Slot accepts pressure of being Liverpool manager not being top ahead of West Ham trip

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Slot accepts pressure of being Liverpool manager not being top ahead of West Ham trip  Shot 26/12/2024 embargoed until 27/12/2024  Anfield, Liverpool, UK

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00:00I know it's probably something similar to what we spoke about after the Leicester game,

00:04but a seven-point lead at the top, do you feel that brings a little bit more pressure

00:09and the expectations change at this stage of the season?

00:12We're almost at the halfway stage.

00:14No, you're sitting in front of the Liverpool manager,

00:17so there's always pressure at this club.

00:20If we are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the table,

00:22if you work at a big club like Liverpool there's always the pressure,

00:25I think last season, halfway through the season, were they also number one?

00:30I think they were last season.

00:32Yeah, so it's not so strange for a club like us to be on top of the league,

00:38but we know how many good teams there are in this league,

00:41and they are able to win almost every game as well.

00:48So there's no extra pressure, there's always pressure if you work at a club like Liverpool.

00:54Your form away from home is fantastic, West Ham on Sunday,

00:58how do you prepare any differently, is it just, here we go again?

01:04No, I think our away form has been good,

01:08but maybe it has a bit to do with the teams you face in the first half of the season.

01:12I think mainly we faced the teams at the top half of the table at home,

01:20and the other ones we faced away, so that might have something to do with it.

01:26But we are a strong team away from home and at home as well,

01:33so I don't see any reason why we are stronger there than here,

01:38something we can best judge at the end of the season,

01:43if we played every team home and away, to see what fits us best.

01:49But I think we are a difficult team to beat away from home, as in our home games.

01:55You'll be aware that Dominic Sopperslai is suspended

01:58after picking up a yellow card against Leicester,

02:01but this is a period where you probably have to use and utilise the squad more anyway,

02:06given the amount of matches?

02:09Yeah, that's what you saw today as well,

02:11because I think Dominic Sopperslai was outstanding against Tottenham Hotspur,

02:16and the idea and the plan was that he should be outstanding against West Ham,

02:22but he's not available, so someone else should be outstanding against West Ham.

02:29Tomorrow is seven years since Virgil signed for Klopp,

02:32I know you've not been there for much of that time,

02:34but as a fellow Dutchman I just wondered,

02:37how far off his best level do you think he is now,

02:40or is this the best level you've seen him in?

02:43Yeah, that is difficult for me to judge,

02:45because, like you said, I wasn't here when Virgil was close to winning the Ballon d'Or,

02:51and he's been a tremendous player, such a great player for Liverpool for so many years.

02:57Unfortunately for him he was out with an injury for almost the whole of the season,

03:01that didn't help this football club at all,

03:03so that probably tells you how big of an impact he has had here at this club.

03:08I can only tell you what my experiences are with him,

03:11and he's been not only for what you see, because you see him during the game,

03:15and he's outstanding during the game,

03:17but he has such a big impact in training sessions as well.

03:20He's the focal leader of this team, every time we start an exercise

03:24he's on top of his team-mates and he leads by example.

03:28So for me he's been outstanding until now,

03:32and we can only hope he can continue showing this during the games

03:36and in the training sessions as long as he's with us.

03:41Jürgen, I just asked this question because it's obviously your last home appearance

03:46before the 1st of January, but with the Contract 3,

03:49things that can happen from that date,

03:52are you expecting anything momentous or significant to change from then or on that date?

03:58If we would, then probably it's not the moment for me to tell you now,

04:02but in general I don't talk about contract situations here,

04:06and it would be a surprise if I was the one to announce

04:10that one of them has extended, so I think that's in a different moment.

04:14But just keep asking because that's your job,

04:17but you're probably not going to get an answer from me.

04:21But it's clear that from the 1st of January,

04:25maybe for you guys things change a lot,

04:27but they are in constant talks with the club,

04:30and let's wait and see what happens.

04:32As long as they keep performing like this,

04:36the manager or the head coach, I have to say, is happy with them.

04:40Jürgen, you mentioned injuries and suspensions,

04:42it looks like West Ham might be without all three central midfielders

04:45as they start to get some,

04:47Rodriguez is so jet-suspended, Carlos Soler went up injured.

04:51You faced Mohamed Kourousselam when he was at Ajax,

04:54did you think he had a chance when he made it up the central midfield?

04:57And how good a player did he think he was?

05:00I think he's a good player, that's for sure, everybody sees this.

05:04He can play multiple positions, I think he played here for Ajax,

05:08against Liverpool as a 9 as well, so he's a big threat for them.

05:12They have many players, I think they signed many players during the summer,

05:16so even if three midfielders are out,

05:18I don't think they have to play under 21 players,

05:20they are still able to play players they brought in for many, many millions.

05:25So, yeah, that's the Premier League,

05:27they all have, not only us or Chelsea,

05:31a lot of clubs have so many good players.

05:34We, although we were the ones when I didn't play my starters,

05:38we used our 21 players, that is part of our identity,

05:41and that's what makes this club special, I think.

05:44Last couple, we have one more.

05:46Just on Jordan Johnson, he's made four substitute appearances since he came back from injury,

05:50is he ready to start again, or is he still managing his fitness?

05:57I think the last thing, for sure, we're still managing his fitness.

06:00He's been out for quite a long time and he couldn't train that much,

06:03so sometimes if a player has an injury he can do a lot,

06:06but he couldn't do a lot for quite a long time.

06:10And, yeah, since this league is so intense,

06:14it's not so easy if you're almost two months out to come in and play from the start again,

06:19you need to have some minutes to build this up.

06:22And he is in competition with some other special players as well,

06:26who are at this moment also on top of their game,

06:29and he's gradually building it up.

06:33And I think he comes close to starting again,

06:37but, like I said, he has competition in his position as well.

06:40Last one, Paul.

06:42Do you think Canarty or Radley will be back for Manchester United?

06:47They will not be back for West Ham United, but then there's a week in between,

06:52so let's see how close they are then.

06:56But it's difficult for me to tell you at this point because they don't train with the group yet,

07:01but hopefully in the upcoming days they come closer to that situation.

07:05And then again, Ibu has been out for five or six weeks maybe,

07:08Conor even longer, I don't know, just as long I think, same amount.

07:13And also for them, they are in competition with players that are completely fit

07:18and are doing really well, so I have to make the right judgement

07:22the moment they are back with the team.

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