23-24 EFL Cup final and Premier League Preview - Week 26
Hear from the managers ahead of the EFL Cup final and week 26 of the 23-24 Premier League season including Liverpool's Pep Lijnders and Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino
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00:00 How do you expect the players to perform in the final?
00:05 A good final only starts with really respecting and acknowledging their strengths.
00:11 Where to start? Kayseri or Enzo in the middle, really making the game.
00:17 Enzo is the one, if you let him free, he can play passes everywhere.
00:21 I think the instability in the beginning of the season, a lot happened there, a lot.
00:27 How can you expect them to perform straight away? They are growing.
00:31 I think the manager is doing an unbelievable job.
00:33 He's one of the best with Pep coaches in the world.
00:38 He's clever enough and he knows that when you arrive and you play a final,
00:44 always a circus can happen.
00:46 And of course, if they are not the favourite, we are not the favourite.
00:52 It's a final that you cannot say is a favourite.
00:58 Tomorrow, Bournemouth. No more than that. I will focus on that.
01:02 Tomorrow, Bournemouth and next ones.
01:05 When you have a schedule like this one, many years of playing every three days,
01:11 different competitions, jump from the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and so on.
01:15 The best way is thinking Bournemouth and the rest will come.
01:20 They are so incredibly aggressive, so direct.
01:23 A really tough game tomorrow.
01:29 We will do everything in our power.
01:32 We know there is a strong competition and we know the reasons behind it.
01:36 At this moment, we are not in that position.
01:39 We still have to catch up.
01:41 We are still in a moment where every game is a final for us.
01:46 We have to be in the Champions League.
01:50 The players all want this. The team wants this.
01:53 We have that strong ambition and we belong there.
01:56 We believe, but then you have to prove it.
01:58 That's the reaction that we need.
02:00 We want to create an atmosphere in the stadium from the beginning.
02:04 I ask everybody to go there tomorrow night with full energy
02:07 because the team is going to need it.
02:09 We are in a really good moment in the Premier League
02:12 and we want to continue to be there.
02:14 Tomorrow's game is vital to achieve that.
02:16 I think we have to have the approach that every game is a must-win.
02:20 The truth of it is, it's never as black or white.
02:28 It's really about getting a run together.
02:30 I don't think we can have the pretension and the arrogance to say,
02:33 "Let's go to Crystal Palace."
02:36 No, every game is tough for us.
02:39 They are a good team with good players.
02:42 Saying it's a must, it's a desire.
02:44 Let's put it this way.
02:45 We face a good team and we're building up towards this game
02:49 to have full energy for the game.
02:51 They've shown again they're a good outfit.
02:53 We know that.
02:54 Re-blended the team, missed a few players,
02:57 more players leaving and still a good outfit.
02:59 Their home records have been very good for a number of seasons.
03:02 I think tactically you have to be right.
03:04 Equally, you have to be right on transition.
03:06 Most teams who do well against them have worked well on transition,
03:09 including ourselves, of course, last season.
03:11 You can't just rely on that.
03:13 We've got to play as well.
03:14 We've got to work with the ball and in possession when we get it as well,
03:18 as well as getting the tactical framework of the side right.
03:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:28 (upbeat music)