THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN: IN THE SECOND HALF EVERYONE STEPPED UP

THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN: IN THE SECOND HALF EVERYONE STEPPED UP

Head coach on Carabao Cup win.

Leeds United head coach Thomas Christiansen spoke to the press following Wednesday’s victory over Port Vale.

The Whites progressed into the second round of the Carabao Cup following a 4-1 victory over the Sky Bet League Two outfit at Elland Road.

Samuel Saiz netted a hat-trick on his debut and there was also a goal for Caleb Ekuban on his first appearance, with Christiansen pleased to progress in the competition.

“This win was important and it was also good to see the players who didn’t have the opportunity to play against Bolton Wanderers,” said Christiansen.

“It was a decent win and good for the confidence, we created a lot of opportunities in the second half and played well for 20 minutes in the first half.

“With the changes we made in the second half with the introduction of Ezgjan Alioski and Liam Bridcutt, we got some more speed into the game, scored some nice goals and came away with the win.

“There are several players who have staked a claim for a place in the team on Saturday now, obviously the three goals of Samuel Saiz was important in our win.

“Samu is a player who needs his time, we know what he is able to give us from his time in Spain and this is a small taste of what he can do.

“He enjoys having the ball, he has the quality, he is intelligent and has good finishing and I am very pleased with his performace today.

“I believe there is more to come from him though, it is not a one game show, it should be a one season show.

“When I played I was a striker, it is important for our players to get confidence and you are measured on goals, so it was good for Caleb Ekuban to get on the score-sheet.

“In the second half, everyone stepped it up a gear, it wasn’t enough in the first half and it is important for the team to keep giving me a selection headache.”

You can see the full interview with Thomas Christiansen below:

PRESS CONFERENCE | THOMAS CHRISTIANSEN | POST PORT VALE

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