 Sean, good afternoon. You've not had the chance to add to your squad so far during the January window. Is that likely to change today? I doubt it. I think it's improbable that anything comes in as the day gets longer. We'll see, but I think it's improbable. You've known the wider situation at the club, obviously, pretty much since you stepped in the door. Does that make it a little bit easier that there's not a huge amount of expectation that's been dampened in the fact that you've not been able to make? There's always expectation in this football club, I can assure you. So, no, I don't think it makes it easier, but there has to be a reality. You know, I think, when I got here, the fans' biggest thing was just finding out what's going on and the truth. I've tried to speak openly and transparently, and it's the situation in the clubs, in business-wise at the moment, is to make sure we're cutting our cloth accordingly. In terms of outgoings, Mason Holgate to Sheffield, United, are you expecting that one to go through today? There's a possibility. It's in a process that we'll see, but it's looking likely from their point of view, and it's a very favourable deal for this football club. I understand there were some interests from Saudi Arabia and Abdelay Dekore before their deadline, which was a couple of days ago. Obviously, the club wanted him to stay. He wanted him to stay, too. How significant that he sees his future here and how... Yeah, there wasn't anything in that, really. Duke very focused on getting himself fit, as he does. Very focused on life at Everton Football Club, so yeah, there was nothing in that. The wider point, though, I guess that if you are looking for some positives to take from the window, that all the players you would consider as your core will still be here come tomorrow? Absolutely. The balance I've spoken on many times is, of course, the club's looking at the business side of the club, the financial side, but equally, we're not in a position where we have to start losing players, and that's a key thing for me as manager with the group we've got, especially as stretched as it is. So yeah, we're very intent on this current group staying together, so that'll be the focus. Yeah, I was going to say, did that almost feel more important to you in any conversations you had with the board at the start of them that said, look, don't leave me any weaker than I am on the first day? No, I didn't say anything in that respect. I just said, what have I got to manage? What's the truth of the situation? You know, I like that idea that whatever it is to manage, I'll manage it the best I can. And so far, we've agreed on what needed to be done. We've tried to do it. This window is no different. You know, if a business deal looks right, which the main someone looks right for the club, then it has to be looked at seriously. And from our point of view, anything going out of the building would have to be a situation that was favourable to us in the sense of getting minutes in some of the younger players, experiences in some of the younger players. But the main first-in group is definitely keeping that together, and that's been a key focus because we know it's the season's work and we need everyone currently and never more so with the injuries that we've got. Just wanted to throw a couple of stats your way. Europe's top five leagues, only Barcelona and Bayern Munich have missed more big chances than Everton this season. You're also underperforming your XG, more than any other team across Europe's top five leagues. What does that tell you? Well, it tells you've got a competitive side that's performing in the right way to create all them things, but you've got to score a goal. You know, the braveness to miss is always key for me. You know, and I think, you know, it's the demand on the side of each other. You know, not just us as coaches, me as manager, it's about the group and the collective ownership. We ask them to work hard as a group defensively, and we're asking them to work hard in attack, which they are doing. And I think that it's a shared responsibility as well. You know, I've spoken to the players about everyone scoring a goal. You know, it's not about one person, it's about all of them. And I think the attitude is right towards it. The stats support the performances and, you know, I've always wanted to play effective football. Well, that's obviously very supportive. The other end as well, the clean sheets we're keeping. The balance is there, but the final moment, the moment of truth, that's the bit that pays you back. You know, that moment of clarity, you know, in front of goal or that final pass, that final delivery. So that's the icing on the cake, if you like. A lot of the performance level stats are very strong, but you've got to make them, you know, sorry, you've got to take advantage of them stats by scoring in one end and stopping in the other. You know, that's one thing that hasn't changed. So we've got to make sure that we're focused on that. But it is pleasing in one way that the team is being effective to create them chances. Do those numbers, though? Does that mean that's more of an individual thing for your players to work on, to stay behind, do some more finishing? Because that tells you that the structure of how you're trying to attack is right, the fact that you're creating things. I think it's a shared responsibility from the players. The thing is, and Coach, you're sorry as well, the thing is about it is that sometimes you can overthink it. Sometimes, you know, the noise changes and it's like, why aren't you doing this? Why aren't you doing that? Sometimes it's releasing that a little bit. You know, bringing that freedom around the front area of the pitch, bringing that freedom to take the chance. And I think, you know, I never think we've been far away from that. We've hit the bar, I think. I think one of the bar and the post, the most in the Premier League or equal, I think 14 or something like that, 14, 15, you're talking about inches away from the all going in the goal. We've got to make sure, you know, every inch counts. We've got to make sure the balls go down the right side of them. Bars or posts or chances to make sure we score goals. And like I say, I know the stats, the underlying stats, they're important to a side and how it's working. They're not the absolute definitive. You know, XG is one of a measure, many measures, but it does show a sign of what you're doing and how the team's performing. Very positive signs, generally. But you know, don't worry too much. You've got to win a game. You've got to score goals. So that's the defining moment, is scoring goals and winning games. Thanks, Sean. Thank you. Excuse me. At the other end of the field, of course, I think it's clean sheets in three of the last four. How pleased have you been with the defending? Bear in mind, in fact, you've had to change things around quite often. Yeah, I mean, the strength of the group has been from the front backwards. You know, we're asking the centre forwards to play their part defending from the front. The wide players working hard, going through the midfield and into the back four or five adding the keeper. I think it's been good and I think that's been evident. And finding that balance to kind of be productive. The other end where we are finding it, as we've just discussed, is now the real key moments, you know, when you're doing both. And that's the biggest challenge in football is to do both well, defend well and attack well. And I think up and down in his form, in the sense of his best form, I think the way that Jules develops is like he's kind of lower form, he's still high because he sets the bar high and he should do, he's England's number one. But equally, when he's really on form, he's a very, very good goalkeeper. We know that. But I think he's appreciative of the team structure in front of him. I know he is, in fact. You know, I think he can see the picture well because the team's organisation is looking good in front of him and obviously keepers get a bird's eye view of how the team's operating the yardage just the distances, excuse me, how they're working as a collective. And I think he's been enjoying that in front of him. So, yeah, that's a good measure of a keeper when they think the structure's right. I think it gives them confidence. And likewise, the keeper gives the defense inside of the team, sorry, confidence as well. I mean, they sign players, they sign quality, but he's adapted them to what he wants. I would imagine, I don't know, I don't know him that well, but I'd imagine he's still working on that and getting it to where he really wants it to be. You know, play forward, run forward, they do that. You know, they play forward, they get energy, they build it, and they do leave themselves open at times. And that's part of the balance of how he wants them to play, it seems. So I'm sure he's still refining it. But they're having a very strong season, that's for sure. And you saw last night, the mentality to go with it. Can you just check on some injuries, first of all? Because I know there was quite a few touching go, maybe. So will they be back? I'm thinking Seamus is to call it any closer. Dukes on the grass, but not with us yet. So he's unlikely. We had a knock to Arnie. The game has come quickly, so he's in doubt. Amadou's still a doubt, but he's touching go. Seamus is getting more training in. So his injury's been good, but actually getting up to true fitness. So he's a maybe. Young has done great. I thought the other night, to play his first minutes in a long time. And I thought he did very well. So he's come through that well, and we're happy with that. Yeah, so still, if some buts, you know, and they're not quite fully fit. So we'll have to make a decision on them over the next 24 hours. With no arrivals then, and still a treatment room, it seems pretty full. Are you working with Paul Tate in the under 21s? I know Metcalfe and Hunt were on the bench the other night. Is the plans for any of the younger players to be getting any game time? Well, the crossover since I've been here is trying to get the younger players developed through either going out and working in their group or crossing over with us. So there's a number who've done that, and it's good for them, and it's good for us to see them. And it gives them a feeling that, you know, what the first team can be like, if you like. So that's been good. Whether they'll start or not, it's a big ask for some of them, but we'll just try and get them around the group. They've already done that, and to keep them around the group. Well, that's sort of a bonus for them in the sense of our injuries, because it allows them to get a feel of what it is to be at Everton in the first team group. The volume of decisions not going Everton's way this season, if you go right back to the first game against Fulham, there was one there, and I could list them all and they'd be here for a while. I know you spoke about it the other night. Are there any plans, you know, to list all these and ask them? No, I don't think so. I think, you know, it's an ongoing situation that we hope gets corrected over the season's work, but I don't think we've had our fair share of ones that go for us, and I think some have been really clear. You know, there are some that are debates. Obviously, the handball the other night did say afterwards, I think it's a harsh one if it goes against you, if it goes for you with the way the rules on handball are, then you take it. If you've been able for it, just using that as an example, if you've been able to say to me, it's a not deliberate act, because if it was, they would have put it in its own net. I don't think Ananas was deliberate the other week when he tried to just block a shot, and yet that was given. So, you know, all these arguments are consensious. Managers are most confused, I feel, with the handball situation. Probably most frustrated with it. You know, the idea of VR, I'm still a fan of it. I think it's hopefully going to get better, because I think it's been in an odd state, not good or bad, just the variance in decisions has been considerable, I would say. So we're hopeful on parity, and overseas, and like I started with, you want it to pay you back, you know, because you hope that things do come back your way if they go against you. It's been some reports, and I often have to abide his time a little bit this season, hasn't he? Yeah, I did mention that the night, sorry, he did well, and I think his professionalism has looked after himself, you know, and looked after us in the sense he's ready to play. Yeah, all the rest of noise is just noise. You know, I made it clear for a long time ago that the main group we've got will be staying and like I say, he's a player that's super professional in the camp and when his chance comes, he's ready. And I think, I can't express that enough to you or to them. You know, I've told them, it's a squad mentality. And I always admire the players who are not playing, because when I was a player, if you're in the team, you're always keeping yourself right, because you get that inner feeling that you're probably going to be playing. When you're not, or you've got the opposite feeling, then how do you keep yourself right then? Because when the time comes, you're going to be asked to play. And I think the group have done fantastic with that. It's always a maximum respect for people outside the squad, if you like, or the main team, sorry, not the squad. And he's one of them. And we've made that clear to him over the last couple of months. He goes in the other night and played very well. So there you go. He gets payback for looking after himself. Managing the squad you've got left, because you seem to be losing players every game, it gets smaller and smaller. So the smaller you've scored, the more times the players you've got left have to play, which increases the chance that they're going to get injured. How difficult a challenge is that for you? I mean, it's unfortunate in a sense. So to give you a bigger picture here, we've actually improved the stats of fitness. So therefore the players have been fitter for longer and available. The challenge we've had, if you think about this season, we've had chunks of players getting injured. And that's obviously test you more when you've got a skinny group. You haven't got that many players. So that's been the awkwardness of it. If you have an injury every week or so, you can kind of cover that. But when you get these groups of injuries all at once, and on top of a game schedule, there's been pretty heavy coming out the back of last year and into this one, then that's difficult. But that's the reality. So there's no carrying away from it. We look at it. We look at the training stats. We look at the rest and the work time and the rewards of that and finding the balance. And you always need a bit of luck as well. I mean, honestly, the night is out of nothing, almost like an attempted tackle that turns his ankle. I mean, you can't do nothing about them. The ones in training, if they're soft tissue, they're the ones you look at and look at your training and schedule. But the ones that are on the pitch are often ones you can't do much about. So it's the reality. We keep working with the group. They're working very hard. I thought they were very hard the other night. Them down at Fulham and they're going to have to do that again at the weekend against a very strong Tottenham side. Yeah, he's recovering today and then he'll be in tomorrow morning. Oh, is he? Because obviously, when he went out, he had the calf injury, so obviously... Yeah, he was released to fitness. So, yeah, all good. So, in contention and to start off, potentially? He's certainly in contention, yeah. We've had to give him a down day because of the travelling and stuff today, so we'll catch up with him tomorrow and see how he's feeling. Just on the transfer window, I mean, in an ideal Wales, if you had the bigger squads, but the likes of Lewis Dobbin, maybe Chumiti Goals and get minutes and can they still develop behind the scenes in training and maybe get in sporadic minutes for the under-21s when... Yeah, I think it's, you know, a lot of development with it. Well, in theory, the way that we weren't the players, the culture here is to push all the time, so I think they will develop from the training and the kind of being around the first-in group. Of course, games are a big part of player development, with the squad being what it is. They're actually getting minutes for us when, maybe in a different season, we've got a deeper squad, they would be out on loan or they would be playing more development-style games, but they are developing with us. And that's just the reality, again, of the challenge of what's happened when you've got a skinny group. The good side for them, of course, are involved in the first-in ever in football club, and that's fantastic. You know, Dobbo and for Yousef, you know, the young players still learning, so that's the good side of it. The challenge of it is, in theory, you could have them developing, getting ready to be even more powerful for the first-in group away from the group, but currently, we need them in the group, and they are getting minutes. They are getting around it and getting on the pitch. I've been pleased for that side of things, for sure. I just want to ask, obviously, there's a lot of headlines as ever around the club that have nothing to do with your remit, and the appeal is ongoing. Do you get any updates inside here? Do you want any updates? No, no, no. We're just to wait and see when it comes out. The last time it came out, out of the blue, I didn't get a heads-up. It was just literally a half an hour before. So, we'll wait and see. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.