After a 0-2 away defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup second round, Luton manager Jack Wilshere attended a press conference to answer questions from the media.

Jack, what did you think of your team's performance tonight? The players fought very hard on the pitch.

Yes, I'm very, very proud. As a manager, as a coaching team, and as a club, you can ask your players to execute a tactical plan and try to convince them to do so to move forward. But in reality, they're the ones who have to execute it on the pitch. They have to step out and face some world-class players, and still execute the tactics well. They even have to face situations where they can't control the ball for a period of time, and you know, in our league, we're used to controlling the ball. So yes, I think we learned some things about our team, about their character. And it seems like sometimes they even prefer defending and have tried their best to limit Chelsea. I think at some points in the first half, we could have used the ball better, but yes, I think in the second half, we demonstrated that we're capable of controlling the ball against such opponents. So yes, I'm very, very proud of the players, and now we need to focus on recovery.

Were you surprised that Chelsea fielded such a strong lineup today? They made six changes but still put out a very strong team.

Yes, yes. Over the past few days, I've been constantly thinking about who would start. Yes, I think perhaps there were a few surprises, but I didn't really think, given Chelsea's situation this season—they mostly have one match per week—plus the fact that this is Xavi Alonso's first home match in charge, so when the starting lineup was announced, our reaction was: yes, we expected that.

I'd like to ask more about how strong Chelsea is and how to compete against them. Are you satisfied with this? Because you'll face them more in the future, or is it somewhat...?

Yes, I think from my perspective, yes, I don't think you can be overly concerned about it. Of course you focus on the individuals on the other side, but we focus more on the team as a whole, thinking about how we can limit them. I think from the players' perspective, there might be some initial..., we always put the opponent's starting lineup in the dressing room, and perhaps at first glance they might think: well, Cole Palmer is playing, Morgan Rogers is playing, Reece James is playing—I think they're all top players in Europe. So perhaps initially they might think: well, this will be tougher than we expected. But actually, now when they look back and reflect, they can feel very pleased to have had the opportunity to face these star players, very pleased that they gave everything, and sometimes made things difficult for the opposition. Yes, we can learn a lot from that.

We also noticed that before and after the match, you had great interaction and connection with the fans, and that felt like a wonderful thing.

Yes, we talk about this a lot. You know, we've come a long way in building this connection, and it hasn't always been easy, and we understand why. Over the past few years, the club went through a very difficult period, fans were disappointed, and some of our performances fell short. But yes, the fans have always stood by us, and we've worked hard on this connection. This is also thanks to the players, because they're the ones who have to go out and fight, they're the ones who had to face that pressure at certain times last year. Yes, for us, getting through that, maintaining confidence during difficult times, showing belief—this is a very important part of our development as a team. Yes, now we're very proud of the strong connection we have with the fans, and we need to continue to nurture it, continue to build it. But everything is good now, yes, I think we understand, and I also understand what the fans want to see. They want to see a team that fights, that's aggressive, that gives everything for the shirt, and these players certainly did that tonight.

Jack, there's a match this coming Sunday with very little time to prepare. This is part of a packed schedule ahead, with five matches in two weeks. As a manager, how do you deal with such a congested fixture list?

Yes, I think this is something we focused on at the end of last season when we reviewed the campaign and assessed everything. Yes, I think the most important thing is that when we entered the preseason phase, we prepared for what we knew was coming. You know, this is League One—it's very competitive and there are lots of matches. You play on Saturday, then Tuesday, then Saturday again. So when preparing for preseason, we kept this in mind and wanted to prepare the players for it. Is it still difficult? Yes. The players need to recover physically, and they need to recover after tonight's match, not just physically but mentally. You know, playing at such a magnificent stadium, giving everything, and then playing again a few days later isn't easy. But we have to do it. So yes, we'll make sure they recover, providing them with all the care, support, physiotherapy, nutrition, and everything they need so we can once again deliver a very aggressive and competitive performance.

Finally, I'd like to ask about the preparations made during preseason and your long-term objectives in League One. I see experienced veterans like Chris Powell on the bench, and it feels like the foundation of the team is very solid.

Yes, I think so. I mean, I'm fortunate to have someone like Powell around—we often joke about him on the bench. But from day one I arrived, Powell has given me tremendous care and support. We often talk on the phone and make decisions together. Yes, that's really good. I also have other staff around me supporting various tasks. But having Powell around is really a great feeling—it gives you a sense of security. Yes, and the same goes for the players. I think the players love Powell too, and the atmosphere is very good, and we have to maintain that.

Website AF đã ra mắt! Xem tin tức đầy đủ, bình luận, chi tiết trận đấu và thống kê trên máy tính. Truy cập: www.allfootballapp.com