Slot on Liverpool turning around Spurs semi final 1-0 deficit to reach Wembley
05/02/2025
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
05/02/2025
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hi, Anand, nice to see you.
00:14First off, we'll just start with Trent Alexander-Arnold,
00:17if that's OK, just wondering how he is and if he's going to miss any game time.
00:22Yeah, he is going to miss the game tomorrow.
00:26And we have to see if he's able to play on Sunday,
00:30but what we do know is that he's not available for tomorrow.
00:33What kind of injury is it? Thigh problem?
00:36Yeah, I think you saw that he left the pitch with a bit of pain in his leg,
00:43so that's why he missed the game tomorrow.
00:47But he's already on the pitch, not with the team, but with the rehab coach,
00:53so let's see how long it's going to take, but he will not be available tomorrow.
00:57Obviously it's the first time we've spoken to you since the end of the transfer window,
01:01so I'm just wondering your thoughts on the window as a whole,
01:05because I don't know many coaches that quite often say,
01:08I don't want any players who are in a window.
01:11I don't know, but maybe there are not many managers that have such a good squad as I have.
01:16I've said it many times, we have a very good squad,
01:21and if you look at the league table, I think the players have shown
01:24that the trust we have in them was correct.
01:28And we don't have, apart from Trent now maybe for a few days,
01:33but we don't have many injuries, not long-term injuries,
01:36in moments that the window is open.
01:39So we did have some injury problems with Alisson, with Jota and with some others,
01:43but at the moment, I think apart from Trent, they're all available again today.
01:49So then there's not a reason to add something to the team
01:53unless you have a chance in the market.
01:56But, yeah, that's something we saw.
01:59Last time with the goalkeeper we brought in, which is not here,
02:03but we did bring him in because we saw there was a chance in the market.
02:06But for now we are happy with the team we have.
02:09I just want to ask you about VAR.
02:11We know there have been discussions about semi-automated offsides
02:15coming in for the end of the season,
02:17and referees announcing key decisions to the crowd for next season.
02:21I just want to know your thoughts on that.
02:23For me that's not necessary, because I see when a referee makes a decision,
02:30I go two steps backwards and I see the live coverage of everything,
02:35but that's probably not available for every fan in the stadium.
02:38So if the fans like it and it's something nice for the fans,
02:43then let's do this.
02:45I wonder if we are all going to like this.
02:49For me it's not necessary, but if the fans really like it, let's continue with this.
02:56And let's see if they do, because the last time it happened I was there,
03:01it was in the Spurs stadium.
03:04Yeah, that was so obvious.
03:07It was not really necessary to announce that it was offside.
03:12I think the one we were all more interested in,
03:15why didn't he give the second yellow card?
03:17And that is something he didn't have to explain.
03:20But I think maybe if he would have explained it
03:23and it was a disadvantage for the home team,
03:27then maybe there comes even more pressure on the referee.
03:30So I wonder if it's a good thing for the referee,
03:32because he's already under a lot of pressure in every game from the home fans.
03:40And I think him explaining if it's against the home team
03:45would even add more pressure in the next decision he has to make.
03:50But they always tell me they are very well trained for this,
03:54which I am certainly not, because if I have to blow my whistle during a training session,
04:00then I'm always like,
04:02OK, he's a bit frustrated, let's give him the free kick for the next time.
04:05So I will probably not be a good referee.
04:10But, yeah, that's my opinion.
04:15Hi, Arne, different game, different competition, different circumstances,
04:19but in terms of a reference point for the game against Tottenham,
04:23how valuable was that match against Bournemouth?
04:26Because it had a real cup-tie feel to it in terms of the ebb and flow of the game.
04:31Yeah, but I think every game we play, every training session we have,
04:35we are trying to work on our habits.
04:38And what I mean with that is we have to do as much things in the right way as we can,
04:44and every time after the session we have a post-match meeting
04:50and we tell them what they did well and what they can improve.
04:53As a result of that, we are hoping that they are going to make steps during the season constantly
04:58to come as close as we can to the perfect game at the end of the season.
05:02So a game like this definitely helps, but it's the same Forest away,
05:06or the same away against Brentford, we learn from every single game we play.
05:12Because every single game we are faced with different challenges,
05:17and the more challenges you face, the better you are ready for the next one.
05:22It's kind of like half-time in the tie after the 1-0 defeat at Tottenham,
05:28it's unusual for Liverpool to be behind since you took over this season,
05:35do you have to prepare the players mentally for the game against Tottenham, the second leg?
05:43Because it is different territory, and to go behind at Anfield,
05:49all of a sudden it becomes a really tall order, not impossible, but more difficult.
05:55No, I don't think I have to prepare them differently than to any other game,
06:01because from now until the end of the season, and that's been already the whole season,
06:05and I think as long as Liverpool exists, if you play in this shirt you need to win the game.
06:10That's for tomorrow, that's for Sunday, that's for Wednesday afterwards,
06:16and the game after that.
06:18So even if we go 1-0 down in the league or whatever tournament we are in,
06:23we try and want to win the game.
06:25That's also what we tried in the away game against Tottenham, I think we were quite close.
06:30To get a result over there until the last few seconds,
06:35we were down to 10 and conceded a goal.
06:39But, yeah, nothing changes for this game compared to all the others.
06:45If you wear this shirt, if you go out at Anfield,
06:48there's only one thing that is expected of you, and that's winning the game.
06:56On the unusual front, it's unusual for a two-legged tie to take place so far apart,
07:02does that make any sort of difference?
07:05We've obviously had a whole transfer window between the two games,
07:08usually they're back-to-back, does that make a difference for anything?
07:14Yeah, but now you tell me, I'm like, yeah, you were right.
07:18Is this unusual for England as well, or is this usual in the league cup?
07:23It's unusual for this one.
07:26OK. Yeah, not that it matters a lot, but if you play one week later,
07:34then normally you face exactly the same team again.
07:39And now, with all the injuries Tottenham had last time we played them,
07:44it would have been a bit more in our advantage if we played them one week later again.
07:49Although we lost against the ones that were fit that time.
07:53But, indeed, they brought in three players, I think,
07:57one of them was already there, the goalkeeper was already there in the window,
08:00so now we face two different ones.
08:03I wonder if Micky van der Ven is ready to play?
08:06He, of course, has a big impact on that team,
08:10so, yeah, it might change the quality we face tomorrow compared to the last time.
08:16But we were already not able to win from the team that played last time,
08:20so it's going to be a difficult one, which we know.
08:23If you reach the semi-final against Tottenham,
08:26you know it's going to be a difficult one.
08:28But I think we will be better than the last time as well.
08:33With Trent being out, it's an opportunity for Conor Bradley maybe to play.
08:38After his experience in Eindhoven, was that an important learning curve for him?
08:45I played the game against Tottenham also, back then.
08:50I just said it as well, I think every single game, every single training session,
08:56has something to learn.
08:59Or if it isn't, then it wasn't a good training session I gave them,
09:03because I think you're trying to give them something where they can learn from
09:07every single session, every single game.
09:10I think we played in Eindhoven quite a good game,
09:14if you take into account the team we've played with,
09:17so this team hardly ever played with each other.
09:20But we did concede three goals,
09:23and if I then take a closer look at those three goals,
09:26I don't even think we did much wrong, but only some small details.
09:30That is something at the level, like PSV or tomorrow,
09:34if you do a small detail wrong, you can concede a goal.
09:38That's also something with the feedback we gave Conor.
09:43He wasn't involved in every goal, but he was in one in my opinion,
09:48where he didn't follow the overlap aggressively enough,
09:54and that led to the third goal.
09:58Hi, Arne. You spoke previously about your desire to get more goals and chances for your number nines.
10:04In the last six games, the starting number nines only had four shots on target
10:08from nearly 400 minutes.
10:10However, in those six games, you've also had a goal from Jota,
10:14two goals from Nunez of Brentford and two from Gakpo,
10:17from that central position on the pitch.
10:19Are you happy for your central striker to be more of a facilitator,
10:23or are you still trying to get him more goals?
10:27I will be happy if that player becomes both.
10:31So, facilitator, I didn't know that one yet.
10:35And scoring goals himself, that's again what we want to achieve in the end.
10:41But I also saw the penalty from Cody, where Lucio, as a nine,
10:47played a part without even touching the wall.
10:50So he dragged the centre-back out, which led to the fact that Cody was in a 1v1.
10:55He made a deep run and got tripped, which led to the penalty.
11:00So, in the end, you want attackers, midfielders to score.
11:05We've spoken about our attacking midfielder as well.
11:09We need to get goals from many positions, including them,
11:14including centre-backs that can score from set-pieces also.
11:18So that's what I just said, we are trying to work on the training ground
11:23and with the feedback we give them after the game,
11:27to make the team better and better.
11:30In the end, the number nine should be a facilitator, like a winger,
11:34but a winger and a nine should also score goals.
11:39Last one for Will.
11:41Just to ask about the goalkeeper situation,
11:43you made the decision between playing this competition a lot,
11:46you played Alisson in the first leg, so do you know what you're going to do there?
11:49I know, but the two goalkeepers don't know yet,
11:52so if I'm going to leave this room I'm going to go to the media next door,
11:57and then afterwards I'm going to inform the goalkeepers which decision I've made.
12:01Just on your squad, you said it's only Trent out,
12:04that means you do have to leave players out of your squad,
12:07as a manager I guess that is the luxury you want,
12:10but how do you go about that news?
12:13Obviously Keita and Goldman miss out on Bournemouth,
12:16how do you deliver that and keep them upbeat?
12:20That is one of the only things I don't understand here in England.
12:24Everywhere around the world, and in Europe as well,
12:28when we play Champions League we can take 23 players to the game,
12:31and we are here in a country where we play the most games,
12:34especially the likes of Aston Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea,
12:37all the ones that are playing in Europe.
12:39And we have the League Cup over here and the FA Cup,
12:42so we play so, so, so many games.
12:45So if you are able to play all these games you need a big squad,
12:48that seems to be fair to me.
12:51And Dan, one of the things that is so important for a manager,
12:54to pick the first 11 is difficult,
12:56but to tell someone that he's not even in the squad makes it even harder.
13:00I don't understand why we don't go to 23 in this country,
13:03because this country plays the most games everywhere around the world,
13:07and we only have 20 players that we can take to the game.
13:11So it's not for that game, because nine substitutes are more than enough,
13:15but to keep the dressing room going,
13:18because you need more than 20 players in this country,
13:21because we play so many games.
13:23Do you then understand what I mean?
13:25So it's not for this one game, it's more as a team like us,
13:28or all the ones that play in Europe, you need more than 20 players.
13:31So why can't we bring 23 players to the game instead of 20?
13:35But since it is the rule over here,
13:38that is probably going to be the most difficult decision I have to make for tomorrow,
13:43not the first 11, but to leave someone out that works so hard on a daily basis,
13:49that wants to be involved in the game as well,
13:52and not even taking him to the game, that's the hardest decision for me to make.