On scoring late goals this season…
If it would be easy to do then we would have done it for the last few years as well! You have to get into this mood, you have to get into this flow. We got forced into it early in the season because we had to chase games, we were 1-0 down, we had red cards, all these kind of things. We had this experience early in the season that we had to try it until the last second. And I don’t have to tell the boys old stories from 16-17, to tell them [when] we turned games around. These are our games early in the season, down to 10 men, turning the game at Newcastle around, winning against Bournemouth, losing in a very awkward way against Tottenham but playing the best game I ever saw with nine men, so it was outstanding.
Learning all this, getting through this, making the right conclusions, taking the right things out of it, and then you do it. I cannot say now that we are working on late goals specifically, but it helps as well because the other stat is that we scored quite a few from the bench, the players we brought on were quite influential. The quality of the boys coming on as well is pretty good as well. Five subs help, that really can change football games. That’s it.
On Jota’s goalscoring ability…
He just has it. He is a complete package. With – and he knows that and everybody knows that – a few injuries in the wrong time, and a few too many as well. Unlucky, wow. Diogo gets, in each game, knocks like crazy. If I go through the list of medical reports I got over the years since Diogo is here, he is in each and every one of them. Not as injured, just as he has a bruise, has a knock, has that, has that after each game, so he really gets it. On top of that, a couple of times he was out and absolutely for too long. Otherwise his numbers would look completely different. Now he was in a really good shape before he got injured, came back and is in a really good shape. He is literally flying in the moment. Everything looks light, looks fresh, looks explosive and on top of that, he always was an extremely smart footballer.
I think if the world looks at one point towards a country where it’s not big but has an incredible amount of good footballers and really smart footballers, it should be Portugal. The amount of players they deliver to the football world, compared to the amount of people, is crazy, and then the kind of players they are – really special, really special. [The] game understanding is a different level and that makes him the player that he is for us.
From the first moment I saw him at Wolves, I was absolutely excited about his potential. He can play all three positions for us up front, which is really special, especially in the moment when Mo is not here. That’s how it is with strikers, when you are in a good moment, you better use it. You surf on the wave and then you can add a few on and that’s what he is doing. The goal he scored against Chelsea was not only the opener, it was an unbelievable goal. But you can only do that and have that idea to get through these two guys when you are full of confidence. He did that and it was fantastic and he gave this game the right direction for us.
On how pleased he is with Mac Allister’s performances…
Very. I’m over the moon about it. There are so many things I said about Portuguese players, I could say the… I’m not sure on all Argentinian players, I don’t know that many, but Macca is the same in midfield, just like a football doctor, I don’t know. Wonderful story with the dad and the uncle and the cousins and the brothers and they are all footballers and they analyse games already as kids. The dad asks, ‘What did you see in the game?’ I could not thank his father enough for that knowledge and education. Playing the position the way he plays is very special. Very, very special. [He is] super-aggressive, super-smart and his contribution for all our play in possession is extremely important.
We had it not now for all the years since I am here, but for a few years when we are in a good position that everybody wants to write a book about an individual player and this is fantastic, that is fantastic. They are all good, they are all really, really good. That’s why we are, in this moment in time, top of the table. This is the best league and we are top of the table, so what does that say? Are there any bad players in this team? No. It’s fine, I answer your questions, but the job is not to reflect on what they did and how fantastic they are, [how] good-looking on top of that and all these kind of things.
It’s really about us digging deep into the season, keep going, hold your breath, buckle up, all these kind of things and go for it. That’s what we are here for with these fantastic players. And if one thing in each footballer’s life, even if it’s the last three or four years or the last year, it’s always consistency, you want to see it. Yes, that’s your potential mixed up with attitude and you will have quality again, again, again, again, and then after the season we will see what we learned from that. But for the moment, yes, the base is good, [but] still to be extended and make sure we are in a good position for the run-in.