How important was that win and the manner of it for the team's morale?
Today it was really important, it was vital to get three points, especially because after the game against Milan we weren't able to go to the next round of the Champions League but for this reason today it was really important because we know we only have the league now.
There are 11 games to go and we needed today to bounce back to show that we are strong mentally and in this type of situation the morale can be really down but instead I see the right spirit, the right fight and the right desire to get the three points. The right desire to get the win and it was positive but at the same time I said to my players now this is the past.
Today we have one day to rest and then we have to start to prepare the game against Southampton. We have tonight to enjoy this win but then we have to start to think about the next game.
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After everything that's been said this week by and about Richarlison, was the best response on the pitch?
But I am happy for the response of the whole team, all the players, about the desire, about the will, the spirit but especially the desire to help each other. That's because I always say to you to create a winning mentality it is important to add players, to sign players but at the same time the most important thing is to create the spirit. The right spirit help you to overcome difficult situations.
The right spirit pushes you to have a good collaboration, to help each other and if you are a team in every game, every circumstance you are stronger, instead to be 11 single players. Then I repeat we are working a lot to try to build the right mentality but you and I know very well before to arrive at the end of this path you have to work and you need time to do it.
Specifically on Richarlison though, he was involved in all three goals, he ran for everything and got a standing ovation, he might have been easy for him to hide after this week?
Yeah but don't forget Richarlison started the season really well and at the start of the season after maybe three games he started to play regularly. He played really well. He didn't score. He scored only in Champions League but he was many, many times in the starting XI.
Then he had a serious injury in his calf and the guy was really scared to lose the World Cup [place] if you remember. Then he recovered for the World Cup and then in the World Cup he had another serious injury. He came back after the World Cup and stayed one month to recover after this injury and then he struggled a bit.
He had other physical problems but I repeat the coach is not so stupid. All the coaches are not so stupid to not start the best XI to not win. It doesn't care if Sonny, Kane, or Richarlison or Moura or Kulusevski or Danjuma, I want to win and then at the same time I have to take the responsibility to take the best decision, because if one player needs time to be recover and fit but we need to get points and we need to win every game.
I understand that if you speak with the players of the whole teams, they want to play every game, every game, every game and also when they are tired. It is not fair this because I repeat we have to try to make the best decision and we want to protect the players sometimes. If we see the player tired and then he goes to play because he wants to play and then he gets the injury. He stay one month, two months out and yeah, he is relaxed and I am stressing. I am under stress. It is too easy this.
I think in England many times you don't understand this and you think they have to play, the 11 players they always have to play. A strong team, a top team needs 16, 17 or 18 good players to make rotation. This is the way if we want to be competitive and to lift trophy.
Harry Kane has once again reached 20 Premier League goals, that's six times in his past nine seasons, what else can you say about him?
Yeah but today Harry was a good example but not for the goal that he score. For his commitment and his desire. Yeah, today it was a good example for this reason, not because he scored. Today in my players I have seen the fire in their eyes.
That was Harry's first penalty since the World Cup, did you have any doubts?
No, never but he can kick the penalty also if he is blind [makes the gesture of being blindfolded]. We are talking about a player who is a world class striker and is really important but for me it is really difficult to think and to answer this question. We talk about singular achievements you understand? Instead we want to speak about team achievement you understand? This is the problem because a singular achievement is yeah, good for the players but at the same time it would be better to speak about to win together and to celebrate a trophy together and then also singular achievement.
Would a top four finish represent a team achievement and how many wins do you need from the last 11 game?
Yeah but you know very well the race for a place in Champions League will be really, really tough because you see the competitors. You see there are many, many teams involved and I think in this moment there is only one place available because City and Arsenal they are fighting to win the Premier League and United I think they are showing they have great continuity of good results. I think there is one place and there are many teams, many important teams that are in this race.
We have to try to do our best and for sure I repeat for us to finish in the top four is like to win the Premier League. It happen last season and I spoke about miracle. I continue to say maybe this season it be much more difficult, much more difficult because Liverpool is a competitor in this race. Newcastle is a competitor but Newcastle is a different Newcastle to the past. They invest a lot of money and they have a strong team. See Chelsea and what happen and their position, but I don't consider Chelsea outside because Chelsea has the possibility to win the last 11 or 12 games in a row because the squad is really, really strong. We have to think to ourselves. Before during an interview, they ask me about Liverpool and today Liverpool lost but we have to think to ourselves.
A top club looks to themselves, not to look at other results and see. Think to get three points and then what happen on the other teams, it doesn't care. We have to be focused on our path and to try to do our best until the end of the season and then we see which is the position we are able to achieve.
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