Every word Southampton's Juric said ahead of Crystal Palace

What is the injury news? Are there any players returning?

IJ: We have Will Smallbone, who will be out. The others are all fit.

Jan Bednarek, James Bree and all those players are back?

IJ: Yeah. James Bree and Jan Bednarek are okay, Taylor Harwood-Bellis is okay, and everybody's fit.

Any more updates on Will Smallbone then?

IJ: I hope that he will be better next week or by the end of this week. We will see, he has this problem with his groin. We'll see.

What have you been up to? What have you done together with the team during the break?

IJ: We had 10 players for work, and they did a good session. They worked really hard with enthusiasm. It was good. The last two or three days we are all together and we are working.

What were you able to work on when you had such a reduced group over the international break?

IJ: I had 10 players, and I had the opportunity to work with them because it was three defenders and two midfielders, and I could do some good things.

What's the message you're giving to the players now with the last few games coming up to the end of the season?

IJ: They have to do the best. I think we have to go now to avoid becoming the worst team in the history of the Premier League, and then let's see what we can do.

I think we have a good opportunity against Crystal Palace at home, and we should prepare one game per game.

Is surpassing Derby's record-low points total the main goal right now?

IJ: At this moment, yes, we have the first game now and tomorrow. I think we are in good shape; we can do it, and we will try to win the match.

Palace have been in very good form recently. How do you go about stopping them?

IJ: They have really great players, 3-4-3, always the same. Normally, they play always first eleven and he repeats first eleven continuously.

They are great players, great quality, fast, technical. It was a tough game against them there in London, but it was not easy for them to win against us.

We want to repeat the game and maybe do some things better than that day.

If you can stop the front three, do you think you have a good chance of getting a result?

IJ: Of course, they are really good. They need really small spaces to score goals and to create chances. They are technically fast, physically strong, they are really good.

Mateta was injured; he had to have stitches, and he was out for a couple of weeks. How do you go about setting up against him? 

IJ: I think he doesn't have any problem now. I was watching the last game and he was fit and okay.

We know how good he is at protecting the ball and making the team play better. We will try to do our best.

How do you go about trying to deal with Palace and also trying to get the result?

IJ: Like I said, I think they play good football but simple, very simple. They have lots of quality. What we notice when we watch Crystal Palace is that they always play the same.

They know what to do on the pitch, and then they have really good quality in the attack, and they win the matches with that quality.

Ivan, last time we spoke after Wolves, you were very low. It was a disappointing day. When you look back at the last few games, do you regret anything?

IJ: No, I think there are some games where it's not easy to compete for us. I was angry and disappointed against Wolverhampton because my feeling was that we were just not focused enough.

In some moments, like in the first goal and the second goal, we created lots of chances. We were attacking, we had more possession, more shots on the goal, more corners, more everything.

We had to put more intensity in some situations to win the match because it was like a match, not like you play against Liverpool and everything is good. Against Wolverhampton, we could win the match.

What are the most important things about this last block of matches, these last nine games? What do we need to see from this team?

IJ: I think we have to be a team, competing, trying to do our best. We have to be really motivated. I don't want to be, like I said before, the worst team in the Premier League.

If we can't be the last on the table, we have to do our best. At this moment, this is our goal.

Crystal Palace have quite a small squad, and Southampton have a very big squad. Are we seeing a difference because of the recruitment choices the clubs have made?

IJ: Recruitment is everything. Choosing the players is fundamental in this game. Then, maybe try to keep these big players in the squad.

I think they have lots of players. They played at Crystal Palace for years. Now they play 3-4-3, and they repeat the same.

They know each other as well. Of course, recruitment is the most important thing in football.

What's the biggest bit of advice you have given the people above you in the club when they've asked you for your opinion on the future?

IJ: Like I said before, you have to be in sync with the manager. You have to decide what football you want to play.

Then, they start to recruit players so they can play this kind of football. I think this is the way. All good teams from Manchester City or others are doing it like this.

Do managers now, in the modern game, put the formation before the players?

IJ: I understand what you mean. I think it's changed. I think we have to be good to change a little bit.

If you have some kind of players, then try to do the best that the player is feeling good on the pitch. It's a good way for a small period.

It's okay, but I think if you want to create something, you have to have people with a strong idea, knowing what they want and start to build up something, start to create something.

I think 20 years ago, managers did not worry about losing their jobs in one or two years. Is the mentality different now?

IJ: It's a different mentality. But I still think that all the good things in the final happen when you decide the way you want to play, and you are in harmony with the club.

If you want to play tiki-taka football, then you have to have players that can play like this. If you want to play the other way, you have to have players on the other way, and it's normal.

I think the coach has to have this kind of players that try to find the best way to compete. But then, if you want to create something, you have to be a guy with strong ideas, and the club has to be in symphony with you.

Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace is a good example. They didn't win any of their first nine games, but he stayed with his philosophy.

IJ: I think they have great players. They're intense. They know what to do in every moment. They kept the best players in the team, and they are really good.