Slot on Wirtz and Isak fitness latest ahead of Sunderland

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Slot on Wirtz and Isak fitness latest ahead of Sunderland   02/12/2025  AXA training centre, Liverpool, UK

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00:00How are you, by what you saw at the weekend, thinking in particular about Florian and Alexander,

00:05and therefore how tempting is it to go the same again, or do you feel you have to rotate?

00:11I haven't felt so much about that because yesterday we had recovery

00:17and after this press conference we're going to train, so let's see how players feel.

00:22Florian, for example, has missed out one and a half, two weeks of training,

00:28so for him to already play so many minutes was a good thing,

00:34and to this day we have to play again, Joe Gomez is one of them, so let's see.

00:37It was encouraging to see Florian playing that well, but it's not the first time he played well for us,

00:42maybe the first time other people noticed, but I've seen him playing well for us many times already.

00:47And for Alex to score his first goal is also very positive,

00:51also a player who couldn't play, I think, five to ten more minutes than he played,

00:57because he told me yesterday that he felt a little bit of cramp coming up already.

01:02So another player where we should see how he does when he trains today.

01:08I'm assuming though that Mo wasn't happy about being left out,

01:13therefore what's his reaction been like since, what kind of conversations have you had with him?

01:19No, that's a fair assumption, and that's a normal reaction from a player that's good enough to play for us,

01:27and then I say it mildly because he's been so outstanding for this club for so many years,

01:32and will be for us in the future.

01:35So yeah, of course a player isn't happy about playing.

01:39He wasn't the only one who wasn't happy that he wasn't starting, I can tell you.

01:44And that's normal, but the way he behaved was as you would expect from a professional he is,

01:51but he was very supportive for his teammates, handled himself really well during the day,

01:57and yesterday in the session as well.

02:00So you cannot be a player that's available every three days

02:03and play on that high standards if you go with your emotions,

02:07but for Mo, he's so disciplined, knows what to do to stay fit,

02:11and no matter if he plays well, doesn't play well,

02:15if he plays or doesn't play, he will always be that top professional.

02:20And that's what he was in the last two days.

02:22Can you just check what the plan is for Mo as well?

02:24I'm not expecting you to tell me when he's going to be starting again,

02:27but I assume you've got a date for him to go to AFCON yet, have you?

02:32Yeah, we have.

02:34I think, is it FIFA who does this?

02:37I don't know exactly, but it's the 15th of December,

02:41but as always in these situations there's a player involved,

02:45there's the nation involved, Egypt, in this situation in the club,

02:49and there are always talks about what is best for all three of us.

02:53How tough a game are you facing now against them?

02:57Just three defeats in the Premier League this season,

03:00and I suppose the surprise package in many ways in the Premier League,

03:03except for this campaign.

03:05Yeah, a big compliment for their manager because they brought in a lot of new players

03:08and they started off so well.

03:10I saw the game Chelsea against Arsenal on our way back home,

03:14very high standard game, two teams that were...

03:18fighting each other and working so hard, all the players on the pitch.

03:24And then I was aware of the fact that Sunderland was the team that beat Chelsea in their stadium,

03:31and had a draw against Arsenal, so you can look at the league table by looking at them,

03:36how good they have done until now.

03:38But after that game, knowing that Sunderland is a team that beat Chelsea,

03:44and had a draw against Arsenal tells you how strong they must be.

03:48They seem to have a great resilience as well, don't they?

03:52I think we showed that against Bournemouth when they went 2-0 down and went all the way to the whistle.

03:57That's going to be a big factor I suppose as well, isn't it?

04:00Yeah, another game where a piece was also very important for them in this situation.

04:07So yeah, they've shown great mentality, but not only great mentality,

04:13the style they play, the risk they take when they don't have the ball,

04:17a very high-paced game.

04:19Players are working so, so, so hard, all 11 of them, to get a result.

04:24That's also what I saw with Chelsea-Arsenal, but that's definitely...

04:27And if you play Chelsea-Arsenal, you don't do this with 11, you have no chance of winning.

04:31So that's why there must be a team that does this.

04:34And that's what I saw when I looked at them yesterday,

04:37and I'm going to watch more of them today.

04:40So a very hard-working team with also a very clear identity

04:45how they want to play off the ball and on the ball.

04:48And just to come back to something that you've mentioned about Moe,

04:51which essentially I suppose he plays like he's superhuman,

04:55but the reality is he is a human being.

04:57Do we have to remember that sometimes?

04:59Fortunately, for the time I've been here,

05:04I didn't have to remember you to that,

05:06because he's been a superhuman being, or what were your words?

05:10Yes, a superhuman being.

05:12But as all players around the world,

05:14there are also faces in your time at the club

05:20that you are human, is the way you put it.

05:24But yes, he's scored so many goals for us,

05:30and I'm sure he will in the future.

05:34Can I just clarify, the 15th disindicated,

05:39is that negotiable?

05:40You were suggesting there may be some movement around that?

05:44I think the way we've worked at this club,

05:47and I've worked in the past,

05:49is always that there is a communication between all three,

05:52the player, the club, and the country.

05:56So that's nothing new.

05:58That's always the same also when they come back, when they go.

06:01But I think, is it FIFA who did this?

06:05FIFA, yes.

06:06They've said the 15th is the last date I assume a player has to be released.

06:11So would that mean, even if there was any negotiation,

06:15would you be available for Brighton and then go,

06:18or would you go before Brighton?

06:20What is the date we play Brighton?

06:2215th is 15th?

06:2315th?

06:2415th?

06:2515th?

06:26There's your answer.

06:27Can I just check as well then,

06:30you've touched already the likes of Izak,

06:33Virts and Gomez and their fitness status.

06:36I assume is it not possible to play three games a week,

06:41and if that is the case then do you have to make a decision

06:44on which game out of the next two they play?

06:48I think they are not able to play three times 90.

06:52That's for sure.

06:54And now I have to wait and see how they feel today,

06:57if they are able to play tomorrow from the start again.

06:59But that all three of them can be involved in all three games,

07:03if they don't get an injury,

07:05that's a fair assumption to make.

07:08Just with Mo and Man again,

07:13is there sort of an indication from Jorgen

07:17that the next week or so you could perhaps try out a few things

07:20to see how the team copes with that more?

07:23No, I think in a few weeks he's already at the African Cup of Nations,

07:27so we have to find then a way to play without him

07:32because he's not there.

07:33That's true.

07:34The BBC has been looking at the issue of online abuse in football,

07:39and in one weekend at the start of November the research showed

07:41that you were one of the most abused coaches online

07:44and that managers were more likely to be abused in players,

07:47so just really how do you feel about that

07:49and what more needs have we done to eradicate that?

07:51That was probably not after a win, was it?

07:54It was after the City game.

07:56After the City game.

07:57Oh, maybe I expected it more after the Forest game.

08:00But...

08:01I think abuse is never a good thing,

08:08not if it's about me, if it's about players,

08:11if it's about other managers.

08:14That we are criticised, that's completely normal.

08:18Even if we are winning, I think this happens.

08:21But if it starts with abuse, it's not a good thing.

08:24But I am not a social media person, I don't have social media,

08:29so I'm not aware of it, but I'm not stupid.

08:31I know it's there.

08:32I would be the first manager in history...

08:34No, not in history,

08:35because it's only recently that managers get abuse online,

08:39that if you start to lose,

08:41yeah, you're aware of the fact that people are not happy with you.

08:43But abuse is definitely not a good thing.

08:46But what I notice, what I feel,

08:50is the support the fans give me in the stadium,

08:53even at 0-0.

08:55The fans were singing for the team,

08:58but also for me.

08:59So that's the support I feel.

09:01But I'm not surprised that after our results,

09:05that there's abuse.

09:06But in general, that's something that should not happen,

09:10but unfortunately it does happen.

09:12Can you just ask about Joe?

09:14Because he's had such a tough time over the past few years,

09:17with interviews and things like that,

09:18maybe a little bit unlucky,

09:19but he comes in on Sunday and doesn't put the football on home.

09:22How important is it to have,

09:24not just a player like that,

09:25but a character who can come in and do that kind of job for you?

09:28Yeah, it's a skillset he has,

09:30that after a long time not playing,

09:33you can play him again and he just performs as he did before that.

09:37And that's something that's not easy because I've worked with more than a few players

09:43that after a certain amount of time without playing,

09:47it's difficult for them to get to a certain standard again.

09:50So it's definitely one of his skillsets.

09:52I also think it was really helpful for him that Dominic Swabeslai helped him out a lot,

09:59because like you said, Joe did really well,

10:04but he got a lot of help from Dominic as well.

10:08You mentioned there about the support from the crowd in the game against West Ham.

10:13I want to think about the last time Liverpool were at home,

10:16particularly speaking about fast starts as we did last time a couple of weeks ago.

10:20There was that moment in the very first minute against PSV

10:22where Man Manash really kind of held the ball for 20 minutes

10:25and he felt the crowd getting a little bit agitated.

10:28Against a team like Sunderland who are going to be quite aggressive

10:31and they're pressing quite high,

10:33how important do you think it is to try and set the tone with how you play,

10:36to try and get that atmosphere going and get everybody onside?

10:39That's always important.

10:41By the way, in that situation PSV was also pressing us high,

10:45but where PSV normally jumps to the goalkeeper and we can make a triangle,

10:50this time they didn't, and I think Georgie was prepared for someone that jumped to him.

10:56And that's why he waited a little bit longer than usually to find an option.

11:04I think there was only one moment, but it's never helpful.

11:07So Sunderland are a similar team than PSV was in that moment for the rest of the game,

11:15I think PSV was in a low block, which we didn't expect them to be,

11:19which they did.

11:21But Sunderland combines both,

11:24so they are either pressing a really high

11:26or 11 players defend in and around their 16 with all they have,

11:30and that's why they are such a difficult team to play against.

11:33But in general it's important to start a game of football well,

11:39ideally even by scoring a goal.

11:42But yeah, that's what both teams want.

11:46And we are going to try that tomorrow better than we did recently,

11:52because recently, except for the West Ham game,

11:55we've conceded in the start of the game.

11:58James?

11:59Arne, can I just check on Conor Bradley and Jeremy Frimpel,

12:03were they up to with that rehab?

12:05Conor got into a training session yesterday for the first time.

12:10Team training?

12:11Team training, yeah.

12:13How do you say this, not everything 100 per cent yet,

12:17so we had to manage that a little bit,

12:19so don't get your hopes up too soon, too fast.

12:23But the good thing is that he does certain parts with the group already,

12:27and we expect the same with Jeremy next week,

12:30so the two of them come back,

12:33but unfortunately we play a lot of games in the upcoming,

12:37so Jeremy, if he's training with us next week,

12:40he will miss out on three more games, for example.

12:43But the two of them come back.

12:45Conor, do you think tomorrow will come too soon,

12:47with maybe the weekend, he could be available for leads?

12:50Yeah, I hope he will be available for leads, yeah.

12:54Thank you very much.

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