 How's your squad looking, Sean? Any additions from last week? No, Arlie continues to make progress, not there yet. Ganna will be unlikely, but I've got a chance, I would say. And a few knocks and bruises, but everyone should be all right. Bottom line is, I guess you need wins and you need goals, but that's easier said than done. Yeah, of course. If it was that easy, everyone would do it. But no, we're showing the right signs. I think everyone knows that. I spoke last week about the frustration it had actually taken the moment, because we're getting some key errors and key moments. And the story of a season so far, really, of not taking chances, but, as I always reference, it's a team responsibility. Mine, the staffs and the team, but a team responsibility. It's not about one player. Obviously, everyone reference strikers or generally does, but it's a team responsibility. Other people are getting a chance as well. We've got to continue doing that. That's for sure. That is another challenge, you know, because it's not easy to create a lot of chances, a lot of good chances in football. But we are doing that, so we've got to at least maintain that and then add the detail at the final moment. What do you say to them during the week? I mean, it's not just as easy, I guess, as imposing more shooting practice. That doesn't replicate what you're getting much there, does it? No, I mean, if it was that easy, I'd suggest it. Everyone would do it, wouldn't they? They'd all develop strikers from six years old to be strikers, and they'd all develop and score 50 goals a season. So that's the truth of being a striker. And how difficult it is to find top strikers around the globe. Many clubs try to do so. So, you know, developing a striker is an interesting business, a tough business. That's the bigger picture, the smaller picture. In our world, just continue with the themes, getting in the right areas. You know, goals will come because you do the right things, and when you do the right things often enough, it works for you. So I think there's a strong belief inside of the camp of our goal-scoring ability and just having the freedom to go and take these challenges up. Does it persuade you that maybe in months and seasons to come you need maybe a striking coach, a specialist coach? I don't necessarily. I'm for all coaching of all different types, you know, whatever can work. But different kind of coaches, lots made now set-piece coaches, we haven't got one of them, but we seem to be doing pretty well at set-pieces. So, you know, I think our skill set from thousands of games as players and managers can offer us the chance to work at both ends of the pitch, which we do, sir. You've picked some more points away from on this season than you have at Goodison. You're going to United where they've not been particularly consistent this season. So how much do you look forward to a game at Old Trafford? Just years ago it used to be a fortress, maybe not so at the moment. No, look, there's still a good outfit, you know, there's still got some very strong players, we know that. So there's certainly no gimmies at Old Trafford and there isn't across football. But I think the belief, it's a strange conundrum, really. When I got here, there was a load of noise about many things, but especially about their waveform. We've somewhat corrected that. Still work to be done. That's kind of then softened down the home form. I don't think the home form, though, it's important that you use that word because when people talk about form, that's not winning or losing. Form is the level of performance. And I think the level of performance has been overall, overall, has been pretty decent. Choosing to, I mean, sorry, finding the moments that make them decent performance into wins, that's the trickiest part and that's the most important part. And I'm absolutely acutely aware of that. But you know yourself, the perception of playing in form is a completely different thing from most people with views. You know, if you're winning all the time, trust me, it can mask a lot of things that are not right with the performance. Equally, if you're not winning as much, then it shows the reasons why, but usually it's goals. Not always, usually it's goals. And it's in our case, it's goals because I think the performances have been decent. Weirdly after the game on Saturday, no game till the end of March. Help or a hindrance? Neither, it's a reality. I always try and deal in realities. And we'll try and get the players away for a few days because it is a long period. We didn't know until the fixture was changed, excuse me. So we'll try and break that up by getting them away for a few days, it'll be a working trip, which we've managed to scramble together really because obviously we didn't know until very recently what the game schedule was gonna change to. I mean, it's been a tricky one for us. We all know the amount of games we had in December with a thinning squad due to injuries and then all of a sudden, you've had these chunks without a game. But like I say, it's the reality of how the fixtures have fallen. And in terms of the rest of the season and indeed planning for next season, a lot of noise still about the takeover and I know that's something you don't particularly want to get into, but how does that affect your planning and your budgeting? It's not about not getting into it. There is no noise at my end. There might be noise elsewhere. There's no noise at my end. So there's nothing to get into. It's just an ongoing situation that I'll wait and find out more news. Does it impact on your budgeting transfer? Well, like I said, I don't know until you do know. So, you know, at the moment. You don't know what your budget is. No, the budgeting here has been an interesting few years. I would suggest. So, yeah, let's see what happens going forward. We'll leave that one on the table. What about, can I just finally ask you about it's World Book Day today. I don't know if you knew that. I do. Big fun. And Chris Evans talking about what he showed this morning. Rightly so. Two children went through them periods of dressing up and all the rest and fantastic. But one fun in particular has gone a little bit further than that. Believe you me, I'm aware that that marvel of modern phones suggests I have seen a young person showing a... What do you think of the image, in particular the hair he's going for? Which is obviously very bright, because words make sense. Yeah, I mean, it's, I would say, a good representation of myself in a younger form. In a somewhat caricature style, I would suggest. No legal action pending. I would think it's highly unlikely I would suggest. But no, I must say, I think World Book Day is a fantastic idea and brilliant for the children. He hasn't got the voice right though, has he? No, we're not yet. Even Farley. I sat with him at Dubai just in case anyone's wondering. I've sat with him at an actual do and he did me at an actual do for the LMA, so that was quite interesting. And he still says, yeah, I can't quite get the fact. And I went, yeah, the fact that I'm not from the North. And he went, yeah. But he's a genius to be fair with accents in general. Thank you very much. Thanks, Pete. How do I follow on from that? A missed penalty, but a goal last time out for Beto. And what factors are you weighing up when choosing your starting striker for Saturday? Yeah, I mean, we won the competitive element. I thought Beto did a good job. Obviously he missed a penalty, but he wanted to take it. That was clear, made up for it in the sense that he was still driving into the box with a very good header, brilliant ball in as well, but a very good finish. Run out of legs and energy a little bit. We won that competitive element. So that's what everyone wants, especially in the striking department, because it's hard to get one striker, let alone two or three, and use F behind that, learning his spares. So we want that combination of people who can affect a game. And so Beto, he's not been far away from the thinking anyway. But it's fine in the balance of the right people at the right time to go and win games. We didn't win, but he gave a decent performance. Sticking with strikers in the bottom half of the table, only Dominic Solanke has more shots than Dominic Cowell at Lewin. I know you said that if there was an obvious solution, everyone would have been raising strikers from the age of six. But what is the missing link there? Is there a solution? No, fine in the moment. You know, take in the moment. He's a well aware of that. You know, no striker has forgotten their record. They don't know. I certainly don't mention it to it. I just want him to go work hard. I want him to play for the team. I want him to get in the right areas. I see him on a daily base quite obviously. I know the quality he's got. I know his aerial power. I know that he can finish in different kinds of finishes. And it'll come, and it's believing in what we do, and it's believing in himself and continuing to do the right things, continuing with the habits that have formed over years as a striker, getting in the right areas, getting between the goal and the goal post studies in the key areas and being alive in the box. You know, attacking the Mabers, as I call it. Because sometimes you need one that comes off your shin, but sometimes you can make it come off your shin by just being alert and alive to things that are bouncing around the box. You know, not every goal can be a beautiful goal. Sometimes you need ugly, awkward goals. And I think that's something that our group continually need to find if we're not scoring beautiful goals. Mentioned, obviously, taking those key moments and those opportunities down the other end and in the last game in particular, succumbing to a fate that Everton have inflicted on plenty of other teams with the late goals this season. How important is it that the players at the back stay switched on later on into the game and passed the 90 minutes? Yeah, I mean, the last goal was a mistake, so that can happen and you don't want it to happen. Generally, of course. The one before that, we just weren't alert enough to a simple, well, something that we deal with normally. It can happen, but on the other hand, we haven't taken the chances to make sure the game's secure anyway. So there's always a balance to that. But focus and concentration is a big thing. Got all the stats and the facts. The lads have never been fitter in the year that I've been here. So that's one that's an actual fact. So that mental fitness as well, staying, saying, zoomed in and tuned in if you like to a game. That's always a question in the Premier League, but we've shown that we're more than capable of doing that over this season and last season. Only two wins in the Premier League era at Old Trafford. What's it going to take to take something from the game and bring the three points home? As always, you've got to play well. That's the biggest marker. You know, you go wherever you want in the Premier League. Everyone's a good side. You've got to play well. So we'll stay focused on that. We've got to perform again and we've got to keep creating the chances. We've got to take them and make sure that, as that young person said, stop it going in that end and put it in that one. He was spot on. He must be listening to a very wise man, that young person. Thank you, chef. Thank you. Thank you very much. We'll go to Julia. Thanks for laughing because, you know, there'll be someone out there saying I was arrogant or something. I wasn't. It's just called dry banter. Drive fun. Anyway, thank you. I got it. It's funny. The XG suggests you should have 12 more goals scored than you actually do. Have you ever had that as a manager, these stats that are just not correlated with the goal? No, and that's why I've mentioned it probably more this season because I've never had it. I've never seen it in my time. Or not that as powerful as that. Sorry. So, yeah, it's an intriguing one and a conundrum for me, the staff and the players to work out. But it's still consistency is still the key for me, making sure you're doing the right things, making sure you're getting in the right areas, making sure that you are getting a powerful XG. And then the final moment is the moment of truth, which I'll speak endlessly because it is, you know, we're getting the team in the right areas, getting the right production, as in quality going into the box. All these things that, you know, the controllables or semi-controllable, you can't guarantee it. The final moment of truth is a bit where maybe we've just got to find that literally that final moment of talent to go and put the ball in. Or even a scruffy one, as I said. You know, there's no, there always have to be beautiful goals. Goals that make seasons are not always beautiful goals. It's how many you score. No one looks to the end of the season and says they were all beautiful goals. Someone just says you scored this many. So I mind the players of that as well. You know, every goal can be a perfect goal. So I'd have to just be looking at those goals, scruffy goals, driving into the box with monotonous regularity to make sure you're in there when the ball comes in. You have your meetings and you've looked over the West Ham game and the players. Is it an open forum and you can talk about this and are they as confused as you are or are they working on something different this week? I don't think it's confusion. Like I said, I try and tell them realities. These are the stats, these are the facts, but not just stats and facts. That's one thing. It's only a measure. The other thing is what your eyes are telling you what the players output, what their feedback is, putting all of that into a situation of a conversation between myself, the staff and also the players at times when we think it's relevant and individuals at times when we think it's relevant and trying to unravel it and sometimes trying to not actually make enough noise about it because there's plenty out there. So sometimes it's actually going, right, okay, it's parked. Let's move on. They've been nice and bright today. They're certainly putting a shift in, that's for sure. I couldn't actually, you know, just give me a bigger picture. I couldn't be more proud of the players here. You know, from what they've been through over the last few seasons, when I got here, it was just constant negativity everywhere. They managed to somewhat change that. Then when we changed it, of course, we got 10 points taken away. Then they went, right, let's get on with it. Got on with it again. Then we get six points taken away, four given back. Still getting on with it. Still working hard in training, still working hard for the badge, the shirt and for myself, the club. Couldn't be more pleased with them. You know, people can go under in these circumstances. Our group here just continually work properly on the training ground, work properly for each other, take the games on. That's the mentality we want through thick and thin. That's the right mentality for this football club, in my opinion. We've spoken many times before about a thin squad and the amount of victories you've had as well. A position now that seems to have lots of options is the right back position. So just with that, you say you are proud of the players and they haven't gone under and how they're all leaders. Is this now a time where you're looking towards Seamus Coleman to come back into the starting line? Just given the attacking options he brings you and also his leadership skills on the pitch. Yeah, every player is looked at with a chance to play. You can only play 11. I say that to the players all the time. It's not about them, this player, that player is about the 11 that we picked to win a game. Getting that right is a tricky business, quite obviously. But no, we want the challenge in varying areas. We want the players to have a challenge. Like I say, it's good to see another striker scoring and Dom doesn't play because it's like, okay, well, there are other people. So let's have that challenge. We're in-house challenge, you understand, not the opposition. And that kind of challenge. So we've got people, I think, Ben's done a decent job going out to write back. You know, Pat is still developing. I say it all the time. People think because he bought it for a few quid, is that's it. Still developing, still learning, and never more so than the people around him, including Sha, Youngy. You know, these are very experienced guys. So that unit is a good unit, I think, and progressing and working and all the details from all the players. So yeah, there's lots of players who do factored in at every game as long as they're fit, of course. It's a lot of talk that Jari Branthwaite might get an England call-up next week. We do a no-till next week. But just his progression this season, how have you seen that? You know, how impressive has he become in the Everton side? Yeah, he's done well. He's enjoyed his football, I think, joined the challenge. Another one who's come into it at a pretty tough time and yet accepted the responsibility of playing, accepted the responsibility of doing his job and continues to learn. And I continue to leave him alone. You know, when we talk about coaching, sometimes the best coach in the world is to leave him. So he's going along, he's progressing very well. He's learning about the game. A few pointers, obviously, but not obsessively coaching about all sorts of the game. Because he's learning as he's going and he's doing a very good job of it. Thank you very much, Dr. Will. Aishon, just on Dan June, will he be back after this break, do you think? There's a chance, definitely. He's doing very well, he's working very hard. He's pleased with how it's going as well, which is always a good sign and the player feels all right. So, yeah, we're hopeful, but we'll see. Has he done his ligament or something, has he done his ligament? Yeah, ankle ligament, yeah. Do you feel like you've quite unlocked him since he arrived? I mean, he played out wide, he played centre. I think we spoke when our boy went in and we spoke as a star, he can be flexible. Finding the right game time, finding the habit of forming that we want for the team. There's been a challenge for him, but I think he's doing that well. And just before, I thought he was really good down at Fulham and then he gets injured. And ironically, he was just going to come off, which is one-owned things. And an injury that looked quite innocuous has ended up being quite serious injury. But he's firmly fixed on getting fit. He wants to beat the targets of the fitness targets, if you like, he's made that very clear to me. And he's working very hard. Just a couple of years ago, when you were barely managing, you once said, after that 3-2 game, you don't think ever know how to win at our times as a player. It's obviously 10 games, but I believe you win. Does it feel different this team? Do you feel like you are knocking on the door? No, it was another thing that gets badly referenced and I made sure I spoke to Frank about it. I was trying to say I'd been with teams like that. Sometimes it does feel like that. Slightly different here, because if we take the chances that we're producing, you know, you win games. So it's a slightly different thing, but there was a theme there when you go, okay, sir, how do you win a game? Do you defend out? Do you attack it out? The way we've been playing, we should be attacking it out and scoring goals and that is a way of handling a game because you put yourselves in front, of course, and then the whole dynamic change, the mentality changes. Finding a way is sometimes coaching the management, sometimes it's on pitch. You know, the player's feeling it. What are we doing to find a way? I think over this season, we've done that pretty well. I think we've managed games pretty well, but it still is a factor in winning 10 games. So that's got to change. And sometimes you do that by hook or crook. Sometimes you do it by not playing well and you win a game. You want to do it by playing well and you want to do it by control and finding a way to win the game. So I think there's a healthy balance to that for the players and for myself. You know, what is the right way of winning a game? Because the wins change, the wins change the perception of everything. People say, we haven't done this, we haven't done that. Yeah, we have. If you win, people go, ah, it's a really good performance. Last week was a great example against Western. We'd have won that 2-0, everyone said, yeah, played really well, really strong performers, loads of chances, scored two goals. Because you don't win, everyone goes, ah, they weren't doing this, they weren't doing that. That's football for you. That's something that we have to accept is the non-reality of football and we have to look at the realities. So back to your point about managing games, about winning games. Yes, it can drift a bit, but more because you're anxious for that first win. You know, you're anxious for it, but we're showing signs of a winning side and not winning. So that's what we've got to take it on. You know, it's not a mental thing. I think it's just like, come on, the detail or the devil is in the detail. That's the bit where we've all got to change because we are doing the right things a lot of the time. But winning is the thing that solves everything. Just a trip away during the break, where do you just go on to? Just got to do, yeah. So what's that all about? Just into Europe, that's all. A few days, a few days. Hopefully refresh the team, revitalise me, but I'll hold the ball up. Don't need refreshing or revitalising. Performances are there. I know all the stats and all the facts and I won't be iced to them. I've been in the game a long time. Just the fact you've got three weeks of that a game. It's hard coming in every day with no game at the end of it, with nothing other than just training. We'll have game formats, but it's not the same as playing in the Premier League, trust me. You can't really recreate that. So finding a way of changing things to keep them sharp, to keep the mentality that we've already got.