What were your thoughts on the performance?
First half defensively we didn’t have any issues – apart from the goal that we conceded with the set play that was disallowed – but with the ball we were extremely inconsistent. Every time we found the advantage we could not link to get into the final third which gave us a problem that we didn’t have any penetration or threat on goal. Then the game was always open because that allowed transition moments, that allowed no continuity in our game to play the way we had to. But in one of the few moments that we did we scored the goal. We went 1-0 at half time and obviously that’s the moment to grab that and use that moment to control the game and use that to go even more than one goal and try to kill the game. When we had four opportunities – one with Eddie, two with Martin and one with Auba – we didn’t do it. Then out of nothing we concede the first goal out of a throw in that we had. So very disappointed.
Can you give an insight into what the confidence of the team is like because a lot of players look low?
Well, losing today is tough because we lost at Old Trafford but we had the feeling that we should have got much more from the game. Today if we had been at our level we would have won the game but the reality is that we weren’t for a big part of the game and not consistent enough. When that happens away from home and you give something to the opponent, it’s very difficult to win in the Premier League. So very disappointed to today.
You chose to leave Nicolas Pepe in the bench again tonight. Is there a particular reason why he’s not been involved much recently?
Because I decided to play Eddie today. To bring him on. He created three chances and hit the post once in 25 minutes I think.
Is Gabriel Martinelli OK?
I don’t know we will have to assess him. He felt something in his hamstring so I’m not very positive about it.
It’s another game where you’ve had a lead and gone away empty handed. Is that a real frustration?
Well very frustrating, because when you are 1-0 up away from home – and we knew the scenario and the context we were playing in tonight with the situation they were in – we should have done much better. Obviously you have to put the chances in, but our general play, the way we executed what we wanted to do, it wasn’t consistent and good enough.
You brought on Eddie Nketiah out wide over Nicolas Pepe despite his contract situation. Can you understand why people are questioning that?
He does every day in training what you see him do here. Every single day. That’s why I picked him.
