Just a check on the squad, are you expecting any players to return or any players that might miss out this weekend?
"To have this busy schedule, we don't have the time to change our situation. We played two days ago and I don't have any news about injured players. We'll have the same players I had for the last game. Willy [Gnonto] was available and on the bench last game."
It was a huge result in midweek for the battle to stay up. Is it the same again this weekend?
"We have to know how difficult it is to get a win in this competition. We did it in our last game, but we know how hard it is to get the three points in play. Of course we have a positive mentality and we'll try to do it, but we have to be humble and to give the importance to every single point we have."
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Whether you call them 'six-pointers' like we do or not, how important is it for you this season to beat the teams around you to stay up?
"When we see how the competition is, we can see that the differences are minimal and we have to be ready to try to get points in every single play, in every single game because we know everything changes very quickly. Then, we try to be focused on the next game and knowing the game, or trying to know, that the next game is the once we need to win."
How many points do you think you'll need to stay up this year?
"I don't know. We need the next three points, the next three points I need it."
Will forty [points] be enough?
"I don't know. If you see different seasons, you'll see different points, different situations but I am not concerned with that. I'm only concerned with the points available in the next game."
Moving up in the table to 13th, does it feel like a weight has lifted?
"For me, nothing has changed. We need more points and we try to play with the same desire, the same energy. Nothing has changed for me."
With regards to the width that you've been playing with, Luis Sinisterra played really well the other night. Is that something you've focused on bringing back into the side?
"Luis... everybody could see how well he played. In my opinion about our wingers, all of them is keeping a high level when they participate in the different games they play in. We could speak about all of them but they've all played well in different games. It's something I'm proud of, because I can choose different ways to play. Last game, we played with Jack [Harrison] on the right and with Luis on the left and I think that was the best option to attack, to find spaces in that game. But I know that if I choose other players, I'm sure we'll keep a very good level."
On Jack, have you had a word with him or had any one-on-ones with him? He seems to be playing great football again and how key is he to this football club?
"Nothing different than others. I try to speak with all my players because it's my job. I have to try to help them to improve their level, with the players that are playing more, you speak more about different actions in games, but I like to speak to all of them because they deserve my consideration towards them. Then I try to take care of all my players the same way.
"Jack is keeping a high level, assisting, scoring, working a lot for the team and I think it's in the level of the team, always with the desire to improve."
When all the wingers are fit, how do you make that decision to choose two wingers to play?
"It's not easy, but I try to pick the best players for every single game. It's the most difficult decision in every week. But I have to do it, and I'm always thinking what is the best for the next game."
I spoke to Illan Meslier yesterday, and he was very complementary about the football. He said that the players are playing the football they want to play. Did you discuss with them a style of play they'd like to play when you came in?
"Of course, it's my job to take that decision, but of course we spoke something about it when I arrived at a new club. First thing for me is to know the characteristics of the players, their positions, where they prefer to play, and then after that I have to choose the best solution, the best shape, the best way to play. First of all is to know better my players and after speaking, after watching them in training sessions, after living with them in different experiences, I have to choose the best option."
How difficult is it to prepare for a game like Crystal Palace with their managerial changes? Roy Hodgson back in, what are you expecting from them at the weekend?
"I expect a very difficult game, for sure, like all the games in this competition. In this case, it's a new manager that I had the opportunity to face him when I was at Watford. I know him very well and I know he's a very good manager, very nice people. All the staff in the different games we've played against them had good behaviour. It'll be a pleasure to see him again and to say hello again."
Roy had been in the game for a very long time now, are you expecting an equal time in management?
"No... no. For sure, no."
How important would it be if you were to make it six points out of six this week? This could be a season-defining week if you get the three points against Crystal Palace.
"I know now we can speak about how important it is to get six in a row, to get six in these two games, but I am not watching our last game to give more or less importance to the next. For sure, we need to win the next, but we did it in all the games we've had to do before. Now it's a new game where we know our objective in play and we need the points. Now it's try to be focused on that game and give all importance. It's like if it were a final for us. We need the points and play and we have to play with that mentality."
You have a number of games at Elland Road still to play. How important is it with your home form and the wonderful supporters you have?
"It's massive for us. It's something that I am sure will make the difference for us, playing at home with our atmosphere we have. I think it's special for us and you could feel in the last game when we started losing the game and all the support we felt in that moment I think, I'm sure it helped us to get the three points. It's something extra for us and I always want to thank our supporters for the support they give us."
Junior Firpo has not played this many games in a row since 2019. How much has that helped him and how do you assess his form over the last few weeks?
"I didn't know that, but I think he's one player that is doing many things well and in the last game we spoke about how important his defensive work was with the team, speaking about the defensive line, how concentrated they were in the moment we were attacking. It was, I think, crucial for getting the points. All the defensive line is at a high level and I am trying to improve our defensive work because when I arrived we spoke about it. II think it was something we needed to improve. Not only the defensive line but the whole team."
A Leeds fan told me on Tuesday that when they win, you can feel it through the entire city. How does it feel to be a part of that and have you experienced it elsewhere in your career?
"I could feel the relation between the supporters and the team from my first game. Even yesterday for example when I was in the memorial of Christopher and Kevin, two supporters that died 23 years ago. It's something you can feel the difference in the club. You can see the relation between the supporters and all the club. It's something really emotional and something I think we have to keep for the next years."
When you speak to someone on Liam Cooper's standing, the captain, a very long-serving player, how difficult is it to have that conversation to tell them they won't be playing in the game?
"I think it's difficult when the players you have don't understand many things. But I can tell you first of all, I have very good professionals and they accept all my decisions. Always... not smiling but with a good spirit because they only have one objective: try to help the team. After that, of course they all want to play more but after the game yesterday, one of the first things I did was to thank all of the players, their behaviour they had in all the time we've had together. Trying to push the team from the bench, from the stands.
"It gives us something different to other clubs, I don't know in other teams what is happening but what I feel is that we have a very good atmosphere and I'm sure that it will help us to get our objective."
Brenden [Aaronson] hasn't had the goals of Jack or Luis, but you've played him a lot. Can you elaborate for us what it is that you like about his impact?
"I think Brenden now is concerned about trying to score goals, to score more goals for the team. But he's doing a great job for the team, playing in between the lines and creating play, helping a lot in the defensive work as well. That's the balance we need and when we're defending, we need all of them to have the same mentality like Brenden has or when we're attacking as well.
"We try in the future to give him more skills to finish better, score more goals, be more clinical in the chances we have but it's something that's coming because he has the right attitude."
The last time you were in the Premier League was four years ago. |From what you've seen so far, how has it changed? What is different about the style of it, the quality of it?
"I don't know if there are many changes from my last experience. It always was hard to win in this competition, to win games, to get points was always very demanding. Now, at this moment of the competition, we are arriving to the end and all the teams can feel that moment and all of them make an extra effort. Maybe it's the moment when you can see all the teams in a better level, but in my opinion I don't see many changes."
You enjoyed good times and success in Qatar, but now you're back here. Do you feel like you've missed it?
"Of course, the levels are different, but my experience in Qatar was unforgettable as well for me before the World Cup in a country where you could feel football, you could live football during 24 hours a day. I tried to help the players I had, most of them were playing in the Qatar national team and I enjoyed the time I was with them. The differences are clear, I don't have to explain it. I was happy there and I'm really happy here as well."
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