2 weeks Ago
Fabian Hurzeler spoke to the media in a Good Friday press conference. He looked ahead to the trip to Brentford, gave some injury news and covered more ground besides as the cameras rolled. But he also expressed some surprise at being there on Good Friday! This is what he told us during the non-embargoed section of the press conference.
He also spoke to The Argus when the cameras were off and we will bring you that online and in print from first thing on Saturday. It's a big day for everyone and in Germany, especially, isn't it? Yes, Easter is a big day in in Germany, so generally I wouldn't think that in Germany there won't be a press conference! But I'm really happy to be here with you. Great to see you too! In terms of team news for this one, the big news line - is Kaoru Mitoma available? The big word today is positivity.
Kaoru is back, JP (van Hecke) is back, and we have a lot of rehab players or injured players who are at the end stage of the rehab and start training next week. And that's a big positive message for all of us and therefore the word for Easter is positivity. Just in terms of a couple of other long-term absentees, will see Ferdi Kadioglu or James Milner appear for you this season again? “There's a chance.
There's a chance, yes. You have mentioned about getting a reaction from your team. Are you seeing that in training as well as trying to enforce it on a matchday as well? Yes.
During the training this week, I see a big reaction from everyone. I see players who work really hard. I see, in general, we always try to show reactions, of course, at the game and it's important that you don't try to force it, that you try to enjoy it, that you try to stay relaxed because I think when you get in these emotions where you try to force it then you're not good in making decisions.
It's really important to want to show reaction as a team as individuals but also try to enjoy it and try to stay relaxed. Bart Verbruggen has said there are six finals left for the team. Is that the sentiment across the board for these games? Yes, that's a good message and exactly with this attitude we have to go into the games.
We know every game will be very competitive, you know, or a game will be a challenge, but every game there's also the opportunity in a chance to win it. And like this, we have to see our approach. In terms of Eiran Cashin, he didn’t start last week when there was a vacancy at centre-back.
What more can he do to prove to you that he can start and get these minutes in? I just had a conversation with him this week, we are in exchange. I always say to players what I demand from them, what they need to do to step into the team, to help the team and therefore Cash is a person and a player who really integrates himself into the group, who works quite hard on the pitch, off the pitch, who tries to be the best version of himself. The step from the Championship to the Premier League is big but he improves every day and therefore I'm sure that he will get an opportunity when the time is right.
There’s a really nice feature with Yankuba Minteh showing his journey to the Premier League and, in it, his dad puts a little message where he says, take it easy, step by step. Is that something that's being echoed across the team as well? When I saw it his video, I had like goosebumps because it's so important, I always say, to understand where the players come from. We have so many players from so many different cultures and to understand their background, to understand where they grew up, how their education was.
I think it's massive for everyone. so therefore this video message was very impressive and the message from the father was on point because exactly like this, you can't you can't force it. You have to go step by step and some moments you have to maybe step back and then try to do two steps forward and that's our approach.
We can't force it. We know that we are young group of players. We know that we are in a process and the process takes time.
We need to analyse the things, we need to be also realistic with the players and therefore we try to work hard. We try to go for the next opportunity, for the next challenge and therefore we go step by step. In terms of Brentford, what do you make of them so far this season? Difficult to beat.
Very man-orientated, a very athletic team, quite fast in the front line with Wissa, Mbeumo, with Schade. Damsgaard is a very good ball-carrier, finding the spaces behind the three strikers. Then I heard that in Brentford is a nice atmosphere, so overall it will be a big challenge.
It will be an opponent, what we know, that they are difficult to beat. But exactly this is the team we also want to be, we also want to be a team who's difficult to beat, we want to be a team who goes there and tries to win. That's our approach and I'm sure when we are on our highest level, I'm sure when we push our limits, I'm sure when everyone shows the reactions he want to show as individual and as a team, then we have the big chance to win there.
Tony (Bloom) goes to this match and is always in the away end. Is that a bit more pressure for you or are you looking forward to seeing him there? No, it's a big opportunity to make him happy and to cheer with him after the game. So I see that as a positive as opposed to signal for us, I see that he is a big supporter from the club.
He is not only the owner, he also a fan and he proved it by his actions, by his behaviour and that's something we all should recognise because it’s not only about being a member of the club or employee of the club, it's about really identifying yourself with this club, try to be a part of this community. And I think therefore is a is a great role model, so it's about making him happy. It’s our responsibility and our chance to do it on Saturday.
That must do a nice view as well, to have that support, not just in the kind of directors' box aspect, just with the fans as well. I always say it's the most important to have a good connection to the fans and our fans they need to suffer this season because we have a lot of highs and lows. Butt one thing I can always promise to them is we try to give our best, we try to be the best version of ourselves, every weekend, every matchday, and we try to give them back what they deserve and normally they deserve every weekend a win, but it's not always possible.
So the thing I can promise to them is that every player is ready, that every staff member is ready, that we try to put the highest effort in our work schedule to make them happy and it's our responsibility to make them happy. So we hope we can do it tomorrow..
