Unai Emery was a happy man after watching us ease past Brentford in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Our head coach headed to his press conference after the match, and here’s a full transcript of what he said:
on the performance and the result...
Yes, we are happy. I think today is a good match, a good 90 minutes to continue working on our tactical things and our individual things also for taking responsibility for the players, for taking confidence in the players for the 90 minutes. And I think the result is also very important for us and today all the things that happened in the 90 minutes is good for continuing to improve and continuing helping the players with the performance to find this victory.
on Brentford making it hard...
We played against them in pre-season and we lost 2-1. We analysed them in the Championship and this is one very good team with very good players, but they are very organised and also offensively they are tactically very good. They had their free-kick and they had a lot of chances to do different options in attacking moments. We’re working and thinking with respect that they can impose their ideas on the pitch and we can’t consider these options and chances. The first half was very good because we didn’t concede a lot of chances to arrive in our box and also our pressing was very good for recovering the ball and with the ball. They demanded a lot from us in our build-up with our positioning, starting with our goalkeeper, and it’s not easy in the first minute, but it’s very good work for continuing to improve and continuing also individually the players taking confidence into the next matches.
on Danny Welbeck…
I am very happy individually, also with the player. He gave us his quality and also his commitment every day. Danny Welbeck is working with this commitment and when he is playing also with a performance like today, and I think he’s helping the team and we want this. Also, it’s more chances for us to find the first XI for the next matches with performances like today’s.
on Welbeck’s contract running out and his importance going forward…
There are three things when we are speaking about an individual. There’s the club, the player and the team, and my focus is the team. I know they have the last year of their contract with the team and they are working on speaking with the club, but for me, the focus is only on the performance in each match and every training session. The performance and the commitment of the players is very high and also Danny Welbeck’s situation is one thing for the club and for them.
on whether he wants Danny to stay...
I am very happy with Danny Welbeck.
on Welbeck not playing a Premier League game yet and if his recent performances move him closer...
Yes. Each match is very important for the players, they can show us and show every supporter and every person their performance. Tonight, it's a good performance from every player and also Danny Welbeck, he worked with two goals, helping us. And for Saturday, he's also another player that I can try, to help the first XI because he's doing very well, with a big commitment. But also, I want the first XI with the performance and I want other players [on the bench], when I am looking back I want to see good players looking forward to help the game for us.
on Emile Smith Rowe and his future at the club...
He's improving. He's grown up here in the academy with us, in the pre-season and also today, he worked very well. He needs to continue taking responsibility, taking confidence and also with the ball, continuing improving on being more calm because he arrived - in the second half - in the box two times with a very good position and we need to also improve in this situation for giving us big chances to score. But I think it's one process and they worked and they did a good game today.
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