on a game of two halves...
"I felt in the first half West Ham were a few
times dangerous, especially on set pieces, we didn't look at
ease. In the second half we looked like we were in control without
really pushing it to score more goals. But we just didn't want
to concede a goal and I think that's the inference of our
defenders who wanted to keep a clean sheet. West Ham maybe as well,
who didn't come out in the second half and didn't challenge
us really. We were quite comfortable in the second half and overall
this Christmas period has been absolutely great for us because we
had four difficult games and we come out with one draw and three
wins. If you add Chelsea - four wins and one draw."
on scoring from long balls...
"Well the teams that come here play
four-five-one and try to mark us very tight and push us up very
high, you know. Therefore their defenders need to play nearly on
the half way line, and with the players we have we can as well go
behind the central defenders and that gives us naturally a
different option. They have always two options - other teams - stop
us from the start of the play or they drop very deep, and then of
course we have not this option, but West Ham decided to push very
high up and therefore they gave us some room behind the central
defenders. We work on it of course, to work with the runs of
Adebayor, because there is so much pace and power that he can use
that, and as well he is shrewd to get in behind the central
defenders. So it gives us a little bit a different
option."
on a couple of well taken goals...
"I still don't understand how it went in. I
feel the first goal was a great finish as well because it looked so
natural. When you are... I got a few balls in this central position
and I know it's not as easy as it looked today [laughter]. It
looked just chest and then in the back of the net in a fraction of
a second, you know? He's a clinical finisher,
Eduardo."
on Clichy's long pass for Adebayor...
"It was a fantastic pass, he did that already
at Everton. It's two assists in the last two games, Clichy.
"
on a tense title race...
"It's too early to go into mind games, you
know. I feel at the moment we have the luxury, going into January,
that we rely on our performances. Man United will be a tough
opponent but we have one thing - we have belief, we have talent, we
are ready to fight. This team is hungry. So that's good
ingredients for the rest, I don't count only Man United, I
still feel Chelsea today... they were one-nil down - they won
two-one, so we have still to count Chelsea. You have still to count
Liverpool so let's see where we go from there."
on preferring to lead from the front...
"Yes, definitely. Because you just rely on your
results, the other way you say 'no we do not look at the
others' - but you still look at the others, you know? Because
you are second, or third, or fourth. And you have to hope that the
others don't perform."
on West Ham looking tired after beating United...
"Of course, it gave us a little plus,
especially in the second half, they had nothing to push on. It
happens to us as well you know, and sometimes the other teams play
teams who have played against us, and they take advantage of it as
well."
on his New Year's Resolution...
"To give absolutely everything I have, every
bit of energy to make this Club successful, and make this team
successful, because I feel it's a pleasure to work with the
team and they give absolutely everything as well, so I want to give
everything to make this team successful."
