Do you feel you should have got something from that?
Disappointed in the end we didn’t come away with something, we had a real big opportunity to do so but look, we’ve been here a few times now and it’s been the same story. The last few times we’ve been here, it’s been the same thing. I hoped tonight we’d be able to change it but just not quite able to get over the line against them.
The penalty save and Tomas Soucek’s chance, is it those opportunities why you felt you should have got something?
We didn’t play particularly well, we knew we just didn’t quite settle right at the start. I thought we got much better at the second half, but even when we hadn’t played particularly well in the first half, we were a threat. We gave the ball away numerous times in the opening 20 minutes which meant we gave Liverpool the ball back most of the time, which is not a good thing to do. We kept at it, stuck at it, we were resilient, carried a little bit of luck when we needed it and eventually clawed our way back into the game. To be fair, the last ten/15 minutes of the first half, we’d done quite well and we played well in the second half.
Because of the way you played, does this performance not impact you too negatively?
No, if we perform like that regularly, we will pick up a lot of points. I’m more frustrated because we had big chances at the end to probably get something from it and we didn’t quite get it done.
What is the latest on Lucas Paqueta’s shoulder injury?
I can’t give you a time but he’s got a bit of a shoulder injury.
Is he going to be okay for the World Cup next month?
I just said, I’ve got no time so I’ve got nothing to give you on that.
What did you make of Flynn Downes on his full Premier League debut?
I wanted to have another midfield player and I thought I needed it with the way Liverpool play. I thought he did really well. I’ve had quite a few from the Championship and some have taken six months to be first team players. There’s a lot of things he did well so I’m pleased for him. He’s starting to get noticed now.
How difficult is it to play how you want to when your side pick up injuries?
We’ve played more games than any teams in the Premier League this season. We’ve had more two day turnaround than teams at the moment. But we’re happy with that because we’ve qualified for Europe and have had lots of Thursday games. Injuries are going to be part of that and we’ve had it. We’ve been without centre halves for games this season. Paqueta was beginning to find form and we’re enjoying having him so not having him today was a big miss.
How is Declan Rice physically having recently spoken about the busy run of games?
He was the best player on the pitch by a mile tonight. He’s a top player, could play for any club he’s that good. He was back to his best tonight. For long periods he had fantastic parts of play, how he took the ball and drove past people with the ball. I thought he was the best player on the pitch tonight.
Do you think he is back to his best?
I think it’s him getting back to his level. Last season, he was playing that way in every game just about, he was so good. Tonight, he was the standout for me, certainly as the game went on, he was the standout player.
Have you noticed a pattern that your teams have often performed better in the second half of games than they have in the first?
No, we know about it and we’re trying to start the games much quicker and find a way of getting ourselves into it. I thought the first 20 minutes we gave the ball away numerous times when we had a chance of keeping it. When we got control of the ball and passed it better, certainly in the second half, we did well. The performance in lots of ways was really good, we just can’t quite get the goals at the moment to go along with it. It was the same at Southampton on Sunday.
Is there a temptation to tell your penalty takers to smash it down the middle like Julian Dicks?
Do you think we don’t tell them that as well?! We tell them to try and hit that netting at the back somehow, just put it in, I don’t really care if it’s down the middle or in the side or wherever they put it. Like everybody else, we practice we try to do the right things, we give the players their own licence and thoughts about what they want to do. Jarrod’s scored [twice this season] and I felt as if he would score tonight when he stepped up but we all know Alisson’s a fine goalkeeper and he made a good save.
You mentioned that you have had a few near misses here, is that due to a lack of belief or quality?
I actually see it differently. I actually see it that we’re challenging a top team. We’re talking about a team that’s been in European finals in the last three or four years, a team that’s in every cup final, a team that gets 96, 98 points every year. We’re coming here and putting a challenge on them and that tells me we’re getting closer. When I took the West Ham job, first of all I had to avoid relegation but then I said I hoped we’re able to challenge the top teams. I think we’re giving a lot of the top teams a run for their money. Maybe we’re not quite that good yet but for long periods tonight we gave it a go.
Did Kurt Zouma’s return help the team’s balance in being able to return to a back four?
We’ve chopped and changed a little bit because of personnel and sometimes the games in Europe suiting a back three and changed it around. We’re missing Craig Dawson as well, I think we’ve been without Daws for six or seven of the ten games we’ve played so far. That’s been a big loss, even at set-pieces and stuff like that, it’s been really important. Kurt came in and we’re glad to get him back.
How close was Craig Dawson to returning?
I wouldn’t say that close, no.
The current top seven is last season’s top six and Newcastle United. Is it going to be a big ask to chase them down?
I think we were probably the best of the rest for the last two years. My aim is to chase them, to chase them down and I hope we can do it again. That’s the Premier League, you never know how it is, it’s really competitive. I hope we might come from behind this time to catch them up. Newcastle had an incredible second half of the season last year, not only did it keep them up, it got them up the league, so we have to try and do that.
