00:00All right, Craig. You're OK. All right.
00:10All right, Mark.
00:17All right, look.
00:25OK, we'll just stop this off.
00:26Luke?
00:27What's your thoughts on that game? You seem to be the better side in the first half.
00:31You just didn't take the chances.
00:34Yeah, I think you've summed it up nicely. I thought we were.
00:36I thought we were really good in the first half.
00:38Really strong attitude to the game.
00:40Really imposed ourselves on the match.
00:42Created a number of chances.
00:44Their goalkeeper makes some great saves.
00:47We're frustrated we probably didn't take one or two of those big moments.
00:51Yeah, I mean, the second half was slightly different.
00:54I thought we defended pretty well, though, and kept their chances to a minimum.
00:59Knicks made a couple of saves.
01:00But the goal that won the game, I thought, was an unbelievable strike from that distance.
01:03Your record about how the time to reset this season, I'm sure you're aware of it.
01:07You scored one goal, none in open play.
01:09You haven't won any of the four games.
01:11That sort of underlines just how important he is to you, isn't it?
01:15Yeah, I think it's a difficult one to sort of go too deep into that because the standard of our performance today with him missing was still really, really strong.
01:27We did create chances.
01:28We did look really good in almost every phase in that first half.
01:32Yes, the final action, which is he is probably better than anyone at or has been this season.
01:39I think he's been a brilliant finisher for us.
01:41But unfortunately, from Callum's viewpoint, none sort of fell to him.
01:46It was more, I think Bruno had a big one and Harvey's had his shot.
01:50And then, of course, set plays were a big threat for us.
01:52But it was a really strong performance in his absence.
01:55I think that has to be the confidence lift that we need when you review this game.
02:01Yeah, that's unknown. I don't know at this moment in time.
02:11Yeah, he only felt pain really after training.
02:15He felt fine during training and then just a bit of stiffness, really.
02:19So, he went for a scan this morning really purely as a precaution.
02:24But then it became obvious he wasn't going to be fit to play.
02:27So, I don't know.
02:29I think a lot would depend on how he reacts in the next few days.
02:32And is this the same groin problem that's been troubling?
02:36Yeah, I think he's had a couple of groin issues off either side.
02:39I think this is one that he had earlier in the season.
02:41I'm sorry, can I just ask?
02:42I mean, you've been saying for weeks now that it all goes to the final day.
02:45I'm sure you've been able to have been proven wrong.
02:48But just tell us about, you know, your mood, the mood of the players in the dressing room.
02:52You have already won one cup final this season.
02:55I'm sure that would tell us the win or not.
02:57Yeah, I think my mood is always the same after we lose.
03:00I'm disappointed.
03:01I'm frustrated.
03:02And it takes me time to sort of get out of that way of thinking.
03:09I think I will look back with positivity from the game.
03:12And I know I will because there was so much good to take from it.
03:17Yeah, I think when you then look on to the next game and we know what we have to do.
03:22And it's not going to be easy.
03:24But our home form has been strong.
03:26We've really enjoyed playing there.
03:28The players are used to big games.
03:31There'll be none bigger than this.
03:32And I'm sure the Newcastle supporters will make it an unbelievable atmosphere for us.
03:38Did you see this as an unexpected bonus to finish second?
03:42Or do you think the players sort of were ruthless enough in that first half to really demonstrate what an opportunity it was?
03:51Because we could be walking out of here and run us up today.
03:54Yeah, I think we knew all of that, Leo.
03:56But you can't focus on that.
03:58You just have to focus on trying to win.
03:59And we did.
04:00Yeah, you could label that at us today.
04:03We weren't ruthless enough because the chances were there.
04:05But we didn't take them.
04:06Sometimes that happens.
04:09But it wasn't for the want of trying.
04:11Everyone was giving everything.
04:12Everyone went to the end of the game.
04:13There was no inch given by us.
04:15I thought we were really, really strong mentally today.
04:18It was not easy dealing with Alex's absence this morning.
04:21But there was no hangover from that, I thought, from the players.
04:25To be realistic, second would have been very much ahead of schedule.
04:30And third place is a massive prize to be playing for on the final.
04:34Yeah, all we're looking at is winning and trying to finish as high as we can.
04:37And that's been our really strong way of thinking during the second half of the season.
04:41We've had to win a number of games to get here.
04:43It hasn't been an easy road for us.
04:45But we're still in a strong position.
04:48And it's in our hands.
04:49And I think we have to look at that as a positive.
04:51And then give everything in our preparation now.
04:54We need to be really focused.
04:55This game's gone.
04:56We can't do anything about it.
04:58Second's gone.
04:59We can't do anything about that.
05:00We just have to focus on trying to get our game plan right for next week.
05:04Thanks, Scott.
05:05Just one more on Alex Eddie.
05:07I mean, is there a fear that because the groin has been an issue for a few months now,
05:12we might be talking about surgery in the summer?
05:14Or is that too far in the future?
05:16No, I don't think this is a surgery issue.
05:19I don't think it's something that needs mending.
05:22It certainly probably needs looking at as to why he's getting these sort of groin complaints.
05:30But yeah, it's definitely not a surgery issue.
05:35It's probably more of a what's he doing to strengthen that area issue,
05:39which we'll of course look at and focus on.
05:41And you made the changes in the second half and without wanting to be in any way disparaging
05:46the players that come on.
05:47But Willis Hill is very, very young, very inexperienced.
05:50Lewis is a teenager.
05:52Emile's a defender.
05:54But does that kind of show where you're still kind of a level below Arsenal, if you like,
06:00that that depth just isn't quite there yet and that's the next step for Newcastle to take,
06:05for you to be able to turn to the bench and have experienced game changers on there?
06:10Yeah, I think it's difficult because I think as soon as we get one or two injuries,
06:15we're stretched and we've said that I think ever since I've been here.
06:19And I think everyone's well aware that we are light.
06:22You know, we lost two first team players in January and didn't replace them.
06:26That's two players gone.
06:28And then you lose Kieran and Joe, like we have Lewis Hall.
06:33You notice those players missing and suddenly you do become, and Alex today, you do become stretched.
06:38And then you lose your firepower from the bench to a degree.
06:43The players that you mentioned are good players, but they are developing and forging their careers in the Premier League.
06:49I think they will be good players.
06:51I thought they did well when they came on today.
06:52It's no slight on them, but we've lost a bit of firepower.
06:55Thanks, Tom.
06:56We've got a front run and finish with Martin Hardy.
06:58Hi, there's been a few narratives between Arsenal and Newcastle.
07:02One of those has been Alex.
07:04Can you guarantee the only colour shirt he'll be wearing here next season will be in black and white?
07:09I never make those guarantees about any player.
07:11And it's not to do with Alex's future, but I'd be foolish to sit here and do anything like that.
07:16We want to keep our strongest players.
07:17I've said that for, well, ever since I've been sat in this seat, we have to try and keep our best players
07:22and bring in more good players to make us even stronger because the ambition of the club
07:26and everyone connected with the club is long-term success.
07:29And that's the only way to try and get that.
07:32Martin.
07:33Hi, can you believe how tight the situation is?
07:36Yeah, I can.
07:40I think it's, yeah, I think the prize is so big that everyone's fighting as much as they can for it.
07:47And we've never got ahead of ourselves.
07:48We've never felt that we were there or the job was done.
07:53And I know the players feel the same way.
07:54So we've been working incredibly hard to try and get the job done.
07:57And now it's going to go to the end, to the last game.
07:59And who knows what twists and turns are there for everybody.
08:03All we can do is our best and we gave our best today.
08:06That's why I, you know, there's no criticism of the players.
08:09They've given so much this year.
08:11And we know we need one more big effort in this last match.
08:14I was going to say, what do you think will be the key element that can stay back in each other?
08:18Well, I think calmness in this moment in time.
08:21It's a week before we play.
08:22We've got to be very calm, make good decisions, train well, prepare well for the game.
08:29Nothing changes.
08:30The emotion will be there in the game.
08:32I don't think we have to ramp it up for the players.
08:35Thanks everyone, cheers.
08:37Nice to see you all.
08:38Thanks.
08:39Thank you all.
08:40Thanks
08:44Thank you very much.
