Q1 | Looking at your playing career here, it’s almost summed up by the League Cup run of 2002 – beating Chelsea 5-1 in the semi-final but then losing 2-1 to Blackburn in the final – the feeling of what might have been...
Gus: “Yes, sometimes you play finals, you lose and the opposition is better than you on the day. For instance, my final as a coach with Sunderland against Manchester City (League Cup Final, 2014) we had an exceptional first half, we were winning 1-0, but then City started playing and they can beat you - because they are better than you - and they won 3-1. In the 2002 final, and after beating Chelsea 5-1, I still believe we deserved to win. We had the better chances, that's the frustration, because when you don't have any chances, what can you do? But that final, I will never remember it like that. We deserved to win, we didn't and at the end of the day, that's why it's important in a final, just winning the game. I won one with Chelsea (2000 FA Cup v Villa), which was awful, probably the worst final ever at Wembley, but we won. That final in 2002... it hurt a lot, especially because getting to a final and having the chance to win it, it would have been a perfect season.”
Q2 | Spurs fans will remember your late volley against Arsenal in 2001 – what was it with you and derbies? They just seemed to light the Poyet fire!
Gus: “I learned from a very, very young age in Uruguay. We played against a team from Argentina - it was like an interchange from Argentina to Uruguay and they would come one way and a player would stay at your house, you would to their house. I remember the first time, I was leaving my house, the Argentinian guy was at our house, and my father called me over and said, ‘we don’t lose to Argentina’, so that was my first feeling of pressure at the age of nine! For me, always, derbies are there to be won. There is nothing else that you can take from those games. You cannot lose derbies, and I took that attitude with me all of my life. I've been quite lucky, I know, in terms of derbies, obviously I lost a few, but that particular goal against Arsenal, I was desperate not to lose that game. At the time, it was huge. I remember we recovered the ball in our half, 90th minute, normally you don't have too much energy at that time, but when you're losing against your biggest rivals, there is no tiredness, no cramp - it's a derby. I remember just running to the box but I didn’t know where Sergei Rebrov would cross the ball from the right, but just to get in there, and I was lucky enough that the ball had a little bit of a bend, so it reached me, and then I just wanted to strike the ball cleanly and hit the target. When it went in, it was probably the biggest explosion in a game. That's why I define the north London derby differently. It’s unique - and you cannot lose those games.”
Q3 | Okay, here’s a question – what meant more? The 5-1 win in the League Cup semi-final as a player against Chelsea in 2002 or the 5-1 win in the League Cup semi-final against Arsenal when you were assistant manager and we went on to win the trophy – against Chelsea - in 2008?
Gus: “Well, they are different, because one, you are playing, but I would like to think that the Arsenal one, especially for Juande (Ramos, manager)… you know, I was trying to explain, he knew all about Seville against Real Betis, but I told him all about the north London derby and I wanted him to feel it, to know how important it was and how we needed to get through to the final. Then we go on to win 5-1 and then win the final. So, yes, it was a special moment and, this is my opinion, after the 5-1, we went to the final with the confidence that you need to win a final. Maybe if it was a different semi-final, then you play Chelsea in the final, Drogba scores, 1-0 down etc, etc, but the semi-final gave us a little extra belief. That mentality, I think, helped a lot.”
Q4 | Let’s move onto Brighton, because people will know all about Fabian Hürzeler, Roberto De Zerbi, Graham Potter, Chrissie Hughton, but maybe less about the manager who took Brighton from struggling in League One to the title and the Championship - alongside the move from the Withdean to the Amex…
Gus: “I went to Brighton in November, 2009. It was a team fighting relegation in League One. My first game there was Southampton away - a Southampton side with Lambert, Lallana, Antonio - and we did the job (Brighton won 3-1). We finished 13th, set up pre-season, and then the chairman told me we’re changing stadiums! We went out and won the league. It was spectacular. We started playing football, at that time, in League One, I would say only 1% of clubs were playing. We were different to the whole other 23 teams. Then we were able to sign players to play that style, and we went to the Championship and to the Amex - from 7,000 people to 21,000 and then to 30,000. Now, everybody knows Brighton. It was the best moment as a coach for me. I mean, in terms of achievements, obviously last year in Korea was the best (Gus led Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to the Korea League 1 title and Korea Cup double last year) but in terms of coaching and achieving what I believe in football, Brighton were my best years, yes.”
Q5 | Last question Gus – and it’s on our new Head Coach, Roberto De Zerbi. You are both former managers of Brighton, you would have watched plenty of Brighton – of course, we face each other on Saturday - what can you tell us about Roberto?
Gus: “I really like the appointment. The only thing that I was thinking was, ‘okay, how is he going to set up his way of playing football in such a short period of time?’. Then I listened to him in an interview, they asked him this question, and he was very clever and intelligent as a coach and as a person, saying, ‘basics first’. You’re going to see the De Zerbi team next year. Now, you’re going to see a little bit, but basics. I tell you now, belief is most important, because you know that when you are down there, luck is not coming your way. If you see the goal against Sunderland the other day, it's typical of a team that is fighting every day. So, it's a matter of mental belief and getting that first result, that win, like Roberto said.”
Predict the score of this weekend's clash with Brighton & Hove Albion