Pre-match press conference with Liverpool head coach Arne Slot ahead of Liverpool v Sunderland in the Premier League at Anfield.
Slot gives a full squad update, explaining that several players cannot play three full matches in a week and that final decisions will be made after training. Florian Wirtz has only recently returned after missing around two weeks, Alexander Isak had to come off after around 65 minutes and will also need managing, and other players will be monitored for fatigue. He confirms Liverpool expect Mohamed Salah to remain available until around 15 December before joining Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations, with the club, player and national team all in communication.
Slot says Salah was “not happy” about not starting recently but praises him as a model professional who trained superbly, supported his teammates and always maintains elite discipline. He stresses that Liverpool must prepare for matches without him once AFCON begins.
Slot gives strong praise to Sunderland, pointing to their win away at Chelsea, draw at Arsenal and comeback at Bournemouth as evidence of their quality, intensity and work rate. He highlights their high pressing, bravery without the ball and the physical demands they place on opponents.
Slot also discusses online abuse directed at managers, insisting criticism is normal but abuse is unacceptable, and says he feels strong backing from Liverpool fans inside the stadium.
He praises Joe Gomez’s reliability after long periods without playing and notes the help he receives from Dominik Szoboszlai. Slot hopes Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley will return soon, with Bradley possibly available at the weekend.
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00:00Are you, by what you saw at the weekend, thinking in particular Florian and Alexander and therefore
00:05how tempting is it to go same again or do you feel you have to rotate?
00:12I haven't felt so much about that because yesterday we had recovery and after this
00:18press 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.
00:26So for him to already play so many minutes was a good thing and to this day we have to
00:34play again, Joe Gomez is one of them so let's see, it was encouraging to see Florian playing
00:39that well but it's not the first time he played well for us, maybe the first time other people
00:44noticed but I've seen him playing well for us many times already and for Alex to score
00:48his first goal is also very positive, also a player who couldn't play I think five to
00:55ten more minutes than he played because he told me yesterday that he felt a little bit
01:00of cramp coming up already so 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, therefore what's his reaction
01:16been 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
01:26to play for us and then I say it mildly because he's been so outstanding for this club for so
01:31many years and will be for us in the future. So yeah, of course a player isn't happy he's not playing, he wasn't the only one who wasn't happy that he wasn't starting, I can tell you and that's normal but the way he behaved was as you would expect from a professional he is but he was very supportive for his teammates, handled himself really well during the day and yesterday in the session as well.
01:59So you cannot be a player that's available every three days and play on that high standards if you go with your emotions but for Mo, he's so disciplined, knows what to do to stay fit and no matter if he plays well, doesn't play well, if he plays or if he doesn't play, he will always be that top professional and that's what he was in the last two days.
02:22Can you just check what the plan is for Mo as well? I'm not expecting you to tell me when he's going to be starting again but I assume you've got a date for him to go to AFCON yet, have you or have you not gone?
02:32Yeah, yeah we have, I think, is it FIFA who does this, I don't know exactly but it's the 15th of December but as always in these situations there's a player involved, there's the nation involved, Egypt in this situation in the club and there are always talks about what is best for all three of us.
02:53How tough a game are you facing now? Just three defeats in the Premier League this season and I suppose the surprise package in many ways in the Premier League.
03:03Yeah, a big compliment for them because they brought in a lot of new players and they started off so well. I saw the game Chelsea against Arsenal on our way back home, very high standard game, two teams that were fighting each other, working so hard, all the players on the pitch and then I was aware of the fact that Sunderland was the team that beat Chelsea in their stadium and had a draw against Arsenal so
03:33you can look at them how good they have done until now but after that game knowing that Sunderland is a team that beat Chelsea and had a draw against Arsenal tells you how strong they must be.
03:50They seem to have a great resilience as well, don't they? I think they showed that against Bournemouth when they went 2-0 down and then went all the way to the whistle. That'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. So yeah, they've shown great mentality but not only great mentality, the style they play, the risk they take when they don't have the ball, very high pace game. Players are working so, so, so hard, all 11 of them to get a result.
04:24And that's also what I saw with Chelsea Arsenal, but that's definitely, and if you play Chelsea Arsenal, you don't do this with 11, you have no chance of winning.
04:31So that's why they must be a team that does this. And that's what I saw when I looked them yesterday and I'm going to watch more of them today.
04:39So a very hard-working team with also a very clear identity, how 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, if I may then, which essentially I suppose he plays like he's superhuman, but the reality is he is a human being. Do we have to remember that sometimes?
04:58Fortunately, for the time I've been here, I didn't have to remember you to that because he's been a superhuman being, or what was your words?
05:10Yes, he's a human being.
05:12But as all players around the world, there are also faces in your time at the club that you are human, is the way you put it.
05:27But yeah, he's scored so many goals for us and I'm sure he will in the future.
05:34How do you just clarify, the 15th December date, is that negotiable? You were suggesting there maybe some movement around that, possible movement around that?
05:44I think the way we've worked at this club and I've worked in the past is always that there is a communication between all three, the player, the club and the country.
05:56So that's nothing new. That's always the same also when they come back, when they go.
06:01So, but I think, is it FIFA who did this? FIFA, yeah. They've said the 15th is the last date, I assume, a player has to be released.
06:12So would that mean, even if it wasn't a negotiation, it would be available for Brighton and then go, or would he go before the Brighton game?
06:20What is the date we play Brighton? Is 15th maybe?
06:2315th, 13th, 13th.
06:25Now, here's your answer.
06:26Can I just check as well then, you've touched already the likes of Isaac, Wurtz and Gomez and their fitness status.
06:38I presume it's, is it not possible for them to play three games a week and if that is the case, then do you have to make a decision on which game, out of the next two they play?
06:47I think they're not able to play three times 90. That's for sure. And now I have to wait and see how they feel today if they are able to play tomorrow from the start again.
06:59But that all three of them can be involved in all three games. If they don't get an injury, that's, that's a fair assumption to make.
07:10Pardon?
07:11And just with Mo and Mann again, is there a sort of an indication when we are in that the next week or so you could perhaps try out a few things to see how the team copes with that more?
07:22No, I think in a few weeks he's already at the African Cup of Nations. So we are, we have to find then a way to play without him because he's not there. That's true. Yeah.
07:35And just another one really, so the BBC has been looking at the issue of online abuse in football and in one weekend at the start of November, the research showed that you were one of the most abused coaches online and that managers were more likely to be abused in players.
07:47So just really, how do you feel about that? And what more needs we've learned to eradicate that?
07:52That was probably not after a win, was it?
07:54After the City.
07:55After the City game. Oh, maybe I expected it more after the Forest game.
08:00But I think it's, abuse is never a good thing. Not if it's about me, if it's about the players, if it's about other managers.
08:12That we are criticized, 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, so I'm not aware of it, but I'm not stupid.
08:31I know it's there. I would be the first manager in history.
08:34No, not in history, because it's only recently that managers get abuse online.
08:39That if you start to lose, yeah, 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 is the support the fans give me in the stadium.
08:52Because even at 0-0, the fans were singing for the team, but also for me.
08:59So that's the support I feel.
09:02But I'm not surprised that after our results, that there's abuse.
09:06But in general, that's something that should not happen, but unfortunately it does happen.
09:11Let me just ask about Joe, because he's had such a tough time in the past few years with injuries and things like that.
09:18Maybe a little bit unlucky, but he comes in on Sunday and doesn't put a foot wrong.
09:22How important is it to have not just a player like that, but a character who can come in and do that kind of job for you?
09:29Yeah, it's a skill set he has.
09:31That after a long time of playing, you can play him again and he just performs as he did before that.
09:38And that's something that's not easy, because I've worked with more than a few players that after a certain amount of time without playing,
09:47it's difficult for them to get to a certain standard again.
09:49So it's definitely one of his skill sets.
09:52I also think it was really helpful for him that Dominic Slobosla helped him out a lot.
09:59Because, like you said, Joe did really well, but he got a lot of help from Dominic as well.
10:08Paul?
10:09Hi, Anil.
10:10You 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 Peter's Feet,
10:23where Matt Manash really kind of held the ball for 20 minutes,
10:25and you felt that the crowd was getting a little bit agitated.
10:28Against a team like Sunderland, who are going to be quite aggressive and they're pressing quite high,
10:32how important do you think it is to try and set the tone with how you play,
10:36to try and get that atmosphere going, get everybody on side?
10:39That's always important.
10:41By the way, in that situation, PSV was also pressing us high.
10:44But where PSV normally jumps to the goalkeeper and we can make a triangle,
10:50this time they didn't.
10:52And 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.
11:05I think there was only one moment, but it's never helpful.
11:09So Sunderland are a similar team than PSV was in that moment for the rest of the game.
11:16I think PSV was in a low block, which we didn't expect them to be, but which they did.
11:20But Sunderland combines both, so they are either pressing you really high
11:25or 11 players defend in and around the 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,
11:40ideally even by scoring a goal.
11:44But 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,
11:56we've conceded in the start of the game.
11:59James?
12:00Arne, can I just check on Conor Bradley and Jeremy Frimpong?
12:03What were they up to with their rehab?
12:06Conor got into a training session yesterday for the first time.
12:10Team training?
12:11Team training, yeah.
12:13How do you say this?
12:14Not everything 100% yet, so 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 week.
12:38So 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.
12:45With Conor, do you think tomorrow will come too soon,
12:47but maybe the weekend he could be available for Leeds?
12:49Yeah, I hope he will be available for Leeds, yeah.
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