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ARNE SLOT PRE-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
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Reds boss Arne Slot speaks to the media ahead of Liverpool's huge match against Manchester united at the weekend.
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Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
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Transcript
Player Fitness and Availability
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
one Morning. um i am like you How are you? Really good. Really good. I'll I'll just check on team news. first of all Obviously, Ryan Graham-Berkeley, understand he's taking off his precaution, is he OK?
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whereas Alisson and Kanate as well will keep you fit to face Manchester United. Ryan is completely fit, although we still have to train twice, but if you ask me now he's completely fit.
00:01:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are in a good place with the Dutch national team, if Ronald Koeman can make a decision either to play Tiziani Reinders or Ryan Glavenberg. So he played them both 45 minutes. Ibu has come back to us, started his sessions again and expected to train with us today.
00:02:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the third one is Alisson. He's not training with us. So he's out. Have you got any further indication just how long Alisson could be? Like I always say, it's so difficult to say because the end phase of ah of ah absolutely rehab yeah always can give you positives or negatives, but he will not play ah in the weekend and also not next week.
Challenges in Retaining the Title
00:02:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Virgil has spoken again about just how difficult it is to retain the Premier League title. Possibly we saw some of that in the run prior to the international break as well. So what's your message been to the players now you regroup, return to Premier League action in what is traditionally the biggest fixture, one of the biggest fixtures in the calendar? No, I think what we can say is if we compare ourselves to last season, we don't create as many chances as we did last season, in the start of last season.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
But ah we are still the team that from open play creates the most XG chances, ah most shots on target. um But we've conceded too many goals.
00:03:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah we've conceded too many goals that's for sure and we've conceded nine where four of them are from set pieces that is what was was and still is by the way uh a strength of us which sounds weird if you concede four but that's not a reflection of the chances we've conceded uh in terms of set pieces so um the other five were three or two fast breaks and three from open play i think in open play um we are conceding too many crosses so that is one of the things where we have to what we have to address and what we have to do better and like Virgil says I don't know if he says this but I think he means he implements this ah
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah he means this, that teams are facing us ah differently than the first half of last season. But that is also what I've said. The amount of long balls that we are facing now compared to last season. I think we're already one third on the way in the amount of long balls we have to defend compared to the compared to last season.
00:04:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
after seven games already. So we have to find answers to that. And the first answer is not to concede so many goals, because if it's harder to score your goals, the best thing you can do is make it harder for teams to score against you as well.
Facing Manchester United
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've also um You mentioned that obviously scoring goals. We've only seen Mo's numbers drop off because it's five in his last 21 appearances. Last season we saw him hit 32 in the first 41 games.
00:04:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, against Manchester, united he score more goals in this fiction than any other player so is this the kind of game that maybe could reignite most four months again? Or goalscoring four, should say. I think it it it should not matter who we are playing ah on Sunday or Saturday, day but we play on Sunday.
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you've lost three games in a row and you wear the Liverpool shirt, it doesn't matter who your opponent is, you have to react. And if there's one thing I cannot blame the players is did they give Everything they have, every single game, they go all in from the first till the last minute. This what we did in the last three games as well.
00:05:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
We, in both games, had to come back, in all three games we had to come back from being 1-0 down. In two games we managed to do so. uh but unfortunately lost in the end where we were having chances in both games maybe more than our opponent to win it but if you've lost three in a row it doesn't matter if man united is coming or brentford next week we there should always be a reaction not only from all from all the players how do you view this just speaking about playing manchester united in general of the rivalry between liverpool and manchester united how do you view this as an occasion now that you've been involved it's it's uh
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I look forward to every single Premier League game, but but maybe even more towards a men the Man United one, because I know how special it is and I've experienced it last season, how special of a game it is. We know that it's probably the game that's been watched the most all over the world.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So yeah, it's special to be part of it, but in the end, it's also a game where we have to be at our best because United, in my opinion, have done has had a better start of the season than maybe the league table is showing.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
so So, yeah, very interesting game and a game to look forward to, especially because it's played at Anfield. And I think our fans have been so supportive for us as long as I'm here and long before I was here.
00:06:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think they understand that the team that has lost three times in a row, they they need to be ready, our team. But I think our fans can help us and will help us on Sunday as well. honor You mentioned before about teams playing you in a different way. this season obviously trying to defend your championship.
Tactical Adaptations Needed?
00:07:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have you had to, or how much have you had to sort of rethink how you set up and how you play and how can Liverpool start to surprise teams again?
00:07:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you are the team that has created most chances from open play, you can argue if we don't surprise teams. Maybe we do things better than than than the last three results have shown.
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's also clear what I just said that... that we haven't created that many chances we did last season. And there's a reason for that, that's playing style of the opponent. And we have to find answers to that. But the first answer is not to concede so many goals as we did.
00:07:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because there's one way of winning a game of football to score two or three goals. But if the other team scores one or two goals, you need three goals where where last season we also were able to keep a clean sheet and only need one goal.
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
First half last season we mainly got these goals from a special moment of one of our front three. and where in the second half we mainly needed a set piece to make the difference against these low blocks and this season we haven't had that many special moments uh special what i mean is a an act of brilliance and we haven't scored from a set piece if you would tell me that we've conceded 40 our goals from set pieces and the number one in the league has scored 60 of the of their goals from set pieces and we're still one point behind that team
00:08:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would probably think that's not even that bad. But it is of course clear that conceding for is far too much for for a team that wants to
Player Fitness Updates
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
compete.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Alexander Isak played twice for Sweden, four games over the international break. I just wonder how you see his fitness progressing, as I know you've been keen to sort of build him up steadily, given his his lack of pre-season and everything that's gone on. Yeah, I think that's what we did.
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think now he's had his five, six weeks of pre-season, which is normal for every player, especially if you've been out for three or four months. So fitness-wise, I think he's now close to the level he should be. And now...
00:09:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we can judge him in the best, in a fair way from now on. So I know how this industry works. If he plays there twice and doesn't score, ah then that's not what you're hoping for. Of course, you're hoping if they go to national teams that they score goals like Cody did, like Virgil did, like Dominic did, and like Alistair did.
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do I forget a few? Probably. um But he didn't. But I think his preseason... maybe be finished now he's played a few games 70 80 90 minutes so let's see where he is from the upcoming weeks thank oh this three games wondering that may have had on more confidence and reestablish sort
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, think these players might need me, but I don't think they need me ah to tell them what has happened. We've played 10 games this season, won seven, lost three.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the three we've lost, we've lost by very close margins twice in the last minute and once. both teams got a penalty ah both times the vr should have overturned that decision but only the one we got was overturned so the margins are small but i keep saying we should not be dependent of that margins although we play chelsea away i don't think i think it's normal that that's equal game ah because chelsea has a very good team as well and we were able to create more than that
00:10:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that is part of of of it, but results don't lie. If you lose three times in a row, we have to do better. um But I think these players that have experienced so many things don't wake up at night thinking, wow, we've lost three times. We need to be aware of that. We are aware of that and we have to react to that.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But we have to give the same reaction if we win three times in a row and Man United is on the fixture list. so What we have to do is create habits, do everything what we usually do, what we win or lose.
00:11:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
But maybe after losing three times, you're hoping for for that sparkle or this one or 2% more, not only from us, also from our fans on Sunday.
Managing Player Rotation and Performance
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
the fantastic a break play it out situation countries and also ah quieting down the talk about losing a week? That last thing, I don't know. I assume that everybody is talking about that now again. i don't know. but um
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's just the situation as it is. ah you could You could argue it's better to have them with you to to to have the next game again and then people cannot talk about it for two weeks. Now people could talk about it for two weeks. They went to the national team, a few of them had goals and assists, but what I like about top players is that you don't notice anything if they win three times in a row. They don't walk into this building or in the dressing room feeling they are...
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
so much better than the rest of the league they just prepare themselves every single time in the same way if they win or lose um but yeah the outside world is of course very focused on the results which we are as well so we don't deny the results over here we need to do better not only because we lost three times i think in general if you look at all the 10 games it was 10 times quite equal like last season by the way and we are trying to work every single day to make that gap between us and the teams we face bigger but yeah easier said than done thanks just on alexis he was talking other night after argentina game so he hadn't had the start of the season individually that you'd hoped for did you put that down to the big chunk of pre-season that he missed and similar to alex would you expect him now to
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
be in a position to kick on be more influential I haven't heard that interview so I don't know what he meant. Did he meant the quality of play? Did he meant the amount of minutes he made? what One thing is clear and that's what it was in your question is that he missed out on a lot unfortunately. He went out immediately after we won the league and we were expecting him to be back from the start of preseason which he wasn't and Yeah, that that led to the fact that he wasn't able to play three times in a row. So he went in, out, in, out, 60 minutes, 45 minutes.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's never an ideal scenario for a player. But like all the others, he's a player that' that has experienced so many things in his career already that he will he will be back at um at the level he wants and the level I want from Okay.
00:13:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hi Arnie, Sunday is the start of seven games in 21 days, three weeks basically. And you've spoken plenty of times about the benefit of consistency and cohesion between the sides.
00:14:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
But also, you know that in such a period you're not going to play everyone every game. How hard is it to make that balance between trying to build that chemistry between the sides, but also keep the freshness going?
00:14:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's an interesting one because we were just talking about Makai, we were talking about Alex. Those are players, we need to bring them back towards a lot of playing time, but you cannot go from no playing time at all to three times in a week. So that's why ah Conor Bradley the same in Prezi. And so we had a few of them that led to changes, but everywhere around the world so where teams have to face schedules like this, they have more than 11 players to take on this schedule.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
The thing is, if you if you rotate and you win, you do the smart thing. If you rotate and you lose, you have to play more with the same players. This is how football works. But it's clear that in general, it's especially for certain positions, it's almost impossible to play them every single game.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you do, it's the risk of a player getting getting injured. And this has happened just before the international break with a few players and has happened during the international break with some players, not with ours.
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
except for Alisson, of course. but um So yeah, you have to find a balance in this, but I think the ones we have are now longer together. So yes, Alex is not the same player as Hugo, but they are both a number nine, and they both know what to do in our system.
00:15:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
So um it's it's only something I like, that I have more than 11 players that can play yeah a game of football. And it's never the reason for us to drop points or to lose a game of football.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
After the Chelsea game, there was a little bit of debate about Sal's position. Mark and Correa When you're playing a number 10 like Burton, there are them
00:15:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
How do you strike that balance in terms and track them back? What does Florian Ritz and Dominic Soboslai have to do with Couturella attacking? Last season, he called a little bit more 10.
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
li energy is press glad more I think they're both attacking midfielders and ah both are expected to defend like all our 11 players are expected to defend so so yes in this particular case I heard the comments of Kucurella I also saw how they scored the 2-1 but I could also show you five or six moments where Mo could have made a difference for us And if that would have happened, we would have had the conversation in like last season, where he so many times made the difference for us. and
00:16:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, if that then doesn't happen, you get probably comments like this. It's always the balance between winger and fullbacks that is quite... ah I want our fullbacks to attack as well.
00:16:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So we have to find the the right balance in that. But I just said in the start that we we are conceding too many crosses ah compared to last season. And this is something I'm aware of.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we have to do better.