Scotland assistant manager John Carver previews their UEFA Euro 2024 opener against Germany
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Hi, all good? I see the sun's come out for us eh? Nice one. Afternoon all, we'll start
00:11 the questions with Luke from Sky Sports and then we can go thereafter but thank you for
00:16 coming. Luke, take it away.
00:18 John, firstly can you give us an update? We saw Andy Robertson walking off at training,
00:22 how is he and what was the issue?
00:24 Yeah he's fine, I've just spoke to him there, it was a precaution really, he just caught
00:29 the ball, just caught his ankle, but he'll train tomorrow, he'll be fine. Obviously at
00:34 this stage we're going to be extra cautious so he's okay, he's fine and looking forward
00:39 to joining him tomorrow.
00:40 Is there any initial panic when you do see your captain walking off?
00:44 It's never nice is it, especially with the look we've had lately. As soon as training
00:50 was finished I popped across, had a chat with him and he's in good form so he's fine.
00:54 I did see Lauren Shankland walking off as well, what's the issue there?
00:57 Yeah he had a little bit of a niggle from the other night and he's in that process.
01:00 Obviously he played quite a bit game time in the two games that we've played so we're
01:05 just protecting him as well. Everybody's got their own programme coming back as you well
01:10 know so he's fine, everybody's good.
01:13 Kenny McLean?
01:14 Yeah, Kenny had a little issue before the game the other night but again he'll probably
01:19 train again tomorrow with us so he's fine. We're just, like I say, being a little extra
01:24 cautious.
01:25 Stuart Armstrong as well, is he close to being in the training group?
01:27 Yeah he'll be in with the group full time tomorrow so that's good news as well.
01:31 How difficult is it managing individual programmes when players have all finished?
01:35 I think you have to do that, especially in tournament football. Like I said, maybe it
01:39 was a couple of weeks ago, everybody's at different stages of their return to football
01:44 or match time so we have to be careful, we have to make sure we've got all the signs
01:48 right because it's important. We're now in the tournament and we want to make sure
01:53 we've got everybody fit and firing for that first game.
01:57 John I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the camp itself, the welcome you guys
02:01 have received here, maybe even John McGinn's dancing?
02:05 Yeah, I wasn't as surprised John was going to get up eh? But no, it was fantastic. We
02:10 got here yesterday, we had a wonderful welcome from the Mayor and now we want to make an
02:16 impact. I think we've seen a little bit of the culture last night which was excellent
02:21 as you've already said, John McGinn joined in the culture which was great and we've seen
02:26 we've had the open day today and it was fantastic, in awful conditions for all the families and
02:30 the children to come out and watch training. It was a great turnout and I hope they were
02:35 impressed but we just want to thank them because it's very, very important you embrace the
02:42 community and we've certainly done that. It's a fantastic environment, we've tried to make
02:47 it feel as much as we can as home, that's why we brought the weather with us. But if
02:52 you look at the surroundings, all the branding and making the players feel like it's our
03:00 home.
03:01 I suppose all these little reminders just pointing towards what a huge game is coming
03:08 up on Friday.
03:09 Yeah, I mean today was about the community and allowing people to see the players and
03:16 for me the real work starts tomorrow where we can look at things, how we're going to play,
03:22 we can look at all different things on the set players, what have you. So it really starts
03:26 tomorrow, the real work starts tomorrow. We've had a good preparation, we had a couple of
03:31 friendlies which were excellent in my opinion because we got out of it what we needed to
03:36 get out of it. But like I say, Friday is when the real business starts and we have to make
03:43 sure we're ready for that and I'm sure we will be.
03:46 You kind of pre-empted my next question and that was what is the focus now for the next
03:51 couple of days?
03:52 Well, just preparing the team and making sure that we've got everybody available but preparing
03:56 the team for what is a huge challenge ahead. Let's not forget who we're playing against,
04:01 we're playing against the host nation in excellent form, a very, very good team and we can never
04:08 underestimate that, that's important. So we have to get our preparation right and we'll
04:14 come up with something that hopefully we can get something out of the game.
04:18 Just on that point, John, if you talk about the atmosphere within the squad, just give
04:23 us an insight into where the players are at in terms of their focus, how ready to go they
04:27 are ahead of what's coming up.
04:29 I think it's quite incredible. When you arrive, because obviously we had a day off on Saturday
04:34 and we arrived Sunday morning and you could sense it at breakfast, the feeling, the excitement,
04:40 but controlled excitement. So we know it's here now, it's been a long time in waiting
04:45 and we know it's here now. So the players have to be prepared, they have to be ready
04:50 for it but in a controlled fashion.
04:53 Have you seen that difference from the previous Euros to now where the squad are able to embrace
04:59 the occasion a bit more from that experience?
05:02 I think we've all experienced that, haven't we? Let's be honest. So it does feel totally
05:08 different. I've got to be honest, we're two hours flight away from homeland so it's totally
05:13 different and you're coming into a magnificent environment. Obviously the day before the
05:18 game we'll travel to Munich so we're closer to the Allianz. So it definitely feels different,
05:25 it is different and the fact that we've actually got that opening game makes it special.
05:30 John, I'd like to ask you a little bit about Steve, if I can. You know him better than
05:37 most. What specifically do you think he's done in the last five years to create the
05:41 team that we're seeing right now?
05:43 I think he's brought in the trust amongst the players. I think the most important thing
05:49 from a leader, and Steve's the leader because he's the head coach, that the players trust
05:54 you and the group of players trust him and I think that's one of the biggest assets he's
05:58 brought to the group because I believe that players will work and run harder and faster
06:05 if they're playing for somebody who they trust. He's honest, he's straight, he's up front
06:13 and it's quite clear the instruction he gives the players. So that's what players want and
06:18 they understand it and they've understood that from day one.
06:23 I always find that really fascinating actually how you do that though. How do you build that
06:27 trust? What do you see that's different from managers that you've worked with in the past?
06:31 I can give you an example. Obviously I work with Bobby Robson who had the trust of all
06:35 the players because of the way he treats them. But if a player's left out, you'll have a
06:40 conversation with him and tell him the reasons why. You won't just name a team and leave
06:44 it at that. I think that is one way of giving you an example. It's not a nice thing to say
06:50 to a player that he's not playing but he'll explain the reasons why. He might not be before
06:55 the game, he might do it after the game but he will have a sit down, a one on one conversation
07:00 and explain. I think myself as an ex-player, that's what I would like. I would like the
07:06 manager to explain why I'm not playing if I'm not playing because it's never easy.
07:10 I think what's interesting as well is he always likes to tell us he doesn't get too excited
07:13 about things. When you see him and specifically before the game on Friday, what do you think
07:19 he's going to be like? What will he be doing?
07:21 I think he'll be the same as he ever is. He's just so level. I'm a little bit different.
07:25 I'm either up on the top or on the floor. He's quite level and that's the good balance
07:30 that we have. I don't think he's going to change and if he does, you won't be able to
07:35 tell in his face because he's just got that deadpan look on him.
07:41 Hi John, I'm sure you've heard that former Scotland international Alan Hanson is ill
07:49 in hospital. Is there a message that you and the coaching staff and the squad have for
07:53 him and his family?
07:54 There certainly is. Obviously we got the news when we got off the aeroplane and I would
07:58 just like to pass a message on and say that everybody, the players, the staff and everybody
08:03 connected with the SFA are really thinking about himself and his family because it's
08:09 an extremely difficult time.
08:11 He's probably widely regarded still as the greatest defender that Scotland's ever produced.
08:16 Do you remember watching him?
08:18 Absolutely. The biggest thing that I noticed was he was a fantastic defender but he was
08:23 a ball player in centre half. He was probably one of the first that I can remember seeing
08:28 play and the way he stepped out with the ball, he was so graceful. That's what I remember.
08:35 He was obviously in one of the top sides in the world at the time, winning European Cups
08:39 and almost winning everything in sight. A proper legend of the game.
08:50 John you mentioned that things get real tomorrow. How important is it to make that transition
08:57 between the warm welcome and the open training but actually to get focused on what is the
09:03 biggest match for some of these players in their careers on Friday night?
09:06 I think when you're dealing with players who are playing at the top level, I think it's
09:09 quite easy. The amount of open days I've attended, and they're always the same, it's always low
09:16 key, it's always a little bit of fun, people smiling and enjoying themselves. But because
09:22 we've got so many top professionals playing at the highest level, I think it's quite easy
09:26 for a player just to switch, turn the switch and say 'right, okay'. I can see it for myself.
09:32 My own point of view, yesterday was the longest day in the world for me because I wanted to
09:37 make sure that everything was right going into the next three or four days, making sure
09:42 that our preparations were good. I don't think it's a difficult transition, I think it can
09:47 happen quite easily.
09:48 Last two or three questions.
09:51 Everybody in Germany is hyped about the Scottish fans, and a lot of fans are coming to Munich
10:04 and to Germany, especially to Munich in the next days. How do you see their part in terms
10:09 of supporting you, and how important is it to have all those fans in Germany to play
10:14 a successful tournament?
10:16 It's huge, it's absolutely massive. I actually came out and said a few weeks ago there'd
10:21 be about 100,000. I'm hearing now there could be in excess of 200,000, and that doesn't
10:25 surprise me. Although there's not many tickets available, so that doesn't surprise me one
10:31 little bit. But what I will say is, they are so important to this team, because if we ain't
10:35 got them supporting us and backing us, we're not a team. So they're so important, and the
10:42 players understand that. I just hope they enjoy themselves, I hope we can give them
10:47 something to cheer about. And like I say, we can only find that out once the group stages
10:53 are over.
10:54 Felix Fischer from Sky Sports News, Germany. Germany, the national team had some ups and
11:04 downs obviously. You were talking about them as a nation, as a great football nation in
11:08 general. But how do you see their current situation?
11:11 I think since the introduction of Kroos coming back in, I've seen an uplift in the team.
11:18 They have some wonderful players, really well organised, quick at the back, creative players,
11:26 a number of players who we know very, very well. So everybody talks about... And we're
11:33 now in a tournament mode, and you know what happens in tournaments. Germany are the team
11:37 who normally step forward and produce something. So we know how difficult it's going to be,
11:42 but we're not fearing the challenge. It's a big challenge, it will be a big challenge.
11:48 So we're going into the game with confidence, and we want to stamp our authority on the
11:52 game the way we play and how we do things.
11:55 Okay, thank you very much.
11:58 Cheers.
11:59 Cheers, guys.
12:00 That way?
12:02 Yeah. Thank you.
12:06 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:13 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:20 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:27 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:34 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:41 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:48 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
12:55 Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
13:02 Cheers.
13:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]