ANCELOTTI quotes
INJURIES?
Fortunately no, we have all the squad fit apart from Holgate, Branthwaite and Gbamin. The rest are all good and available.
FEEL GOOD FACTOR?
We started the season well, with more motivation and ambition, we’ve done well. We have a good test tomorrow. Our target is to think about the game at Crystal Palace. They have started really well, they played a fantastic game against Manchester United. We have confidence for this game, the momentum is good and we want to keep the momentum.
DELPH, FIRST GAME SINCE FEB ON WEDNESDAY?
He was out for a long time. He recovered well, he played 60 minutes really well. I want to give him more training sessions for him to be ready to play in the league. He will not travel with the team because I prefer to keep him ready to play against West Ham.
PICKFORD MISTAKES DAMAGE HIS CONFIDENCE?
I don’t think so. I think he started the season well, there is a lot of focus on him. He played a fantastic match against Tottenham. When he makes mistakes, I am the first to say it to him, because he understands, but I am not focused on him like you. For me he is a great goalkeeper. He could do better against Fleetwood but the defenders could also have done better. That’s it, he has my total confidence.
NEW GK POSSIBLE THIS WINDOW?
No, we are not looking for this.
NEW CENTRE-BACK TOO?
We are looking for a centre-back. We have only two available at the moment. If there is an opportunity then we are ready to catch it.
TOMORI - ANY CHANCE?
Tomori is a Chelsea player, ask the manager of Chelsea, not me. I can talk about Yerry Mina and Micheal Keane. If Frank Lampard spoke about Yerry Mina or Michael Keane, I wouldn’t be happy.
PALACE - HAS ROY TURNED THINGS AROUND?
He is a fantastic manager, knows the league really well, knows the characteristics of his players. He’s built a strong team, really organised.
NO FANS IN OCTOBER - HOW CAN PREM CLUBS HELP EFL CLUBS?
I’m not the right person to answer. It’s a difficult moment. We have to help each other to move on, in football and normal life. Everyone is going to hope that the stadiums will be full as soon as possible, but we have to follow the protocol. Helping each other could be a good sign.
CALVERT-LEWIN - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IMPROVE HIM?
The most important part is the player is really motivated to improve, he is young but knows he has quality. We are tying to help him. Most of the job, he has already done, he is a really good player. The fact that he’s young means that he has the possibility to improve, but he has the quality. Where he can improve is to have consistency. The quality is there. You see Calvert-Lewin, you see the qualities of a fantastic striker, and he can be a top striker with consistency. For a striker, consistency means scoring goals. He is okay [hamstring issue], no problem, he is going to play.
NIELS NKOUNKOU - HOW FAR AWAY FROM BEING A REGULAR IN PREM SQUADS?
He did really well, he has surprised most of the people because they did not know him. The next step is to test him in Premier League games. Next Wednesday we play a Premier League team [West Ham in the EFL Cup] and it could be a good test for him.
PALACE - SURPRISED BY THEIR START?
A tough game, how they defend and how they are dangerous in the counter-attack. We have to prepare well and have a good strategy. They defended really well against United and they were so quick in the counter-attack. The fact that Zaha played up front helped them to be more dangerous.
CALVERT-LEWIN HELPED BY JAMES BEHIND HIM. SET TARGETS FOR GOALS?
I think James will help him because he will help the striker, he is fantastic with assists. The target for Dominic, is to reach 20 goals I think because he is a fantastic striker, like Richarlison. Behind them we have Andre Gomes, we have James, [Gylfi] Sigurdsson, Bernard. Our strikers have to be happy, because behind them there are fantastic creators. They have to be comfortable. I think if they don’t score 20 goals each, they can have a problem with me [laughs]. I said to them, you have to score at least 20 each, and Moise Kean also has the possibility – he’s played two games and scored two goals. If I’m a striker and I have James, Gomes, Sigurdsson, I’d score goals! So they have to!
With James, during my time with Madrid [2014-15 season], Cristiano Ronaldo scored 56 goals. I’m not going to ask Dominic to score 56 goals. But he has to try to do his best!
MOTIVATION WITH NO FANS?
It’s a different game, with a different emotion. But the players are used to playing without fans now. Everyone hopes the stadiums will be full as soon as possible.
NEED TO CUT DOWN THE SQUAD?
I think we have to wait until the end of the market. It is a little bit frustrating for the players to train with us and then not be part of the tactical sessions. They are all involved in the training but with tactics you need only 20 players. It is difficult and sad for a manager to say to them they have to stay out of this. It could be good [to cut down squad], but we have to wait and see.
JAMES – PROVED THAT A ‘CLASSIC NO.10’ STILL EXISTS
At this moment he is not playing at number 10 but of course he has the qualities. Now, there is not the specific positions like there was in the past, when there was a 10, a holding player, a winger. Now players have to be able to play different positions. At this moment, James is playing on the right side but not as a winger because he comes inside, which is what I want, for him to use his ability in the middle of the pitch.
He's going to be in for West Ham cup match.
