The full transcript from Chelsea’s interim head coach Calum McFarlane’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Blues’ clash with Nottingham Forest on Monday night
Calum McFarlane has just completed his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.
The Blues are back in top-flight action on Monday evening as they search for their first league win since March 4. It’s also McFarlane’s first match at Stamford Bridge in his second spell as interim head coach.
He has just finished previewing the game. You can read every word he had to say below:
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Any new injury news?
Yeah, we’ve got Reece [James] back in training, Levi [Colwill] is back in training, both looking good. A little bit away to the game, so we’ll see how they do day by day, but both are looking promising.
Are both of those equally expected to either be involved or not? Is one ahead of the other?
No, not really. We’re taking it day by day, and obviously Levi’s had a long injury. Reece had a really good run and has been injured again, and there’s a lot of games still to play, so we don’t want to push too much, but we’re just taking it day by day and see, hopefully, they come through.
A chance they will be in the squad?
Potentially, yeah.
What has Reece’s role in the squad been since his latest injury?
Yeah, Reece has been brilliant from the day I stepped up in January, to be honest. This time around he’s injured, so it’s a little bit of a different role, like you said. Even though he’s still young, he’s massively experienced, he’s won major tournaments, he loves the club, he cares about the club, so he’s driving and pushing standards every day. We have a leadership group here that he’s a massive part of, and he’s been a massive support to me and all the staff involved on an interim basis.
Has the FA Cup semi-final win lifted spirits?
Yeah, it’s always difficult when you’re not performing and not getting the results that you feel like you need and you want to push towards. It’s amazing how a win can change the feel and the atmosphere and the momentum with the group. They’ve been in a really good place. They’ve trained the last two days and they’ve been in a really good place, as have the staff and Cobham as a whole, so hopefully we can continue that.
Enzo Fernandez went to Madrid – of all places – during his time off. Do you think that was a wise move?
We gave the lads three days off and I actually thought it was… I think it says a lot about the group that they go away together. I love the fact that they spend time together and they’ve gone to Madrid to watch tennis, so I don’t see an issue with it, honestly.
Because apparently he went to the same tournament last year…
Exactly, yeah. He was there last year with his teammates again. The last time they had a break, they spent time together as well, so I think it’s a positive sign for the unity within the group.
For your first time in the dugout in charge at Stamford Bridge, in charge of the first team anyway, how much are you looking forward to it?
Yeah, really looking forward to it. We’ve got a really tough game, Nottingham Forest are a really good side. We’ll be well prepared for it, but it’ll be a great honour to lead a game at Stamford Bridge. Obviously, I’ve been involved in games at Stamford Bridge as assistant or support staff. I might have a bit of a different feel leading the team. It’ll be a great honour in front of the Chelsea fans. Really looking forward to it and hoping we can put in a similar level of performance as we did at Wembley.
How important is the crowd going to be in terms of getting behind the team?
Yeah, we need the fans. We need the crowd to bring a positive energy and the right energy and get behind the team. We all want to do well for this club. We know that there’s still a lot to play for. Like you said, the cup final. We can still get in the Champions League. We want to win every single game. We’ve got two more games at Stamford Bridge. I think that’s correct, yeah? Two more games at Stamford Bridge. We want to win as many games as possible and we need that.
Is the Champions League something to put out of your minds?
Yeah, I think you’re right when you say that. We just have to win our games and not worry about anything else. I think even further to that, we have to make sure our performance levels are right and the results will come. We have to just focus on ourselves and the next game and the next day and the next training session.
What would you say to any prospective new head coach? How would you sell it to them?
I don’t think I have to sell it, in all honesty. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Great history of winning. We’ve got some unbelievable players. Some of the best players in the world here. Great training facilities. You’ve got everything you could want. I don’t think I need to sell that, in all honesty.
What is your priority now? What’s the focus?
Getting tomorrow’s training session right. Getting the next training session right. Getting the next game right. Taking it day by day and making sure that we’re preparing at an elite level and making sure that we can perform in some massive games that are coming up against really high-quality opposition. Trying to get everything right.
Did Liam Rosenior give you any advice? Did you speak to him?
Yeah, I had a conversation, like I said previously, with Liam the day that he left. I’d like to keep that private, if possible. But it was a good conversation. I’ve got a lot of respect for Liam and a lot of time for him. It didn’t work out here. He’ll go on to have a top career in coaching. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out at all.
I’m sure you watched Nottingham Forest last night. What do you make of them and how will they be dangerous at the Bridge?
Yeah, I watched them last night. I’ve watched many of their games. They’re a really, really good side and a really good bit of form. Some top-quality players, some real threats that we have to be aware of. So, yeah, another massive game. Another big challenge like every game in the Premier League is. But we’ll be ready. We’ll be prepared for that game.
And after that FA Cup win, some days off, what is the mood like around here at the moment? How are the players?
Really positive. Football is a results business and when you’re losing, everything’s the worst thing in the world. And when you win, it feels amazing. So, the mood has lifted, definitely, after breaking the recent run of losses. I thought we performed really well in the game at times. So, that’s another positive. And we showed lots of different elements to our game that we were really happy with. So, we just need to try and continue that and stick to our processes that got that performance and carry on.
Just finally, are you enjoying it?
Yeah, I definitely am enjoying it. You can never be prepared for the intensity and the demand. But I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the challenge. I’m enjoying the pressure. I enjoyed Wembley. So, hopefully, if you keep winning, you’ll enjoy it.
What do you make of the criticism about you getting this role? People saying you are underqualified?
I haven’t heard any criticism. So, I don’t know where that’s come from. But I just focus on doing my job day-to-day. Enjoying it, like you said before. And giving the players what they need from a preparation standpoint.
Has your day-to-day life changed since taking the job?
It hasn’t had time to change, to be honest. We’re in here so much. Any free time I get, I spend at home with my family and my young son. So, I haven’t been out and about to see if it has changed or not. But it doesn’t feel any different.
So, nobody’s stopping you for selfies or asking you who is going to play at the weekend and things like that?
No. Thankfully not.
Did you get a well done from people above you at the club for the semi-final win?
Yeah, everyone was really pleased. All the staff at the game. Like I said, the directors. Everyone was really happy with the performance. Especially the first half and the second half for the group to show character. So, at the end of the day, you just want to get through to a final of FA Cup when you’re in a semi-final. So, yeah, everyone was pleased.
Is there an incentive for the players to fight for a spot in the final?
Yeah, of course, that adds a little bit extra maybe to it. But we know that we’re a massive club and we want to be in the Champions League. We want to be in Europe. We want to push. We want to rectify the form that we had previously. So, I don’t feel that it adds any extra incentive. I think we need to go and attack every game as we did and try and win every single game of football and see where that gets us at the end of the year. Obviously, when you’re in a cup final, you want to win that. So, that should come naturally.
Any U21 players good enough to be called up?
Yeah, good question. There’s a lot of young talent in Cobham. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them for six months. So, I know them really well. They’re training with us all the time. They’ve got a massive game tonight in the quarter-final against Tottenham. I’ll be at that game, watching that game. And I wish them the best of luck and they can go on. They’ve already won the league, but this is the play-off format now. So, they can go and get two trophies this year. So, I’ll be watching. And there’s a lot of talent in there. They could definitely make a step up.
