at you quite strongly but the team weathered the storm, how do you see that?
That's what I take away from the match in general. First, we had a strong first half and responded really well going down a goal, that we weathered the storm in the second half, and we were still fairly stable. As much as they had the ball and they were moving around, it's not like they created huge chances.
And then the response of the subs and the performances we got off the bench. Those are the three things I think that were important and valuable for us moving forward.
We know the opening day optimism is huge for all clubs but for you, how much is that a relief?
Even when you watch Fulham v Liverpool today. When you watch this game, you see that teams aren't in top form yet, and so the games are going to be a little bit more in the balance. So finding a way to pick up points in these early stages can help you in your season when you're at the end of the year and you're really fighting for positioning.
The fact that we're more stable, I think that we're clear with what we want the tactics and the playing model to look like is going to be helpful for us. And then yeah, it's going to be about making plays and defending well in the right moments and finding ways to capitalise on matches. So good start that we get the three points.
Jesse, how much of a difference does it make when you have a pre-season, compared with coming in midway through the season?
I said this a lot last year, the way that I was welcomed here by everybody in the club, including the players, I've never felt better about being somewhere. But the reality is that the work was embedded in stress. So it was difficult to really implement things the way we wanted to.
Now, that being said, I still feel like we've got a lot of work to do to get to ultimately where I can where I see us and where I would like us to be, but the work every day from the lads is amazing in and it's a special group that way and even the new guys have not only just fit in but I think added to it, so it's good.
I know you’ve made light of the confrontation between the managers, but it obviously happened twice, in the first half and at the end of the game…
Well, you can go back to it at Wolves last year. There’s emotion in these moments. I wanted to be respectful afterwards but it didn't quite go that way. I'm okay. I think he's okay too.
To replace almost irreplaceable with the individual brilliance of Kalvin and Raphinha, does it require a bit more solidity in the team and a lot of teamwork as well. And I was just thinking as well with the two in front of the back four, does that offer you more protection?
I think so. In general, I think our vision of the game, we always have room for individual quality, but it's about a tactical unit, 11 players at all moments in all phases of the game really being connected, and trying to prevent and manipulate the opponent, from finding the game and trying to tilt the game in our favour.
The beauty of it is it's not you're not dealing with chess pieces, you're dealing with people and finding a way to maximise the quality of each individual to help them understand how to grow and improve within the playing model, and then making sure that there's clarity for everyone who steps on the pitch at all moments, is the challenge of this job for in my vision.
So that's what we try to do every day and again, it pleases me a lot when I see guys off the bench who are ready and not disappointed that they're not starting not disappointed that the situation is not easy for them that they're ready and understand that the commitment to the team and that every individual is massively important.
Does today prove that Mateusz Klich is needed here?
I think that if you guys have watched how I interact with the team and how things work, there's always emotion from me and from players. I was a player and I know what it's like to be on the pitch and be p----d off at your coach or frustrated with a game or frustrated with a teammate or whatever.
None of this is really personal. It's just Klich and I have had some different moments where we've had good discussions and sometimes disagreements on things but I like him a lot. I like guys who say what they think right and Klich says what he thinks.
I think he and I have a good understanding. I like him as a player. And it's just about, you know, trying to figure out, always putting together the puzzle of what we want our team to look like and how does each piece fit. I felt strongly that we were going to need him today and I spoke to him before the match about what the role could look like. I think he came in and showed his quality and played quite well and helped us in a good moment.
Does something have to be agreed between you about where this is going to go over the next few weeks?
I can understand that some people have questioned it because we haven't had him involved in certain things. But you know what, let's see how things go. I know as long as he's here, he's fully committed.
That's the most important thing. It's clear that he wants to play because making the World Cup should be a big goal of his but we have to also think about as a club, what's best for us and what's best for how it all fits together.
How would you evaluate Tyler Adams today?
Quite good. Any time he was within 5-10 yards of the ball, he was able to put pressure on the opponent. I think he won a lot of duels, picked up a lot of loose balls. He was very clever and clear and calm on the ball. Yeah, I think provided a real presence for us in the midfield. I think Tyler is, if you include pre-season, playing some of the best football of his career and I know how much even more potential he has.
Did you have any specific advice for Adams or Aaronson?
Not really. I've talked to them about their adaptation within the team environment and then also what the league is like but the both of those guys are incredibly intelligent. We know each other really well. I think there's an ease to the way we work. So I'm pleased for both of them because I just think so highly of them as people. So yeah, I think they both had a good match.
READ NEXT:
Leeds United confirm 2022-23 squad numbers including Raphinha's successor in number 10 shirt
Leeds United’s bench divides opinion as supporters react to line-up for Wolves opener
Leeds United hit back at claims Radrizzani's not investing, Orta can't scout and there's no ambition
Leeds United could have their left-back transfer answer by full-time vs Wolves
Rodrigo praises Leeds United summer activity as he outlines targets for new season
