Jesse, Ralph said it was a game of ping-pong and a game they should have won. How would you assess the game?
I'd say it was an intensive game with a lot of second balls and duels and one that we should've won. I mean, we knew it was going to be like this. We knew it was going to be an intensive match. We knew it would be tight. And we knew also that it was going to be important to try in some of these moments when the game is really compact to find solutions forward, so that we can get ourselves into transition moments and then put pressure on the opponent. What makes it difficult with Southampton is any time they get in our half of the pitch, they start throwing balls into the box and Ward-Prowse has an incredible service and then you're feeling the pressure in those moments. But for the most part, I thought we stood up to those moments pretty well. And then yeah, the foul that leads to what I call a penalty, because Ward-Prowse is so effective from these direct kick spots. It's like a percentage of a penalty. So we knew that that was going to be important not to give fouls away and then that we had to defend that well, so he put it right in the corner like we were worried he might.
Overall Jesse do you feel it's been a step forward today. Even if the result hasn't gone your way?
Yes. I feel like the clarity of tactically what we want the game to look like, I thought we were balanced in the match didn't give much away. Still just trying to turn some of our advantages into real chances and then some of our real chances more into goals. And so I'm not worried about that because I know we have quality and and I know with this style of play that we will always be able to create chances. But you know if we could if we could just slow ourselves down and find a way to make the last pass or or make the last action a little bit cleaner or crisper than we would have more goals. So we'll keep working on it but but I feel like yeah, you're right. This was a step in the right direction.
Yeah, they were really attractive going forward, Jesse how much do you feel that you have improved defensively particularly from the other set pieces like long throws?
I feel really good about that. I feel we've tried to organise ourselves in all phases of the game to defend better and certainly set pieces as well. And the lads are intelligent and they adapt well. We had a little bit more time, not with the entire group, but with, you know, at least 75% of the group to work through, tactically more what we want games to look like and what we want the tactics to be. So yeah, I again I did less shouting to the players this match just because they were more in control of every situation.
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The situation at the end, you seemed to be a bit frustrated. Did the wrong player come off?
I think somehow there was a mix-up with the staff where they thought because Luke had a little situation where he had to come out for a second, that that might mean that was the sub that we wanted to make. But Liam was feeling heavy and we wanted to get him out of the game and put Pascal at the centre back position but we talked about to Pascal before the match that he might have to be a solution at left back if anything happened to Stuart Dallas and so he came in the game, Stuart went to the right and it wound up being fine, but yeah, clearly the communication wasn't what it needed to be.
How close is Joe Gelhardt to a starting place? He seems to make an impact every time he comes on?
Yeah, so one of the reasons why Joffy didn't start this game was because he tested positive at one point during the week, but it was a false [positive], we think it might have been a false positive so then he missed like a day and a half. And so it was a little bit of strange situation. So with Joffy we haven't been able to get him coming and get the rhythm and training and everything the way that we have wanted, which has meant that he's played more of a reserve role, but I thought he came on the game and gave a real boost and was clear with the role and was dangerous at times and so we certainly I think you have to consider expanding his role more and more and more within the team and we need him to train. The plan will be I think that he plays with the 23s on Monday and hopefully gets more good game minutes and keeps adapting to the style of play we want.
What are the specific ideas you've felt the team has really grasped in your first month?
Best counter pressing game for us by far. Good in pressing moments. With the ball I thought in build up phases against a team that likes to press we still found a lot of solutions and now we're starting to understand a little bit more what we want rotations to look like. And the positional discipline on the pitch at all phases of the match, including set pieces is getting better and better. So it's a natural progression, but one that's happened faster than I had hoped because of the commitment and intelligence of the group. That means I can keep my mouth shut and just yell at referees more from the bench.
Start of the second half was quite a sticky period for your team wasn't it? Why do you think that was?
They decided on the day that their match plan was going to involve playing a lot of long balls, trying to pick up second balls, putting a lot of throw-ins in the box, putting a lot of set pieces in the box. [It] makes for an ugly match, makes for a difficult opponent at times. But, you know, then when they get the goal that gives them a little bit of momentum but I thought we weathered it okay. I was always trying to think about what players to insert into the match to help and how to vary certain tactical things that we did. But I also knew that with our fitness, with the players that we could bring on from the bench, that we would be able to push the game as it went on and we talked about that before the match, that we would have to have an intensive start, but that we felt that as the match went on that we would be able to gain the edge. And for me, we were a little unlucky in the last phase of the match not to find the winner.
Jack [Harrison] was obviously in the right place at the right time for the goal. What did you make of his performance, he generally seems to sort of flit in and out?
I feel like Jack is becoming a really solid, clear, intelligent, intensive player for us. So you know, obviously, we want to keep developing him and keep pushing him but I've been really happy with the progress that he's made over the last month and I think if he can continue to understand tactically and understand the mentality of the way we want to play, that he can get better and better and better. So yeah, and then I think again, all the players ahead of the ball will be able to put together more more dangerous actions and find more goals.
What was the reasoning for the decision of Cooper over Struijk? Was that a big call for you?
Pascal was also positive in the [international] break, and then coming back out of COVID he picked up a little hamstring injury so he didn't train fully for the last two weeks and Cooper looked very strong and good and clear so I think that it was a relatively easy decision to make given the circumstance. I was always a little bit concerned if Cooper could make it the 90 minutes and given the way it was, it was good that he was able to play a full match and get himself going. And so I think, with all the different things the point is certainly important in our season, but to have two big players like Liam and Kalvin back in the group and closer and closer to full fitness is massive for us at this moment. So we're gonna need those guys in a big way. They provide a big presence to our team. So that was a big step forward for us.
Jesse, you play such an intense style on it and it can be quite frantic at times how difficult is it to strike the balance between having that intensity having a calmness?
Yeah, we have a term we called 100 to 70. And so it means that in certain moments, we want them to slow down a little bit and not always physically but just in their heads with the ball have a little bit more poise and control with how to put together the next play. When we play here, the fans don't want to see 100 to 70. They want to see 100 to 150. You can see when when Ilan catches the ball, the fans want him to play immediately. And so, you know, I'm learning more and more about our fans every match, and I'm enjoying it in the process. But certainly, for us to understand what the rhythm of the game can look like, what the flow is like, what the tempo changes can look like. Finding ways to control matches more will be important for us. But again, it's one of those where almost every time you lose the ball, Southampton just decides they're going to play as vertical and as far up the field as they can. And so it means that anytime you don't have that rhythm, you're automatically running back and trying to pick up second balls and find the game again.
Does that make a player like Rodrigo, obviously has that ability even more important? And just generally, I mean, do you think the fact that you seem to give me more responsibility within the group? Do you think that's bringing the best out of him?
Yeah, I think, I've even seen it publicly that people are talking about Rodrigo. I don't know, always what happened exactly before, but for me, every day, he's been fantastic. At one point, even after three, four days, I said to him, 'have you ever been on a team with so many great guys, and such a great energy in the group?', and he said no, never. And so I would say in general, Rodrigo's playing great, and his ability to pause to provide pause for us in attacking moments. And he was in the middle of almost everything we did today is really, really important. But I just feel like the whole group is so locked in and so committed and wants to learn and wants to get better and better. So what a pleasure for any manager to have a group like this. I told them again, after the game, I'm really happy to be their coach.
Great for Kalvin to get back at it. Is he okay?
Yeah, I think he's fantastic. You can see his quality, you can see his poise, you can see the confidence he brings to the group. When I say we were pushing in the last 15-20 minutes, I think Kalvin was a really big part of that, came on the pitch and really just settled things down for us. We keep trying to push him to play more intensively to get better at counter-pressing, to really win his duels and his aerial duels and the more that he can expand his presence on the pitch with and without the ball is just going to make us better and better. And his presence will be massive. So yeah, really excited. And so as everybody you can see, the quality provides the group.
It's only a point but it moves you further away from the relegation zone?
I mean, I've said all along: the points are always important. But the focus is so much on just the work and the progression and the development and the commitment. And we have the quality to manage the moment if we can continue to push that in the right way. Everyone I see I go to say good game to the players and to the opponent and everyone's looking at the board to see what the results were. This is the reality of the situation, but just trying to get everybody to stay focused on the things that are important to us continuing to do better.
First time you've faced Ralph Hasenhuttl as a manager, you spoke so highly of him in the week, how was that as a battle - an enjoyable one?
It wasn't enjoyable. It was too tense. But it was really nice to see Ralph and I'll say that. He is, like I said before, he's a gentleman. I think he's a great coach. I tried to be as complimentary as I could because I've watched him for three years now in Southampton and watch the job that he's done and the way his team plays and the way he handles himself. He's just one of the good people in football so I would have liked to beat him today. It's always when you have respect for guys that you know, the competitive juices roll a little bit harder, but yeah, nice to see him and also, his video analyst Kitzy is someone who was in Salzburg and that I met years ago and I also have a lot of respect for so they're doing a really good job.
Great cameo from Kalvin, how long will it be before you can get him back up to 100%?
Yeah, I mean, it will take some time. It was more than a cameo I think. I think it was a performance that we needed. And we know what a quality player is and what he means to the group. For me, he's Leeds through and through in every way from the way from being here to the way he plays to, the way he handles himself. So big, big moment for us in our season to get him back and closer to full fitness and clearly that makes some very much a possibility to play from from the start next weekend.
You probably don't care about England but Gareth Southgate will be pleased to see him back?
Well, I care about England a lot now that they're in the same [World Cup] group as the USA. And I don't want to remind anybody what happened last time that the US and England were in the same group together. Yes, I'm sure that Gareth saw the fact that he played today and was really happy to have him back out there. Kalvin's work ethic, his presence, his professionalism, his desire to learn, it's fantastic. He's a pleasure to work with. So my goal is to push him to be as good as I know he can be to really make it more intensive to expand his role within the group from a leadership perspective and challenge him to push himself every day. But he does that and and I think that we're gonna see him better and better every game.
Are you going to become a fifth columnist for the USA now?
They don't need my help. This was the same last time in 2010. You know, we were in it with Slovenia, and Algeria, and nobody needs to scout the English National Team. I think everybody in the world knows those players, that team. So we didn't do much scouting of England before because we knew them so well. I think for the US, the group is manageable. We'll see what happens with Wales, Scotland and Ukraine. But I think the US has to be pretty satisfied with the draw.
Was today a point gained or two lost?
I don't look at it either way, I look at it again, as a further development of the team and a good performance. And I think a fair result. I think it's a pretty fair result. And again, what I'm most pleased about is, the fact that the group looked clearer, clearer. I could be calmer on the bench, because I knew that they had things under control because they're understanding more and more what we want the game to be.
