“I think so. We saw pre-season, we did pretty well there in that department so I’m convinced we have a good team, a good squad, what I said before about the depth of the squad, we can still strengthen the squad, but I think the team shows they can play in a good level.”
The players that you brought in that only started playing with you in Oslo, [Christian] Eriksen and [Lisandro] Martinez, are they fit enough to start on Sunday and if they are, does that give you a particular problem at centre-half, given you’ve got people like [Harry] Maguire and [Raphael] Varane who have got a lot of experience?
“I like such problems. I think that is what we are talking about, we need that in this squad, competition is one but also we go into a long season with a lot of games, so we need a lot of good players.”
Are they available to start, fit enough to start?
“I think they are fit enough to start.”
It’s obviously been a long off-season, a lot’s gone on, you’re here because this club didn’t reach expectations last year, so now the season’s upon us, how excited are you? What is your overriding emotion, is it nerves, is it excitement or are you just champing at the bit to get going?
“As you said, it’s exciting as every season but of course when you are going into the season with a new club and a new team, I think we work really good but also tough in the last weeks to get a base and I think we have the confidence that we have that base, so I’m really looking forward to Sunday.”
What are your thoughts on Brighton, what do you expect from them?
“It’s a good team, [they] play decent football, [they] play attractive football. I like them for what I saw.”
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