‘Vanilla’ Conference – What we wish HAD been asked

Maybe it is the challenge of being expansive in another language. Maybe the Head Coach was cagey about being too upbeat before playing one of the Premier League’s strongest teams – but if you missed that press conference, don’t bother going over it later on the whufc.com web site. There is nothing to it.

Just over six minutes of telling us “the players are committed” (good) “they’re working hard” (good) and “every game is tough in the Premier League” (yep – we know). What I’d like to know is, who gets to vet the questions?  And when do I get a go at asking some? Never, probably – especially bearing in mind the rest of this article, but anyway…

The questions I wish had been asked: if I’m not careful this could become a runaway theme during Lopetegui’s pressers. I’m glad the camera was on Julen and not on the journo’s packed into London Stadium trying to stifle the yawns. Perhaps that is why we’re being sponsored by Red Bull next year? To get us all through the PR sessions.

I have nothing but admiration for Lopetegui. He copes with endless, often banal, English-language questions daily and never loses his cool, measured persona. And his team will grow in stature and success, make no mistake.. But in the meantime, I wonder, what would we really like to know?..

*Questions I wish had been asked at todays conference, but nobody was brave enough:

“Why did you really leave Wolves?” – an easy one for starters.

Next, “Were you aware of West Ham’s terrible record of striker signings before you signed Niclas Fullkrug, or did Tim only tell you after he’d done the deal?”

Third:”Have you ever ordered a pint in the ‘Boleyn’? ” Don’t know where that one came from-sorry.

And finally – “is Tomas Soucek yours, or David Moyes’ secret son -in -law?

‘Scuse me being flippant, probably it is the result of watching and re-watching the ‘official’ club video looking for gems of knowledge to impart to Claret and Hugh readers.

I did notice one point, actually, Lopetegui did go out of his way to acknowledge the ‘amazing’ home and away support which the team ‘do feel’. Must have been the ‘bubbles’ “chitty, chitty,bang, bang” variant I remarked on at the weekend. Just hearing it on TV made me smile: There is something about the noise our away fans make that feels unique, and our head coach and the playing team do seem to pick it up. So, at home- make sure you let it rip on Saturday!