Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said on Monday afternoon ahead of the Premier League match at Chelsea
Roberto De Zerbi had plenty to talk about at his press conference on Monday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's trip to Chelsea in the Premier League.
Following West Ham's 3-1 defeat at Newcastle, Spurs need just a point from either of their remaining two matches to keep them in the Premier League, barring a remarkable goal difference swing. A victory would guarantee their top flight status and De Zerbi will be hoping his team can prevent tension spreading into the final day by picking up a rare victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Tottenham have won only once at Chelsea in the Premier League era but come into the game on a four-match unbeaten streak under De Zerbi. Their hosts, after Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, will also have a new man at the helm in the summer after the confirmation Xabi Alonso will be begin on July 1.
De Zerbi gave updates on Monday on the fitness of Dominic Solanke and Guglielmo Vicario as well as skipper Cristian Romero and vice-captain James Maddison.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to the Spurs boss. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.
What's the latest team news?
Viciario is available to play. I decide tomorrow [who will start in goal]. Solanke is not good yet. He is not available. He feels something. I don’t want to take a risk for this game. We hope for Sunday. Maybe for Sunday he can be available for one part of the game.
Are your players ready to take advantage of West Ham's defeat to Newcastle and secure their safety?
My players have to be ready to play a good game. To play a game with courage, with pride, with work on the pitch and to try to make three points to win the game but we have to keep the balance. When we win, we are over. When we lose or maybe like against Leeds, we didn’t win but we felt something bad. Football is to keep the same balance, if you win or if you lose, in every result.
Spurs have only won once at Stamford Bridge out of 35 attempts? Why is it so hard?
Stamford Bridge is difficult. Tough stadium because the players of Chelsea in this last 30 to 25 seasons have been fantastic. Fantastic players, fantastic managers. But tomorrow is a new game, they played three days ago, two days ago very well. Maybe they didn’t deserve to lose the game. I know very well a lot of players and their style is clear. It is a tough game for us for sure.
How confident are you that Spurs have the resilience to get a result tomorrow?
We have to play with confidence because in the last four games, the last five games with me, because we didn't deserve to lose the game in Sunderland, but in the last four we made eight points. And if you analyse the performance, I think we could make more points than eight.
And for that we have to be confident, to be positive. Anyway, we can't forget one month ago what was the situation. We are not safe yet, it's tough in the Premier League.
Making one point is tough because all teams fight on the pitch, all teams are very tough to beat. But we have the quality enough and we have to show the quality with the right mentality, the right spirit. I want to see courage on the pitch, try the condition to win the game, like in the last period.
How do you expect Conor Gallagher to react to his Chelsea return?
From Conor, I expect the same performance. He's a great player for us, great personality. He doesn't speak too much, but he speaks on the pitch. On the pitch, with his work, with his personality, and we are lucky to have one player like this.
How much did you enjoy working with Moises Caicedo at Brighton and what have you made of his time at Chelsea?
Caicedo was a great player [at Brighton], it was a pleasure working with him. Like Robert Sanchez, like Levi Colwill and João Pedro. I think Caicedo now is one of the best midfielders in the world. Because he's a complete player, with the ball, without the ball.
But also our midfielders are very good. Palhinha, Bentancur, Gallagher and the others Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall, Pape, Sarr. I'm happy because I'm working with my players.
You've been positive from the start, not accepting any negativity, has that been the key?
I have just one face. I consider myself very honest as a man. I have big confidence in my players. I always started from the quality of the players. If I see, if I recognise the right qualities of my players I'm always positive. Then in the second moment after I came I knew the players better and the qualities of the players, the qualities of the people, I thought there was the right chance to fight. It's not finished but at the moment I'm happy with what the players have done in my time, but we need another step.
If you get that point then you're safe and you can start building towards next season. The summer includes the World Cup, how busy is it for a manager when....
Listen my head is not big enough to think about two, three, four things together. Now we have to reach the target and to make another result. We have to play another two games. We try to achieve the target tomorrow for the future we have all summer to think and to make plans, to make the project, everything.
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
How difficult is your goalkeeper decision with Vicario not sharp yet and Kinsky in good form?
No, it's not difficult. It's easy.
You did say Vicario is your number one...
Yes, Vicario is number one but we have to consider the physical condition, the moment, everything, but I have a big relationship with Antonin Kinsky and Vicario as well and there will not be any problem.
James Maddison has got probably more minutes than he expected against Leeds, 20 minutes, how much can he play against Chelsea?
At the beginning of this week, he didn't work for a small problem. But yesterday and today, James is working very well. He's a special player, he's a different player. Now he's not ready to play 90 minutes. I want to speak with him tomorrow morning and to take the best decision we can.
You have had a group of injured players cheering the team on and we saw Cristian Romero running out and celebrating Tel’s goal…
Cristian Romero is a big player, you know he is a big player, but he is an amazing guy because he has been a great captain in my time even though he didn’t play. We are talking by phone and when he stay here, every morning he came in my office and he was inside of the season.
I was going to ask, he put a video on social media of him sprinting on the training pitches, is there any chance we see him before the end of the season?
I don’t know, but listen, we have to play another two games. Now for our injured players when are they available after a long time with injury? It is a big problem because the season is tough and only one target we have now. Play with Romero? Play with Vicario? Play with Kinsky? The target is just one and to stay up and make point tomorrow because this is the target for everyone. Individual targets now are not important.
Now you are one point and one win away from the goal, what made the difference for you guys?
It is not finished yet and it is not correct if I answer you now. Before answering your question we have to make a point in the Premier League and especially in the Premier League, to make one point you have to fight and play very well. We have to keep focused on the game and then we can answer and make a big press conference, two to three hours of a press conference but now is not the right time.
Let me ask what did you do to motivate the players?
Nothing special. They deserve to stay up and they deserve to play in Premier League. They are good players and maybe they have to believe more in themselves and to stop the negative thoughts. Just it.”
How important is it for you that Cristian Romero is here next season?
It is a good question but it is the wrong timing no? First of all now the focus is Chelsea. Second point, Romero is a great player and the most important is the behaviour and how much the player wants to stay in this club. We are going to take all the decisions after this season and after the Everton game.
Mathys Tel scored against Leeds but gave away a penalty. How has he reacted in the week since?
A great reaction. He is a mature guy. Maybe more outside of the pitch than on the pitch because he is not playing so many games in his career, but he has big potential. He is a lovely guy, he is a positive guy and he has strong character. I think the future he can play better and better and he can become a great player for us.
You know Tottenham’s record at Stamford Bridge, would it be a miracle to win there tomorrow?
No, but to win a game tomorrow we have to play a great game against a great, great team.