Leeds were very unlucky when they played Arsenal in October, how much confidence can the players take from that and the win over Wolves last time out?
All these games you tell me about, in my opinion it’s the past. We are looking for the next game and focused on the next game. For sure we are playing against the team at the top of the table and it will be very demanding for us but to have one option to get a good result, the first step is to believe that you can do it. The team believe that we can do it.
Seven games in April, four at Elland Road and a lot of those teams are in a similar position so it’s shaping up to be an important month. Do you look at games as a cluster or group or is it just one game at a time?
We have a very busy schedule in April but we prefer to put all our energy into the next game and try to prepare as good as possible because if we don’t do it, we don’t have any chance. It’s better to try and give 100 per cent in this game and then we have two days to prepare for the next game.
Read more: Rodrigo and Leeds United's four other difference makers as Javi Gracia plots run-in
How has the international break been for you, has it been a help or hindrance, we understand there have been injuries to Gnonto and Wober?
Sometimes it’s good because you see your players enjoying with the national team, scoring goals, getting results, this is the positive part. But in the last international break we had some big problems for us. We lost important players for the next games and we’ll see because it’s a big problem for us.
Can I ask about Tyler Adams?
Tyler, we’ll see. After this surgery we’ll see if he can play any games this season. We’ll see day by day. The rest of the players, Max Wober, Willy Gnonto, they have different injuries, hamstring injury and ankle injury. They need time to cover and they are out of the team.
How worried are you about this situation?
I have to be worried about it because they are important players for us and we don’t have a big squad. We have to look for the solutions but to be honest I am positive, I am optimistic and most important is that I believe in all my squad and all the players I have.
Some options would be Darko Gyabi and Archie Gray, did you manage to have a look at them in the international break?
These players that you are telling me were with the England national teams as well. We have the chance to train with seven or eight players during the last week and we try to take this time to recover in the best condition. The rest of the players were with the different national teams. We prepare in two days, yesterday and today, and we have time tomorrow. This is the time we’ve had with all the players.
What would you say you’ve been able to improve the most since you’ve been here?
I try to give my idea and help the players give their best, not only individually but collectively as well. I think we are doing well not only because we have good results, I think the different performances we’ve had are always good performances, compete in all the games with options to get good results in all the games we’ve played. I think it’s the best way for the future. We know in this month we have to play many games and we have to improve our level to achieve our target.
What about Arsenal? What’s your primary focus?
We are playing against the team at the top of the table and we have to be ready for that. They are doing many things well and you can see the stats, they always have, against Bournemouth for example, they had 80 per cent possession. In other games they always have around 70 per cent of possession. You have to be ready to defend more than attack and when attacking you try to be aggressive and clinical and take the chances you have. For sure you need to make very good defensive work and if you don’t do it you don’t have any chance.
Bukayo Saka has made headlines for Arsenal and England this season, what do you make of him?
He’s one of the key players you have but if you analyse the squad you can see international players, high-quality players in all the positions, we are ready to defend this team as a team, not only individuals
Do you know Mikel Arteta well, have you come across him?
I know him because he’s from San Sebastian, a city very close to my hometown Pamplona and I was playing there with Real Sociedad for four years. I don’t know him personally because I didn’t spend any time in the past with him.
Are you surprised that he’s got Arsenal to where they are?
They are a good team. He is a good manager, that’s what I can say.
Luis Sinisterra could be a very important player for you. How careful do you have to be with him and how fit is he now?
As you know, Luis and Rodri are players who in this moment are improving in condition but they are not in the best condition. They need time training more, competing more and more minutes. In this moment I can tell you Luis is improving and getting better day by day and I am sure he will help us in the next games, as Rodri will as well.
When you take over a team mid-season, how important is flexibility when tactics and formations and would it be different if you had this team in pre-season?
If you start maybe you can decide more things about the players you have and you can organise better the different shapes you want to play or you prefer. The most important is the characteristics of the players you have, then you can decide something about it, or if you have players that you have to adapt more to the players. I think it’s important all the time to value the different moments of the players and the team you are playing against and decide what is the best plan for that game and try to analyse and choose the best formation and shape before the game and during the game, it’s something that is good for the team and it’s good to try and get the best results.
What have you been able to achieve across the past 12 days and how important has it been to give players time to recharge their batteries?
The last two weeks I think has been good for us. We didn’t have many players but it was time to train with players from the U21s and to know more about them and improve their level to be better. After that we try to prepare for the game and do something orientated to the next game but today we couldn’t do it in the best way.
In light of Max’s injury, how important was it to see Liam come on and play for Scotland and has he played enough minutes to trust him from the start on Saturday?
Liam is ready, of course. All of us could see the game, I suffered a little bit but I enjoy because I could see Liam competing again and I know for him and for us is Liam. At this moment of the season, we need all the players ready.
You talked about Luis and if Gnonto’s injury keeps him out for a while you’ll need others to step up, do you feel with the way Summerville played against Wolves that he’s in a good way to show his best form?
I think Crysencio from my arrival in all the games he played he's shown a good level. Sometimes he’s played from the beginning, in other games he’s made the difference in the minutes he played. In the first game he played only a few minutes but he had a clear chance to score the second one and against Wolves he made the pass for Rodrigo to score the last goal. Important things for the team and with the quality he has I am sure he is going to help the team. Not only Crysencio but Luis as well, Rodrigo, Patrick, all the players playing up front I think all of them will help us.
Is it going to be important that you rotate?
Yeah I agree. It would be good to rotate the players but first of all we need to recover more players because in some positions, we don’t have players to rotate. We need to try to choose the best players for the next game and then we’ll see what happens for the next game. I think we are only focused on the next because I prefer not to think about all the month because it’s going to be very tough for us.
What about next week when you play two teams who are close to you in the table. Do you have to keep that in your mind?
To be honest I am thinking only about Arsenal. I know we have to play important games, in seven days two important games. I think it’s a good chance to get points with the support of our fans but now we are focused on Arsenal but as I said before it’s the only way to have chances to get a good result.
When you came into this job, how did you make sure that you knew enough about the players to have the impact you’ve made?
When you arrive you never know. You are positive and optimistic and you believe in your work and that the experience you have will help the team, the players and the club and that’s the mentality when you arrive at a new club. Always being positive is the best way to start something.
Just to clarify the position with Gnonto and Wober, do you have any idea about how many weeks they might be out?
No, I’m sorry but I cannot clarify because I don’t know. What I know is they are out for this game and I don’t know if it will be more time, one week more, two weeks more, I cannot tell you.
Gnonto is an ankle, Max is a hamstring.
READ NEXT:
Leeds United's pre-season attacking expectations could be about to become reality under Javi Gracia
Leeds United dealt huge Tyler Adams injury blow as midfielder 'undergoes surgery'
Stuart Dallas' 'outside chance' as injury update provided on Leeds United defender
Javi Gracia's search begins for Leeds United answers on how to cope without Tyler Adams
