Javi, obviously a very difficult moment for you, what happened, how do you explain that collapse in a second half?
I cannot explain because I think we played a very good first half. It’s true that conceding the goal before the half time it changed a little bit the game. But in that half time, we tried to improve the things that in the first half we didn't do well, like try to defend better set-pieces, corner kicks, free-kick, to be more solid in that action. To keep doing the things we did really well in first half, because in the first half, we were solid defending we were in good distances to defend, being compact, creating chances, many shots, many shots on target. The feeling was good. I think it was our moment, it was the moment when we could kill the game.
After the second half was tough, very tough for us because we were conceding goals. We were not so aggressive. We were soft in many actions. After that is difficult to defend players like Palace has because in with distances they are very good. Then it was hard for us.
It felt after half-time like all the energy had gone. You pressed them so hard and they looked a bit shell shocked, like there was a lethargy about the team. Would that be fair?
I think that team has competed really well in all the games in my opinion, winning, losing, drawing. In all the games we've competed well and the most part of them we deserve the result we got or maybe even better. Today, the first half was good, really good in my opinion and we deserve something more but in the second we didn't keep the level, we didn't keep the same level than all the other games before then. We have to learn something from today. We have to learn that when we are playing whether we are doing our 100% we are able to beat anyone, if we don't do it, you know what can happen.
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When the score starts to get big like 3-1 and 4-1, do you learn a lot more about your players individually when you're looking at it and thinking this could get embarrassing if we're not careful. So were you looking for people to stand up and lead?
I know my players very well. I don't need to lose one game or to win one game to know more about my players. I know them very well. I believe in them, I trust them and this situation we are going to do it together. Today we will lose together and we prepare as best as possible the next game together.
Does it change how you prepare now, after such a big defeat, does it change what you're going to do this week?
No, to prepare next game as better as possible as we usually do it, nothing different.
Luke Ayling has struggled a little bit in recent games. You stuck with him today. What was your thinking?
I think that he's trying to help the team and like the rest of the players he tries to do his best. In this moment I don't want to say or to give my personal opinion about one player because today more than ever I want to be close to my players and try to be ready for the next.
Can you tell us or give us a sense of what you said to the players full time, what was the emotion you transmit to them?
What I said before, we have to learn something from today. I think that all of us we are disappointed but we cannot do anything else today and try to think in the next and try to learn something from today.
When you see the team disappearing without a trace to 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, what can you do from the touchline apart from make substitutions, it seems like an impossible situation for you?
I think I feel my responsibility and I think that always I can do something else and that's my point of view in that moment, ‘how can I help the team?’. It was tough to manage because the players are going out and going in, it is not easy for them but in that moment I only thinking what is the best for the team.
When you brought Junior off you put Rasmus on it left back, were you tempted to bring Liam Cooper on maybe, a left footed player and use Pascal in a more natural position than Rasmus?
No. I thought that Junior had a yellow card and that moment with the open game with Olise, with many spaces they will be dangerous and I tried to put one player fresh there and Rasmus can play, as you know, we've spoken many times about Rasmus, he play in different positions. That was my decision.
How do you stop such a such a big defeat damaging the team mentally this next week?
Today we have to be really disappointed, all of us. It's something we have to feel. After today, tomorrow we try to learn something from today, to train, to work, to prepare the next game and after that, the same way we forgot our win against Forest, we do it in the next week.
Normally after defeat like this you want to play as soon as possible. You've got a slightly longer break playing Liverpool on the Monday. Do the players need some time to switch off or is it more about hard work? A bit of both?
I think after the last days when we've had many games, in this moment, that team, the players need to rest a little bit and try to recover because they worked hard, really hard the last days. Now that we have time until next game, we have time to recover, to rest and to train hard.
Do you think the players allowed Palace’s equaliser to affect them psychologically more than it should have done?
I think was the key. That point was the key in my opinion. We didn't defend well, but before we didn't defend well one corner kick, two corner kicks, one on the post and another chance for them.
The same way we created some chances from set pieces in play, but that was the key. We didn't take our chances. We conceded that goal and that was what I try explain the players, that we needed to improve for the second half but after that everything was worse.
What can you try to do to stop that happening again, how can you work on that?
Nothing different than other games. In all the games we have to improve things, to do many things better and of course in this game we have to do to pay more attention. This second half is hard to accept but I will, like the players, all of us, will learn something from this hard moment.
The manner of Leeds’ first half and to lose in such a manner is such a blow to the confidence, is this the biggest job you have now to lift them psychologically?
Yeah of course when you win all the players are happier than in other moments. It’s something we have to accept. Before this game speaking with the players I told them there are many teams that they didn't win from nine games, from eight games, from five games. This is the situation. We have to be strong, we have to keep our mentality strong and try to be confident in the work we are doing. That's the most important for me, be confident in the hard work and this way I am sure we are going to compete all the games the same way we've done before and today in the first half.
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