Was it a penalty?
I thought it was a good save so you need your goalkeeper sometimes to get you the points. It hasn't been given so there's nothing for me to say. I've only seen it briefly as I walked across. It looks like one of those where if it was given I don't think it would be overturned but it hasn't been given, so I don't know.
How frustrating is that? Do you feel you need some luck as well?
Yeah, but you have to earn that and we can't complain or wait for luck to turn for us. We have to keep working. I thought first half we were positive, we started the game well, we scored a good goal, more opportunities as well, good attacking intent. We lost a little bit of control for five or 10 minutes and then we conceded, which we could do better with I think. That changes the dynamic of the game but overall I thought first half was quite positive.
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Second half is probably more of a reflection of where we are as a group and as a team. In terms of players getting up to speed returning from injury and players adapting to the Premier League. That's the work in progress, that's what we have to work with but it was a step forward overall from the previous game.
You spoke last week about needing to get the team to gel, do you think that's starting to happen despite result?
I felt today was a step forward. Performance-wise started the game well. You're always rocked by the goal because that's football and something for us to learn from and do better with. Overall, a step forward to the week that we've used. We've had a good training week but when it's not reflected in three points, there's always stuff you can do better.
VAR looked at the handball and decided it wasn't, are you surprised?
It looked quite a handball to me. I didn't know Tomas could get down that easily and save like that. It's a good stop from him. It's not for me to say about VAR.
Do you want more consistency?
You won't because they're human beings. A different human being in the room and every single decision and action, you won't get the same one again, so it's very hard to get consistency. Sometimes they go for you, sometimes they don't. You just have to accept that.
Marc Cucurella got some stick from supporters today, would you suggest they aren't making it easy for him? Are you concerned about the reaction?
Supporters are entitled to their opinion of course and they just want the team to do well and as I said in the previous press conference, I don't think Marc is in his best moment but at the same time he's been part of a team that has kept a clean sheet at Anfield, a clean sheet against Fulham.
In the summer, I know because I was the selling club, there was another club interested in Marc, from a point in the Premier League, they're a good football club. Marc hasn't become a bad player at all but players sometimes can go through bad times and we need to stick together and try to help him. At the same time, supporters are entitled to their opinion and there's nothing for me to be critical of. That's just what we have to work with.
Started five new signings today, how are you finding fitting all of the players in?
It's a challenge but it's my job. It's exciting, it tests you because you have to make sure you communicate properly and manage the environment because otherwise it can go not very positive. The week has been a really good training week, spirit in the group is really good, not just the team. They know what it is, they're not stupid. There's big competition for places.
We need healthy competition, we need training to be better and better because that's how you improve. Then you just have to have honest conversations and respect the fact players will be disappointed because that's normal. It would be strange if it wasn't. These are top professionals, top people, they handle themselves well.
Chelsea may not be best pleased to hear you say it's a step forward, do they need to be understanding?
Chelsea fans are entitled to their view, of course they are, and when we're not winning they will be disappointed like we are, absolutely. I just said from a performance perspective, I thought it was and you can see the potential of the team I thought today.
You can also see where the work is. Which is getting Reece James up to speed, which is getting Ben Chilwell up to speed, which is getting Ruben Loftus-Cheek up to speed, which is getting Wesley Fofana up to speed, which is getting N'Golo Kante up to speed, which is adapting Mudryk to the Premier League, which is adapting Madueke into the Premier League, which is adapting Benoit Badiashile to the Premier League, which is adapting Joao Felix to the Premier League.
That's just how it is. That's how I see it and I'm just being honest to say how it is. I completely understand that people are frustrated if you don't win.
Could you talk about the creativity in the first 20-25 minutes and the options Felix brings?
You could see in the first half the potential of the team and the possibility of the team and the quality of the team at times. The thing that disappoints is, in the Premier League you can't control everything all of the time, it's impossible. When you don't, you just have to make sure you don't concede and build again. That's the bit from a regret from us, the first goal gets West Ham back into the game too cheaply from my perspective. So that's something for us to learn and the second half is probably more of a reflection of where we're at in terms of the work we need to do.
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