Evening Graham, you must be very happy with tonight’s result?
“We have to be. To come here and win is absolutely not straightforward. You could see from the start of the game, the crowd and atmosphere was fantastic. Overall, we played well. It was important to get the goal and the penalty and red card changes the completion of the game. We started to make the ten men count, which I think we did quite well. Overall, we’re delighted with the three points, the clean sheet, and to score two goals too.”
What’s the latest with Reece James?
“Reece, we’re hoping he’ll be ok. [We’ll need] 24-48 hours because it’s too early to tell you anything more than that.”
What did you make of the decision to award a penalty and show a red card for the challenge by Fikayo Tomori?
“From where I am, I can’t really see too much. I could see that Mason was in on goal and if he’s brought him down, he’s brought him down. But I’ve not seen it back other than watching live. Clearly, that is a big moment for us.”
How big of an impact did the red card for Fikayo Tomori have on the game?
“Firstly, to get a penalty and then a red card is a big moment [in the match]. Everybody would agree with that as it changes the game in terms of what Milan want to do. For us, we still have to make it count and it isn’t straightforward playing against ten men, especially here as any action can lead to a goal and then the crowd are so into the game again. So it’s really difficult. It was a big moment but I felt we could do enough eleven vs eleven. But the referee has made a decision and we have to get on with it.”
You’re top of the group now, how important is it to stay there?
“It’s obviously important for us to be there at the end of the group and because of that we know we haven’t got enough points now and have to keep going and focus on the next match, which is Salzburg away and that will be a tough one. But between we have Premier League games and we have to focus on them and then we’ll be ready for that.”
How have you changed the confidence in this squad from the Salzburg game?
“The Salzburg game was a difficult game for lots of reasons. It wasn’t the best start [to the group] in Zagreb and lots of things changing behind the scenes, then Her Majesty passes away and then we have a Champions League game and we didn’t know the players and they didn’t know us. It’s a process of trying to get to know them. We had a bit of time away because of the international break but we just worked hard behind the scenes in emphasising the importance of the group, emphasising the importance of the team and high we act. You can see the boys have got quality. They are a responsible group, are honest and open, and I’ve enjoyed working with them. It’s been a nice start for us and we need to carry on.”
Did Jorginho mention there were laser pens being shone in his eyes when the penalty was being taken?
“I didn’t see anything with lasers and Jorgi hasn’t mentioned anything to me. So I’m unaware of it.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has three goals in three games and has hit form after the international break, did you do anything special with him in that time?
“No, we’ve not done anything special, it’s all down to him. He has been building his fitness up. We spoke before that he came from a difficult summer so it’s been a case of building up his match minutes up and the more he gets the stronger he gets, and the more we understand him the more he understands us. Everyone knows his quality and it’s great for him. He looks like he is enjoying his football and scoring goals is important.”
Given the circumstances you took over in and the lack of confidence, has this start been better than even you expected?
“It’s hard for me to say no to that as I didn’t really have any expectations. I’ve been in football long enough to know that it’s hard to expect and predict football results. The important thing is the quicker you get to know the players the quicker you can build trust and understand them the better. But it is down to the guys, the players. They have really responded, been very honest and responsible and they want to do well. Our job is to try to help them and to try to help them enjoy their football. There is pressure and we want to win, but if they are enjoying their football there is quality in the team.”
