Are there any new injuries?
Same squad, not any news. The team is full like the last game.
Three wins in three in charge of Spurs, have you enjoyed this experience?
I enjoy winning, I enjoy seeing the team ready to play important matches. And I enjoy when the team does what we prepare. And the way they played last game made us - not only me, also Antonio - proud of the team. Because they played a great match. But we repeat we have to be consistent with the pace of the game, from the start until the end. And Sunday will be a tough match and we know we have to repeat a game like West Ham.
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Is the main decision this week whether Richarlison or Son starts?
The decision was about the condition of the players. Richy had recovered 100 per cent, Son had a problem that he bring with him for a bit of time. Sometimes player that has a problem needs time to recover and be well prepared for the next period. In the next period we have four games in 10 days and every game will be tough. We need every player 100 per cent, it will be tough and we need every player 100%. If we have one player 100 per cent and another one 70 per cent, we have to choose the 100 per cent player.
When will Antonio return?
We don't know yet but my feeling is that he's very close to coming back.
Is Emerson Royal benefiting from the competition of Pedro Porro?
I think competition is a good thing for all players and we expect that this type of competition could be in every position. We hope all the players feel that everyone can play a game and the decision comes from training. And if they push training, they play well. If they have competition for sure they push in training.
There's currently an 11-point gap to Chelsea, is that reflective of two squads?
I think we have the points we deserve. We hoped to have more points because maybe sometimes we were not so consistent. I have no opinion about Chelsea because we are focused on our team and the way we play and our process in the league so we are happy for our squad and the result but we want to be more consistent.
What has been Antonio's impact recently from afar?
We speak a lot and if we compare when Antonio had the surgery three weeks ago to now, it is completely different. He is completely involved. We transfer to him our feeling, this sensation we have on the players. He can watch also the training so the energy is coming again 100 per cent so it is completely different now Antonio is back and he is involved in every situation and every decision.
Are you looking forward to Antonio's return?
I am looking forward to having him back and i think when he comes back if you want the part of your body something when you have the energy is completely top and so when he would be back I think the impact of Antonio will be incredible.
Will Antonio be back for Sunday?
No, I don't think so. It is not the moment but he is very close because I feel also his energy. We have a call three time a day, also in the evenings so absolutely I feel Antonio like he is here.
You spoke before about working with Romero on his timing to stop him getting so many yellow cards. Against West Ham he was flawless, is that something you've really concentrated on in training?
I spoke about this after the match when Romero concede a yellow card. It is about the timing and the decision he takes when he decides to tackle or not. It is important the timing but in his mind he has to find the timing. We work for sure in training and in training he needs to feel the same. When is the time to go, when is the time to wait and when is the time to respect the opponent and when is the time to tackle so we work on this aspect.
Is Alfie Devine fully part of the first-team squad now?
Since we have lost Bissouma and Bentancur, Alfie Devine is part of the squad completely 100 per cent. He train every day with us. Sometime we let him go to play with the Under-21s because he needs to play. He is a young player and we want him to feel ready to play a game. If you don't live the possibility to play a match, they lose the power and young players need to play many, many games.
How good can he be?
He has the quality, he has power in his mind. Mentally he is a good player because he train every day completely at our level.
Where can Spurs be in 12 months, can you be title contenders?
Title contender is not a description we like because to be a title contender you have to show in the schedule to be a title contender. We need facts to be a title contender. Everyone can speak about this but you have to show and need to stay there. We are happy because if we compare our team to last January, now we are better but we have to continue to work and improve. Last season we struggle too much against Chelsea and we hope this season that can change.
How far away do you feel from being a competitor? We've seen Arsenal jump up the table this season.
We have the same points we had last season and we finished the fourth position. We can do it also this season but we need to feel the confidence to do it. Last season when we lost all the cups and all the European competition, we felt the confidence because we had time to work all through the week.
This time with European competition we don't have that possibility but mentally we have to be better.
You mainly been an assistant in your career, apart from one spell at Alessandria...
Yeah I had two opportunities to coach by myself. In Genoa, as the coach of the U21s, and Alessandria.
Has this experience made you think you might like to be a number one again?
I don't know. I enjoy a lot to be a coach in charge but when you take a decision you have to do your best. Sometimes I think about being a coach, like a dream. But I'm an assistant and that's the reality. I enjoy being an assistant. I feel I'm good in this job enough to continue.
Do you enjoy everything else around the coaching, speaking to us and making decisions, the element you don't have to do as an assistant?
Taking decisions when you're an assistant is different the way you take them, because you think more about training and creating a good pace in the training. Also working maybe sometimes individually with players and you can enjoy a lot this aspect, because an assistant wants to improve the players individually and wants to create the right pace in the training.
It's amazing when you feel the player following you. When you are a coach you have to take the decision and feel the responsibility, take a decision that affects the game and the win. So it's different, the responsibility is much more but maybe this feeling you enjoy to win and to take decisions.
Like an assistant you decide on the pace and the training and help your coach in the decisions.
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