Team news?
No news, no news, the same players available for the game against Brighton. The same players who were available with United. No news.
Brighton tomorrow, then West Ham, is this a season-defining week?
For us, every week has to be a big week. Especially, it has to be a big game, every game, from now until the end. We have to play 11 games, we have to try to get our best, our best. It means that every game you have to try to take three points, in every game. In the last game, I think that we deserved much more than the final result. But at the same time, we analyse very well the game, the positive situations, the negative situations, the way we can improve. For sure from now until the end, we have 11 games, and every game has to be a big game for us, because we need to take points. If we want to try to reach the best position in the table at the end of the season.
What have you made of Christian Eriksen being called up for Denmark?
I am happy for Christian, I am happy for Christian, because to see him again on the pitch, to play from the start, to play two games in a row, also to be involved totally, to play well, and to win with Brentford, it was special for me. Because I think we are talking about an important player, but first of all he’s a really good man, a really good person. He and his family deserve to now to live a normal situation. I think, that it is important, and I’m very happy for him. I wish .. for him and his family the best… apart from the game we have to play against them!
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What have you taken from the United game?
If I have to analyse the game, I can take a lot of positive things. Because we played against one of the top teams in England, I think. I repeat: I consider United, for the squad, one of the four top teams in this moment in England, to fight to win titles, to win leagues, to win trophies. To go there and play with personality, to lead the game for the great part of the game, to create chances, to come back twice in Old Trafford is not easy. We created many chances to score, to improve the result. We had the chances to finish the game and to create points.
I have seen a lot of positive things but in the end the result is you lost 3-2 and for sure we analyse the game, because we analyse every game we have played in the past. A lot of positive things but there are negative things about us. We are speaking about a defeat, not a win. We have to try to improve and we know this is a long road but we want to do our best and improve.
To the people watching our team, have to understand our team is improving a lot. Now it is a team that is getting stronger and playing to win and create problems for the opponent. At the same time to become a strong team you have to be stable.
Especially in games like the last one against United, a team that is fighting for the same target. If you have the opportunity to kill them, in a sporting way, you have to kill. Instead it didn’t happen. It happened the opposite. For this reason you have to reflect to understand what you can do to improve and try to ensure that next time that the final result will be different.
You watched Brighton play Liverpool, how did you evaluate them?
We’re talking about a really good team, a really good team honestly. This team likes to play football, they’re strong physically. They're dynamic, they're strong at set pieces. They are having a really good season apart from this last period when they lost games in a row. Otherwise in the table we were very close.
We have to know that the game will be very difficult. I have watched the game against Liverpool and in the first half Brighton deserved to score goals and instead another result against Liverpool. But in the end Liverpool showed in a difficult game to be a top team. It's important in tough games, as a top team, with the experience you manage these games. Then you bring a difficult game on your side. It happened in the game between Brighton and Liverpool because I thought Brighton played a really good game.
With the top four race do you treat the battle as you would for the title?
But I think that in this moment, Arsenal seems favourite for fourth place and United, but don't forget there's also West Ham and don't forget Wolverhampton. They're having a fantastic season and they're in the same position.
In England it's not easy, it's not simple. When you start the season normally you think it's four top clubs that at the end, these four teams go to the Champions League, United, City, Chelsea, Liverpool.
But last season Liverpool struggled to reach their place in the Champions League. This season it's happening to United. This league is very difficult.
For sure we have to be in the group of teams who stay, at this moment, behind. You have to stay close in the table because there are 11 games to the end of the season and everything can happen. For sure you have to win. If you don't get three points, you are talking about nothing.
Do you need to get top four to keep Harry Kane?
You know very well what I think about Harry. Harry is a really, really important player for us. If you want to have a hope to fight until the end for this type of target, this is the moment I have to ask a lot to the big players. To Harry, Hugo and Sonny. These players have to lead the situation to keep us until the end there.
At the moment, experience is very important. We don’t have a lot of experience in this team and it’s right to ask the players with experience and big talent to give everything.
I think they’re giving everything but 100 per cent is not enough. We need to ask 120 per cent, 130 per cent to have this type of target. It will be very important to have people with great talent to lead us until the end and to try to be very close to reach this target.
Are Arsenal too far ahead for the top four and will it come down to the north London derby?
Every game is difficult in England. We’re talking about one game and before playing the north London derby there are lot of games before. It’s important to get three points and to win and arrive at this game as close as possible. In England the games are always open, every game.
If you play with a team that is leading the league or you play against a team at the bottom, every game is very difficult. There are 11 games for us, for others 10 or 12. We have to try to win as many games as possible and stay close. These games count for the table and not only for the rivalry.
How do you teach your players to finish teams off?
Now it’s important for us to continue to improve this squad and to try to get the best out of these players. Then we’ll see. Now to speak about what can happen and the situation is not fair and not right. Now it’s important to be focussed on these 11 games and get out the best in every game. We have to try to reach the best possible position at the end of the season. Then we’ll see.
Fabio Paratici has been linked with other clubs, you know him well, do you expect him to stay long-term at Spurs?
Honestly this is a question for him, not for me. I can’t speak for another person. I don’t know another person’s thoughts. This could be disrespectful. For sure, we’re talking about a sporting director who worked for 10 years at Juventus, and worked very well. He’s trying to work very well also in Tottenham.
Has there been any progress in Oliver Skipp's recovery?
Also this question I can’t answer! Sorry but it’s not because I’m not polite. Skipp’s situation is the first time this situation with a player happened in my management. I don’t know, I don’t know!
For sure we need him but at the moment no-one has tried to tell me the moment when he’s ready. Also for the player because at the moment he’s really frustrated. He's really young, he’s a really good guy. To be injured, I’m especially disappointed and frustrated for him for this situation.
Cristian Romero celebrated in Harry Maguire’s face after his own goal, what did you make of that?
Honestly I’m a person that’s more focussed on what happened in the game and to try [to find] a solution. After the game, I was disappointed for the loss, I haven’t seen if something strange happened, if you understand? Sorry if I can’t answer you about this but I’ll go to watch what happened because this is a situation I’m only discovering at this moment.
