Liverpool Slot post 2-1 win against Everton

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Liverpool Slot post 2-1 win against Everton Anfield Liverpool UK

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00:00Two minutes to win it today, but there was still a lot of tension out there later on, how did you see it?

00:05That there was tension later on.

00:08So it was again, we needed mentality today in a different fashion maybe than a few times before.

00:15But we always knew how difficult of a game this would be, let alone if you have proper preparation time.

00:23But if you played your third game in less than seven days against your rivals,

00:30then you know that the second half could be very tough and that's why I made my line-ups throughout the week as I did.

00:38For the players to be ready for this one, because this was the most intense from the three, we knew this before.

00:45And you could see how well we can play if we are fresh.

00:49The first 45 minutes was unbelievable, the way we played.

00:53But the second half was more difficult because of Everton, of course,

00:57but also because we ran a bit out of energy, but we didn't run out of mentality.

01:03Those four changes that you made show the strength of the squad that you have.

01:07How pleasing is it then to come through these three intense games with three victories?

01:12Yeah, this is also the reason why teams like us, Chelsea, all the ones that are playing in Europe need a squad like this,

01:21because you need to play so many games.

01:22So, again, it's not an excuse, we have to accept it as it is.

01:25But we do have had some issues with Aleksandr Izak not training for four months,

01:32McAllister missing out a lot, I can go on and on and on.

01:37But the good thing is I do have the options to rotate throughout the week,

01:42and the ones that played three times 90 are Virgil, Ibu, Mo, Ryan and Dom,

01:47the ones that are used to this intensity at this level.

01:51And again, they showed up really good.

01:56You won't be seeing them on Tuesday now.

01:58I can tell you now, you won't be seeing them on Tuesday now.

02:03If that's any help for Southampton, then they already know.

02:06Can I just ask you about Ryan, because it's obviously a great goal and assist,

02:09but it just feels like week in, week out, he's turned in really consistent performance.

02:14Yeah, as he did last season.

02:17I think it's for every player the same, you need a team around you to show how good you are.

02:25And I know we have a lot of good players, like just mentioned.

02:30And Ryan, both goals were similar, similar area that we attacked,

02:37first with Ryan, second time with Hugo, with the pace these two have.

02:43And like I said, first half, it was a joy to watch.

02:47Although we got a little bit of a warning just before half-time,

02:51maybe they were first shot on target, I'm not sure.

02:55And second half, you could see that's always the difficult thing of conceding the 2-1.

03:02If you're already 2-0 up, then you're a bit in doubt maybe.

03:05Normally we're not in doubt, normally we always just keep on attacking.

03:08But yeah, I've said enough about our schedule now and that reason.

03:13But again, I think we had better chances to score the third

03:17than they had to score the second.

03:20With Ryan, I think he said in an interview on TV

03:24that you're giving him a bit more freedom to get forward more this season.

03:29He actually didn't score a Premier League goal last season,

03:31he's got two already.

03:32He's showing his quality in the final third as well.

03:38Can you tell us about that plan to get him forward a bit more?

03:42I think this is the evolution of a team.

03:45You constantly try to do different things,

03:48you try to keep what's really good,

03:50but yeah, other teams try to adjust to us as well.

03:54So we need to constantly evolve, is that the right word?

03:58And apart from that, we have different players now

04:01than we had last season.

04:02So sometimes you adjust a little bit also by the quality

04:06of the players you have now compared to the ones we had last season.

04:10So yes, he has, I wouldn't say freedom,

04:13but he has the moments that he can help the attack.

04:17But it has a lot to do with the way the other team presses

04:22and the way, yeah, this is a long story,

04:24but so yeah, he has a bit more freedom.

04:26Mike, maybe a silly question with a 100% record,

04:31but would you like your team to manage games any better

04:36or is that kind of impossible with the intensity of Premier League football?

04:41No, I think we manage the game really well,

04:43but we don't manage some moments really well.

04:46So this was also the thing I said before the game,

04:49there's a lot to like,

04:51but we have to understand that a moment can change momentum.

04:54And this is what happened against Bournemouth,

04:57where we were 2-0 up.

04:59It was our game, but a silly trick.

05:01We conceded 2-1.

05:03They set pieces against Newcastle,

05:05conceding just before half-time against the Little Comrade

05:08when we played so well also in the first half.

05:10So we have to understand that maybe we...

05:15No, we have to understand that a moment can change the game,

05:19no matter how well you play, no matter what you do,

05:21always fight for those moments.

05:24And this is where we can improve a little bit,

05:26but we managed the game in general really well.

05:28I don't think they had any chance after they scored the 2-1.

05:33But it always feels a bit difficult if you're only 2-1 up.

05:39Can I please ask you one more question about Ryan?

05:42He's picked up two goals and two assists yet,

05:45and that's far better than last season.

05:47He seems to be so comfortable in his more advanced role in possession.

05:51You've never substituted him in all the games.

05:54I think that says a lot.

05:55Can you just tell me about his development recently,

05:58and also about his personality,

06:00because he seems never to want to be in the spotlight.

06:03No, maybe not off the pitch, but on the pitch he does like the spotlight.

06:09But the thing is that I was planning to take him off after 60 minutes,

06:14but then we conceded a goal.

06:16And I think he took the spotlights mainly because of his attacking things he does.

06:21But I also see, and maybe you guys as well,

06:23how much he runs off the ball,

06:25how many times he's there to help out Conor

06:28when he's in the 2-1 situation,

06:30and the same for Dominic Saboslai,

06:32the amount of spins they make to help Conor,

06:38but a bit Mo Salah as well,

06:40because of that we can leave Mo a bit more forward

06:43and get the best out of Mo also.

06:45So yeah, he's done very well,

06:49and now it's been maybe a bit more in the spotlight

06:51because he has these goals and assists,

06:53but even if he wouldn't have had that,

06:54he would have still played really well.

06:56But it's also nice that after six games

06:59there's something more positive than there is last season.

07:01Another goal for Hugo today,

07:05there's obviously a lot of talk about Alexander Rees

07:07the last few weeks,

07:09but how impressed have you been with Hugo so far

07:12in all-round games as well as his goals?

07:14Of course impressed,

07:16but to the extent that we knew what we brought in.

07:19So like any other team in this league,

07:22every team has two No. 9s,

07:24you can see this at Everton today as well.

07:26We have two No. 9s of excellent quality,

07:28like our competitors have as well.

07:31And now it's really a good thing,

07:34because Hugo is definitely not ready,

07:36coming from a different league,

07:38to play three times 90 minutes in this space,

07:41in the way we play because we have a high intense game.

07:45We constantly try to press when the ball is out of play.

07:48Our goalkeeper tries to start the play fast

07:51instead of taking a minute.

07:53So it's a high-paced game we try to play.

07:55And Alex is, as we all know now,

07:59because I've said it so many times,

08:01and I think this was out in the Open before as well.

08:03He's only trained two weeks with a team

08:07where he didn't do for four months.

08:08So to have two now is definitely necessary,

08:13and every top Premier League team

08:15has two great No. 9s.

08:17And we as well.

08:19Last one here.

08:21You talked about how well you played in the first half.

08:23How much do you think was having

08:25McAllister, Shobasley and Graven-Burts

08:27back together again, that sort of continuity

08:29of the midfield that played so well last season?

08:32No, these are very good players,

08:34but we've played in different setups,

08:36really good moments in games,

08:39or large parts of games as well.

08:41So for me it had a lot to do with the fact

08:43that we took the positions we wanted them to take

08:46because it didn't happen a lot this season yet

08:48that the other team did what we expected them to do.

08:51Mostly we have to adjust at half-time

08:54that the other team comes up with something completely new,

08:56against us.

08:57Which is normal because most teams we face

08:59they have one week to prepare.

09:01If I tell you the only thing we did

09:03between Atletico Madrid and now

09:05is playing six feet two.

09:07It's the only thing we did in two days.

09:09That's how we have to prepare.

09:10Not excuse, nothing, nothing, nothing.

09:13We have so many great players as you just said,

09:15but this is reality show.

09:16I can never come up with something new.

09:18That's why the other teams always know

09:19what they get when they play us,

09:20because you don't have so much playing time.

09:22So you don't have to feel sorry for me

09:24because I have great players,

09:25but it's maybe interesting for some people to know

09:28is that really true, only six feet two?

09:30Yeah.

09:31But Everton did what we expected

09:32and we took our positions really well

09:34and that's why I think we could play through them a few times.

09:36Where normally maybe a second half performance is better

09:40because we have to adjust at half-time

09:42because what the other team did in the first half

09:44was different than expected.

09:46Thank you very much.

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