Jesse, how unfair do you feel that result is?
Yeah, in our sports, sometimes you can be on top of the match and lose. But you're going to hear me probably repeat myself a lot this press conference. This is for me was our most complete performance that we've had since I've been here. The best example of the way that I believe the team can play. So there's obviously frustration in the fact that we lose the points on the day when we play well. But now we have, I think, something to attach ourselves to and a benchmark for how good we can be. This is our best away match for sure since I've been here, and for me, our best complete match. So I'm in a positive place with our group. I'm really happy to see so many of them commit to the things that we want to play brave with confidence and belief. And now we need to continue on this path and even get better.
But do you think that's going to wash for the fans some of whom were calling for you today?
Of course the fans are disappointed that we don't get the points but I think anybody who watches that game knows that that's a good performance and a good team. Of course, when the team doesn't win, and when things aren't going as well as we would like, then the coach is always going to take the heat, but for me, I can handle that. And, again, my focus is entirely on what I'm trying to achieve with our team and this was a big step in the right direction.
Everybody can agree there's so many good moments and great ones with Patrick Bamford getting his goal but there’s a bit of Groundhog Day about the first goal in particular. Tactically what goes wrong to concede from your own corner?
I mean, I wouldn't say that's the same kind of goal. I would say that we were lucky not to score, and we were on top of the game from the beginning. Then in the transition moment, we have numbers back and we're in a one v one situation that we just have to defend better and we know that Bailey's left-footed and we have to just deal with that moment better. And then even though it's a transition from an attacking set piece, we would have been OK. Goals change games, the quality in both boxes and the execution in both boxes winds up making a big difference in general, but, again, for me, a really positive performance.
You’ve come on the wrong side of it, Jesse, but there were calls for your head from the away end and on social media. How do you respond to that?
I'm focused entirely on our team, and I understand the pressures that come with the expectations for a club like Leeds United. So I accept it. But I'm more positive than I've ever been since I've been here.
You’ve got Max Wober, we’re hoping there’ll be a new signing in Georginio Rutter, I know you’re not talking about it. Are you confident that the board is right behind you and this plan?
Yeah, I've mentioned that a lot but we've worked really well together. I think all the transfers we've made have been positive since I've been here. So yeah, we'll see what comes in the next couple of days.
What did you make of the reception at the end and is it surprising given you're so positive about performance?
Obviously everybody's frustrated with not getting the points but I would have expected an appreciation for the way the team played. But that's OK. I understand. That's part of the job that I have.
What are you saying to your players after that, Luke Ayling looked devastated coming off tonight. You're obviously very positive but how do you transmit that to them?
I mean, of course, no one wants to be in a stressful situation of a relegation fight. By the way we're not we're not even halfway through the season. What I've been trying to stress with them the whole time is committing to the process of becoming a better team and playing more the way we want. And so for me, finally we do that, like really, I mean, I feel like finally we put together a 90 minute performance that has exactly what we're trying to achieve. And for me, we're really unlucky, really unlucky on the day not to come away with the points.
You've had to go through the pain of that early goal. You then had the hope of the offside flag for the second goal against you. What's going through your head as it's happening when it feels like the world is against you?
I mean, of course, we need some breaks along the way to really gather momentum. It feels like we always have to fight for everything and by the way, I'm not pointing fingers at referees or anything. I'm just saying since I've been here I've even heard the mantra of ‘well, we always do it the Leeds way’and I believe that we can get to the point where we remove that negativity and believe in our power to control everything that we do ourselves.
If we play like we do tonight, I think we will do that more. So obviously, the second goal and our goal are almost identical, literally almost identical, where the goalkeeper makes the save and then an attacking player is there for the rebound, one's offside, one's not and in many ways the defining moment of the match. But whatever, again, if we can play like this every week, like I believe we can. I've been trying to say that to the players that I believe in them and I believe that we can play better and if we can use this as a moment to really make it click then I think we have a bright future.
Pascal seems to have had quite difficult week there was a few errors in Cardiff and then tonight he’s had a difficult time with Leon. What's your thoughts on where he's at and the pressure with Max ready to come into the team?
Yeah, I don't think it's pressure, Pascal is an important player for us. Playing out wide you have some difficult players that you have to defend. I think Pascal could have done better on both of the goals, but we're counting on him and we believe in him and we need him.
Why has it been a struggle to play like this every week? Why is it still a struggle?
Yeah, that's a good question and one that I've been asking myself, you know, and I've been trying to urge the players and demand them to play more with more clarity and more commitment to the tactical idea of the way we want to play and so I'm always trying. I mean, it's required a lot of creative thinking about analysis, to try to help the players understand exactly what we want and then commit to it. I see it a lot in training. That's been the positive sign.
But the stress of the matches sometimes means that either players sometimes go back to some natural feelings they have or played ways that they've played in the past, or how we handle stress means that we're not able to be as clear as we'd like. However, I thought we had 11 players on the pitch at all moments tonight that really understood and committed to it. So that's the goal.
I know people don't want to hear this but it does sometimes take time. A lot of it for me is now standing up to the stress of moments. By the way, I don't mean like the relegation or the table or this I mean more when the games are good how to stay clear and committed to the tactical idea of what we're trying to do.
Only halfway through the season, but at some stage it does become about results, doesn’t it?
I mean, of course, it's always about results. I think it's always about results. I know, if we play like this, we'll get results much more often than we have and that's the key, actually trying to remove results in the process of what we're trying to do.
I mean, just on that, Jesse, as you say, you played very well today and there's been there's been lots of games since Chelsea, where there's been lots of positives to take, but it's now two wins in 17. At what point does it look like to test your faith?
Well, I wouldn't look at it that way, I would look at are this phase more since Liverpool. Then I wouldn't reflect some negatively upon it. I would say that we've made progress really since Liverpool to becoming more and more of the team that we want to be, but even in some of the wins we've had, never really performed at the high level that we did tonight. So yeah, of course. I'm perfectly comfortable that I understand the pressures of my job and the realities of my job. I'm not hiding from it. I'm attacking it straight on and I'm ready for everything.
Particularly with the first goal tonight you might ask questions about the concentration levels and that sort of thing. How do you sort of work on that that side to just eliminate the sloppy moments?
Just to continue to emphasise the important tactical and individual behaviours and the collective understanding of how to handle every moment. That is the goal. And again, from that perspective, it's the best performance we've had to date since I've been here.
Tell us about the free-kick routine in the first half, was that your idea?
So we showed the players the first time Weghorst scored that goal at Wolfsburg, I had that kind of in my library of set-piece possibilities. Then when Holland scored it, I thought, ‘Great, now we're not going to be able to use it.’ But I thought based on some of the other variations that we've done at different times that maybe we could and based on how Villa sets up that maybe we could find a way to get that. So I'm not sure if Rodri was pulled down on that one, it looked from my perspective that maybe it could have been a foul but I'm not sure. But I'm trying to get our team to commit to a few more special set-piece plays and then to execute on it.
About the chants on Gnonto, you’ve said maybe it was time to change the lyrics but it seemed to be the same today. Is that just a process?
What I say which I think there's a way to be more respectful with and respectful to Willy, because Willy is such a good young man that he won't come out and say that he doesn't like it but the reality is I think he thinks it's time to move on.
Just on Willy, what’s the plan for him?
Outstanding, outstanding. Really happy with him. Aggressive, dangerous, good on the ball, clever, intensive against the ball. He plays like he's seven feet tall. Really, really playing great. So that's important. We're making progress with people and players and now it's just trying to get it all to come together so that the team can really show progress from game to game.
He’s 19 and he has six games under his belt, can he stay in the team and carry on playing?
Yeah, I mean, we're obviously getting Patrick healthy. If we can get Luis Sinisterra, he's close. He'll be in training this week. Losing Summerville was a blow for us, but we like our attacking options. If we can go from game to game and start with three, four of them on the pitch and bring three or four off the bench and really have everybody understand their roles and commit to the way we want to play we can be a dynamic attacking team so yeah, really happy for Willy.
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