Compared to last week, how big an improvement was that?
Yeah, I think especially at the first half you could see a big difference to the Elche game which we were obviously not satisfied with. I think that we just came out better into the game from the start today.
I think the second half could have been better. I think there's some things to improve but in general against a very, very good opposition, I think it was a good game.
They’re third in La Liga and put a good side out. The second half, do you not think it's good as the first one or did you feel that maybe it wasn't what you wanted the second half, but did you feel you're still stronger than them?
Yeah, I think in general, we were the better team today. That's something very positive for us to build on but it's about becoming the best version of ourselves to reach the potential that we have. I think there are still details that we have to improve on.
Looking at the team selection today, Mateusz, there was a lot talk about him last week, as a coaching team do you definitely see a future for him here and is that why he got 90 minutes tonight?
Just from a coaching perspective, I think there is no doubt that Klich is a fantastic player and the great personality. So yes.
Read more: Two Leeds United players make the difference against Real Sociedad following Jack Harrison issue
Is he very much in your thinking to stay here at this stage, obviously to talk about leaving for America or whatever?
I mean, I think I'm just the wrong person to ask that particular question to. In general, we're very happy with him and we just have to look forward to what's coming up in the next week. I think there's nothing decided in either direction. But again, I think you have to ask other people about that.
What about the state of play with the fitness. Jack Harrison didn't start. Is there an update on him and the others?
Yeah, I think that it's a phase of pre-season. Basically, that's unusual in winter where there are situations where you opt out of going into risk. So Jack is not injured and I think he could have pushed a play but why should we risk it 12 games before Man City that he makes something or maybe risk something for the training process towards Man City or in the game.
If you can take him out today and train him properly the next day is to just risk nothing. So that's the reasoning behind some of these decisions.
What about players like Firpo, Llorente, Koch and Patrick Bamford?
That’s very individual and it’s also a little bit just looking at the progress. I think they have a good chance to be ready for Man City but I think it’s not sure, it’s 12 days to go. Especially with Llorente I’m pretty sure he’ll be ready.
Going into the Monaco game, are you settling on an XI or are you trying to give everyone minutes now?
Again, we'll have to look how the training goes, how the players feel, if we don't risk anything we obviously try out some things. We want to bring the whole group on a level where everyone is ready because we trust the whole group like he did before the break and I think that we're in a good way to do
What kind of a test do Spanish sides represent, versus the tests you get when you restart the Premier League season. How useful is it?
Me just in general, you're always facing different opposition who have different styles. You cannot really compare them perfectly, but I think that both are really good tests in terms of their players who can solve pressure, especially today, you saw some situations, I mean, David Silva’s just an amazing player. So our players see how they have to behave to win the ball, to follow our principles, but also with the ball.
Both teams are pretty intense, and pose different challenges to us but interesting challenges nonetheless. So it's good learning for us to play against these opponents. And again, I think that Sociedad is a very, very good team and that I think it's very good to play against these challenges in pre-season, just to build towards the restart of the Premier League.
What details are you especially pleased with from the Sociedad game. What do you think the team did better tonight compared to the Elche game?
I think that in the Elche game our organisation wasn't as good as today, especially from the start. I think that we started to game more intensity.
We were just more in the game from the start. We were able to push the game more in our direction, especially the first 15-20 minutes they had a really hard time to come out of their half and they scored the first time when they basically get out of there half. They score off the set-piece results, I think you have to defend the situation better but just in terms of how we started the game, it was an improvement towards Elche which is something that I'm very pleased with.
We’re quite used to seeing the team start with a 4-2-3-1, tonight it began with a 4-3-3 and that seemed to set in over the course of the evening. Can you tell us how that came about and what you learned from that?
So I mean, in general a formation is just a tool to follow our principles. So if you want to press high, you choose a formation which enables you against a specific opponent to press high but the principle stays the same.
So we adapt these things towards the opponent. In some games, it might be more like a 4-3-3 and some games might be more like a 4-4-2. In some games you think you want to have someone in that space, in the six, so you have a 4-2-3-1 and again, depending on the personnel, you shifted more to one side or to the other so you load into specific players. So it's very much small adaptations from a general formation or the principles in itself, which are staying the same. It's just looking at specific qualities of the opponent that they have and adapt to it so we can still ensure that off principles are being followed.
Rasmus, Tyler and Brendan came back this week. We saw Rasmus and Brendan tonight but no Tyler. Can you talk us through those three and the differences in the approach?
They came from the World Cup and every single one of them played different minutes at the World Cup. Obviously Tyler is suspended for the Man City game so it was just the thought process individually how they react to the training after coming back from the World Cup and having a break between the World Cup and now.
We decided together how much every single one of them shall play and then that's what he settled for because I think it's a mixture of getting them back into the shape but also, again, the whole group is important. We will need the whole group and just that everyone is able to get minutes and to play with them that style against such an opponent.
Have you got an update on Summerville?
We are hoping that he can start training in the next week and from there it's day to day also.
So you’re hoping he’ll be back?
Yes, just about.
On Patrick Bamford, where’s he at?
I think with this rehab process even more, for instance, is not as clear as with Diego, how it will progress so it's very hard to say something accurate about it.
In terms of the Man City game, how close is the team and how pleased are you with preparations?
I think that the preparation is going good, but again, we are basically in the middle of it. So we're halfway there. I think that there's things that we have to improve for the Monaco game for sure we things from the Monaco game that we have to iron out for Man City. Obviously Monaco and Man City are different teams so it's not always 100 percent that you can go linea, step by step, but you focus on different aspects and different phases of the pre-season. I think we're on a good path.
Gnonto is obviously a real talent. What's he like to work with in terms of coaching him and guiding him?
He's great, just great. The moment that he came in, I think you saw the video when him and Jesse met the first time, you just see Willy’s personality. He’s joyful, he is very intelligent, so he speaks four languages on a very, very high level, and he's very humble and still ambitious like that makes of being a nice guy and still working hard of being humble and still having a confidence to try things like he did in the games before the break. I think that mixture is making it very easy for us to work with him and it's obviously very nice to have such a great human being in your squad. I think that's one of the aspects that will make him a very, very good player in the future.
What about yourself? You seem to have enjoyed yourself in the few months you’ve been here. what have you made of the club and indeed the potential?
That question is quite a big scope, but just for my personal opinion which you should not take too seriously, I think the club's massive. Every time I walk through the city centre you see how much the city breathes the club and for me, I think there is a big, big potential in the future because I think Victor Orta is doing an amazing job.
One thing when I came here what surprised me in a very positive way was how hard working every single person in the whole training centre and around the club at Elland Road is. I think from my experience it's something that we all should value and I did, for sure, because you should not take it for granted.
I think that's part of the identity of this club, the hardworking mentality, side before self, you always have that feeling that everyone who's working for the club is pushing for the best of the club and that's what I think defines the potential which is very, very big. Then you have the city like Leeds, the history of the club, it's impressed me because before I came here, I was asking people who are not from Yorkshire, not from Leeds, about the league and the club and everything. I have to say that everything that I've experienced so far has exceeded my expectations.
READ NEXT:
Tyler Adams' next step has been mapped out as Leeds United midfielder handed huge target
What we learned watching Leeds United train - Injury clues, Aaronson's involvement and Archie Gray
David Silva, Old Trafford triumph, Isak - Real Sociedad lowdown ahead of Leeds United friendly
Jack Harrison facing internal pressure as he bids to avoid unfamiliar Leeds United role
Jesse Marsch's post-World Cup hangover efforts as Leeds United boss explains unique challenge
