'We cannot develop players and not play them'

On the performance...
"They looked more dangerous than us in the final third and at the end of the day their quality offensively paid off and we have to swallow a defeat despite the fact that I believe in large patches of the game we played well. We lacked a little bit of pace and power to take advantage of the good movements we created. I believe as well our young players are not used to playing with such intensity and after an hour we dropped a little bit. But it's a good experience and it was a difficult game and we were a bit unlucky as well with the goals they scored."

On the difference between the two teams...
"They played their full side and we didn't, that was the difference. We play in the Champions League and they don't so they use their full side in this competition. You cannot say we develop the players like Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Fran Merida and then never give them a game. Then you have to change our policy. It can work. I think if we had played at home tonight I think we could have won this game. The home crowd had a big impact on the motivation of City and of the players. I believe for long periods it was a very tight game."

On Manchester City's spending power...
"I do not want to speak about money too much because we know they had it anyway at the start. There is no equilibrium there but I believe we came here with that team with a belief that we could win. They won; they were better tonight and congratulations to them."

On if any of the young players will go on-loan now...
"I think a few of them will play in the Champions League next week and then we will see."

On a lack of silverware in recent years...
"We have not won a trophy since 2005 but I don't consider that if you win the Carling Cup we parade around and say we have won the trophy. For me it is a competition where we develop our young players. I don't believe that next season if we had won the Carling Cup I would say 'we won a trophy last year'. To play in the Quarter-Final or Semi-Final or Final of the Champions League is10 times more difficult to win the Carling Cup."

[Wednesday, December 02, 2009]

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