Every manager, every quote MW 08

Every post-match interview scored for Matchweek 8 of Premier Managers Revealed, with the full quotes, the score out of 12 and the Identity level each manager’s language addressed. Interviewer questions are left out. The league table and this week’s three picks are on the main page, Premier Managers Revealed.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Coventry City

Monday 19 October 2026, 8.00pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Carried into this edition from the Monday of the previous scoring week.

Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham Hotspur

Score: 10/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

Delighted for the result, delighted for the attitude, the spirit, the reaction we show after the goal we conceded. Honestly, we didn’t play so well like the last games, even we didn’t win, but in the last game we played better, much better. better than today, but not for our responsibility for their credits, because they defend, especially in the first half, very close, very compact, and we didn’t find the right space to stay between the line. When we went outside from Kudus and Robertson, we didn’t push the ball with the right speed. We were too predictable maybe playing three at the back. We played three at the back for the injuries reasons, first of all, but I thought it was a good solution to give different instruction, this different occupation of the space was important. Maybe we play like this next Saturday, but we have to see.

Listen, we play with Kudus, right winger, Robertson, left winger because he played in the winger position with three, number 10, different characteristics. Marmouche, more attacker. Maddison, more number 10. and Gray in the right pocket to attack the space to go in underlapping to Kudus. I think we scored two goals with these two players but we can’t forget Solanke because he played very well also.

Fantastic moment, fantastic human moment. We celebrate him in the dressing room after the game. the most important things after this win.

No, now we have to understand we are able to win because After two, three seasons like this, it’s important that the mental aspect is crucial. The mental aspect, we have to say thanks for the fans, because especially in the last part of this game, they have been fantastic. They suffer a lot and we have to push, we have to work seriously, we have to improve the performance. We have to improve the quality of the play, for sure, but we are a good team, we are a very good team.

De Zerbi has just won, yet he still says they did not play well. By saying this and noting that they played better last week, he is showing the team some tough love. He is demanding a higher level while making it clear they can do it, because they have already played at that standard before.

He puts the poor performance down to Coventry being compact rather than anything his own players did wrong, so the problem sits outside the group, and he keeps it to the one thing they got wrong: pushing the ball too slowly.

The spirit is there. After the match the group celebrated Kulusevski’s return from a long injury together before talked about the result. That is about them, it is broad, and it lasts. With those comments he has used the whole of the Elevate Formula.

What is missing is a clear aim. Telling them to improve the performance and the quality of the play is true enough, but it gives the players nothing specific to work towards.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Frank Lampard, Coventry City

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Esteem and Capability.

Yeah, very pleased with the performance. I think we were in the game to say the least with the team pushing to get back to 2-1. Two outstanding goals from them which are very difficult to say much about other than whether the second one was questionable in terms of the arm up in Milan’s face. the quality of the finish is exceptional but our all round play, the feeling in the stadium was clear throughout the game we were a threat from the first minute, we could always be a threat in the game, we defended really well as well at times and I’m proud of the performance, 3-1 feels nasty at the end because of the last goal but other than that I can’t ask for much more than those details and it’s hard to have a detail to keep out two shots in the top corner that’s the reality of Premier League football

Yeah but in the build up to that we created some good moments with ourselves and the moments they had I think they got caught offside and it might have felt like there were chances for them where it played through. But other than that, the goal comes out of nowhere. It’s a brilliant finish and a high-quality player. So I kind of asked, we wanted to start well because they start well here in every game they play. They start well and they haven’t got maybe what they feel they deserved. It wasn’t a case of that. It was a case I actually was happy with the way the team continued at 1-0 down because they felt that they were in a game and they felt that every time we broke or when we actually had some bits of control that we were a threat, and that continued from the first minute to the last, until the third goal.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, for us, you could, again, we’ll review it and go back over small details, but the feeling and flow of the game is, yeah, it was for sure, and we were brave in how we played and we played and we were getting people up on their top line we were really bright on second balls and individuals are showing their quality now with Rodoni and with Thomas Asante and players who go on they’re growing so you know it’s you know got to be careful to go too much and we’ve lost a football match but when you see this is predominantly the team that played in the championship I think eight of our boys played in the championship last year and now they’ve shown that they’re growing but the test now is consistency. Show it and keep showing it and then games will go in your favour. The opposition won’t put two in the top corner. You will get what you maybe feel you may deserve and that’s football.

Yeah, that’ll be hard though. It’s hard. I don’t like the fixture of this game. It’s the Premier League or football. You can think that Fulham are going to come first. feeling good about themselves with their result, they’re playing well and maybe not getting what they deserve and those things. So, you know, are we happy? We’ll always want more from what we’ve done. We feel like there’s a couple more points that we could have already gained. But at the same time, we know the test of this league. So we just have to keep going.

After the 3-1 defeat, Lampard refuses to let the scoreline define his players. The two goals were pure quality into the top corner, so he sees it as Tottenham’s individual brilliance rather than anything Coventry did wrong, one-off moments rather than a deeper problem. He is clear that those sorts of finishes don’t come along every week.

Against that, he points to real progress. Eight of the side were in the Championship last season, and they are already showing they belong at this level. That improvement is down to them, it is across the board, and it looks built to last. He acknowledges the gap in quality without dressing it up. The real test now is consistency, keep doing it, and keep doing it again.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Ipswich Town 1 – 1 Nottingham Forest

Friday 23 October 2026, 8.00pm, Portman Road.

Gary O’Neil, Ipswich Town

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

I thought Nottingham Forest were the side that were sort of pushing towards the end. That didn’t mean that we had stopped and rolled over. We still created a few moments that could have gone our way. We wanted to try and make it a football match. we wanted to try and play conditions were tough as well we had some good moments where we did get control but I felt we lost the ball too many times in really dangerous areas trying to play, trying to overplay at times so in that second half I took the decision to take less risk to be more direct to see if we could win the game in a different way dig in fight second balls I just felt like lesser of two evils I felt if we kept trying to play our way through them with the conditions and maybe we weren’t on our top flow tonight with the ball like people treading on it and missing simple passes in the middle of the pitch Nottingham Forest live for those moments so um we decided to avert risk a little bit go a bit more direct and that that does that that does help nottingham forest as well they’re very very good at that but it did it did mean that we started to concede less big chances it did it just meant that we had to suffer a little bit longer a little bit more um but proud of the players because they stuck together they thought we could have still won it at the end some big moments and Clark had a great chance and they’re a good side Nottingham Forest so it’s the Premier League everyone you face especially the teams that have been in it for seven years or so they’ve got some top top players and we’re trying to bridge that gap so tonight we had to sort of abort plan A a little bit and we had to dig in and we had to fight which is fine there’s more than one way to win a game

No, it had been discussed, the wind. It was difficult to pick out there, the wind. The flags above the stadium were going one way, the feeling inside the stadium was going the other. So it was tough, but it was a thing. You heard the crowd a few times when the ball went up in the air and started moving. around everywhere I think we ended up into the wind both halves funnily enough but yeah one of those things you know you try and get those little decisions right we spoke to Doz about it we spoke to Waltz about it they go off their field really and Waltz was in goal in the warm-up and felt that he was going to be better off at the other end to go 1-0 down to a team like that and to find a way back is credit to the not easy that against a team as good as they are defend as well as they are don’t concede chances so really pleased really pleased I think we can play better of course we can but if we think we’re going to play top football for 38 games in this league and be dominant and in control we’re not we’re going to have to fight and scrap sometimes and I’m really proud of how they did that today

I’ve only watched it live to be honest so I’ll give you my honest opinion I don’t know how accurate it’s going to be because I’m a long way away uh it was late looked like well he definitely missed the ball and he made some contact with McAtee um so it is a foul I think it is a foul um I think Leif Davis is in a good position to be fair and he’s quick and he’s got the momentum so I think it would have been a tough call to say that that was a definite clear goal scoring opportunity for McAtee I think Leif Davis deals with the situation I think his touch goes slightly heavy and away from goal which gives Leif a chance as well so I think having watched it once that it was a pretty good decision in the end i think they did some good work um but yeah i don’t know how accurate that is i’m watching it from a long way away with a million things going on so i’m sure your guys will have a better opinion than me on it a more accurate one but i think they did a decent job of it and um it can go your way it can go against you so um we’ve had some harsh ones go against us this year so when they go for you you take them you move on

yeah yeah it’s decent it’s decent um we’ve got a lot of work to do because you just see today not, Nottingham Forest supposedly down the bottom of what they are down the bottom of the table at the moment they won’t be, come the end and you see how tough that is at home um so this league will will constantly test you you’ll go away to man city and after scrap and defend for ages and then you’ll come home to Nottingham Forest and they’ll keep putting long balls on top of you in the pouring rain and wind it will constantly test you so we haven’t done anything yet really proud of what the players are doing but we have to keep going we have a good little prep time now going into Hull next week which will be equally tough and made a great start themselves But proud of the players, proud of the players. I think it’s one that we can learn from as well.

O’Neil starts with the thing he could control. They kept giving the ball away in dangerous areas while trying to play through Forest, so he took the risk out and went more direct.

The rest he puts down to the conditions and Forest’s quality, and he keeps the problem to tonight rather than anything wrong with the squad.

What he sets against that is togetherness, and he explains why. They stuck together and found a way back from a goal down.

He is honest that they will not control every game in this league, so they will have to fight and scrap at times. In saying this he treats the tough nights as something that will pass, while pointing to the lasting quality they have shown in being able to dig in and fight when they need to. Hull next week is where that gets tested.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Oliver Glasner, Nottingham Forest

Score: 11/12. Identity level: Esteem and Capability.

Very good performance at the end and great start into the game, and then, OK, it was maybe 15, 20 minutes in which Ipswich were the better side, and I think we started to control the game again straight before half-time and then we made one mistake and it’s a 1-1 draw but direction second half was amazing so then really dominating and it’s not easy here playing Ipswich in their home stadium and then really all the effort and keeping them on one finish overall and yeah it’s a topic but it’s important now to stay calm because it feels everything goes into the right direction and this final bit um you know we have we have to be patient because then we will get the reward

Yeah, it’s, I would say it’s football, it’s a game of mistakes as well and nobody does it on purpose, things can happen but again, it’s how we react and the direction was great and always keep believing and playing forward and creating all these moments and let’s say this challenge thing we can do to support the players I think everybody sees everybody feels the way we are playing the way we approach the game is absolutely right and not now losing the nerves because the results are not what we what we want and what everybody wants but on the other side we also have to to accept and to respect that Ipswich plays very well at home they won against Fulham they won against Sunderland even Liverpool had a very tough game here so it’s a good team and so yeah let’s take the point respect the point it’s one of the first things I learned and we will build up on our performance like we do like we always do

Well, yes, but, you know, it’s, as I mentioned, let’s say, there is There is no other way than supporting the players and encouraging them, because they work so hard to get into these situations to do really so many things we are doing in training, we are speaking with them, we are showing them in videos, so it’s a lot of positives to take from, because let’s say the opposite. We’re now always blaming the players and then they lose all their confidence, and it’s the only ways now, like we do, supporting them and keep believing. So it still feels like we are all tested that we don’t lose the nerves and stay patient. They should be confident.

no it doesn’t make sense so because uh that’s what he decided and that’s what we accepted it looks like the var uh is not from East Midlands because I think it was the third we are decision against us so two goals were overruled and today it felt during the game like it is a red card but again I think we couldn’t have played a more dominant half than we did in second half having 11-1 shots And so not to blame the referee. It’s up to us, and I know the players now, and we will keep working. We will keep analyzing. We will keep practicing, and then we will have good results as well.

Yeah, then I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I don’t know if the referee was a former football player because what we’re always taking… When a player runs one against the keeper and he runs straight, it’s very difficult to score. We always tell them to create an angle. That means you need to go half right or half left, and this was McAtee. He prepared his finish. That’s why the ball to create an angle that the goalkeeper has to move and then he opens the nearer or the far post. But let’s say that comes from the football side and not from the referee’s side and again, we won’t change it anymore.

Glasner is as protective as any manager in the table. He says the alternative out loud. Blame the players and they lose all their confidence, so he supports them and keeps believing, and he points at the training and the videos as the reason he can. The mistake that led to the goal is treated as part of football, and nobody does it on purpose, so none of it sticks to the player who made it.

He also mentions the VAR decisions going against them. That does put the problem outside his players, though it is not something they can do anything about, so it does not earn him the mark for Adversity.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Aston Villa 2 – 1 Manchester City

Saturday 24 October 2026, 12.30pm, Villa Park.

Unai Emery, Aston Villa

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Capability and Purpose.

good afternoon what a match what a match this is the highest level in football in the world and today was a very good test for us how we were responding how we’re competing how we’re more or less being able to to beat them on the field in 90 minutes duels with our positioning so we needed the defence we needed the keeper we needed the sacrifice defensively a lot of time even in low block but when we were with the ball when we were threatening them was really fantastic so with that more favorite here confident we are progressively getting better after our to win in the Champions League was very important so today a really fantastic game we played, a really fantastic response of the players, this level is the level we want to try to achieve, to keep because we did it last year so very happy but still a lot of work to do and we won to try to use days like today as an example of how we want to build our team.

fantastic and they are the first in the league and I can speak about three teams not three or five teams in the world the best teams and one of them is Manchester City clearly so today how we are against them how we are facing them they are with 21 points we have 11 10 points in front of us of course they are contending a favor to win the title this year but playing matches because we are in champion league we are going to play matches like the like the level we we needed today so how we face it then is really fantastic and it’s a good example it’s a good test we are adding players as well improving understanding as well our demands in our tactical idea and our structures defensively offensively our positioning so today really fantastic fantastic day week really fantastic now rest because we we lost all our energy today myself as well i don’t have no energy and i need to rest as well tomorrow sunday but keep going in this way

that’s quite a formula to have to build the team in the story we are usually doing because how we can feel strong is, of course, with the individual skills, but our students tactically need to be strong and feel confident and comfortable playing in our task and doing our task. Today is fantastic. Today scored two goals, Jackson. But his best was home. He defended. Fantastic.

I knew him when we were in Villarreal. He started playing in the level he is now. So when he came here to England, he was as well having experiences. So I know his capacity to exploit his qualities and I know as well his humility and his everyday working and how he is focusing football like his priority in the life with his family and this is very important. The mentality is coming through how you are. focusing your life and your profession in football.

Emery treats a win over the league leaders as a test rather than a result. City are one of the best teams in the world and they are ten points clear, so the gap sits outside his players and says nothing about them. At the same time he is clear that the performance shows they can match that level.

What he sets against that is the standard Villa already reached last year, and he is clear that today is the example of how he wants the team built.

As usual with him, the way forward is structure: positioning, the jobs on both sides of the ball, and players understanding the shape. Focusing them on this is a device he uses to take the pressure off. The structure becomes their shield, and it gives them the belief that they have something solid which can help them overcome even the best teams.

Jackson scores twice and the praise goes to his defending, his humility and his daily work.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Enzo Maresca, Manchester City

Score: 6/12. Identity level: Capability.

Yeah, no, even for us, it was, I think, a good game, good performance, but unfortunately, we lost. But overall, I think we did enough, you know, to, you know, we deserve something more. But it’s football, we learn from that, and we move on.

Yeah, we struggled, as you said, the first probably 10, 15 minutes, and the reason why is because we expect them in one way, but they were in a different way. We adjust, and then I think at the end of the start, and send the second half we control the game

yeah but also because they were both in yellow card in this you know with this noise sometimes it’s better to avoid but again I think overall we did enough to take something from this game

Yeah, when we scored. But I had the feeling for the entire game that we were in control. We created many chances, unfortunately, within the score. But again, sometimes also you have to be a little bit more, you know, lucky in terms of we conceded just one transition, second half, and unfortunately they have been very clinical because they scored. Yeah, but we’ll end from that.

Yeah, I just said I was not here, so I don’t know in the past. The only thing I can say is from today’s game that I think we deserve something more.

Maresca is calm and generous and his players leave with almost nothing. Three times he says they deserved more. It is a fair comment on the game, but it tells the players nothing about what he wants from them. He does own the opening fifteen minutes, because they expected Villa one way and got another, so the planning error is his and he says so. Past that there is no quality of this group named, no behaviour to repeat and no next step beyond learning and moving on. He stays composed throughout, and that is worth having, though it leaves the players with nothing to take into Monday.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Arsenal 2 – 0 Everton

Saturday 24 October 2026, 3.00pm, Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal

Score: 7/12. Identity level: Capability.

It was a big win for us. It was a tough week. The schedule that we had to go through, the amount of minutes and the games were coming thick and fast. We knew that we had a very good opponent in front of us, but I think overall we had a really good performance, win the game. fully deserved to win it as well

yes I hope now people are enjoying it because we didn’t score from a set play so we did really happy for the team to find different ways always to unlock the opposition and create problems

and well we all did I think and by the reaction of his teammates it was a really war in action we know Gaby how tough and strong he is and he seems to be okay

Delighted. I think we got for most parts. I think we were the better team and we dominated the game. But, yeah, Everton had their spells like as usual as well. They have a lot of threat, and, yeah, the fact to change five plays and still play at that level, it’s impressive.

No thoughts.

Arteta’s clip is short and the best of it is how he handles the week. The schedule, the minutes and the games coming thick and fast are the problem, so it is Other, nothing to do with the players themselves, and it is Fleeting, because the week is over. Five changes and the level held, and he calls that impressive. Gabriel is tough and strong, said as plain fact rather than praise for one afternoon, so that is Self, Broad and Lasting. Where he loses out is in what comes next. There is no aim for the group beyond finding different ways to unlock the opposition, and nothing for anyone to go and do. Path scores nothing at all.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

David Moyes, Everton

Score: 6/12. Identity level: Belonging.

It did, aye. It made it hard, and we just couldn’t really get ourselves back in the game after that. Huffed and puffed a little bit, stuck at it for long parts of the game, which was good. We never gave them anything easy, but in the end, we just didn’t have enough.

yeah it was and it ended up you know they probably got first contact I’ve not seen it again so I need to see it but I know it was a little bit scruffy at the back post we didn’t quite clear it or we didn’t get a touch on it but you’re right we defended that apart from that we defended pretty well for most of them

I thought they both done well today they did I thought they both played well I thought a lot of the players done a really good job today we didn’t do enough in the attacking sense but we certainly done a really good job defensively you know tried to make it difficult but we really wanted to try and score some goals we had a couple of chances I think the first half and then we were a bit unlucky late in the game when Kiernan had a header which maybe could have gone in as well so we need to do that better than we’ve done certainly today

I don’t know. I felt for him today because I thought he was really poor. So I felt for him.

Moyes protects the people in front of him. O’Brien and George came in and did well, the defending was good, and nobody is singled out for the scruffy goal. The trouble is the sentence he keeps returning to. In the end they just did not have enough, and they did not do enough in the attacking sense. He may well be right about that, but saying it tells the players they are not good enough, and that sounds like a Lasting verdict from their manager. The only line looking forward is that they need to do it better, with no sign of what changes.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Coventry City 0 – 1 Fulham

Saturday 24 October 2026, 3.00pm, Coventry Building Society Arena.

Frank Lampard, Coventry City

Score: 9/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability. Second assessed interview of this edition.

Disappointed to lose. I don’t think I can sit here and stand here and say we should have won it because I think it was one of those tight games without big chances for either team. At that point, we want to get a point out of the game because we know that all these games are tough. So, yeah, I think defensively didn’t get threatened too much. They were a good team, a lot of threat. It’s a lot of good possession, and they had some ball, but it wasn’t possession. It was really, really hurting us, but we didn’t threaten them quite enough to give ourselves a chance to win the game. But as I say, when it’s like that, then you don’t want to concede. Fair play. It’s a good moment of quality from them, but obviously disappointing to lose.

Yeah, a little bit, but at the same time, I think good players, when they stand up, the box and they have that ability and they’ve got a few in their team that can do that and he shifts it and finds the only little small area that can give him a goal in the action. So I’m disappointed but also it was a quality moment from them.

We hope not. extent of the injury as such because the game was carrying on I haven’t seen him yet since the game he played with some sickness as well and he wouldn’t have known it because he was playing well again so we hope it’s a small injury

yeah I don’t think it hasn’t because you want to win games but talk of turning corners this season is going to be tough and it will be these moments when we don’t win games because we’re in the Premier League now and in the last two years we’ve risen from a long way, so we have to be very robust and very resilient in these moments, stay positive, a tough week, but we have to continue.

Lampard is honest about a game that did not have much in it. He will not claim they should have won. He names what they did not do, and that is threaten Fulham enough. He gives Bobb’s finish its credit.

The Identity line is the strong part. Coventry have come a long way in two years and they will be robust and resilient in moments like this, and that is who they are under pressure.

Adversity is where it costs him. The goal is down to Fulham and it is one moment, but nothing tells the players it passes, and he goes the other way by warning there will be more weeks like this.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Álvaro Arbeloa, Fulham

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Esteem and Capability.

well I think now we have the reward that we were looking for in another matches we did a very good game we compete for 90 minutes we’re trying to play our football it wasn’t easy because Coventry was a tough team we knew it before the match and I think and we did really well, we are so happy and I think the last victory away from home was many months ago so we are so happy with this victory, it’s very important for us and we need to keep working and keep improving.

we know that we have the quality and we have players that they can score in any moment so but we need to press well we need to defend so well here in the Premier League it’s so difficult with the long throw in set pieces counter-attacks so you can feel that the they can score in any second if you lose your concentration and I think we did really well

Yes, winning his goals, Josh’s goals, Gonzalo’s goals, the people that play in front and our attacking players they are so important because they need to make the difference, they need to score goals and I know they are young players and the most difficult thing in football is goals, but they are working so hard during the week, we are improving every day, every week, so yes, I think he’s doing well and he needs to try to be aggressive when he has the ball.

Yeah, it’s very good, he did really well and yes, I think it’s the best thing to give your last touch in a game.

Arbeloa has a second win in a row, but he spends most of the time talking about the difficult part. His opening remarks, that they have now got the reward they perhaps deserved in other games, are a clever way of telling the players they have lasting qualities. The lack of reward in those earlier games was only fleeting, because they got it this time. He is building resilience and confidence with every word.

Goals are the hardest thing in football, and he says that about young players who are working hard every week, so the lack of goals is not down to them and it will not last.

He notes that they already have the quality, because they have players who can score at any moment. He also praises them for their hard work and continual improvement.

He is also clear about the standards he wants. Press well, defend well, and if concentration goes for a second in this league they will be punished.

Bobb gets a specific next step: be aggressive when he has the ball.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Chelsea 0 – 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 24 October 2026, 5.30pm, Stamford Bridge.

Xabi Alonso, Chelsea

Score: 9/12. Identity level: Safety and Belonging.

well I think that there were many different moments in the game first half we wanted I wanted some more intensity we were wanted to approach them to high pressing and we were a little bit not a strong enough in duels but you know they had the chances we had some kind of chances in in the first half and I think that in the second half we have talked we have started a bit better we had a good chance with with Pedro and we have spoken that it was about the first goal which way it was going to be and once they have scored I had this this is not what we wanted straight almost came the the red card but overall I think disappointed with the result and we have to be honest with the performance I think that it’s a game that we wanted and we could have played better

No I think that there were moments that we had planned to be more aggressive after with the ball we we lacked a little bit this this composure to to give more passes and to have this stability but but it was about being an intense derby and going through difficult moments tough moments that you need to to manage and and you know one key moment was the first goal

Well, this is football. It’s about doing great things and it’s about dealing and overcoming from difficult moments and we will support Mike because he is a great person and we want to help him for the future and he’s mature and we come together from this moment.

well it would be so easy though so cheap to talk about all the players that we are missing but we we have the squad that we have I think that we we believe that we can do better with the team that we have so we have to be self-critic and to take our responsibility

I have to check, I think that after the 1-0 it was hard for everyone to deal when the game was so close, it affected a little bit our emotional control and it turned a little bit the momentum of the game.

Alonso refuses the obvious excuse. Talking about the players who are missing would be easy and cheap, so they take responsibility with the squad they have.

He also backs Penders after the error, calling him mature and saying the group comes together from this moment, so the goalkeeper is not left to shoulder the blame alone.

What is thin is everything going forward. He wanted more intensity, they could have played better, they will be self-critical. None of that becomes a clear standard anyone can act on, and no real quality of this group gets named beyond a general belief that they can do better than this.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham Hotspur

Score: 11/12. Identity level: Belonging and Purpose. Second assessed interview of this edition.

I think we deserve to win. The players, they work it very well. They prepare very well the game this morning, yesterday, all days in this week, in the last week. and the qualities of the players are very, very clear. So I’m happy for the spirit of the group, the spirit of the players. I think we have to change the last part of the history of our club, and I would like to follow in this way.

football is the ball okay is the quality of the play for sure is the qualities of the players for sure but it’s a competition it’s a fight it’s a you have to run, you have to fight, you have to arrive first in the second ball, you have to win the duel, and we did.

We knew Chelsea played very well. well. They have a clear organisation, clear structure on the pitch. We prepare two players to our midfielder with James Maddison with freedom to go where he smell the right position

Yeah, he played very well until he was off the pitch and then Gallagher played with different characteristics, different style, but played anyway very well. James is a different player. He feels football, he understands football is easier for me to be a coach. when you have a player of this talent.

I think it’s not a big problem. We have to see in these days, and also, Mathys Tell hasn’t scored many goals but showed his quality today. Mathys needs to play to understand football, to become calmer. But he’s a big talent.

I think it’s important for the players to believe more in themselves because their qualities are very high. But we are happy for the fans first of all, because we know what it means, the derby with Chelsea and for the club as well, because in the last years they suffered like the fans and they believe in this project, they believe in this group and I’m happy for them.

Yeah, with Tottenham, of course.

De Zerbi puts the win down to the work rather than to himself. The players prepared well all week, and their quality, he says, is very clear. The suffering he talks about belongs to the last few years and to the supporters, not to this group of players, and he tells them what he wants in its place: to change the last part of the club’s history.

The standard is simple and he spells it out. It is a competition, so they run, they fight, they get to the second ball first and they win the duel. They did all four.

Maddison going off is handled the same way. Gallagher came on with different qualities and played well too.

De Zerbi started the season badly and his scores have climbed steadily since. The question now is whether he is only a Good Winner. We will find out when a defeat hurts.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Crystal Palace 0 – 2 Newcastle United

Sunday 25 October 2026, 2.00pm, Selhurst Park.

Pierre Sage, Crystal Palace

Score: 5/12. Identity level: None reached.

It’s difficult to explain because after the second goal we conceded, the energy came back in the team, we were able to run, we were able to fight, we were able to play forward. we have too much lag between the minute 45 to minute 60 and that’s why we lose today.

You know in this situation in this period we have to be perfect in all the games in the full games and it was not the case during 15 minutes and that’s sufficient for our opponent to win today.

No, I think we started as we wanted we were in the game plan we have the chances in first half and we prevent all the of the try to do defensively it was not really exciting to watch I think but it was what we decided to do today but during the 15th first minute of the second half, it was crazy to play like this and to hold the initiative to our opponent

Today, I don’t think it’s defensive. I think it’s mental. Because when we came back on the pitch after the halftime, we let too much thing in the dressing room, and that’s not only defensively, because in the second goal, we make a little mistake. We recover the goal, we give it back to the opponent, and we have a lack of aggression in the… in front of the box and they play on our left and they cross after that and we are not in the cutback crossback yeah and there’s tactical but first of all i think it’s mental because after a little mistake as we did we don’t have to to lose the ball a second time

It’s always the same. You know, when we lose, we speak about that today, I think the players and all the staff have created the condition to compete and we missed 15 minutes and okay the consequence is really bad, really bad for me because there’s a lot of noise about that but first of all it’s bad for the team and we have to be aware that we need points that We need to be perfect in our game, we don’t have to let too much space to have too much opportunity and today we miss only 15 minutes, but it’s too much when we are in our situation.

The noise is the noise, you know, but inside there’s no noise for the moment. We’ll see you next time.

Sage cannot say what went wrong and he admits as much. It is difficult to explain, and then he settles on it being mental. That places the problem with the players themselves and gives them nothing practical they can do about it. If he is right and the problem is mental, his position in the PMR table suggests this may be a reflection of the language he uses with the players.

The fifteen minutes are tightly limited and that is the one thing working in his favour, though nothing says the trouble is Fleeting.

The language looking forward is all Away From. Be perfect in every game, do not leave space, do not lose the ball a second time after a mistake. Perfection is not a standard a squad in trouble can act on, and he does not name a single strength they can rely on next week.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Matthias Jaissle, Newcastle United

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Safety and Capability.

Well, we are really happy with the result, also with the performance in the second half. We wanted to show a reaction after the last defeats, and especially today we showed that clean sheet mindset, which was an important topic also during the week to make the impact. improvements and the next steps so that’s the fundamental in football and that’s something we show today, so I’m happy

Well, it helps when you score, it gives you confidence a boost. I think also the first half we were out of possession quite good, quite aggressive, but we didn’t use and we didn’t get the reward then for the hard work we’re doing out of possession, so we need to have that in your mind to have that passion, to have that target orientation after the ball wins, and that’s something we did much better in the second half, so overall we’re happy to see that improvement

Yeah, that helps if you have the clean sheet, definitely. But again, I also want to say that Sven and Malik did great. job in the past, so that was just a decision now for today, to have more experience, to have that leadership skills also from the two older ones in the centre-back position. Amadej came also back from the injury, and that gave us today the stability in a young squad. I think the balance was good. As now, we can use her. both of them Dan was missing along for injury reasons the same with Fabi now they improving they progressing so we can decide from various players at the moment

these two players they kill our average rate I would say it wasn’t that high but again it’s about winning games and finding the stabilisation now in a period where with a young squad it looked a little bit shaky sometimes and that was the decision and these two lads, they helped today a lot

Yeah, wins like today they help for sure, also to calm down the pressure but also we are realistic when we lose, not everything is bad and today after a great win and with difficult environments, as you know, we just won once in the last 12 years, so not everything is perfect, so we have also potential to grow even after 2-0 win today, so we are realistic and emotionally controlled, I would say

Yeah and I’m happy just for that and these occasions were also there in the first half and these occasions were also there in the last matches where we had defeats so we need to improve that. We need to challenge the opposition more in their box so I’m glad to see that improvement today in the second half and finally we could also go with a win out of the game.

Jaissle wins 2-0 and keeps it in proportion straight away. Newcastle have won once at Selhurst Park in twelve years, so not everything is perfect and there is room to grow even after this. That is a standard held on a good day. The squad is young and it has looked shaky, and he treats that as a stage they are passing through. Sven and Malik did a great job before, the older centre-backs brought leadership today, players are coming back and progressing. The next step is named too. Challenge the opposition more in their box, because the chances were there in the defeats as well and they were not taken.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Hull City 1 – 1 Brentford

Sunday 25 October 2026, 2.00pm, MKM Stadium.

Sergej Jakirović, Hull City

Score: 10/12. Identity level: Belonging and Esteem.

Yes, of course. Especially first half, I think that we played very, very good. Tactically, we were almost excellent. We took a lot of first and second balls from high press. In this situation, we earned penalty. We scored 1-0. They didn’t create anything. dangerous just from counter-attacks when we lost cheap balls or bad pass or bad receiving

and then second half maybe at one point we lost control in the game, they were much more on possession. But also this goal is a little bit unlucky because balls flicks from jars, but what we can do on the end, I think that had a good very good chances through Ali Cho and Gelfart but on the end it’s a fair result

Yes, no I don’t have any worries about Oli Oli he’s a very good player our leader he’s doing a lot of job on on the pitch and the team we have to create a chance for him and then everything will be much more easier

it’s very important it’s very important that the teams they know the opponent it’s very difficult to play here we are also I can say better at home because we are much more brave on the ball and in the challenges and especially every point for us it’s very very important

Of course, we know our target and this is step by step but also So we are trying to improve every game, every game is a big experience for us and for me I’m very happy because we showed already that we can compete on this level.

Jakirović builds the home record into who Hull are. They are better at home because they are braver on the ball and in the challenges. That is a strength the players own and can repeat. McBurnie is their leader and does a lot of work, and the team’s job is to create chances for him. The second-half dip is owned, because they lost control and gave away cheap balls, and the equaliser came off a flick, so chance and ownership sit together and the result is called fair. Towards is where he loses a mark. The target is never named, and he accepts the interviewer’s line about proving people wrong, and that is Away From.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Keith Andrews, Brentford

Score: 9/12. Identity level: Belonging and Esteem.

Always going to be a very difficult game coming here today the way he has the team set up very compact some real good characters in his squad they’re on a really good journey always felt there was going to be a reaction off their performance last weekend from what’s been said publicly around that ourselves we need we need to be better, we showed good resilience to come back into the game but in certain key moments we lacked a little bit of precision, a little bit of quality at times, so we go back to the drawing board and look at ourselves first.

I think that’s the simplistic way to look at it. I don’t want us to be one dimensional in how we play. We set up scenarios and training for players. The game is not always as simple as it seems. They need to make key decisions. Could we have done a little bit better? Of course we could have. But that’s the game.

Yeah, we’ve got a very good squad, we’re missing some key players today through suspension the players that played we always trust the bench that we have now, we’re able to make adjustments and hopefully you get that impact from the bench and today I thought we did that

I think we’re being really really honest there’s been some really good days some really good performances and there’s other days where I feel we we should have done better than what we’ve we’ve shown because I have such high expectations of this group and such high belief in what we can achieve, and I think today goes under the bracket of could have done better.

Andrews takes the penalty question away from his players and puts it on the coaching. He will not call it simple, he says they set up scenarios in training, and he asks whether they could have done better and answers that they could. Nobody is left exposed. The squad is credited too, because the bench changed the game with key players suspended, and the resilience to come back is named. The cost is in how he describes the gap. They lacked a bit of precision and a bit of quality. That reads as something the squad has not got rather than a bad afternoon, and it is the kind of line that a player believes is a Lasting verdict on his ability.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Liverpool 2 – 0 Brighton and Hove Albion

Sunday 25 October 2026, 2.00pm, Anfield.

Andoni Iraola, Liverpool

Score: 11/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

Yes, obviously, for us it was a needed win at home, we wanted to have a good performance and finally finished with the clean sheet. I think in front we had today a very good team and they were coming in an incredible run of games, full of confidence. and it was key for me. Start strong, no? Take a little bit of that confidence, and obviously, I think in transitions in the first half, we were being aggressive in the duels, winning a lot of goals very high, and we could score both goals, and second half has been a little bit different. We’ve had to defend a little bit more, but overall, we’ve done our job.

yes i think we’ve been talking a lot not these days because we’ve started losing last games and then we’ve had to come back and everything becomes a lot more difficult so especially against a team that is with confidence you need to start strong you need to score the first goal you need to put them under pressure no and i think And today we’ve done it and I’m happy for it, yes.

Yes, I don’t really care who has scored the goals, but honestly, if he has the chances, normally he’s showing that he will give us the goals. I think it’s good also for flow. at another goal and I think a lot of positives from the game today, yes.

Yes, especially against Brighton, it is a team that is very dangerous offensively, we know them very well. I think overall, especially second half, we’ve had to defend some crosses, some set plays, I think overall we’ve been really solid and happy because it’s a clean sheet that reinforces a little bit, you know, what we are doing defensively.

He twisted his ankle, it doesn’t look very bad, but it’s true that the problem is we are playing every three days, so I don’t know if it’s going to happen. be ready for the next one. That didn’t look like a big thing, but now it’s too early to say.

He absolutely deserves the praise. I think he has been phenomenal today. He has shown his spirit defensively, has won all the duels. Even in the first goal, he wins a couple of doubles, he arrives, he gives the assist, not going to be the assist, but the ball that after gives us the chance to shoot with flow, and I’m very happy for him.

Iraola names the mechanism and then names the men. Brighton came in on an incredible run, full of confidence, so the way to handle them was to start strong, score first and put them under pressure, and that is a plan the players can run again. Araujo gets the longest answer of the interview, his spirit defensively, winning all his duels, the ball that led to the first goal. On Isak he says he does not really care who scores. That tells the group what counts here.

Calling it a needed win is what costs him. It is about relief rather than belief in his players. Telling them he was always confident the wins would come, given the quality they have, would have done far more for them.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton and Hove Albion

Score: 11/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

Scored goals. As easy as that.

I think we started the game well we had a big chance we didn’t score then Liverpool scored after an easy mistake from us we made another easy mistake they scored again and I think there was just a difference in this game we had plenty of chances we had plenty of good moments in in their box I think I saw Liverpool team with great defenders who blocked a lot of shots so we have to give credit to them as well but I’m also proud of my team the approach we had how we stick to a game plan how we tried to go again and again keep trying in the end we didn’t score and I think there was a big difference

Yeah, a lot of theory, but I think if we go up here, then we can even control the game more. So yeah, a lot of theory. That’s football. In the end, we didn’t use the first chance, but we don’t judge any player to miss a chance. Like I said, we focus on the team performance, we have to learn certain things out of this game, we have to make it better the next time, because we all felt that it’s a missed opportunity here, but we also take a lot of positives away from this game.

to deal with it but after a game you’re never happy and you never look at the overall picture you want to win games and I think today it was a missed opportunity so we all very disappointed but like I said we have to deal with it we have to analyze it we have to make it better the next

I think we want to have this situation, so that’s also part of our journey, part of our development, that we have to handle and manage these situations well. We have a good depth in the squad, we need every player, so therefore we trust everyone, we know what we are capable of doing, we know that we can play a lot of games with intensity. We want to bring on the pitch, so that’s a great challenge for us to manage it well.

Hürzeler loses for the first time in five and nobody is blamed. They do not judge any player for missing a chance, they look at the team performance, and the two errors are simply called errors with no name attached. Liverpool’s defenders get credit for the blocks.

What he sets against that is solid. They stuck to the game plan and went again and again, the squad has depth, they can play a lot of games at this intensity, and he says they want this situation because it is part of where they are going.

The gap is what comes next. Saying they will analyse it and make it better next time does not say what actually changes.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Manchester United 0 – 3 Bournemouth

Sunday 25 October 2026, 2.00pm, Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick, Manchester United

Score: 8/12. Identity level: Safety and Belonging.

It was a tough day. I think the boys went into the game with the best intentions and if you found it difficult today, you could see that little bit of tension, a little bit of anxiety, a little bit unsure. Yeah, it made it difficult. The two goals just before off, time then put us in an even more challenging position and the next goal was always important I could feel the supporters wanting to get behind us even going off at half time I could feel the noise and the willingness to try and push us forward and I thought the next goal and I spoke about it with them at half time is the next goal if we could have got that at that point the whole dynamic. would have changed and unfortunately we didn’t have that moment, we didn’t find it and the third goal kind of finished the game off in many ways and after that it was a bit mixed emotions really, you could feel the dynamics, you could feel the boys trying to do the right thing, it wasn’t happening, you could feel the atmosphere in the stadium and it was very mixed feelings for me.

yeah I mean I’ve not seen it back but I thought the free kick that he gave against Aidan when he literally only tackled the ball so there was no one he actually tackled and he gave a free kick about but there was from what I seen there was no one close enough for him to end danger anyway but he gives a free kick and I think he booked him for it and the free kick obviously we need to defend better and Leny slipped you know he’s bitterly disappointed with it but he slipped I thought he’s done a lot of good things then he’s gonna be a top top player he’s a young player and he’s learning and he’s made one mistake today which that won’t affect him he’s too good for that but it’s a mistake and he’ll he’ll he’ll feel that and then the wind I think held the ball up for Senna as he’s come out and I mean it’s a good finish from the angle when all of a sudden the game’s done so it’s goals we could have done something about but when you slip like Leny did that’s very unfortunate

Yeah he was fit and available yeah we just decided to pick the team that we did today and unfortunately for everyone we didn’t manage to get the right result.

Yeah of course we did we wanted to push forward we wanted to try and create that a little bit more I think that we kind of tried and done certain things but not quite enough really and I don’t know

Yeah, very mixed, I have to say. To feel that connection with the supporters and the appreciation is… Yeah, I certainly feel it. I feel it and I appreciate that an awful lot. very mixed emotions you know the situation we’re in as a football club is what I care about the most and it’s not about me it’s about this whole place and being in a better situation in a position than we are at the moment and the feeling around it it’s saddened me to have that feeling stood there and feel so connected to it and there’s an awful lot of responsibility and i’ll feel it and i accept it as well for my part of my role in it as well but um to feel that from the supporters was was um was special in a way obviously not special compared to the game but it’s nice to have that connection and their appreciation for sure

no no not from me no there wasn’t there wasn’t a tear it was just more of appreciation for them of what they showed me it was as simple as that.

See what happens I’m not really expecting anything it’s just digesting today you know it was a tough day for us we knew it was an important game to try and win to get us moving forward again and we haven’t haven’t done that for me it’s just digesting that and like you say the emotions of the end of the game and what that brought was something that was a bit different something I’ve not really had before so I’ve got to digest that really

I’ve got the energy yeah for sure I mean it means so much to me and we’ve got games and things to focus on pretty quickly and gather the players. So there’s an awful lot to do and the responsibility of doing that. That’s fine. I enjoy that. I love it. It’s what I’m here for. So that’s it.

The passage about Yoro is the best piece of leadership language in the week. He slipped, he is bitterly disappointed, he has done a lot of good things, he is going to be a top player, he has made one mistake today and it will not affect him because he is too good for that. The problem is one moment, it is going, and the capability is the boy’s and it lasts.

For the rest of the group he does far less. Tension, anxiety, a bit unsure, all named and none of it answered, and nothing anywhere says the run is passing. The next step is to digest today, and that is not one.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Marco Rose, Bournemouth

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

I’m really happy today about our approach, our effort, our attitude, the way we started the game. We knew it’s going to be difficult to hear the noises around, so we needed to be ready and we were ready today, that’s what we showed. and it means we came in our game and this was the most important thing we spoke about before to be focused on us and not the noises around.

I think so. We had many good ball wins, many good situations. Ryan won one against the goalkeeper. but we scored three goals, had a clean sheet so the other things we still work on.

Yeah, it was his best game so far since I’m here. I think he needed a little bit of time after the World Cup, many games, he traveled for the for the national break yeah I think now he’s in in a good shape in a really good shape and you just have to have to continue

yeah this is football I mean after Chelsea we were sitting in the locker room and spoke about how to change the things. Before we did many good games but didn’t get the reward. Then Chelsea, it was a slap and after that my feeling is we were a little bit more focused in details and it’s there are always more things they are deciding and now we change the momentum but we have to continue it’s the most important thing not getting back in a comfort zone we want more belief and confidence and competition for places

yeah really I’m really happy. Even Armin is back, Justin is back, Junior, and some lads are in really good shape. Even the guys they didn’t play today, Julio, played well against Graz in the European League. So we have competition and we have many games, so I can count on everyone. That’s what I see, that’s what I feel. Sometimes I have to say sorry, today I couldn’t give you any minutes and that’s what we need. We have to stay healthy, we need to continue, we have to work hard and then it’s getting a good season.

Rose tells the story of how Bournemouth turned their season around, and the players are in every part of it. Before the Chelsea game the performances were good and the results were not coming. Then Chelsea was a slap, and afterwards they sat in the dressing room and talked about getting the details right.

His point about not getting the rewards earlier is the important one. He is telling the players that the quality which won them this match was always there. It is theirs, and it lasts. The bad night at Chelsea was one night and it is over.

He treats today the same way. Be ready for the noise at Old Trafford and stay focused on themselves. And he will not let the win make them comfortable, because they are not going back into a comfort zone and everyone in the squad is in contention.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Sunderland 0 – 0 Leeds United

Sunday 25 October 2026, 4.30pm, Stadium of Light.

Régis Le Bris, Sunderland

Score: 11/12. Identity level: Belonging and Capability.

I’m happy with the team spirit because I think in this busy schedule, a difficult journey in Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup, it’s a new challenge for us so it’s not unusual to struggle a little bit knowing that the Premier League league is so intense so relentless but I think today we we saw a good Sunderland team with fighting spirit with togetherness with intensity I think we create we created chances as well and it’s a question of small details at the end if you can’t win don’t lose it and that’s a good point yes

Yeah, I think so. So we have many reasons to explain the poor run we had at the beginning of the season. But I think the most important is to see forward, to see what is coming now, and I think what we saw this afternoon is very positive about the team, the way we play, I think the players are getting closer to their best levels now and it’s a good sign for the future

For his first game back 55, 60, 62, 63 70 in the end With the long break at the beginning of the second half So it’s good to have him back because he’s important for us.

Yeah, I think so, I think so, and the lads are connected. Sometimes you can’t start the game, maybe your teammate in your position is getting a better momentum, you just have to wait and I think the lads understand And that now, and because we have so many competitions, we’ll have game time, opportunities, and when it’s your turn, go.

As a manager, I’m always concerned because it’s my job. The most important is the energy of the squad because it means belief. It means consistency, it means togetherness, and this week we showed everything about that, about our identity. So now it’s a question of time, consistency as well, because to win again in the Premier League, you have to be perfect, and so still one or two steps to make to win this game.

I don’t know it seems okay.

A week after the worst interview of the season, Le Bris sounds like a different manager. He has reasons for the poor run and he refuses to list them, going forward instead. The struggle belongs to a new schedule across three competitions, so it is outside the players and it is a phase, and the players are getting closer to their best levels now. What they own is spirit, togetherness, intensity and connection, and he calls that their identity in as many words.

Path is where he is still short. One or two steps to make is honest, and he never says what they are. This is a good interview all the same. The test still ahead of him is whether he can be a Good Loser as well as a Good Winner, because a draw is not the same thing as a defeat.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Daniel Farke, Leeds United

Score: 12/12. Identity level: Belonging and Purpose.

Yes, a big part. It’s fair to say it was not the nicest piece of football, but it’s also difficult in this condition when you don’t know the curve of the ball. It’s easy to play some proper football on a nice Sunday, Saturday afternoon when the sun is shining, but these types of games are also quite important. you have to adapt and accept the conditions and adapt also the fight and there’s lots of fight for second balls and many long balls and you have to show real steel, that’s what we did today, so our defensive way was really good, away, point on Premier League level, an away clean sheet is always a good outcome, it’s a good point, a good result for us in position. I think you could see a bit that we had a difficult training week when many, many key players in the offense were missing and under this circumstances, I just can give praise to my lads, we showed a different side of our game today, so not just very dominant and really good football today, we need to dig in and to grind out results is what we did

Yes, the mentality and the cultures that we have created, it’s a very honest team and also they know that sometimes you have to adapt to this level and I like that we added another clean sheet, I like that we look defensive wise really good and of course when you have a a training week like this and your star and key players are out during the whole week and even the starting lineup we had to play without several players then it’s also like in the defense you have to change your roadness already out nico video overnight out it’s never easy for a team but we handled this occasion really well especially against the ball and in terms of team spirit and fighting grinding out result Yeah on a good day we can be better in possession and create more chances and score more goals of course, but overall I have to give compliments to my players

Overall it’s difficult for players like Jaka Bijol, Brandon Aronson, Harry Wilson who were not in the starting line-up for a while and then you think, Right now, Son, here you go out and you shine a bit and then you come into such a difficult away game. With these conditions anyhow, it’s not easy. So it’s important also then in this moment for these players to adapt to the occasion, to show grit, to have the first 65 or 70 minutes under your belt. So I don’t expect him or the others to cut the world into pieces straight away right now. It’s important. But for him it’s also important that he played his part in grinding out the result, and this will definitely be beneficial for Harry, for Brandon Aronson, but also for Jakubiard.

Farke lets the conditions take the blame. Nobody can read the flight of the ball in that wind, and a sunny Saturday afternoon is a different game altogether. None of that is his players’ doing, and the weather passes, so the problem is both outside them and short-lived. The training week is the same story. Key attackers missing all week, again nothing to do with the players who turned out, and again something that will pass.

What he gives them instead is permanent. The mentality and the culture they have built, an honest team, players who know how to adapt and grind out a result. That belongs to them, it runs right through the side, and it does not wear off. The away clean sheet goes on the same pile.

He is still straight with them that on a good day they would create more. Wilson, Aaronson and Jiboll get something they can use as well: get the minutes in the legs and show a bit of grit.

Source: BBC Sport match report.

Carried forward

No fixture is carried forward into Matchweek 9. The Matchweek 8 round was completed between Friday and Sunday with all twenty clubs playing, and there is no Premier League fixture on Monday 26 October. The next round begins on Saturday 31 October.

Back to Premier Managers Revealed, the full league table →

How the scores work

I score six things: a clear aim (Towards Outcome); player strengths (SQAs); how setbacks are explained (Adversity); confidence (Identity); practical next steps (Path); and leadership after a win, loss or draw. Each category is worth two points, giving a maximum of 12. Two points means the language clearly supports the players, one means it offers some help, and zero means it offers little help or risks undermining them.

* Good Winner: using the confidence that comes with a win to help players improve. The manager recognises what worked and gives constructive guidance about what to do better next time.

* Good Loser: helping players keep their belief after a defeat. The manager keeps the setback in perspective, reminds players of strengths they can rely on and gives them a useful next step. Explaining a loss through a specific external event can help, provided the players also hear reasons to believe they can succeed.

After a draw, I look for a balance of ambition, confidence and practical guidance. Crediting the opposition is good sportsmanship, but earns no points by itself. Scores describe the interview reviewed, rather than everything a manager says or does.