antonio conte happy
What did you say to your players at half-time?
It’s always very important to have a moment especially between the first and second half to analyse with the players. Also with the staff a way to try and improve the situation. Especially in the first half we struggled a bit for many reasons in the physical aspect. I think we play against a team very fast but at the same time I felt that the way we suffered together… we suffered but I don’t remember a big save from Hugo. Then in the second half I tried to fix some situations in the tactical aspect. But at the same time we had a lot of energy to press high and create chances, and I think in the second half we did very well because we created chances to score more goals and we played with an important intensity. We put good pressure and the second half was really difficult to play against us.
What did you make of Ivan Perisic, he looked very good?
It was the same for the rest of the team. He struggled in the first half, with the rest of the team he improved a lot. I have seen the Ivan Perisic I know from Inter. When we were together at Inter. For us he is very important because we are talking about a player with a great experience. A player that won a lot in his past, has played in an important team. He can bring experience. I was really pleased with the impact of Ryan Sessegnon. For Sess, who is playing well this season it is very very important to have a player in front of you like Ivan. In front of him Sess has a great career, and I think for Ivan was the same as the rest of the team. First half he struggled, second half he improved a lot. Now I want to see him in the same way – in the first half the same as the second half like the rest of the team.
How satisfying was it seeing Harry Kane make the difference?
But Harry is a player who has to make the difference, for his quality, for his ability. We’re talking about a really world-class striker who can be dangerous in all aspects on the pitch. We tried to exploit him, to give him the possibility to score. For me, the big surprise about Harry is not only on the football aspect but the person. We’re talking about a really good person, a really good man. He’s always ready to help the team, to work for the team. Usually when you have this type of player, they can be a bit lazy without the ball. Because they like to play with the ball but without the ball [they think] ‘I don’t run because I have to be fresh when we have the ball’. But this was a big surprise with me, working with Harry. I know he reached another big achievement, a personal big achievement. But we’re trying to work together, with the team and always with Harry to have not only personal achievements, like last season for example when Son was top scorer in the league, but to try to have a big achievement together for the team and the club. I think every single player is ready to exchange a personal achievement to reach a trophy. We’re working on this aspect. The path is difficult, the path is long but we have to try to do this.
How encouraging is it for you that with seven points from nine there are still more gears to go through for your team?
I have to be very clear. In my opinion last season this type of game, you weren’t so prepared to find this difficulty and probably this type of game you’re going to lose at the end. In fact last season we lost at home against Southampton, at home against Wolverhampton and against Chelsea. Now against these three teams, I was really worried when I saw the schedule (laughs). I said that if we repeat the same results as last season we stay after three games with zero points. Instead to get seven points showed that this team is improving in many aspects, but we want to continue to improve because for sure this is not enough to be competitive, to fight for something important, but we have one year in front of us to continue to work, to implement our tactical knowledge. I’m confident because this group is a really good group of people. There is great chemistry between us and I think this is important because when there is chemistry you are able to overcome the difficulty.
Today against that three-man midfield they looked to have control in the first half, how difficult is it with your system to overcome that?
In the first half we started to do something that was creating problems for Wolverhampton with some good movement. Then we stopped doing this and I think that we are working to build in different way with a three, with a two, with four. For sure to have a group of players with eight months of work in the past helps me to implement their tactical knowledge. For sure we are trying to do different situations and also during the game we did this. Maybe for someone it was difficult to understand this because we are talking about tactical situations, but we did and also I repeat in the second half it was really difficult for Wolverhampton to find the right solution to avoid and score and create chances to improve the result.
Can you tell us what you changed?
We are working in many aspects to try to give more difficulty to your opponent and to find solutions when you have possession. I think that we are working well and we have to continue to do so, but it’s ok. I’m really happy.
Gennaro Gattuso has said that he wants to bring Bryan Gil to Valencia next week, will you sign a new player to replace him if he does leave?
I was very clear in the press conference before this game. This squad is this and if someone goes away then another has to come. This has to be very clear for everybody. Otherwise we stay with this squad and we continue our path with these players, this squad. But if someone has to go away, along another must come. This is very clear for me, for the club, but we are totally agreed on this aspect.
Do you think Bryan will leave?
This is not my task. About the transfer market you have to speak to the club. I think we have to respect their role.
