Nuno, how has everyone returned from the international break? How’s the squad looking?
Assessing players with the national teams is positive. Many of our players achieved big things, some of them not so happy.
And how is Summerville?
We are trying to get him as soon as possible, assessing day by day, seeing how he improves.
Would it be too big a risk to play him on Sunday given what’s to come and the importance of the run-in?
First we have to assess. If it’s good, it’s good, but we are not at that point yet, so still one day to go and then we take decisions.
How have you used the break? Has it been productive or have you had too many players away to get too much done?
Yeah, we had a lot of players away, which is good. I think, once again, the club should be proud. The teammates are happy that we have a lot of players going. Us working here hard with the players that stay.
You’re one game away from getting West Ham to Wembley, but you also have a very important run-in in terms of Premier League survival. How do you weigh those two things up?
We’ll prepare one game at a time. We prepare as best as we can so we can go through.
Are those two things — a cup run and survival — not necessarily opposing? Could you do both? Are there benefits in terms of what the team and fanbase would achieve from a cup run?
We have to play one game at a time. We cannot think about the Wolves game. First we play the game against Leeds, preparing well, and play well, and then we move forward.
What would it mean to you to get West Ham to their first FA Cup?
We expect support. We know it’s important, enjoy it and play. It could give the fans a huge boost. They’re going to be there to support us, this is the most important. We cannot thank them enough.
And in terms of a cup run and potentially lifting this trophy, can you take inspiration from what Crystal Palace did last year?
You have to play the game. You keep insisting on telling me what’s ahead. Let’s play the game. It’s going to be a tough one. This is a good team, they have their own ambitions also, so it’s going to be very difficult.
In terms of Leeds, what are you expecting?
A tough opponent. Tough boys, all around, all the big players, they play good. We know what we expect, so we have to be on it.
You’ve won all four of your domestic quarter-finals. What’s the secret?
I don’t recall, but we always need a bit of luck. So let’s hope it happens.
Back in October, you fell short at Elland Road. What can you learn from that 2–0 defeat going into this weekend’s game?
It’s been a while, it was long ago. I think most teams have changed a lot. We know it’s going to be difficult, but that game is too far away from us now to analyse. We learn from experiences, positive or negative, it’s always something to take and try to rectify what we didn’t do so good.
Leeds are also your final game of the season. Could a win on Sunday give the players a mental boost heading into the run-in?
No, we go day by day. This is how we approach our work, day by day.
You were talking about assessing Summerville — do you have any concern he won’t be ready for the Wolves game even if he’s not ready for this weekend?
… how he works, how he feels out of the hard work, all these conversations are very important for us.
Mateus Fernandez has been very impressive since January. How have you seen his development?
He’s working very good. He’s very comfortable playing, very young, but at the same time takes a lot of responsibility, so a huge player for us. We are delighted with the way he’s progressing, believing that he still has a lot of things to do better.
What kind of responsibility do you mean?
Training, behaviour, being important to teammates.
Have any players returned from international duty with issues?
Yeah, we have to assess players. Some of them played 120 minutes, some of them were substituted because of problems, so we are assessing, following the protocols.
How is Jarrod Bowen?
Yeah, he came okay. Working good, normal. It’s okay.
With Lucas Paqueta gone, has that allowed Mateus more freedom to express himself?
I don’t see any connection. Paqueta is very special, not replaceable in terms of his talent and qualities. But from the beginning when I joined, I saw Matías as this kind of profile of player that wants to be on the ball, dictating the game. He’s progressing, but I don’t see any kind of connection there.
The FA has raised concerns about player workload and how it might affect competitions like the FA Cup. What are your thoughts?
I don’t see that. The FA Cup is what I consider the most special competition. It’s up to the clubs, how they approach it. We consider the FA Cup one of our priorities because it’s the next game.
If you speak about international break at this moment of the season and friendly games, then you can speak about many things. Friendly games at this moment of the season don’t make really sense. But at the same time, qualifiers have huge importance for national teams, so these situations are different.
When you’re looking at these two matches, is it strictly one at a time?
One at a time. Always. Because it’s the most important game. You cannot play two games at a time. It’s a mistake. We try to approach this game as the most important game of our lives. The other one will become the most important game of our lives.
Tottenham have changed manager during the international break. How do you think that affects the picture?
We have enough things to worry about. We try to block all the noise and focus on ourselves, focus on our day, so we can achieve what we want.
Written by Isabelle Martin
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