Do you see the Manchester City game as a chance to kickstart the season?
"I wouldn’t say kickstart as we’ve played only 15 matches. Such a lot has happened in those 15 matches and I’ve been here only four months – and it feels longer than that if I’m honest. It’s a season that is obviously unique.
"We see Man City as an opportunity to play against one of the best teams in the world. It will be a different game from the one we faced [on New Year’s Day] but it will be complicated and tough. You need those games, and you need these ones [like Nottingham Forest] as well.
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"As much as we want to win – and I don’t want to sound like it’s acceptable to lose, it’s not – but unfortunately part of the game is dropping points, is not succeeding, you’ve got to suffer and get better. When I think back to how I got to this point, a lot of the things are the setbacks and the moments of struggle. So it’s not thinking of it as a kickstart, we focus on the next match, try to improve and try to get better.”
Everton had a plan for Erling Haaland; they appeared to rile him up. Do you have plan for that man?
“He’s had a fantastic season and his goals there are amazing. They are a top team but we have to think about ourselves, how we can do better, how we can take steps forward in our game. That is the approach we’ll have.”
Man City have dropped points in five games this season, so how do you go about causing them problems?
“We have to play well ourselves, that is the key. Then you have to understand the quality they have and try to stop it. It sounds simple when you condense it down but the reality isn’t so straightforward. They are a top team but we can cause them a problem, we can be ourselves and try to play well and put them under pressure. We need to use Stamford Bridge and then see what happens.”
Does the fact you play them twice in four days change the mentality of how you approach it?
“No, you can only focus on the first game. Be 100% on that.”
In your opinion, what areas of the squad would you like to strengthen in the January transfer window?
“It’s a good question but the problem is if I answer it and I'm specific in that answer, every single player in that area will be linked with Chelsea. So I have to dodge it – and I hope you can understand why I'm dodging it.
"I always answer that part of the question by saying that I'm the head coach and my responsibility is to the players that are here. We will try in every window to improve, but January is a complicated one because it's the middle of the season. And in the meantime, we have to deal with all the noise of Chelsea getting linked with everybody and I don't comment on any player that isn't a Chelsea player.
"As always, and it's a boring answer, but my job is to help the players that are here and support the club in terms of decisions they make in terms of how to improve."
How would you assess Raheem Sterling’s time at Chelsea so far ahead of him going up against Man City?
“It’s been a challenge for him but it’s been a challenging period for everybody. There’s been a lot of change and a lot has happened, so in that regard, it’s not easy to completely settle or hit the ground running. There is more to come from Raheem I’m sure but he gives his best every day and we need to help him get to the level we know he can reach.”
In the aftermath of the League Cup game against Man City, you and Pep Guardiola had a long conversation. Is that a sign of the relationship and respect Pep has for you?
“You understand that when results aren’t like you want them to be, there are always people that will question you. And because you’re a human being and you don’t do everything perfectly – and there is always room to improve – it’s not like the people criticising you are 100% wrong. You can get that.
"I think if you did the research on football – and not just Pep, other people in the game who’ve played against my teams and watched the work I’ve done – there is a general level of respect. There is certainly from my perspective to him because he is a fantastic person but also because of what he has achieved as a football and coach. It’s amazing.”
Was he encouraging you in what you do or backing you given you’re at Chelsea who go toe-to-toe with them?
“No, it was more a general football conversation. He understands the challenges we have here and he is facing similar ones himself. It was just a conversation after a game that you have. I spoke with Steve [Cooper] after the game and it was a similar conversation.
"It’s nice the managers can speak because it’s complicated when you’re on the touchline, there are emotions and we’re fighting for the points. But after it is nice to speak and talk about the game.”
David Datro Fofana was here [at Nottingham Forest], what is the plan for him?
“We still need to wait for the clearances and all those formalities. He’s been on a bit of a break so we’ll give him some time to train, to assess him, and then work out the best solution in terms of taking the next step in his career.”
How is Edouard Mendy, do you think he’ll be back soon?
“He’s been training a little bit more than he was. He’s not fully fit at the moment but hopefully the next week or so he will make progress.”
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