Chelsea Womens boss Emma Hayes reacts to Chelsea Women beingback in the WSL race after tonights 8-0 victory, the incredible send off and last home game for her, Maren Mjelde and Fran Kirby
Kingsmeadow Stadium, London, Uk
Kingsmeadow Stadium, London, Uk
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00:00Right then everyone, who would like to go first?
00:04Well Emma, bear in mind my channel is a child-friendly channel, and Sky don't have to apologise yet.
00:14Sky.
00:15It's not over. The match itself, the season, is now no longer over. It was over midweek,
00:24Yeah.
00:25It's now no longer over.
00:28Is this a question?
00:29Is that right?
00:31I think, I don't know how best to put this, but they, the players, demonstrated all the things I've taught over years.
00:46They drove it. They led it. It all came from them. They never gave up. They had belief amongst them.
00:56They maintained the drive, the determination, no matter the setbacks.
01:01And they wanted to make sure that they sent Kings Meadow and Fran and Maren, yes, me too,
01:09off in a way that was fitting of what 12 years had been about.
01:15And I learned so much from them today. I really did. I learned a lot about the importance of belief.
01:23I learned the importance of don't write Chelsea off.
01:28But I have to say, the players have driven that and they were exceptional, especially second half.
01:34How are you feeling just after four o'clock this afternoon? You've heard of yourself, presumably, at the City O's.
01:42I didn't watch the game. I was driving here. I was in the car with Denise.
01:46And Denise, I was actually on a call with LJ to see if she was coming into the game.
01:55And Denise screamed in my ear that the goal had gone in and we asked LJ to commentate for the last four minutes.
02:05And it went like this.
02:11I was on the other end of the phone. I went, can't you? She went, all right, Williamson.
02:18And then it stopped. And then she was behind. And it was like a bizarre situation where I was sat outside of Fat Boys.
02:25And I was looking at everyone in Fat Boys and I was thinking, what's going on? It's all a bit mental.
02:33The fans then started cheering and it felt like the door was ajar.
02:40And it obviously was. And I feel we had to score at least six to give ourselves a chance.
02:52It was eight, weren't it? Yeah, it was. Thanks.
02:55Did you change your formation or your line-up as a consequence, perhaps, of what happened after four o'clock?
03:01No, I picked the same team that was prepared yesterday. And that, for me, was important.
03:07No matter the scoreline or the situation, I trust in the squad.
03:12So I changed absolutely nothing from what we prepared from yesterday.
03:17But I changed something in the second half to be able to get even more attacking players on the pitch.
03:22But listen, it's not about tactics. It's attitude.
03:29The attitude, the desire, the determination, the mentality. That's what Chelsea is.
03:35And every coach that sits here and tells you otherwise is just full of shit.
03:39Emma, it must have given you huge pride to see Millie's long, diagonal, pinpoint passes back at Kingsmen.
03:56I've missed them. Me too. I've missed them immensely.
04:01I think it's always a bit unfair because, you know, players who have been playing have been putting in great performances for the shirt.
04:08But she's the captain of this club. And, yeah, she's not at her best yet.
04:16It looks like that sometimes. But it's the character. It's the mentality.
04:21It's that winning that I felt has been a little bit absent in us on a consistent basis.
04:28It was absolutely amongst us today.
04:31How was she after the full game?
04:34I don't know. But she's made a tough stuff, so I'm sure she'll recover.
04:39Listen, Jess and Keisha have played a lot of games. No matter what, they've done a great job for the team.
04:46Today was the third game in a week after a tough spell, and it was the right time to make changes.
04:53Everyone delivered. This is not about Millie or anyone else. The whole team delivered today.
04:59And it was good on the best performance.
05:02So, more of the same against Tottenham in a week and a half then?
05:08I think it's fair to say I'm sure there'll be another twist because it wouldn't be the same.
05:15What I know is that my team will not give up. They will not give up. This is who we are.
05:21And tonight is a, I don't know, it'll be a memory for me forever.
05:28Those players taught me so much today.
05:31Were you almost doubting yourself at some point then when the players rejuvenated or gave it back?
05:39Well, I just wanted to take the pressure off of them a little bit.
05:43After Thursday, I wanted to take the pressure off of them.
05:46I really mean what I say. They've been amazing in my time here.
05:52I'm going to have a photo on Tuesday with 15 trophies in my time here.
05:56My time's been successful and those players have done a lot.
06:00We've won four doubles in a row or four titles in a row, sorry.
06:04It's just, you know, it's hard to keep sustaining it.
06:08But I just figured it's best to take the pressure off of the team and celebrate the other things.
06:16I think it was the right tactic for me to do that post-game.
06:19But I did say to the team, it's so crucial that we have to be ready if there is a slip-up.
06:27We're not in the driving seat.
06:29I still think it's tough to win the title.
06:32Even if we've got a game in hand, look at the opponents we have to face.
06:36Like in Aston Villa.
06:39Yeah, I mean, I'd like to think Carla will put in a great performance in her last game in charge.
06:46And we have to play a brilliant Tottenham team and a Man United team and not just out of the cup.
06:53Like, a long way to go yet.
06:56But at least we go into those games fresh.
06:59That is something we haven't done for a while.
07:16It'll be coming out.
07:19I don't think you really enjoy any time anyway.
07:23Every win just feels like a relief.
07:26Me and Fran talked about this yesterday.
07:29There's not a lot of enjoyment in what you do.
07:31You think there is. It looks like there is.
07:33But trust me, it's just build, win, release.
07:36Build, lose, recover.
07:38It's like a lot. You have to go through a lot emotionally, mentally.
07:42And I think we've journeyed a lot this year.
07:45Everyone's wrote us off.
07:47Everyone's wrote us off.
07:49So, you better buckle up everyone.
07:53Because we ain't going to lay down easily.
07:57Not now.
07:59We're alive.
08:13Exhausted.
08:15I feel drained by it.
08:18Because...
08:20Listen, I want to soak it in and take it in.
08:23And I kept saying this to my son.
08:25Like, say thank you and show humility and gratitude
08:32for everything that Chelsea has given us in our lives.
08:39I shouldn't say this, but I can't help it.
08:42I can't see I'll ever work for another football club again.
08:45That's how much I love this place.
08:49It's my home. It's my family. It's my community.
08:52And it's emotional in a very, I'd say, a subdued way.
08:59Because it's a title race.
09:01But don't think I'm not, like, feeling it.
09:03I thought today was really, really hard for me to coach.
09:07Really, really hard. There was a lot going on.
09:09I just want to say thank you for everything that you've done for Chelsea.
09:12Thank you.
09:14Thank you. Appreciate that.
09:30I'm just so proud we produced a player.
09:34It's one of our own.
09:36And someone who...
09:38I thought she took the game by the scruff of the neck.
09:40Especially at 2-0.
09:41Getting the third goal was like...
09:43Aggie scores goals.
09:45Aggie gets in great positions.
09:47She's deserving of where she is.
09:50And there's nothing more than watching one of your own players come through.
09:55I'm well proud of her.
10:05Yeah, I think it's a lot.
10:07You have to realise, emotionally,
10:08we've won 14 titles here.
10:10This has been her life.
10:12Of course, Fran and Maren want to come on and do well for the team.
10:15It's a lot emotionally to process all of that and deliver everything.
10:20But Fran played her part.
10:22She drove the team in the second half.
10:24I think everybody who came from the bench did a tremendous job.
10:27It was a great whole squad effort today.
10:34Well...
10:36I'm not going to say anything.
10:38But I've always loved Swedish players.
10:41And I love Steen of Blacksteenia.
10:44She's a quality striker.
11:09You don't have to give up a lot to do this job.
11:12I don't wish it on anyone, for the most part.
11:15I think the pressures, the expectations are through the roof.
11:21I think...
11:23She doesn't have the media engagements I have.
11:26So she gets away lightly there.
11:28But...
11:30I think the future for women in coaching
11:33is to have co-head coaches.
11:35Two women,
11:36coaching team,
11:38maybe two mums, I don't know,
11:40Rachel Yankie and...
11:42Jane Ludlow,
11:44to give you good examples.
11:46I think the only way you're going to keep women in the game
11:49is to create situations that are different.
11:52And they do it well in America.
11:54There's often husband-wife teams
11:56or co-head coaches for this reason.
12:00I think it's important for...
12:02But I'm not sure anyone really cares, to be quite frank.
12:06I think no one deep down really cares
12:09whether there's going to be women coaching at the top.
12:12Was that going to give you a concern?
12:14Oh yeah, no, it did.
12:16I could see it completely disappearing.
12:18A hundred percent.
12:20I think we have to reflect on that as a whole
12:22because I think the women's game is going very much
12:26in exactly the same direction as the men's game.
12:29And of course, the posit varies.
12:31I think there's a lot of negatives to it too.
12:32Do you think it's your responsibility to change...
12:34Is it that new curve that's coming in?
12:36Yeah.
12:38That they've got to bring something in,
12:40like an idea you mentioned or something else,
12:42to keep women in coaching jobs in this country?
12:44Yeah, they've got to think about a lot of things.
12:46I don't think it's just that.
12:48You're dealing with a world now
12:50where the pressures and the expectations
12:54are just the same,
12:56but the women's game is becoming
12:58a place that
13:02is changing quite quickly.
13:04Cool.
13:06Yeah.
13:08Just two questions from me, Emma.
13:10In this press conference,
13:12we've obviously been through emotions.
13:14We talked about how emotional you're feeling
13:16with your send-off here,
13:18the light-hearted bit with Lauren James
13:20giving you the commentary,
13:22the advocacy moment when you're giving your game
13:24and depending on the game as a whole.
13:26You talked about the pressures that come with
13:28the role that you have is being everything
13:30to everyone at all times,
13:32and what's that pressure been like
13:34over the last few weeks?
13:36I don't know if that played a role
13:38in deleting your socials this week.
13:40How do you manage all of that?
13:42Yeah, I had a chat with Jürgen Klopp
13:44about it this week.
13:46I think it's ridiculous
13:50what everybody expects
13:52of a football manager.
13:54We're human beings.
13:56We have lives.
13:58This isn't about anything else
14:00than, in my opinion,
14:03getting you lot paid for tomorrow.
14:06And because of that,
14:08maybe we've lost a little bit of sight
14:11around, I don't know,
14:14the things that I think become important.
14:17I understand everybody's under pressure.
14:19Everybody's got to get headlines.
14:21Everybody's got to grab content.
14:24But I think for football managers,
14:27we're in an impossible position
14:28because every day,
14:30we're in a place where
14:32no matter what we say,
14:34it'll be turned into something
14:36that gets you guys paid
14:38and at the same time
14:40puts us in a position
14:42where we're just pieces of meat.
14:45And I won't miss it, for sure.
14:49And of course, I have to do
14:51press and media,
14:53and there's lots of amazing things
14:55that come with it.
14:56But what's important is that
14:58the volume of abuse
15:00you have to tolerate
15:02is unacceptable.
15:04And the dangers of where
15:06the women's game is going is that...
15:08And this, by the way,
15:10is not just coming from me.
15:12This is how the players feel too.
15:14Players feel the same way.
15:16The volume of trolling,
15:18the volume of nastiness
15:20that's coming in our game.
15:22That's why I say it's getting
15:24like the men's game.
15:26There's a big distance
15:28between everything we do
15:30with you guys.
15:32And for me, that's the sad thing
15:34that's leaving the game.
15:36And just one more from me.
15:38You said in your speech
15:40about Denise and you said
15:42that you're about to retain
15:44female talent.
15:46You maybe need these partnerships
15:48at the top level.
15:50What has she been like for you
15:52during your time here?
15:54Oh, listen.
15:56That works.
15:58Just like Paul and I,
16:00polar opposites of each other.
16:02Denise is someone who...
16:04She's journeyed.
16:06She's coached at the top
16:08for a long time.
16:10Her experience has been invaluable.
16:12Her wisdom has been invaluable.
16:14But most importantly,
16:16her loyalty and her friendship is...
16:18At the end of the day,
16:20that's all I really care for in life
16:22is the things that matter,
16:24the people that matter.
16:26I'm so grateful
16:28that I've had the opportunity
16:30to coach alongside
16:32an exceptional coach.
16:34Thanks very much.
16:36Ciao, guys.
16:38See you later.
16:40See you next week.
16:42See you here.
16:44I'll see you here.