Ben Knapper gives honest interview on fans’ concerns for Norwich, manager change, and more

Ben Knapper gives honest interview on fans’ concerns for Norwich, manager change, and more including Shane Duffy’s social media outburst.

The Sporting Director fully accepts responsibility for the club’s dire position, sitting 23rd in the Championship, with 9 points from 15 games played, and the failure of the Liam Manning era.

He admits results were unacceptable, patterns of losing games were repetitive, and the decision to sack Manning came after trying to avoid a hire-and-fire culture, with fans for weeks calling for a change of manager.

Knapper feels he is still the right person to turn things around, citing a young squad on long contracts and underlying progress that fans currently can’t see.

He also defended he decision to appointing experienced Philippe Clement over interim Jack Wilshere, highlighting Clement’s proven track record, physical preparation expertise, and success developing young players.

There is so much more to this insightful chat, so click play on the video below, or scroll on further in the article to see a transcript of his chat with Henry Winter…

Henry Winter: “Ben, thanks for talking to me, really appreciate this. When Liam Manning left, I tweeted and probably reflected the views of a lot of Norwich City fans in terms of Liam simply wasn’t the only problem and obviously a lot of people, you know, were looking at you and your position and your influence since you came in. How, and there was a petition by some of the fans just about your position as well.

“So first, I appreciate you sort of talking to me, having been sort of critical of you, but I kind of want to reflect what a lot of the fans feel and think.

“How do you feel in terms of your position and what you’ve done at this amazing club?”

Ben Knapper: “Yeah, look, firstly, of course, nobody’s more upset and frustrated about where we are. I think, you know, right now we sit 23rd in the Championship, which is unacceptable for a club of this stature and size. So nobody carries that weight more than I do.

“Yeah, I think that, of course, it’s been a really difficult time and I understand the frustration of fans. If I was a supporter, I’d feel exactly the same.

“You know, we’re all deeply sort of passionate about this club and we want to see it doing well and right now we’re not. We’re not delivering for our supporters and ultimately we’re losing far too many games and we’re in a really difficult spot and when we play in this league, we’re trying to fight at the other end of the table to get promoted and that was the clear aim at the start and right now we’re failing on that.

“So, of course, completely accepting of that, I take full accountability for that and it’s on me to try and turn that around and listen, the fire in my belly to do that and the desire to do that is still strong as ever and I believe that I’m the person to do it.

“I think we have done some really good things as well that I appreciate at this moment in time are going to be difficult for people to see and they don’t want to hear that, the supporters.

“They want to see a team that’s winning games and climbing up the league and I’m determined for us to do that.”

Henry: “Why did it take so long for you to make a decision on Liam Manning?”

Ben: “Look, we never want to be a club that’s just hiring and firing coaches.”

“It’s not the way that we want to work. We’re trying to find a consistent rhythm that will allow us to build and grow and we wanted to give it every opportunity to keep Liam.

“You know, if I go back to the summer, we were really pleased with that appointment.”

“We think that it fit and ticked so many boxes that we were looking for, but ultimately it just didn’t work out.”

Henry: “Why?”

Ben: “I think many things, but ultimately our results just were nowhere near good enough and we were losing too many games and I think the difficult thing was that it almost felt like we were losing games in the same way consistently.

“Often we’d start games well, perform pretty well in a first half and then ultimately not be able to score and then fade away in a second half and concede often poor goals and walk away having lost a game that we were scratching our head thinking, how did that happen?

“But it kept repeating and whilst that’s the case, we had to take action.

“It was something that we wanted to try to fight through, but when you approach that last international break, you know that that’s going to be maybe the last opportunity where you can make a change in a slightly calmer moment and yeah, ultimately we just felt at that point that we were left with no choice.

Henry: “You mentioned that you couldn’t score. You’ve got a very good striker in Josh Sargent who hasn’t scored for 10, 11 games now. Was he too isolated? Was he not responding to Liam? Was it a tactical issue?

Ben: “I think as a group, our players were lacking in confidence and I think that was telling towards the end. We struggled to respond to adversity, going behind in a game or the longer that we’d create chances and not score, I think that that in a way drained belief out of the group.

“So I don’t think that on an individual level, we know that Josh has got huge quality in this league, but yeah, I think that it’s a collective responsibility and I think that many of our players were in that kind of position where they just weren’t performing at close to their level and I think that’s the frustration, but also the piece that gives me optimism that we can turn this around and propel ourselves back up the league because we have got some really good players here.

Henry: “But did you sense that, that they’d lost belief in the manager?”

Ben: “No, to be honest, not really. I think that the atmosphere internally was still really good. I think potentially lost belief in themselves and even maybe each other to a degree.

“I think that it’s natural when you are losing as many games as we have and like I said, in the same way, I think that that’s key because if it’s something that’s happening consistently, it’s not just unlucky.

“I think ultimately it’s things that you’re not able to arrest or turn around and we didn’t find the solutions and everybody’s responsible for that, our coach, players, but fundamentally me.”

Henry: “Jack Wilshere, you gave him a couple of games, I think he had one win, one draw, fans responded to him, obviously the players liked him, good young coach who you obviously knew from Arsenal.

“He was a bit disappointed he didn’t get a chance. Did you feel you needed someone a little bit more experienced than Jack?”

Ben: “Yeah, exactly that. I think so fondly of Jack, I think he’s a great person, a really talented coach, but he’s early in his journey.

“When we brought him here, that was his first exposure to working with senior players on any level.”

Henry: “He played with a few.”

Ben: “Yeah, of course, but we know it’s a completely different skill set and a different dynamic when you’re the head coach.

“He was early in his journey and I think, yeah, we were in a difficult moment and I just didn’t think that it was the right decision and we needed somebody that had been there and done it and had experience or more experience, but as well, we know that there’s no guarantees and of course that’s kind of how it played out with Liam.

“So listen, I’ve got no doubt Jack will go on to be a really good head coach, but it was a decision that we felt was the right decision at the time.

Henry: “You’ve got a very experienced head coach now in Philippe Clermont.

“First, how did you keep it so quiet from the press for so long, which is very impressive and also credit to him because things often can leak around managers, but what was it that attracted you to him as a manager?”

Ben: “Loads. Hugely experienced, a really prominent head coach. I think he’s coached multiple seasons at European level.

“He’s done really good jobs in most of the clubs that he’s been. He won three titles back-to-back in Belgium with two different clubs.

“So there was a lot, I think a big piece as well was the way that he approached the process, incredibly diligent and systematic and methodical in the way that he went about things and his knowledge of us.

“And I think the physical piece as well. I think it’s no secret that we’ve had big challenges when it comes to that and availability and robustness.”

Henry: “Why is that? I mean, you do have, we just walked through your physios room I mean, it’s taken quite a pounding this season. Why?”

Ben: “And not just this season. And again, that’s on me. I’m accountable for that. We’ve had issues over a prolonged period of time. And the challenge is that in that space, there’s so many things that go into it that it’s difficult to isolate the exact issue.

“And we’ve tried internally to do that. We had an internal review at the end of last season where we came up with things that we wanted to change and go after.”

Henry: “In terms of?”

Ben: “In terms of all sorts around how we train, how we prepare, how we recover, lots of different things.

“Of course, we changed the coach in the summer, which is always a big factor when you talk about training, because it’s a different stimulus, a different rhythm and schedule.

“But ultimately those internal sort of endeavours to find the problem haven’t yielded anything, because if anything, the issues probably got worse this year. And again, that’s on me. That’s I’m accountable for that. And it’s up to me to find the answer.

“I think Philippe is a huge part of that. He’s really strong when it comes to that. Incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the physical preparation of players.

“He’s got great availability records throughout his career in multiple clubs.”

Henry: “Do they need to be fitter?”

Ben: “I think so, yeah. I think anybody that watches our games and sees a team that fades in second halves, I think would come to that conclusion. And I think there’s definitely an element of that.

“As well as the internal review that we did in the summer, we’ve also commissioned in recent weeks, an external audit as well, where we brought in a performance consultancy that really got under the hood of what we’re doing and spent time here and really immersed themselves in the environment to take a look at everything that we’re doing to try and find what might be causing this.

“And we’re in the process now of looking at those findings and discussing and really trying to see how we can move it forward. But as I said, Philippe will be pivotal to that as well.”

Henry: “But sorry, on those findings, is there one thing that’s jumped out already from what they’ve looked at?”

Ben: “No, we’re just going through their findings now. So it’s a little bit premature to say, but no. And that’s the thing.

“It never is one thing when it comes to this. It’s very multifactorial. There’s lots of things that go into athlete health and availability and it’s never just one thing.

“It’s to do with schedule and periodisation and load management and recovery and even recruitment, the types of players that we bring.

“And I think maybe that’s something that has been a challenge for us.

“We’ve signed lots of young players from overseas markets and trying to integrate them into a new programme, a new league that’s very demanding physically is a big job.

“And ultimately we’ve fallen short in that and that’s on me.”

Henry: “So who is going to be in charge or will have the final say in recruitment and will you invest in January?”

Ben: “Look, it’s always, recruitment’s always a collaborative process here. Like we would never sign a player with the head coach not being across it or involved. And that just doesn’t make sense, I don’t think, for any club.

“But conversely, you know, I don’t think it makes sense either for a head coach just to make all the decisions on recruitment.

“So it’s always collaborative and joined up. That’s how it will be, of course, led by myself and now Philippe, but also lead on our recruitment and lots of people that form part of that process.

“In terms of January, I think we’ll definitely be active in the market. Ownership have been clear that there’s resource there, but we know as well the inherent challenges of dealing in the winter window.

“You know, it’s not easy to find players that are the right fit, are the right deals in that moment in time. But of course, we’ll definitely be active.

“And listen, it will depend as well, I think, how Philippe sees the squad. Obviously, he’s been in now two days, so it’s still very early.

“But of course, he’ll evaluate everybody, work with the players over the coming weeks. That will form part of our thinking going into January, as well as how players come back. We still have multiple players out as we speak.

“On the horizon, a few of those are returning, but that will be a part of it as well, because we do have a big squad. So, you know, depending on how they return and Philippe’s assessment of the group will drive what we do.”

Henry: “Can you reassure fans that Josh Sargent will stay?”

Ben: “Listen, you can never give guarantees of what’s going to happen, of course, but yeah, I think it would be extremely difficult to think of a world where Josh Sargent leaves us mid-season. You know, understanding the ambition from ownership, from me, from Philippe, I can’t see a world in which that happens now.”

Henry: “Backroom staff, has that been decided?”

Ben: “Ongoing. So obviously, with Philippe, we have Stefan van der Heijden, who’s joined him. They’ve worked together previously at Rangers and have had previous history together as well. So we’re delighted to have Stefan.

“There will be, I think, more that will join, but we’re still working through that. It’s a little bit premature to discuss in more detail, but yeah, we’ve got some good people here.

Henry: “Ryan Garry, what’s the situation?”

Ben: “Yeah, Ryan will stay. He’ll form part of the group. You know, he’s taken interim charge over the last couple of weeks, overseeing training, and Ryan and Nick Stanley will stay and be part of that group moving forward.

Henry: “There’s a perception that Philippe is coming in, obviously, to save the team because of the position that they’re in, but also that he’s coming in to save you.”

Ben: “I’ve never heard that. Yeah, I mean, listen, I understand the importance of this particular head coach hire. Of course I do.

“You know, if I think about the two years that I’ve been at this club and where I would have wanted us to be at this point, we’re not there. So listen, I understand where we’re at. I understand the need for us to quickly improve and move back up the table and to get this project in the place that we all expect and want and frankly need it to be.

“So yeah, I’m under no illusions about that, Henry.”

Henry: “What happens if it doesn’t work?

Ben: “For who?”

Henry: “For you?”

Ben: “For me? Listen, I can’t sort of use my time thinking about that. I think energy that I spend thinking about things like that is just energy that I’m not committing to focussing on the work every day.

“This is incredibly intense. You know, I give every waking hour to this job and those things are outside of my control, Henry. I’m as hungry and as energetic and as committed to this as I was on day one.

“Do I believe that I’m the person to turn this around and drive us forward? 100%.

Henry: “Why? What were the qualities? I mean, you know yourself best. You obviously, you were at Arsenal, you were on the scouting side, the loan management side, but it’s still quite a step up to this role.”

Ben: “Yeah, it is. But I think that the fundamentals remain the same. I think it’s about trying to remain rational and not make emotional decisions.

“It’s about trying to think in this particular role where you can for the medium and long-term. Of course, we’re fully aware of the short-term challenges right now, but I think that their big qualities, the way that we can collaborate internally and build a culture that people want to enjoy coming to work, I think we’ve done that well.

“So I think all of those things are important. Understanding all different aspects of what contributes to running a football operation, and I think all of those experiences are what make me the right candidate.”

Henry: “What is it like leaving a Carrow Road, which is a fantastic grant, you’ve got brilliant support, but then when you walk out and there’s a protest?”

Ben: “Yeah, of course difficult, but completely understandable. I think if I was a supporter and, you know, had a season ticket at this club for a number of years and saw us in the position we’re currently in, I’d feel exactly the same.

“So I completely understand, I get it, and I understand that it’s on me to turn that around and I take full accountability and responsibility for it.

“So I would never hold that against anybody. I think people are entitled to give their opinion.

“Of course, everyone has to do that in the right way and in a respectful and appropriate way, but assuming people do, no issue with that. I understand it and I’d probably be the same in their shoes.”

Henry: “Do you communicate enough with the fans?”

Ben: “I think it’s something that I can do better. You know, I think that it’s important that fans understand what we’re trying to do and why I make certain decisions.

“And I think that that’s something that, you know, when I reflect, I think I could do more.

“So that’s certainly something that I’ll try to focus on moving forward to at least try to, yeah, be more present and help people understand why we’re doing certain.”

Henry: “Because there are three or four really good Norwich City podcasts, fans podcasts and the BBC one as well.

“And I listen to them all and they’re not sort of angry fans after 10 pints slagging you off. It’s actually quite a balanced debate that you could go on and contribute to.”

Ben: “Yeah, and I think overall our fans are really knowledgeable and balanced and, you know, I look back at the atmosphere in the stadium for Liam’s last game and I think considering where we were, I can only commend the fans. Their support’s been fantastic.

“I think we were clapped off at halftime and, you know, for a team that are in the position that we’re in, I think that that takes a lot.

“So their support is never taken for granted and I think they’ve been magnificent and the minute we’re letting them down, I’m letting them down.”

Henry: “How have the ownership been with you because the owner or the majority shareholder did, Mark, did give an interview on the BBC radio Norfolk in which he almost said that he was watching you.”

Ben: “Yeah, they’re great. Super supportive but also challenging.

“You know, it’s fine for me to sit here and answer tough questions from you, Henry, but rest assured that the toughest questions come internally from them.”

Henry: “Like what?”

Ben: “They’re not happy with where we are and they’ll ask me questions about why we are where we are and, yeah, there’s difficult conversations and I walk towards those and I understand the responsibility that I have in this role and at the minute we’re not where we need to be.

“So, yeah, the ownership are great because there is a good balance between challenge and support.

“I think they’ve only ever tried to support with resource and time and their knowledge and expertise and learnings from other industries, other sports that they’ve been super successful in and I think we’re really lucky to have them.

“I speak to counterparts of mine every day and I think when I look at the ownership landscape in English football, I think we’re really fortunate to have the owners that we have.

Henry: “Which is one of the reasons I’m sure Philippe Clement has come here because of the ownership structure, particularly compared to what he had at Rangers.

“But when you have the meetings with the ownership, do you walk out thinking I can’t, I cannot get this wrong?”

Ben: “Yeah, there’s always that feeling. They create an atmosphere that, you know, this is high performance we’re trying to achieve and at the minute we’re not delivering on things.

“So, of course, I go into those meetings not feeling comfortable or happy with where we are, but they’re productive and they’re all about trying to own up to that and understand why and find solutions to solving problems.

“And as I said, I think they’re really good with that. They’re tough, but they’re fair and balanced and supportive and they want more than anything for us to turn this around.

“And yeah, I understand the responsibility that I have and I feel that every day and I’m doing everything that I can to try and change our current fortunes.”

Henry: “How regularly do you speak to them?”

Ben: “Probably three times a week. A lot.

“Maybe every day during things like Transfer Windows. They’re incredibly engaged. This is a big priority for them.

“You know, the spectrum of interests that they have is huge. I’m sure you can imagine the amount of, you know, things that they’re involved in, but this is a massive passion and focus for them.

“And of course, right now, more than anyone, they’re focused on helping us turn this around. So yeah, they’re incredibly engaged.”

Henry: “Is it a passion or a business for them?”

Ben: “I think it’s both. Ultimately, Mark has owned the Milwaukee Brewers for over two decades. He’s a sports guy at the end of the day and he wants to win.

“And I think that’s his overriding feeling when he thinks about Norwich City. All the conversations I have with him are about that.”

“It’s about where we want to get to.”

Henry: “Which is where? And when should you be back in the Premier League?”

Ben: “That’s the answer. It’s the Premier League.”

Henry: “But when?”

Ben: “I think Mark’s gone on record and said that, you know, three to five years we want to be there. And now we’re, what, 18 months or two years into that.

“So yeah, that’s kind of the timescales. And right now, yeah, that might feel like a long way away, but we all know that things can change quickly in this league.

“And as I said, I think we’ve done a lot of things over the past two years that will give us a strong foundation and have given us a strong foundation.

“And although people don’t want to hear about that now, and I fully accept that, we have got a young, talented squad all tied down on long-term deals.

“And we think that that gives us a strong foundation. We’ve got an elite, prominent head coach that we think has a demonstrable track record of working in clubs with a similar model to this.

“When I think back to the job that Philippe did at Genk or with Brugge or even Monaco, we’ll be on a different level.

“It’s developing high potential young players and he’s done it really successfully.”

Henry: “He’s got a reputation for improving players. That’s one of the reasons why Rangers were attracted to him. Can you see him getting like 10% more out of the players here?:”

Ben: “More? I look at where our squad is at right now. I don’t think any of our players could currently say that they’re close to where they think their best level is. I could say that about myself as well in my role.

“So when I think about the impact that Philippe can have, I think it can be a lot more than 10%. And I expect over the coming weeks and months that we’ll see that. And also the other thing with Philippe is he’s managed to make a quick impact in a lot of the roles that he’s taken also in mid-seasons.

“So yeah, we expect to try to change our situation. It’s not going to be days, but certainly over the coming weeks. And there’s still a lot of football to be played this year.

Henry: “You’re young for this role. Did you feel that Philippe was almost sussing you out when you spoke to him and he was trying to almost do due diligence into you and your capabilities?”

Ben: “I think that would always be the case anyway, regardless of people’s age or experience. I think ultimately an interview is always a two-way thing, right?

“It’s about me trying to understand Philippe and everything that he stands for and the way that he wants to work and his suitability for this project, but it’s also the other way.

“So I would expect nothing less. And I think that would always be the case.”

Henry: “We’ve spoken about your relationship with the fans and about the need to communicate more. Do you communicate enough with the media?”

Ben: “I think that’s two of the same thing, really. That would be the vehicle for me to communicate with fans. I think in person, I always try to give time to fans at the stadium.

“Even when I park my car and walk around to the director’s entrance, I’ll engage and speak with people and see their faces.”

“Of course, some of it is difficult and I accept that. And as I’ve said many times, I would be the same if I was them. So I would never hold that against anybody. I understand and I accept full accountability and there’s no excuses.

“It’s not me trying to say that it’s someone else’s fault. It’s not. This is on me and I need to find the solutions to turn this around.”

Henry: In terms of recruitment, are you going to go for more experienced players or will you still continue with the younger?”

Ben: “No, it is something that we’ve looked at. Obviously, we pivoted hard into a strategy that was focused around trying to recruit young players with potential. And we’ve leaned into that aggressively.

“I think that it has to be a focus for us going forward. There always needs to be a balance. And to be honest, when I reflect, maybe we’ve not got that balance right all of the time.

“So yes, in answer to your question, that will be a focus. And if we can find the right players that fit on all of the different levels that we need to assess them, then yeah, I think trying to add some experience or some more proven ability at this type of level, I think is important.”

Henry: “Do you have any regrets over players you’ve sold here or moved on?”

Ben: “No. Always difficult decisions to sell good players, some of our best players. But that’s the circle of life, I think, in a club.

“And we have to back ourselves to find players that can replace those and become the big players of the future that maybe at some point they’ll move on as well. So no, I wouldn’t say that I’ve got regrets.”

Henry: “I mean, you’ve landed. I mean, it’s quite a coup, the manager that you brought in. Did you offer the job to anyone else?”

Ben: “No. We ran a process that was really thorough. There were multiple candidates in that process.”

Henry: “How close was Tomasson?”

Ben: “Listen, I don’t think it’s fair to speak about coaches on an individual level.”

Henry: “But his name. I mean, it’s no secret that you were interested in it, or there was some contact. And listen, John was a coach that was considered and was in the final stage of our process, yes.

“But ultimately, you know, a coach of Philippe’s stature and prominence, as soon as we knew there was a chance to bring him, that was where our focus was.

Henry: “How does a process like that work? And how did you keep it secret?”

Ben: “Yeah, we’re always prepared to a degree. So even if we’re in a really good moment and winning game after game, we would always have a lot of due diligence done in the background on head coaches and how everybody’s doing and coaches that we think could be a good fit here. So it’s never like you’re starting from zero.

“But yeah, obviously, as soon as we knew we were in the position that we were in with Liam, we moved quickly into the next phase, which is then to start really making contact and kind of navigating the market to really suss out availability and interest.

“And we moved quickly to do that. And I think in that respect, it was a really successful process.

“And honestly, to end with a coach of Philippe’s level, particularly given our current context, I think is testament to that.”

Henry: “Why do you think he’s come?”

Ben: “I think he’s hungry as well to start a new project. He’s been out for a while since he left Rangers.

“And I think from the first time that we met, I think there was a real good connection.

“No, I think he just saw the ambition in the club and saw the potential.

“And of course, our current situation is sticky, to say the least. We’re all completely aware of that. But Philippe saw some foundations and felt the kind of feeling that he would need to feel from me and from key stakeholders and ownership in particular.

“And I think ultimately, that’s whet his appetite. And he’s up for the challenge. And he can see the journey that we want to go on. He can see that we’re not where we want to be.

“And I think that he’s wanting to work towards that, which I am as well.”

Henry: “Where is achievable this season?”

Ben: “Listen, I think it’s easy for us to focus on things that are too far in front of us right now. Ultimately, we know that the situation at the minute is a serious one. We’re second bottom in the league.

“What I would say is we’ve played less than a third of the season. There’s a lot of football still to play.

“And we know how this league is. Things can change quickly with a good week or a good month. Where’s possible? I don’t know.

“We’ve seen it in the past with teams that were languishing near the bottom that have gone on to get promoted. Yeah, we’re realistic. We know how difficult that’s going to be.

“But right now, our focus is just on the next game and the next game and trying to get our players in a better place, both physically and from an availability perspective, and trying to understand Philippe’s ideas as quickly as possible to get us more competitive and start to win games.

“Because we’ve not felt that feeling anywhere near enough this year. And we need to change that quickly.”

Henry: “A couple of final questions. Did you talk or consult any of the senior players about either Liam or about the type of manager that they would like in?”

Ben: “I’m always speaking with the senior players about things like that, how they’re finding everything in the environment.

Henry: “You ask them about Liam?”

Ben: “Yeah, I always would. How they’re finding certain things, what they think about training, the information that they’re receiving, how we’re setting up for games.

“I think that’s just part of this role and trying to understand where people are at in the environment and what the temperature is and trying to understand what everybody thinks.

“So that would always be going. So, yeah, I did that. It doesn’t mean to say that that would be then what we go to do, but I think it’s always important information there.

“The senior players here are really important. They have a big part to play in what we’re trying to do. So I think it’s only natural that their voice needs to be heard.”

Henry: “Just on Shane Duffy, he made one or two comments about supporters on social media. What was your reaction to that?”

Ben: “Yeah, really disappointing. Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. It’s not the way that we would want anybody to behave.

“And I spoke with Shane about that immediately. It was an internal matter that was dealt with.”

Henry: “Any action taken?”

Ben: “That stays internal, but yes. And listen, Shane held his hands up. He knew straight away.”

Henry: “A fine or a warning?”

Ben: “That needs to stay internal. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to… That action has been taken. But Shane held his hands up immediately. I think he apologised quite quickly and he knew that it was wrong.

“And yeah, everybody can be frustrated or disappointed with things, but that’s not an acceptable way to behave. And he knows that.”

Henry: “You said in your statement when Liam left that you needed to almost reunite the club. It sounds a bit dysfunctional at the moment. Can this club be reunited?”

Ben: “A hundred percent. Of course, we need to repair the connection between us and the team and me and the supporters.

“And the best way to do that is to win games. We can talk about this and that but ultimately it’s down to what we do on the pitch”.