Press conference

Emery on the display, Xhaka, Luiz, Ceballos

Emery

Unai Emery was understandably disappointed after we had to settle for a point at Watford after losing a two-goal lead.

Afterwards, he spoke to the media about the result, Dani Ceballos, David Luiz and more. Read a full transcript below:

on the result...

We can be frustrated after two-nil, usually you can control that result in the second half, more than less. But we were speaking in the dressing room, the second half was going to be also difficult because they were usually changing their idea to push more than us. But our game plan was the same, like at the beginning, to break their pressing if they decided to do that and if we break that pressing we can connect with our midfielders, with our team's players and after have space to continue imposing our game plan. But really frustrated, because second half we couldn't do that. We couldn't control the match and we couldn't break their pressing, first because they are a good team, they played last year here with that spirit, that capacity and they are physically strong. They have good players and in the second half they showed that. They deserved that result. We struggled more than we wanted and we were speaking also that we need calm for achieve our moment to get in the box and score. We did that less than we wanted and really, my summary is we need to work and we need to improve things.

on if Watford showed more desire than his team...

But really, first is because they pushed and they controlled the match with their pressing, taking confidence and giving us some mistakes and scoring the first goal gave them confidence for continuing that. That moment is when we needed to have calm and again control like in the first half, but we couldn't do.

on if it's down to a lack of character or a lack of courage...

We have some young players, they need to have experiences like today. And also, I say to Matteo, Matteo is a very good player, he is improving, he is young, he is very emotional, he has personality and sometimes needs to make some mistakes to improve. In the first half he made a mistake and didn't score. In the second half we continued trying because we need to do that work and that is my responsibility because also when we can change and have a second plan - it's doing long balls and the second action - they were very strong and we didn't earn balls in that planning also. The key was to impose and we are going to work for have and make better our build up with the goalkeeper, with the defenders and the midfielders and also, being well when we are doing long balls for breaking their lines with long ball for taking more chances. Because we tried and we didn't have also chances with that second plan.

on if he's going to have to rethink how we play out from goal kicks...

Yes but after their goal we tried once more and we broke their lines and we get into the attacking third with space. We didn't achieve good chances in less moments we did that, but we need to repeat and we need also to have the capacity and to improve with be able to break when the teams want to press us like today, Watford was doing that.

on Granit Xhaka saying the players were 'scared' in the second half...

Maybe it's a very individual feeling. I think in football you never need to have scared, you need to take that moment as an experience for you and for us, but really I can feel the players, I can feel me the same, sometimes when we were struggling, the possibility to don't achieve our good consequence with our game plan. But we need to be strong in our mentality, but not for the players, for us, and to create our way, working and improving the things like today that happened in the second half.

on why he took off Dani Ceballos...

But today it was very, very hot. We needed in the second half, some fresh players. We were struggling second half and I was thinking how we can improve with three players, fresh players, for give us more energy and give us also more capacity to be strong physically and tactically and also technically.

on David Luiz making a mistake and giving away a penalty...

But when we are analysing inside about the mistakes, I prefer to speak about the mistake collectively and also I have the responsibility for all decisions we are taking as a team and individually also, I don't want to do or to say it's for one player or another. First is our work, is my responsibility and after is give them confidence and give them capacity to get better our game plan. Individual mistakes we are working collectively more than individually.

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