Press news in...

Daniel Farke addresses the media ahead of Watford v Norwich City. Updates to come from 1.15pm.
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DF: We'll have to make some late decisions on the team for Watford. Kenny McLean rode his ankle a bit, so we'll see if he can recover. Alex Tettey has some problems with his knee. Both should be fine but they are question marks. Todd Cantwell isn't available due to a hamstring problem from the Brighton game.

DF: I hope Todd will be available for the West Ham game. It doesn't seem too bad but he doesn't feel 100 percent comfortable.

DF: We're still realistic. We've had five wins in 33 games and need five from the last five. As long as it's possible we will keep going. It seems like none of the teams at the bottom are capable of getting points. We've lost our last five, so it's not up to us to say we'll win our next five. It's important to show our pride with good performances and win as many points as possible.

DF: When you're young and full of energy you can think you can save the world on your own, so of course the players are disappointed and it's up to me to lift them up.

DF: My focus isn't on next season. It's not like we give up on this season. We want to be as successful as possible with as strong as possible finish, then we'll see what happens over the summer.

DF: The drinks breaks helps the coach to give advice to all the players together, but it's the same for all the coaches. It makes sense to do this in the hot summer. I'm not a big fan of it though but we adapt to the rules.

DF: Having five subs is better for me to influence a game earlier and to help keep everyone happy. On the other hand, it can be an advantage to bigger clubs with more quality and bigger groups.

DF: We're not dreaming about five wins, just focusing on the game. We have to be mentally ready and focused. The pressure is more on Watford because everyone expects us to go down.

DF: We want to make it difficult for them to beat us by showing some resilience.

DF: It's disappointing to face the brutal reality, even though we were always favourites for position 20.

DF: I think about Aston Villa away or Watford at home when we were the better side and lost both games. If we had those six points we'd be in a totally different situation.

DF: It's important to stick together and show spirit in the tough times. It's easy when everything goes in your favour. We have to show unity to bounce back, show the real character and attitude.

DF: For the young lads, for some of them they were only successful and in one direction. For several of them, it's the first time in their careers they've had criticism. Every player has to go through difficult times and set backs, it's part of the journey to grow.

DF: No player wants a Head Coach dancing on the table after a win or crying after a loss. It's part of my job not to be too emotional or affected by public views, but to have a balanced leadership.

DF: This job always takes energy out of you. It's difficult in terms of man management and handling the pressure. Last season, we had success after success but it took a lot of energy. This season is more exhausting, but we'll have a short break in the summer to recover.

DF: The COVID situation and playing behind closed doors mean this season has had unique situations that are demanding, but we're grateful to work in this business.

DF: Even if it's unlikely to stay in the league, it's important to keep fighting and avoid relegation for as long as possible. This season is so special perhaps another miracle happens. As long as you can win the last five games, you have to try to do it.

DF: Every club struggles after relegation, but the base for this club is great. We have values, principles and a clear philosophy. It won't be easy next season, wherever we are.

DF: Watford looked pretty solid and compact against Chelsea, despite the result. They have many experienced players who play with commitment. When they defend deep, it's difficult to create chances against them, but they're also struggling to get the right results.

DF: They need to win this game to achieve their targets, but we want to be there with a good performance and make their lives as difficult as possible.

DF: We can't create as many chances as Man City. We have to be solid against the ball and be more brave, not be too complicated in front of the opponent's goal.

DF: Statistics can be misleading because Idah's shot against the post doesn't count as a shot on goal, nor does Godfrey's against Arsenal.

DF: Brighton more or less had one chance and scored. We had six or seven situations but didn't get the goal. We have to be convinced to score in these situations.

DF: Young players can develop quicker than the club. If a big club wants to sign them it shows we're doing something right. The good thing is we're financially solid and don't have pressure to sell.

DF: We see many big clubs in the lower leagues after spending unbelievable amounts of money. Our job is to develop step by step. It would help to stay in the Premier League.

DF: Perhaps after a few years in the Premier League we could be in the top half and spend millions of pounds. We're not proud that we can't spend money. We have to put the foundations in. As hard as it is for our supporters and me to not spend lots of money, in terms of the future, it's the right decision.

DF: We had to sell James Maddison for the future of the club. Now, we don't have to sell our young players. If we decide to sell them, we can take the money and reinvest in the team.

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That's all from the boss this afternoon. Thank-you for following today's live blog.

Posted By: DrDublin on July 6th 2020 at 14:11:06

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