Every word of Ruben's post-Sunderland press conference

Hi Ruben. Must be nice to have a nice, straightforward win for once?

“Yeah, and a clean sheet is really important. We didn't play well during all the game, but we had our moments. But if you look at the performance, it was a team. Focus, defending well, trying to kill the game in the second half. So, I'm pleased with that, and now it's [time] to move forward to the next one."

And the goalkeeper did very well today...

“Yeah, I think he looks confident in the first game, but [the] important thing is that the teammates help Senne to have a good game, because everyone was focused, not a lot of mistakes, against a team that was really comfortable playing football. So, we did well, [it] was a good day for us.”

A lot of people, with Senne, wondered why he's not played before now, clearly fans have thought he should play. What kind of thought process do you go through to decide, he’s not playing, he’s not playing, and then he is playing?

“When Senne arrived here, first of all, Altay was playing, and then he arrives, and you can feel it, that he needs to adapt. New country, new training, the pressure that you guys put on the goalkeepers are massive. So, it was like a little preparation for the guy to be ready to start his first game. But now, it's just one game, and he needs to work because he needs to be prepared that in our club, things are really hard. But he did well, and again, he was comfortable during the game and that is a very good sign."

After a win like that, how frustrating is that you've got an international break now, because you ordinarily want to keep that momentum going?

“There is no momentum with our team, so with a break, without a break… we know what happened when we win one game. And then for me, the frustration is not to see the same team at home and away. And you saw today, we didn't play well in the second half, but we were focused. We fight second balls. Ben [Sesko] was there to touch the ball all the time. So, these small things are going to help us to win games, and sometimes you have your moments. First half, we had a lot of moments, but then in the second half, if we cannot play well, they will not play well, and that is the way a big team play during the season. So, that is the big frustration.”

Can I just ask about Mason Mount? Obviously a different type of profile to Matheus Cunha playing in that role. What does he give to your team and the way you want to play?

“I think Mason Mount can give us… it's more a midfielder than a winger or a striker. He can defend really well. He's really smart. He can attack really well. Today, he had a number of minutes because we have to manage when a guy like Mason is returning from injury. He did really well. So, it’s the characteristics that we are going to change when we look to every opponent."

Mason Mount was on the TV, he said the players are 100 per cent behind the gaffer. Is that what you've seen from your squad?

“I saw today, and I know that they want to do the best, and I know that they don't want to change the coach all the time. But like I said during this week, to be with the manager is… I will kill myself to go in every transition. We need to show with actions. And sometimes when we look at our team, I know for sure that when we see the games in the end, they know that sometimes we can do better. So, I feel that during the week, but we need to show that on the pitch, not just at home, but also away.”

I just wanted to ask about Benjamin. Two in two for him, two proper strikers’ goals, at close range as well. Is that what he was brought to the club for, to score those type of goals?

“To score the goals, to give us a different type of profile inside the box, to use more crosses because he's going to improve the connection with his teammates. How many times [did] Senne kick the ball, [and] he was there to give the first touch? That is more important, especially in this league, that we are thinking, when there is a throw-in, we have an extra guy that is really big, especially at the first post. So, all the characteristics that Ben, not just the goals, but all the characteristics can help us to win games and we are happy with him. He puts a lot of pressure on himself, that is not a bad thing, but he has potential to do so much more."

It's been a tough week for Amad. How pleased are you with his performance today?

“Really pleased, really pleased. I think he defended really well. Attacking, we already know that he's really good. Every time he has the ball one against one, he’s giving us a lot of chances to score. He can help Bryan to play more inside and worry more with the runs behind the defenders. We miss a lot Amad against Brentford, especially when we're [in the] second half, 2-1, to have an extra guy like Amad, it's massive. So, we are really pleased with him. He did a very good job.”

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