01:42He maybe lacks the athleticism that some players have, which is a bit more eye-catching,
01:46but in terms of mentality and willingness to play the way we want to play and the belief the other players have in him, he's huge.
01:53You're a bit unlucky to get a book in today.
01:56I don't really speak out about that, but I'm going to miss next week's game for throwing my arms up in the air at a bad decision.
02:01Because Flynn takes the ball and then gets booked for it.
02:05We had an apology last week about a decision that was made that we weren't given.
02:08I didn't say anything after the game in the press, but today I am.
02:11I didn't swear at the full official, I threw my arms up in the air at a bad decision and I get booked for it.
02:15I'm not happy about that because I miss a game next week.
02:18If I'm wrong and I deserve a yellow card, then I hold my hands up.
02:22But today, I think that's nonsense.
02:24I'll probably get fined for that as well, but it is nonsense.
02:26You're totally right.
02:27Coach asked about the fitness for three of the lads.
02:29Flynn looked a bit bad towards the end there.
02:31Yuki, not a fit start, didn't come on.
02:33And Tyler, you brought him off half-time, maybe tactical.
02:35Yeah, Tyler was tactical.
02:38He looked knackered.
02:39So we spoke about this on Thursday.
02:42He's an 18-year-old lad.
02:44The level of intensity has gone through the roof for him compared to what he's used to.
02:47He's playing against the best team in the country, in Europe.
02:50And it just wasn't quite his day.
02:52And defensively, he needed a bit more help with Adam, who knows and understands the game a bit more.
02:55And also, we felt Adam runs in behind because he's one of the best at it.
02:59It could really hurt them, and it did on a few occasions.
03:01So it was just a tactical one.
03:02Tyler's been amazing.
03:03He'll be fine.
03:04He'll learn a lot from today.
03:05Yuki, we maybe could have brought him on, but chose Breezy just because we've had to monitor him in training and managing.
03:10But I wanted him in a squad just in case.
03:12So hopefully, he'll be fit for Tuesday.
03:14We'll see.
03:15I'd like to start from the start.
03:17And Flynn just seems a bit battered and bruised.
03:19I thought he was great today.
03:20Like, the Flynn that we know and love was really, really back.
03:23So many of them played with a spring in their step and big courage today, which I love.
03:26Taylor Howard-Bellis was fantastic.
03:28And Kyle on the right was really brilliant.
03:31So, yeah, they need to live there now.
03:33But hopefully, all three will be fine for Tuesday.
03:37Just to clarify, sir, you know you said you're going to miss a game.
03:39Yeah.
03:40Is that the league game or the League Cup game?
03:41I presume it'll be a league game, yeah.
03:44How was the final?
03:46Good question, no?
03:47Yeah, yeah.
03:48Sorry, I thought you were going to move back.
03:49Doesn't matter.
03:52Bernardo, after the game, has been very complimentary about your team and the way they played today.
03:56I saw you have a few words with Pep at the final whistle.
03:59I guess he was complimentary to you as well?
04:01Yeah, yeah, as was Phil Foden.
04:05Yeah, I think they felt that we were really brave with the ball.
04:08And we did, like Phil said, we did some stuff to them that not many teams do.
04:13And, yeah, Pep congratulated us on the way the team looks and the way it plays.
04:16I think, yeah, it's not easy to play that way.
04:20And he probably understands that more than anyone.
04:24But we really believe in it.
04:25And, like, we have to believe in something.
04:30And I've seen so many teams get promoted and just change and then end up nowhere.
04:34And we've been a little bit in between the last few weeks, not quite where we want to be.
04:39Because we have to be, like, extreme in some ways to take the ball in places people would not enjoy taking it usually.
04:48And we have to play with extreme courage all the time.
04:51And in moments when we've gone ahead recently, especially, it's been quite tense and not us.
04:56And I just don't enjoy that.
04:58So if we lose, I can accept it when the lads show a level of courage like they did today.
05:03And I hope now we can get them to live there all the time.
05:06Because if they can do that here, they can do that anywhere.
05:08And, yeah.
05:09So, listen, whilst compliments are nice and all that, it still hurts to lose.
05:12But there is a way for us to lose.
05:14And that will be to, like...
05:16And for me as well, I'm going to live and die by the sword in what I believe in.
05:19Otherwise, I just can't do it.
05:20And the players really believe they're fighting.
05:22Subjectively, we should be doing better.
05:24Objectively, we should be doing better as well.
05:26So if we keep playing like we did today, we'll have some fun and be all right.
05:31Hi, Russell.
05:32Back of the room.
05:33Oh, yeah.
05:34Just with the suspension, is it...
05:36I know it's probably a silly question.
05:38Is there any way you can appeal it?
05:39I don't think so.
05:40I don't know how that works in yellow card.
05:41So I'm annoyed about it.
05:43But I probably shouldn't say any more about it.
05:45But that is obviously a huge game next weekend.
05:48But obviously, there'll be ugly stats.
05:50So real doubt they have been after every game so far this season in the league.
05:54But this is the kind of performance that underlines your belief and why you keep saying that you believe this can still be a positive.
05:59Yeah.
06:00And I hope the away fans are amazed.
06:01And I hope they felt proud of their team today.
06:03I hope that's what...
06:04That's our job is to give them a team to be proud of that plays in a way that they can identify with.
06:08And that team today ran so hard and played with so much courage.
06:11So today gave me more belief than I have.
06:13And I believe since the start of the season that the players can play this way in the Premier League and enable us to stay up in the Premier League.
06:19And today has given me even more belief in that.
06:21But we have a massive two weeks coming here starting on Tuesday.
06:25Russell, you've spoken about your players and the fans and courage.
06:30When you say you live or die by the way your team plays, do you have to have courage?
06:37Because it'd be easy to think, Crumbs, if this goes against us, what's going to happen to me?
06:42And kind of close in, whereas you seem to be opening out.
06:47Yeah, I think I took the job nearly five years ago now in League One in the relegation zone with a chairman that was so brave.
06:53Because when he offered me the job, I said to him how I saw the game.
06:57And he told me he didn't care if he got relegated as long as he had something that he felt he could be proud of with his team.
07:02And would develop players and improve them and show the best version.
07:05So I was at the fortune of that.
07:08And there have been some moments of real difficulty at MK, at Swansea and here where it gets questioned a lot.
07:17And then you have to make a big decision.
07:21And we've always made the decision to be who we are.
07:24And then if I end up losing my job at some point, which is somehow in five years I haven't yet.
07:29But it's inevitable at some point as a manager.
07:32At least I can look at myself and know that I've stuck to what I want and who I want to be as a person first and foremost.
07:38And also as a leader and then a manager in terms of the idea on the pitch.
07:43And then everyone else will have an opinion on football.
07:45We all have different opinions.
07:46And there is no right or wrong way.
07:48I've said that from the off.
07:49This way is right for me because of how I see the game and how I would have liked to have played the game and what I believe in.
07:54And also my skill set in trying to deliver said product on the pitch is why we got the job here in the first place.
08:00So to then get to the Premier League and change is completely illogical to me in whatever level it will be.
08:05So whatever level I manage at and I hope to embark on a long managerial career.
08:09The teams will always have the same principle ethos to try and identity or vision of the game.
08:16But they'll all look different.
08:17The three teams we've had have always statistically looked the same, felt the same.
08:21They've tried to dominate the ball and be brave.
08:23Some of the players have had big success and gone on to brilliant things.
08:26So that will be no different.
08:29But how they've done it in terms of shape, formation, distance, all that stuff is really different.
08:34So I'm learning all the time.
08:36I have a lot to learn.
08:37I'm not very good at the moment because we've lost seven games or whatever it is.
08:41So I need to get better and improve.
08:43But I love my job and I love the way the team play today.
08:45And I can't stand on the sideline not watching something that I don't feel connected with or enjoy or love.
08:50Because then I just don't see the point in that really.
