A difficult afternoon. Was it a bit of a case of plastering over the cracks with the injuries? There were only seven on the bench.
Yeah, it wasn’t so much that, it was the fact of the quality of the players that were missing through injury and the fact that so many others who really could have done with a rest after playing two matches in four days in a week. We were having to sort of patch them up to get them out they really because if I’d have listened to the sport science or medical department they wouldn’t have played either because we were so worried about them getting a serious injury. I thought the players did remarkably well. I thought that we started the game extremely well. I thought throughout that – we were playing one of the top teams in the land in the form they’re in, they’re right up there really with Man City. So I thought that to keep them at bay like we did and to keep in the game for as long as we did and I thought the second goal which was a deflection was a bit unfortunate. Who knows, we might even have got a positive result from the game but I still I still feel really positive about the match and very, very proud of the way the team performed.
Like you said, missed opportunities. What did you make of Andros Townsend’s chance in the first half?
Well I mean they missed a couple of chances; it’s a chance, of course it is. He had to run a long way, he was under pressure when he shot and he struck it well and it narrowly missed the post. I think you see them all the time in every game of football that is played, so I don’t make anything of it. I make a lot of Andros’ performance today, I thought he was excellent. You know what he put in, really summed up, what we as a team were putting in. I was concerned coming here, I knew it’d be very, very tough I knew that they’d be on the front foot, and of course I also know what great quality they have as a team. For me we cannot ask any more from the players and what they gave to Crystal Palace Football Club.
Christian Benteke was missing. What impact did that have? Did that change how you set up today?
I’m not certain I know what you mean by you know, setting up to play. I mean we probably would have still played with one centre-forward and two wide forwards. Andros would still have played and, you know, it would have either been Jordan or Wilf on the other side so it wouldn’t have changed in that respect; it wouldn’t have changed the three midfield players. But of course you know if Benteke had been fit, he probably would have played it. If Luka Milivojevic had been available he would have played; if Eberechi Eze had been available he’d have played; if McArthur had been available, he might well have played. All of these things really are, you know, what we have to contend with, But most importantly we had to contend with this is a third very tough game in a week. Our programme is Aston Villa, which is not an easy game; but it’s Arsenal, where we played extremely well and, you know, losing the 91st minute in a match which we definitely hadn’t deserved to be behind in. And then today we come up here we make a good fist of the task that we have confronting us – to stop Liverpool winning the match and getting into the Champions League. With their – if you take Virgil Van Dijk and Gomez out of it, they’ve got the two young centre-halves – all the others you know we’re talking world class players. Two-nil, it would have been nice if we could have won two-nil. But you know, let’s be realistic, you know that for us to have won two-nil today, it wouldn’t have been a question of playing a slightly different team or a slightly different formation, we’d have had to be very fortunate.
Did you consider bringing Jean-Philippe Mateta on at any point? Was there a particular reason that you didn’t decide to go with him from the start in place of Benteke?
No, it’s just a choice of players, you know he’s available. But we preferred or, thought that our purpose we better served by having someone like Wilf Zaha playing up front because with his pace and skill we thought he might cause the young centre-backs a few more problems. I think they’d have been happier playing against a big centre-forward of Mateta’s type that they could have, you know, fought a physical battle with. And we thought the Wilf playing up there might cause them more problems and that it certainly look like that was going to be the case in the early part of the game But we couldn’t establish good enough possession in the midfield as the game wore on. But that’s because this team we are playing against are very, very athletic, very very good at pressurising the ball and they don’t give you much time, So it’s not always that easy to find the passes and show the composure you’d like to show.
How are you feeling now after the final game?
I think the answer is strange, really. Luckily I’ve had a little bit of time to prepare it, which is good. But it’s been a whirlwind of a four to five days and there’s been so many fantastic moments in that four to five days: the press conference and the way that was received and then of course, the reception at the game on Wednesday night which is really very very special. The guard of honour from both teams, you don’t expect to see that very often. And then of course Friday was the presentation to Ray Lewington and myself from the players and that was a really incredible moment, and then I’ve had to try and process all of that, and then get ready to come to Anfield for the final game. A game which we always knew was going to be a very, very difficult one for us. Especially with a team that you know we, we’ve had the patch up a little bit because we’ve had so many important players missing. So now I think I’m just pleased in a way that it’s over, I’m pleased that we’ve got through the game without any catastrophe or disasters. I think we showed that we are a very honest and hard-working team that respect the integrity of the league, and I’ve now got to come to terms with the fact that my last game has been played, and I’m actually pleased that that last game has been played here at Anfield, of course. Because you know this is one of the temples of football, and you know you are in the Premier League to get visits to Old Trafford and Anfield – that’s what it’s about. And in some ways when I look back on it with a bit more distance, I think I’ll probably be quite pleased that was here the last game, albeit against a team that was two good for us on the day.
During the game it was announced that you are moving on to start looking to the future by taking this role looking at the future of football on the government panel. Is that the sort of thing you now want to do in your next stage, how you can help football?
I didn’t hunt that job down I was just flattered that I got a phone call. Friday I got a phone call from from the minister’s office and Tracey Crouch asked if I would be available and would be prepared, of course to help out on her panel. I was very flattered that she thought of me and asked me. More than happy of course to offer my services for what purpose, they’re going to serve I don’t know! But I do believe very much in the inquiry and I do believe very much in the idea of having football looked at from all angles and I’m just pleased to be able to play a part if Tracey thinks I’m able to play a part. But it’s not, it’s not exactly a job as such, it’s just something which I’m asked to do and I believe, asked to take part in some discussions on a regular basis.
On the subject of injuries, James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate went off with injuries, Michy Batshuayi wasn’t in the squad at all. Can you give us an update on those?
[Batshuayi] had a back problem so he didn’t feel it was gonna be good enough for him to take part in the game so that’s one of course that we just had to swallow that, just in the way we’ve been very unlucky with Luka and his family situation not being available, extremely unlucky that Christian Benteke after the game on Wednesday didn’t recover from the slight problem he had in his calf. Today I would think, certainly with James Tomkins, it was quite simply out for four or five months, maybe and hardly played for us this season. We’ve missed him through injury, almost throughout the season and that’s saying something because we think he’s such a good centre-half and makes us so much better when he plays. But now we’re asking to play three matches in a week. And those matches aren’t exactly easy matches: Villa and then Arsenal and then Liverpool away. I’m afraid his body just told him you know at half-time and in the early part of the second half: I can’t take it anymore. Cheikh I think is a little bit the same. I think it was just a question that he’s worked so hard. I don’t think that it’s gonna be a long term injury with either of them, I think they’ll both be up and running soon. James has got time now until next season but for Cheikh it is a bit worse – he’s got to go to play some international matches for Senegal. But I don’t believe it’s going to be a major problem.
Your last team talk today, was it a normal routine? Something special you did with the players?
It was normal, in the sense that we’ve tried to prepare this game as a normal game and we’ve been anxious Ray and I that we wouldn’t let ourselves down in any way. We knew that to come up here and get a win that that might be more of a fantasy area than clearly realistic, but we wanted to make certain that we played the type of football that we play and show the character we showed; the work rate, the organisation the discipline – all the things which really we’ve been so proud of having instilled if you like over the last four years – they were there for everyone to see today. Okay. Liverpool unfortunately were a bit too good for us. And they won the game, but there was certainly no disgrace in our performance whatsoever. But I suppose the big moment for Ray an I was on Friday when the players made a presentation. I think that was where something which will live with both of us for as long as we live, I’m sure, because that was that was out of the ordinary. And I think that anything that needed to be said us to them, them to us, was basically said then. So today, it was team talks but ‘this is what we’ve got to do defensively’, ‘this is what we’re going to do when we’ve got the ball’, ‘this is how we’ve got to defend from set plays’, at half-time ‘these are things we might need to change’. That’s what it’s been about today and that’s I think how it will be now.
