Podcast Appearances
Well, it's disappointing to lose, isn't it?
But I remember in pre-season, if you can relate it to that, sometimes you're quite pleased if you lost your last game before the big kick-off.
But it's not so much about the result, Laura, as about the performance and, more importantly, the fitness, the sharpness of your players, because we're not far away now, are we, from that kick-off.
So he'll be looking at the fitness.
I see he made a lot of changes at half-time, so he wants to give everybody a good run-out.
Yeah, of course you want to win, but...
He's looking ahead to next week and formulating that he wants to start psychologically as well as physically.
So I think that's the main concern for Mikel Arteta, more than the fact that they lost to a championship team.
I mean, if you hadn't had a break, Gary, you'd have been more sure, wouldn't you, of your starting XI, probably from one game to the next.
But given we have had this long pause, does that complicate things in terms of picking who you think's ready?
Yeah, it's looking at those players, Gaz, isn't it?
You touched on it just a moment ago.
All games, almost, it's a level playing field.
I mean, Derby coming to the new den.
Normally, yes, the mid-table, but they're a big club that's been challenging for promotion.
And there'd be a special buzz around the ground, wouldn't there?
And players react to that buzz, some better than others.
But it's kind of all going to be the same kind of atmosphere, isn't it?
I suppose that's something you've got to take into account when you're selecting your team.
Matt, when I'm watching Jordan Pickford, I'm always on the edge of my seat because you never quite know what he's going to do.