- 9 minutes ago
Liverpool boss Arne Slot previews their Premier League clash with Bournemouth which could feature a return for Mo Salah after the Africa Cup of Nations
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:00I just wanted to ask about Dominic after his free-kick the other night as well.
00:05He's had the odd up and down as well, obviously the penalty missed against Burnley,
00:10he was criticised a little bit against Barnsley for lack of disrespect,
00:13but at the same time he seems to be someone who takes responsibility in big moments,
00:17as he did again the other night against Marseille.
00:19So how do you assess how he's becoming a leader within your group?
00:23You surprised me a little bit because I was completely prepared for a Mo Salah question,
00:28because for one and a half years you always start with Mo Salah.
00:34No, Adoma is having a very good season,
00:38but indeed he's been part of two moments in our recent games which was not of his standard.
00:45Missing a penalty is not common for him,
00:47but it happens in football as we see so many times.
00:50And his mistake against Barnsley was someone you don't see often,
00:57and he acknowledged that.
00:59Apart from the great goal he scored,
01:03a smart goal with a little bit of help of one of my coaching staff members,
01:07I think we also showed again how important he is when we don't have the ball,
01:13and also when we have the ball because he gave great assists to Jugo Ekitike as well,
01:17who unfortunately hit the woodwork.
01:20In terms of the qualities that he's shown as a leader, what are you seeing from him?
01:24I think it always starts if you want to be a leader by leading by example,
01:29and that's what he's done since the one and a half year I'm here.
01:34He's always the one that without the ball is incredible,
01:39the way he can press the intensity, he keeps running backwards and forwards,
01:45and I think he improved this season on the ball compared to last season,
01:51where last season I already liked him,
01:53but this season he plays with even more confidence
01:55and he's more often involved in chances and goals.
01:59So he's having a good season, as some other individuals have as well.
02:07How different are Liverpool now, and how different are Bournemouth
02:10to the two sides that played at the 14th and Anfield earlier this season?
02:15In terms of playing style, not too different, I think.
02:21From what I remember, the players they played, they might miss a few now because of injuries,
02:27and of course Semenya went to City.
02:30If I remember my line-up, we missed Ryan Gravenberg if I'm correct,
02:36because of the first game of the season because of suspension.
02:39Also not too different in terms of how we will line up tomorrow
02:46and the way we both want to play.
02:49I think Bournemouth is one of the most intense teams in the league,
02:52there in every running stat they're either on top or in the top three, top four.
03:01So you know if you go there you have to be intense yourself,
03:05and that is a lot to ask from the players because I think we're the only team
03:10that plays in Europe that has only two days' rest, except for the ones that play on Thursday.
03:14And that's not for the first time this season, but also not for the first time this season.
03:18We've shown that we're able to do so.
03:21So looking forward to go there, because we have a good memory of last season.
03:27Very difficult game, but a very important one to win for us to win the league.
03:33But you know from last season and from this season that it's a difficult team to face.
03:42My thoughts are obviously with Ibu and his family at the moment.
03:45Have you had the opportunity to speak to him and it almost seems silly to ask how he is,
03:49but hopefully you get the sentiment behind that.
03:51Yeah, I spoke to him a few times.
03:55I think these are private matters and they should stay between us,
04:03but it's very obvious that if something like that happens
04:07then a player needs time to be there for his family and also time for himself.
04:17I'll just take you back to the start of the season for that format again.
04:21I think we just spoke about Dominic.
04:23I think we just spoke about Dominic.
04:25He was the first defending champions to ever play for debutants in a real game to start.
04:28He was one of them, of course.
04:31So with him in mind, I think, with him coming from Bournemouth as well,
04:35how would you sum up the first half of the season for him?
04:39He's played a lot of games, he's got a lot of games in January.
04:42So fitness-wise, is he still up there?
04:44And I suppose what does all that mean for Ibu and Overson as well?
04:48I think we just spoke about Dominic.
04:51And if you talk about Milos and a lot of signings we've made,
04:56you can see the progression they are making in terms of adjustment to the team,
05:01but definitely also in power and being able for Milos.
05:06It doesn't happen many times that he was playing in the weekend and also during the week.
05:10I think a few times I've played Robbo during the week,
05:14but Milos is getting stronger and stronger and stronger in my opinion.
05:17He plays better and better and better,
05:19so it was a moment to give him that game during the week as well,
05:24and he did really well in my opinion in Maasai.
05:27And he's improving, which is normal.
05:30I just got the question about the signings,
05:40and I told them if you look at the age of our signings,
05:43they will not only be better the second half of the season,
05:45they will be better next season,
05:46and they will be better that season afterwards and that season afterwards.
05:50That is also the way this club is run.
05:53We sign young players where we think there is a lot of room for development,
05:57although they are already really good.
05:59So, yeah, he's improving, but not only him.
06:03All young players do.
06:05And we have to make sure that the players that are a bit of an older level
06:08stay at their elite level.
06:11It sounds like you were preparing yourself for another question,
06:14so you might as well ask.
06:16Why do you look at him now?
06:18Because I think there is only one team in his history here in Liverpool
06:23that he has scored more goals against than he has against Bournemouth.
06:27Which team is that?
06:29Manchester.
06:30OK, I didn't know that.
06:31But he does do well against Bournemouth,
06:34and he has not played in the Premier League since 2013,
06:37so I suppose how he is doing,
06:39whether this is the one for him to come back in for a Premier League start for him,
06:44and what maybe changes four players against certain teams?
06:49Four players against certain teams? What maybe changes?
06:53In terms of, he has not started in the Premier League since then,
06:58and in terms of maybe when you score so many goals against a certain team,
07:02maybe it hasn't changed?
07:04No, that doesn't change because Mo scored against any team in the Premier League,
07:09a lot of goals.
07:10Probably one of the most was Bournemouth,
07:13but I think against any team he scored a lot.
07:15Mo played 90 minutes as many others did,
07:18and yesterday we had a recovery session because we couldn't go back home after the game
07:23because we had a late kick-off, as we had so many times in Europe,
07:27not once we had an early kick-off.
07:30So yeah, we had a recovery yesterday, we trained today,
07:33and knowing Mo, he's ready to play tomorrow,
07:37because he's shown that so many times in his career,
07:40but he, like all the others, has a training session to go,
07:43and then I will decide on the line-up for tomorrow.
07:48Jeremy Frimpong has started last four for you,
07:51that's his longest-running team for you so far since signing.
07:54I'm just wondering what you thought about his development so far,
07:57his recent performances,
07:59and what an inform Jeremy Frimpong might do
08:01for bringing the best out of Mo Salah again?
08:04Now, one of the reasons why Jeremy played as well so many games
08:09is that he was, I think, before Mo came back,
08:13the only player I had for the right side.
08:15So that increases the chance for a player to play.
08:19But it's also immediately a risk,
08:21because he's been out quite long this season,
08:23and now he has to play almost every game,
08:25and he's, as you can see, quite an intense player.
08:28And what I mean with intense, if he runs, it's already sprinting,
08:32because he's so fast.
08:34So we have to take good care of him,
08:38but he's had a big impact in the games he's played since he's back from injury.
08:43That's why I and he were also disappointed not to have him available for such a long time,
08:48because we all know he could do this.
08:50We've spoken a lot about taking 1v1s on and making the difference now.
08:54I think in the last three or four games he's shown that,
08:57even in the last game, taking a 1v1 on, that led to a goal.
09:01How important that is in modern football.
09:03So to have him available is really nice and really important for us,
09:06and it not only impacts Mo Salah, it impacts the whole team
09:10if you have a good player available.
09:12And Jeremy is a very good player.
09:14But we also have to take good care of him to keep him available for us.
09:19And that is always a thin line and difficult margins,
09:24if there's not a lot to choose from.
09:27On his position, I mean that.
09:31But he's done really well in the last four to five games.
09:35Three clean sheets in your last six games,
09:38and you've spoken a bit in your post-match interviews
09:40about conceding chances and not conceding too many.
09:43Do you feel like you're improving defensively recently?
09:46Do you feel like you've seen some development there as the season goes on?
09:50Yeah, that's clear for everyone to see, I think.
09:53I think in all the 13 games we are unbeaten,
09:59I don't think there were many games,
10:02maybe only the Brighton game,
10:04where we conceded more than one XG.
10:07So that tells you that we hardly conceded a chance in any game we've played.
10:12To be honest, I think we've conceded more
10:15against Marseille, two or three good chances for them
10:18than we've conceded in other games.
10:20But the good thing was that, and that's how it works in football,
10:23it doesn't continue for a whole season,
10:25that every time the other team has one chance it's seemingly a goal.
10:29And Ali had a great save, two in the first half
10:33and another one in the second half.
10:35And after Hugo hit the bar,
10:38we were lucky that in a counter-attack they missed a chance,
10:42they hit it over the woodwork,
10:44and in the last minute Ali again made a great save.
10:46So we know we have one of the best goalkeepers in the world,
10:50so knowing that then you know that we cannot go on
10:55with hardly conceding a chance and conceding goals.
11:00The last two games have probably been the best two performances in this
11:06and beat them, but not one of the ones in the season.
11:09I'm just wondering, is this the Liverpool style you envisaged
11:13maybe at the start of the season when you made all the new signings
11:16and you talked about the development that you had in the second half of the season?
11:20Are you telling me now that Burnley was, in your opinion, one of our best games?
11:25Best dancers?
11:26Sorry?
11:27Best dancers?
11:28For me as well, but I thought I was the only one, but now we're on two.
11:31So that's positive, at least I'm not the only one then.
11:41No, I think you can include the Arsenal game as well,
11:44it was also a good game of ours.
11:46And we've played, in my opinion, many, many, many good games this season,
11:51which doesn't always come to the light, is that the way to say it?
11:55If you've lost too many games during a season as well,
11:59because people are mainly looking at the league table
12:02and then not a lot that we do is positive.
12:05But we've played quite a lot of good games,
12:08we've had quite a lot of good individual performances,
12:10we've spoken about Florian, everybody's spoken a lot about him,
12:13that he lacked goals and assists in the beginning of the season,
12:16but he was so close to it every single time.
12:18And even now, when he's scoring and is having assists,
12:21he could almost double it with the chances he's having
12:25or the chances he gives to his teammates.
12:28So I can only see so many positives from this team
12:31in terms of the progress we made,
12:34but we had to adapt so many times throughout the season.
12:37It's hardly any time we could play the same again every time,
12:40and I said this before the game against Marseille as well,
12:44when Hugo scored his first goal against Tottenham he was injured,
12:48when Conor played a good game against Arsenal
12:51and Jeremy played good on the right side, Conor got a big injury.
12:54That has happened a lot of times at Frankfurt,
12:58when Hugo and Alex played together, Alex picked up an injury.
13:03So every time we have to adapt again,
13:05and every time we try to find a new way of getting the best out of this team,
13:11and sometimes that works better than other times.
13:14But I can assure you that we're already in a good place,
13:19but this team, this club, will be in a better place the day after tomorrow.
13:24Tomorrow and the day after and the day after and the day after.
13:27I don't mean that we're not in a good place on Saturday.
13:33You're welcome.
13:34I know you've said a number of times you've been happy with the squad,
13:37obviously there's a week to go until the end of the transfer.
13:40Do you anticipate there'll be an end-movement,
13:42or do you think it's more likely that you'll stick with the squad
13:45that you've got for the rest of the season?
13:47Yeah, that's what I expect, yeah.
13:49But as I always say then, if there's an opportunity in the market
13:53or we think we can strengthen the squad,
13:56then this club will always try to do so.
13:59But at this moment of time I expect it to stay mainly the same.
14:04Hi Arnie, I wanted to ask you a word about Joe Gomez.
14:08It was another opportunity for him to come into the first team
14:12and show the elite level without having necessarily a whole lot of football.
14:16His main battle this season has really been fitness.
14:19I know you've used him a lot of fall-back in comparison to a centre-back.
14:24As long as there's a little bit of different physical demands on fall-back
14:28in terms of being up and down and contributing to attack and defence.
14:31So, in terms of trying to keep Joe fit,
14:33is there any conversations around maybe keeping him at centre-back
14:37now that obviously you've got Calvin Brandt and Solskjaer who can play as a full-back?
14:41I think what we always try to do is prepare players for the demands of the game.
14:46So if we think we need him as a full-back, we prepare him for the demands of what it takes to play as a full-back.
14:52But he played a very good game as a centre-back,
14:55but I also liked him a lot when he played as a full-back against Inter Milan.
14:58So I think he's shown he's one of the few players maybe that doesn't have to play a lot of games
15:05and still play at a very high level.
15:08So that is very positive, and like you said, he's not been available always,
15:13but this season much more than last season.
15:16It's good to have him because he played a good game off the ball,
15:23but I also remember a few plowals through the lines
15:26that were really effective as the lead-up for the 3-0 he was part of.
15:31So, two days turnaround, hasn't played many games,
15:37so let's see how he feels today and if he's able to start Saturday.
15:46I'm very confident because I work with these players every single day
16:09and I see the qualities they are having,
16:11but it's always hard to predict the future
16:14because if these players all stay available,
16:19I think we're in a very good place.
16:21But sometimes in football you can pick up injuries from nowhere.
16:25I didn't expect to have Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Ruiz and Conor Bradley available for such a long time.
16:32But I think this team has shown many times if they are available, if we are fit,
16:39that we are a very, very competitive team against any team in the world.
16:44So there's a lot of confidence from me looking forward to the future.
16:51But yeah, fitness is of course something that's difficult to predict,
16:54but even if we pick up some injuries we will still be able to compete.
16:58I can assure you that.
17:00Can we just check on the team news as well?
17:03Is Federico back for this one?
17:05Any other non-stop problems?
17:07As I said, Federico wasn't able to be on the bench Wednesday.
17:11So yeah, then there was a recovery session yesterday.
17:15So we have to wait and see today.
17:19It's difficult for me to say if he's available for Bournemouth.
17:24We don't expect him to be out for long,
17:26so it would be 50-50 maybe if he's available for tomorrow.
17:30And for the rest, at this moment of time, no-one picked up and up,
17:34no-one had a problem after the game,
17:36but sometimes when you start training again you can feel something.
17:39But I expect everyone, all the same players, to be available for tomorrow.
17:45And Kelvin Ramsey is of course a player who is not available for the Champions League
17:49and they will be available for the Premier League.
17:52So that's another player to add.
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