Ali Ghodsi good to be back and first of all we must ask your thoughts on that.
Such a disappointing night for for England.
Obviously Italy winning that winning the euros what?
Where did you watch it?
What did you think of it?
And
you know I was at home.
Obviously we we know the feeling that that England,
the whole of England, had after that game.
'cause you? One kick decides the whole mood.
An even game, maybe Italy embossed the possession a little bit of course,
but when it comes to penalty shootouts?
Anything can happen as we we all know from the from our last game so hard on the boys,
but it's that's football. Sometimes you just.
Have to deal with it and move on.
I know the whole atmosphere in the country has has been so great and of course it's an anticlimax.
I know that and obviously for
the lads he he missed in the penalty shootout and it's you just gotta bounce back,
haven't you? And move forward and learn from the experience.
Yeah you do, you know The thing is when when you step up to take the penalty.
I think you've already won because you've taken on the responsibility,
I'm sure. Many of the players were hoping I don't want to take a penalty,
but I think it's a.
It's a great character trait to to step up and say,
yeah, I'll deal with it and then you know the consequences.
You might be a hero.
You might be the one that misses,
but that's football. And you learn from it.
You definitely come back stronger.
I've not seen many, many people.
This club anyway to lay down and say,
well, I'm not going to take a penalty anymore.
I know Marcus Marcus is gonna put his hand up and say he wants to take and
one for us and we must mention league of course obviously.
But what what strike? Yeah no.
I'm so happy for Luke with the I was watching there and then what just happened.
He started the attack. We've encouraged him to get in the last third.
We know how technically gifted is and skillful is and he hit the ball very very sweetly.
Keeps his eye on the ball and straight laces margins again post and then post it out.
That's football for you and but Luke deserves all the the lucky he can get.
'cause he had a tremendous couple of couple of years with us.
Definitely and obviously he had
a. These players are being backed,
some of them for a week or so now.
How's that been going so far?
Well, preseason is always a fresh start.
Is your new start? New opportunities.
We look forward to the season.
Some of the players as I've just started their holiday,
so we know that we're depleted squad,
but that gives the young kids a taste of what it is like.
Proper preseason with top professionals like new money methods.
One matter you know. First thing played and leads a league Grand Tom Heaton's back that they've done it so many times.
He got Mason Aaron Axle first team players that will will bring these boys along and it's it's a good opportunity for them.
And we've got a new face in training that we've seen one of the
coaching stuff. You could tell us a bit more about him.
Yeah, we've been fortunate enough to convince Eric Ramsey to come and join the best club in the in the world and in the country.
He's a very highly rated coach.
He's going to be working with individuals,
and he's going to be in charge of set place as well.
And we're excited to to see him young,
fresh, new ideas. Innovative coach.
That, we've, we've we've. We know from before Kieran knows him really well.
From Loughborough so very pleased with that,
and we've seen some of
the young players obviously joining the group,
and we know they'll be with us for preseason,
then potentially some loans for for those as well.
Yeah, of course. We've. We've got six weeks together before the league starts.
A couple of training camps here in the UK,
which is a. The most sensible thing we feel to be beating around here so we we don't get the.
The how do you say aggravation of Evergreen RV reader?
We amber. That's just the the way the world works at the moment.
And the young kids will definitely be part of the of the Derby game.
Then we got another couple of games coming up that they'll be be part of.
They'll get a taste of some some football and then roundabout early early August.
Some of them will go on long.
We've already lined up with you for some of them,
and then there's still this discussion between US and the players.
Where? Where is the best
place to go and with the training comes,
I mean you've experienced this place so many times we'd easily untold me abroad.
But it's a great opportunity for team bonding,
isn't it? Spending that time together,
always? This? Unless I said these loads of the young boys now they haven't been on a tour or on a camp with not torbett camp with players and they
deliver this. They eat together.
All the time they would do different things together so they learn.
Then it's like one. As I said,
one pneumonia, Lee Tom the the more experienced ones will.
Will be the leaders of that group and take charge and I'm sure there will be
some singing. Definitely. Of course he had initiations.
We look forward to those and kicking off the first game against Derby away.
Obviously all the games are going to be live on me TV for the fans to watch.
And then we've got a couple of games back at Old Trafford home and chief excited to be back out at our home.
Hopefully
we'll see as many of our supporters obviously away from home as well.
Maybe Darby and QPR but then Old Trafford.
Against Brentford you got Everton,
so big games, important games for us for us to prepare for for the first game.
It's like we need to now get the first chunk of working,
then we start preparing for the first game and then as long as we just keep gradually until at least the first international break we need to look at the
preseason to start the season better than we did last season.
We we gave ourself. Mountain to climb and it was a difficult start,
but hopefully this year we've we've cracked the the gradual improvements and we had funds obviously back at
our last home game last season against Fulham.
And how much did you enjoy that?
Just having them there? And what will it be like again to have more back for
Brentford? In Everton it was great.
It was strange in the same in the same sentence it was,
you know 10,000 people. I I couldn't imagine 10,000 people creating that much of a buzz and energy within a stadium within that biggest stadium anyway,
only a one seventh of the of the capacity and the the atmosphere was top.
So I can't wait for us to.
To to play football, hopefully will we play some good football and the atmosphere will be giving it
and what you thoughts on on Brentford?
Obviously it's gonna be back in the top flight for them for a very long time and what have you made of them the the last couple of seasons in
particular last season and and
under Thomas Frank they've they've had a clear plan.
You know they've they've got a philosophy they they work from the Danish.
Owners from back home in Metallum.
They've they've done great in Denmark and now with Brentford so thoroughly deserves 'cause they've been so close a few times and I was very happy for Thomas and.
The Scandinavian link that I of course enjoy,
so that will be the first experience for me to play against them.
They've got a new stadium so I will enjoy their the way game as well,
but. All newcomers in the Premier League are welcome because it it creates a another feeling and something it gives us something new.
Have you come across
It's no,
Thomas
I haven't.
merch?
No. So
it'll be the first time I have a team to play against him,
but of course I know his philosophies and how they think and it'll be a
big big occasion for them.
Obviously when they come here in the Premier League but they'll be wanting to start off well as well.
We can
expect a competitive game. Definitely.
You know, we we all need to.
Start on the front foot kick off at the right tempo and because when the season starts,
we know how little can decide the season being a successful one or not successful one.
Every single game of them.
38 count equally. Yeah, bragging rights.
Some of the games of course,
but you only get three points in every every game and you've gotta take one
game at a time and then everything coming up 7th of August.
Ultrafit Rafa Benitez coming back and you're looking forward to to meet with him again.
And also it's another. It's another good
test. Doesn't it bother season starts?
Yeah, well, I don't know one of the teams that you can envisage challenging for for European football.
They've done great under Carlo and.
We all know Rafa and his qualities,
so I'm sure they'll they'll challenge for for higher positions in the league.
What's impressed you most about the sort
of progress they've made in the last few seasons?
You know the calmness and the leadership of Carlo.
There's a plan. You see the players if they play with freedom but also with confidence and a clear,
clear way of playing. He trusts his players,
which I think is important for any player to to feel.
And of course, Rafa in inherits,
or he he takes over a squad that's full of quality players and he knows the Premier
League very well. Obviously doesn't very
well, so he'll be. I'm sure he's looking forward to going back,
you know. There's no no better place to to work,
and
it is is this kind of the perfect test that you want actually building it up with the games away from home and then coming to those ones Old Trafford
against
the Premier League teams. Yeah,
I think so. I think we we planned the preseason as well as we could under the limitations that we had when we when we had to to make the
plans and to be on the safe side.
We we had these are.
These are opponents that will challenge us.
They will. Start with Darby.
We've normally started with easier opposition in the first preseason game,
so it'll be a straight in definitely.
And it be nice for for some of the players were like Eddie and Donnie,
who still haven't really experienced.
Still Trafford with funds of
the you've not experienced money united until you've scored in front of the Stretford end.
Of course Eddie scored in front of a.
Or wealthy in front of some of them,
but both of them have scored in that and so.
But now when? When it's a full stadium,
it'll be different for the two of them and many united with them without the fans are two two different things to be to be reunited with them
now will be beat up and he touched on it briefly will gradually see the international players so fed back into plans and possibly see them
Old Trafford for those two games.
Yeah, you know the players that needs some downtime.
They need some rest. Some of course less or more than others you know when they've got to the final as Fred and Harry and Luke and Marcus have done.
They'll have to sacrifice maybe a week,
while the others can get up to a month.
While we had five weeks there once they have started already.
So I think everyone will be fresh for the new season.
'cause last season as we know it was a long one challenging one and I can't wait for it to start.
Yeah, I was gonna say how excited are you for to get going.
You having a proper preparation and it's just
about building on on last season.
Yeah it's building and improving.
Of course we need to need to improve on on a few things.
We know that we've lifted it.
We've evaluated. But as I said earlier,
fine margins in football. You win a penalty.
Shootout your. Your six that's a successful season.
You lose. It's on. It's it's just doom and gloom so well I'm I'm sure the players will have recharge and they know where what's up then they know that.
We're a team on the hope we're improving all the time,
and the coaches are going to be as demanding as ever because standards have to keep going up.
I'm sure other teams will will as
well, and couple applies only we can ship out Amidon,
Derek being called up to the Olympics so we will be letting them go to that
and looking forward to seeing them compete.
Definitely. I think everyone when they grow up they they watch Olympics.
You see Usain Bolts or you see.
Even so. Ryan Giggs playing in the Olympics so.
When when your country calls you up,
I think I can't stand in the way of of that.
Boyhood dream being fulfilled. Of course Eric is.
It's over age, but I think they can see the value of him.