Iraola Addresses Squad Rotation, Van Dijk's International Future & Fitness News Ahead of Spurs Game

"It's not about the ranking of the competitions. They are different. I am sure if you ask you prefer to win a Champions League and Premier League game but there's no guarantee that is you rest players you're going to win the next one. We want to win and play well and that's what we are going to try tomorrow."

"It's the third game (in seven days) it's the worst scenario in terms of schedule, we haven't been lucky. After this one we have a little bit more before we play Bournemouth and you noticed the gap between Ipswich and Atletico and Atletico and Fulham. It's a big difference. We have to get used to it."


"You can put the same players in every game. The problem is there will be a moment they are really tired and there is more risk of injury. There are players who play every three days and have no issues, they can accept it and performances don't change too much."


"Then there are players where the risk is bigger and the performances are different. And we are in a position where I have to learn who is ready to play and who is ready to rest so their performance level doesn't drop. I had an idea with some of them, but for some of them it is new as they haven't played as many games before." 

"I'm very happy with the squad, I value a lot the players we have. If we win games the squad looks fantastic, if we don't win then there are problems or whatever."


"We will see tomorrow players we haven't seen and I am looking forward to seeing them. They can help us and they haven't had the chance yet." 

"We are in a territory where we have to talk to players, we have players who are experienced and have done it (playing every three days). With the younger ones and the ones coming from abroad, there are more question marks for them, for me and for everyone."

"I understand the frustration, as we were also frustrated. We were coming from two games of a step forward, then we had a step backwards. That happens in football."


"Probably the most frustrated as we wanted to continue the line and win the third game and give us a push moving forwards but it was a step backwards. We weren't good enough, especially offensively."



"We have to accept it in terms of there are going to be up and downs in this process, but we are clear where we want to go is more towards where we played against Atletico, the style of football we want. The key now is the consistency to perform like this." 

"Will I change the goalkeeper? Yes. Alisson is proven, he is playing very well. I rate Giorgi very highly, I know him from his years in Spain. We tried to sign him for Bournemouth before I came here, he is a very good goalkeeper."


"He is going to start tomorrow."

"Joe is training with the team and is available for tomorrow. It's a matter of deciding how much he can play."

"Compared to previous games, we won the game a lot lower on the pitch. The only big chance we conceded was our goal kick we messed up, but we were recovering the ball very low, and when that happens you have to attack against 11 players, and that makes it more difficult."


"We need to recover the ball as high as possible because it makes the offensive side that much easier. We have situations to attack in one v one."

"It's more than the midfield. When we have been good collectively, the midfielders have looked a lot better and recovered more balls. We are helping them more to win the duels. The ones up front do their job very well; then the midfielders look good."


"If we are allowing them to defend one-v-one all the time and we are not aggressive, then our defenders will also struggle. If the players ahead of you are doing the job, then the midfielders look better. It is more collective." 


"That's the help we have to give to our defenders and midfielders so everyone looks better, looks smarter and in better positions." 

"He is not close to training with the team. He is training alone, but he has started touching the ball. We want him back as soon as possible. He has a road a little bit ahead of him, and it is going to take some time."


"I think [Giovanni] Leoni is a little bit ahead of him."

"I talked to Xavi and Virgil, but they were private conversations and not something I can say here. I know Xavi very well; he was here to watch the Atlético game."