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00:00 We can make a bit of money if we sell these.
00:05 All right everybody who would like to kick us off?
00:12 You all right?
00:24 I think one of the things we've been talking about in the background and led by the players,
00:36 driven by the players, is what is a Chelsea standard? What does that look like in and out
00:44 of possession? And I think we showed that today. So my initial feeling is when you're in a team
00:52 and you work on something collectively, as we all know, sometimes it doesn't come out the way you
00:58 want. I thought today was our best performance of the season. It looked like the standards we've
01:05 set but also it was brave and that included the selection. I thought it was brave today.
01:13 So I'm proud of them. Very impressive control and possession for the first half.
01:21 Yeah, I mean we were comfortable but to be honest we should have got in 3-0 up I think at the half.
01:27 They pulled a goal back when we had opportunities to clear the ball but they're a good team.
01:33 And I think once you're coming at 2-1, as you know, the game can change quite quickly.
01:40 We know they have to win the game so they're going to push on, press on. They did. They
01:45 played a little bit higher. I thought sometimes we were a little careless in the deepest spaces,
01:52 sometimes overconfident but I think we hung in the tough moment in the game and went on and got
02:00 the third goal with Lauren late on. Yeah, good performance. Tom?
02:12 Yeah, I mean I was impressed with her whole performance. I think
02:16 to focus merely on them qualities or sell it short, I thought she
02:21 carried out the game plan and her role in that game plan to perfection.
02:28 It changed in the second half with Mia coming out and I think she did that equally as well.
02:36 She's shown her qualities as a 9 or a 10 and her finishing was second to none, really was.
02:44 The quality of that is natural finish that she is. Someone said it to me back there,
02:51 that's her ninth goal in five games, something like she's scored prior to this nine goals in
02:57 four seasons. So, that shows the growth in her game.
03:03 Is there an element of the way she's super-deceptive in the third goal,
03:06 where she kind of clearly stays on the job and I don't mind her doing it,
03:09 so I think she's out at the moment but has she learned from Sam in that way?
03:14 I'm sure she has but I've never seen a player like Lauren do the things she does individually.
03:20 If you get tight to her, she'll roll you. If you drop off of her, next time she makes a move,
03:28 you think you've got her. She's so explosive but she's got a left hand and a right foot.
03:33 That's the thing. Often you play against players and you know they've got strong sides but Lauren,
03:38 I think she can do it on both feet. I thought it was a brilliant, brilliant performance
03:43 from the whole team today.
03:52 You mentioned the brave selection. Hannah only a second league start, I think.
03:58 Yeah.
03:59 Natalie Bjorn, first league start. Neve Charles, first time with the armband,
04:03 I think I'm right in saying. Does that make it even better to see what they're able to do,
04:09 knowing the transition that the club are going through at the moment?
04:13 I'm not one to make safe decisions in life, even on my way out. I'm not going to do it.
04:20 I believe in putting the best XI out, no matter what anybody says. I know that based on the
04:29 training, the games, the direction I think the game is going in. I think any of our players
04:40 are good enough to start. I want to preface that. Everybody is good enough to start the XI.
04:45 We have been evolving over the course of the season to be... We haven't wanted to be a
04:52 counter-attacking team. We've come away from being that type of team. It shows if you look
04:57 at it across the board. We're much more control in many of the games we're playing. To do that,
05:03 you have to sometimes sacrifice experience and know that you won't really know how that pans
05:12 out until the end. But some of them won't grow up in games until they're given the opportunity
05:17 to do that. I've been adamant with the club that I will continue to evolve the locker room to
05:25 produce a generation of players that can continue to grow even when I've departed. Today demonstrated
05:33 the importance of Nat Bjorn coming to the club. I think it was a superb signing. While there were
05:39 new partnerships in different areas and five changes from last week, these players have to
05:45 do it in training every week and we don't play designated XI all week. They have to mix.
05:50 So, you've got to get used to it. You've got to adapt. With three games in six days, I'm sure
05:56 there'll be changes to Wednesday and I'm sure there'll be changes to next Saturday. So, everybody
05:59 has to be ready. Today, we made the right decisions.
06:02 Catherine, next please.
06:03 Oh yeah, I think she enjoyed that. Listen, I don't mind these things in the women's game.
06:17 You know, they want to give a stick, she scores, she goes over to that section, the crowd.
06:21 If you're going to give someone a stick, you have to get it in return, right?
06:28 But yeah, she was just quality. Everything. That was Lauren at her best today and
06:35 she took responsibility in that area of the pitch in a way that the team needed.
06:42 But everybody, I prefaced that because what a performance. Where do you want to go? Aaron
06:48 Cuff, but Mendeley Leopold, Steve Charles, Nat Bjorn. There were a lot of unbelievable,
06:54 you can read on the right, a lot of unbelievable performances today from the team. Real team
06:58 effort that allowed LJ to thrive.
07:19 What more could I ask from our team? We've often played Man United and won the game without being
07:25 completely dominant in possession. You see that there's another side to us now from even 12 months
07:33 ago. A real credit to the players to be brave enough to play that way because it's what we're
07:39 encouraging and that's the direction we're going in. So, I'm not focused on Man United. I knew if
07:46 we put together that performance, because I know how we train, that someone was going to be on the
07:53 end of that at some point. I think today, you play in a top team, you're not going to be dominant
07:58 over 90 minutes. But generally speaking, I think we were the much better team.
08:03 We're at the halfway point of the league and P.G. MOL introduced the new timekeeping changes
08:14 earlier this season. We've seen added time across the men's and women's game. I just wanted to get
08:19 your thoughts on the effects of that on the players. Are you concerned about a few more minutes?
08:24 What does that feel like for you? I'm personally in favour of it because
08:30 when you play against teams that waste time or whatever, then it should be added on to that
08:38 for whatever reason. Or if there's a delay in proceedings with an injury or subs, I think
08:45 recording that appropriately is the right thing to do because having the ball in
08:53 play for 45 minutes is really, really difficult. I'm personally not against it.
09:02 Every team has the opportunity to make five substitutes. Does it accumulate over the course
09:09 of the year? Maybe, but I'm not personally someone who prefers playing where you're just slowing games
09:17 down all the time. I think it encourages teams to try and play a more entertaining game.
09:25 What about multi-ball systems and the cranny in the E?
09:29 I guess that's for the single ball system. What should be on that?
09:32 I think I don't have one. I don't. If they bring it in, it'll be fine. I'm not someone who,
09:45 if that's what it is, I'll go and I'll work with that. If it's not, OK, we'll stick with that.
09:49 Don't mind. Not asked.
10:09 She's got it in her locker, though. She's a leader. I can see it already. I think about Magda coming to us at the same age Nat's come to us,
10:18 and I said that to her. I thought it was a superb age for Magda to come when she did. I think it's a
10:23 superb time for Nat to come to Chelsea. It's not easy. I sent her back at Chelsea.
10:28 You can't always learn on the job. She's brought, I think, a bit of calm, composed leadership
10:38 in Millie's absence that was needed. She's not available for the Champions League game on Wednesday.
10:45 Are you selecting based on form in training or in the way you specifically want to set up?
11:10 I think I made it clear I want us to build up better. I really do. I feel as a team,
11:14 for us to go to the next space. Every goalkeeper's been given the opportunity to do that,
11:20 no question. Anne and Zichiro have their strengths too. In a game where I felt without having a
11:31 stretch nine, I knew they were going to be aggressive, I wanted to solve the press a
11:37 different way. Hannah gave us a different option because without Sam, who's able to run a little
11:43 bit longer, we have to find a different way. I felt that the wind, I knew the wind was coming today
11:50 and I knew we had to have composure in the deepest space. Hannah is the best goalkeeper at those
11:56 things. That was a decision I took in light of Sam's injury and the fact that she's the best
12:04 build-up goalkeeper of the three of them. How will you be approaching the midweek training?
12:15 I've got a night out tonight, but I'm driving home, so I'll be home early enough.
12:24 Recover tomorrow, the finishers will get some extra minutes and then we do some tactical work
12:30 Tuesday and back Wednesday. I really think today's performance will give the team a lot of confidence
12:36 and I think that we can build on what we've done today as preparation for Wednesday and know that
12:43 nothing but a win is the most important thing. Also, we need to build on the performance today.
12:52 We'll be ready, we're used to it.
12:58 Great, I think we'll leave it there then. Thank you very much everyone.
13:01 Cheers guys, thanks.
13:05 You know, I'll just slowly try and do that a lot more famously.