Press news in...

Updates from Daniel Farke's pre-Reading press conference to come from 1.15pm this afternoon.
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DF: First of all, congratulations to Emi. I could have thought of a few players in my team who deserve to win the league award, and the club award. He's had a great season, his numbers are fantastic. His maturity and behaviour has grown and he's learned so much in the last few years.

DF: We're not here for individual awards but it's nice to get the appreciation. At the moment, we are already promoted and on the way to lifting some silverware. We are on course to reach the highest points tally ever in a season for Norwich City so it shows we are doing a good job!

DF: My staff deserve the awards too. They are never in the spotlight so my award is dedicated to my coaching staff. They have done a fantastic job.

DF: We are greedy and motivated for the title. The team award is the one that matters. Promotion is done but the title would be well-deserved. The club has won promotion many times but they've not won the title too much but we now have two chances to do it again. We know that two points will do it. Watford are capable of winning six points in their last two games so we have to be focused. We have two tough games and there is work to do.

DF: My lads want to show what they can do. Reading have had a good season, it's a disappointing outcome from them. Vejko is doing a fantastic job, they'll be highly-motivated to finish their season on a high.

DF: All the players who were available for the last game are ready for tomorrow. No new injury concerns.

DF: He's still very young. We have more experienced lads than Emi, but he's not 18 anymore. For the young players in our academy, they know Emi is full of potential but also that he's had criticism. He can definitely be a role model for our younger players.

DF: Emi is also a funny lad, we love having him around. He has those typical South American moods and he's learned to control his emotions.

DF: We have Emi on a long-term contract and it's a joy to have him in the team. The supporters love him and hopefully he can shine in the future for us.

DF: Emi has shown great mentality, he shook the speculation of last summer off. I don't expect him to have the same issues at the start of next season.

DF: We have to be realistic. We know we have to develop our players because we are a self-funding club.

DF: We are open to learning and developing. Football is quick and there's never a point where you know everything. You then stop being good enough. I was honest and realistic two years ago. We still need a lot of hard work to stay in the Premier League next season, but we are much better prepared. For that, hard work is key but there's definitely a chance for us.

DF: I would have take all the spots in the Team of the Season. The fact Oliver Skipp is not in there, when he came third in our club award. And the fact Teemu Pukki didn't make the top three of the club award - it's always difficult. I can't complain too much about the Team of the Season though, lots of yellow and green.

DF: It was also our aim to extend our contract with Micky. He's unbelievably important for our group. He's been there with fantastic performances when Tim Krul was injured. We are happy to have him.

DF: It's important we have quality next season. We want mature goalkeepers next season, our two young lads Dan Barden and Archie Mair are very talented. We will have to see what happens with Orjan Nyland next season, but we know we need experience and quality next year.

DF: We've already spoken that once the season is done, we will put concrete plans in for next season. We are close to some decisions on players whose contracts are running out. The decisions will be made over the next few days. Also with our loan players, we know Gibson and Giannoulis are members of our group next season but we will see with the others.

DF: Getting promotion early has helped our planning. Our talks are becoming more detailed. We are still focused on the games but it's helped us start more talks about next season.

DF: My gut feeling is Reading are a fantastic side. They will be in a top position next season but they've probably had too many draws to make the top six. They may have felt the pressure and now that pressure is no more. They'll be highly-motivated to win points against the team on top of the table.

DF: I wouldn't label the previous game v Reading as a key game, but it was in a period where we showed good consistency. We were there with a very mature performance. It summed up our whole season, we showed attacking quality but also good game management and solidity in our defensive behaviour.

DF: In general, we have our long-term injuries with Lukas Rupp and Sam Byram. There was a bit of hope with Christoph to join us next week but we won't take a risk with him. It probably doesn't make sense to play him in the last game.

DF: The mood is difficult to describe. After the QPR game, the lads were buzzing. It was a crucial win for the title, the first day back the lads seemed tired of being excited. They wanted to get back to work and do a professional job. Now the lads seem excited about the weekend, there's definitely a good feeling. There's a relaxed confidence about us.

DF: My coaching staff are unsung heroes! They work their socks off and don't get much praise. Our physios and sports science guys, chefs and nutritionists - they help the players feel comfortable and focus on what happens on the pitch. Also people like Jordan Hugill, he's been great for the atmosphere in the group.

DF: The awards say that we've delivered consistency throughout the season so we are all very proud.

DF: The boycott is not such a big topic for me as I'm not on social media. Times have changed and social media is important in our lives. We are still on the way to find the right principles to use on there, there are many disadvantages to it. It's important for the football community to come together.

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That's all from the boss this afternoon. OTBC

Posted By: DrDublin on April 30th 2021 at 15:15:47

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