TE: I think it’s important that we managed to dig deep towards the end. I think the subs were very good when they came on today. I think we can agree that we have played better games this season.
A big compliment also to West Brom, the way they defended today. I think there were many occasions in the first half where we were actually quite dominant, just didn’t manage to really create a lot.
Then I think it was a lot of start-stop. There were so many events in the first half where it was interrupted and then you have the Leo Scienza injury, then you have a head injury.
We never really got to speed up the game and got it to a rhythm that we wanted to, but then in the end it’s not every game that just flows nicely over 46 games, especially now in that block of so many away games.
I think that point can be very important towards the end of the season.
Why were you unable to stop that from happening?
TE: It isn’t that easy always to prepare and then everything just flows. I think that we could have been a little bit quicker on moving the ball, but in the end, I don’t know how much that matters today.
There are games where you can dive very deep into the analysis bit and we had to move many bits around. I think that the start of the game actually was okay. I think we had control for most bits.
We moved a lot in the second half, the way we shifted, then in possession, then we made another substitution change again, made another substitution change again.
I think we just, other than the last block, never got the game really to the rhythm that we needed to because we were the team in possession, we were the team to dictate today.
But there’s also another team on the pitch and West Brom did a good job today.
You must have been frustrated with unnecessary corners?
TE: Yeah, there were a couple too many. I think we gave a couple of corners too much away. I think that we actually defended quite well.
Obviously, if you have so many balls coming into the box on that far post, it happens sometimes that the ball just drops somewhere around your goal and then they manage to put the one over the line in the second phase.
Just like you say, I think it was a couple too many, especially in the first half that we gave away. Sometimes that’s what it is.
We had a big game on the weekend. We wanted to be very strong today. I think we did this for big parts of the game. Now we need to move on to Saturday.
What can you take from that point despite not playing well?
TE: Yeah, exactly that one. I think it was not the best game from us. I think we played a lot better in many other games of the season.
But it’s important that you take something away, and we did that today.
What are you facing with Scienza? Looks like it might be a bad one?
TE: Yeah, let’s see. We need to assess over the next days. It was his groin that he was touching at the moment, but I think we need to see how that develops.
Stewart off at half-time. Was that tactical or forced into that?
TE: No, it was the idea to manage and balance the minutes over this week. He had a little bit of stiffness. Cyle Larin was very good in the second half as well.
You’re staying at St George’s Park for the next couple of days?
TE: The alternative is that you drive home now. I think you’ll be home by one, two o’clock. The sleep is not the best and you try to recover tomorrow.
Then you go back in on Friday and you need to travel again. So we decided just to get a proper sleep tonight, make sure we recover properly tomorrow.
Then we have a session at St George’s on Friday to prepare for Coventry. Now with so many away games on the bounce, it’s the third one today of the block of four.
We just need to make sure we collect all of our energy over the next two days.
Does moving within three points of Wrexham change anything?
TE: I think it’s quite nice to see that now it’s in our hands. It wasn’t before that matchday, now it is. We’re still playing Wrexham, that’s three points.
I think that point can be very important at one point.
Would you have taken four points from this week at the start?
TE: Even today, obviously, we go into the game and we want to win the game. It’s the same for every occasion.
But sometimes if you don’t have your best day, you must take something. That was a point , and now we go to Coventry and play for three again.
How is the scan situation going to work with Scienza?
TE: I think we should be able to find a way to do a scan tomorrow morning, and then we’ll know what’s going on.
Does it look worrying? He stayed down for quite a while.
TE: I don’t know how much it makes sense to comment now. I think the best is to wait for tomorrow and then we’ll have a scan and know what’s going on.
I think we can take it from there.
Why did you bring Larin on, and why did he work so effectively?
TE: Cyle’s been outstanding so far for us. He works so hard for the team. He comes from a spell where he hasn’t had as many minutes, so I think we need to just be aware of that.
I think that there’s still a little bit more to come. There aren’t many strikers with the quality back towards goal that he has to play off him.
Once the pitch opens up, I think he has so much energy going towards goal. He’s dangerous in the box. I think all of those things combined are what he gives to the team. Today was a very big one.
What lessons have you learned from today to take into Saturday?
TE: That we can take a performance, even on a day where we are not at our very best. I think that actually is more important than it sounds.
We need to collect our energy now and go strong on Saturday.
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