Here is every word the Tottenham Hotspur manager said following the 2-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
What do you think about the outcome and performance?
With the win tonight, I was quite delighted with both. It’s a difficult place to be, and they’re anxious for a result. They test you in a variety of ways here, with a lot of balls in the box – throws and free kicks – that you must deal with. I felt we handled it quite effectively overall. We still played quality football, created some nice chances, scored some good goals, and demonstrated character and resilience, which we thought we handled quite well.
What were your thoughts on Yves Bissouma’s red card?
Ah, no. I believe they slowed it down, saw what they saw, and we have to take it.
If you slow incidents down do they seem worse?
Dunno.
Bissouma has already been suspended three times; is this a problem with discipline?
It is an issue, but it is not one of discipline. Tonight, I haven’t seen a slowed-down version, but it’s more of a desperate thrust than anything malevolent. The lads are learning how to play football without breaking the line, but I was impressed by their dedication. Unfortunately, we paid a premium because it’s not just this game; he definitely misses a lot of games, but that’s life.
Richarlison appears to be a content striker once more?
Richy’s been good and he was good again tonight. Not an easy game, we weren’t going to get a lot of space back there. His impact is in the box. It was a great ball by Deki and that’s what Richy’s really good at. His timing in air, his ability to get the ball in the back of the net in those kind of situations was vital for us tonight.
He just seems to enjoy the moment and plays it up?
Yes, and I believe he is in a better physical and emotional state. As I mentioned earlier in the week, it was difficult for him, but he persevered. At the same time, he is aware that people will assume that if he is present, you will perform at a specific level and will not be able to make excuses.
He’s definitely feeling a lot better about himself physically and emotionally now, and while goals are obviously vital for a striker, his overall all-around play has been really fantastic for us the last few weeks.
Is Brennan Johnson all right?
He should be fine. He only has a severe cut on his head. There is nothing that should keep him out.
Is there no evidence of a concussion?
There was no concussion, only a cut on his head.
Dejan Kulusevski gave an outstanding effort tonight.
Yes, he was fantastic. To be fair, he’s been fantastic all year. We’ve used him in a variety of positions. We started him in the centre, and I felt he was great at causing difficulties. I thought we looked extremely strong early on and produced a number of really excellent opportunities.
Then Brennan bolts, and we had to widen him. We know what he’s capable of out there, and we’ve been working with him to make him more of a goal threat. We believe that is the one part of his game that he still has to improve. He’s absorbed that, and he’s now finding himself in positions to score goals. He has in the previous few games, and his overall effort rate is exceptional, but he also has the quality to back it up.
Is there any interest on Chris Davies and Swansea?
As far as I know, no. I’m sure we’ll find out in the following few days if it progresses or if a resolution is reached.
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