- 1 day ago
Liverpool boss Arne Slot on the latest fitness of Mo Salah and the challenges of a Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:01I'd like to start with Mo, because it's something unusual for him to ask to be substituted.
00:05How is he? Will he be available?
00:08Indeed, unusual. And as a result of that, I think you can expect the outcome.
00:13So not available for tomorrow.
00:16Any details on how long he's been on?
00:19The good thing for Liverpool for us is that we go to an international break.
00:24The bad thing for Egypt is that he can't go there,
00:27but we are hoping also with what Mo has shown in the past,
00:33that he can recover faster than other players might can in similar situations,
00:40because he takes so good care of his body.
00:43And history has shown that he can be earlier back than others.
00:51But it's only two weeks when we go again,
00:54so let's hope in that period of time he can be back.
00:57Do you think Joe is OK as well?
01:01That's a good question.
01:03It's always nice to hear that.
01:05You have a good question.
01:10Just as we head into an international break as well.
01:12Does your wife sometimes tell you this as well?
01:17Do you say no?
01:19Did you say no?
01:20Oh.
01:21Don't say no.
01:23No, I've got it.
01:24OK.
01:29Joe was on the bench, but he wasn't able to come in.
01:32We tried to postpone it as far as we could.
01:34He already told me before the start of the game that it didn't feel good.
01:38I said, OK, let's wait at half-time, maybe a miracle can happen
01:41and we might need you an extra time.
01:45So, yeah.
01:50He might be available for tomorrow, but definitely not to start.
01:55I just wonder whether injuries come into this next question actually,
01:58because we spoke the other night about the difficulty of repeating
02:01that kind of level of performance that you showed against Gallup.
02:04That's right.
02:04I just wonder what your thinking is now as to the reasons why
02:08it's been more difficult replicating that kind of performance this season
02:12than maybe it was last campaign when you won the title.
02:14Yeah.
02:16Styles make fights.
02:19And that's actually maybe everything I should say about it,
02:23but if I have to explain this, this means that we faced a team with Galatasaray
02:28that maybe wanted to try to kill a certain momentum,
02:32but they wanted to press, they wanted to bring the ball out from the back,
02:35they had a certain style, they wanted to fight with us.
02:38And I've said it 150 times, and I will keep on saying this for the rest of my life,
02:42it will never be about us if a game is not entertaining.
02:46It will never be about us.
02:48All the times we faced a team that wanted to fight with us,
02:53we gave them the fight and we gave the fans a great game.
02:57But if we have to fight against a team that doesn't want to fight
02:59and only want to hold their hands in front of their face,
03:02yeah, it's really difficult to give punches.
03:05So it's more difficult and it's less open and less attractive.
03:11So yeah, that's all I can say.
03:13We faced a team Galatasaray that's used to be the better team of the two
03:17because they are the champions of Turkey, they want to play, like I said.
03:24And you cannot compare that at all with most of the teams that we faced this season.
03:31As you're looking then to build momentum again, what style do you feel you're facing this weekend?
03:38A very attractive and interesting style, which makes it then again complicated as well
03:45because we only have, what is it, 62 hours of rest in between
03:49where we put in an enormous shift Wednesday in terms of physical performance.
03:55And that was your second part of the question you asked before.
03:59Yeah, tell me what is smart and I have to make that decision.
04:02But Jeremy Frimpong, for example, is such an explosive player,
04:07made so many sprints and so many times this season.
04:10Unfortunately, when games came fast, he got injured.
04:17Now, Joe being out, so you can already understand which questions we have to answer.
04:26And now I'm only talking about Jeremy.
04:28But Brighton has always been the team, with their former managers
04:35and definitely with this manager as well, who always want to play,
04:38who always want to bring the ball out from the back,
04:40who are going to make it a very intense game
04:42because they've also seen how intense our game was with their fans behind them.
04:47So we've played them already twice this season, I think,
04:50and both games were fascinating, interesting, high tempo, high pace
04:56because we faced a team that wanted to play with us.
05:00It does feel different away from home for Liverpool as late against Brighton
05:06than at home, given the record as well.
05:09But they have conceded more goals in the first half than they have in the away half,
05:14whereas you're struggling to score goals away from home in the first half.
05:17I'm trying to work out what sort of game is.
05:20What are you expecting in that respect?
05:23Do you have to go for it in the first half?
05:26You would say you're struggling to score goals,
05:28and then you add it in the first half.
05:30I would say we are struggling to score goals over –
05:34not that we don't score them, but with all the chances we create,
05:39it's unbelievable that we don't score more,
05:42especially looking at the quality we are having up front
05:45and throughout the whole team.
05:47But I don't look at games like that,
05:50like, OK, they will score second or the first, or we first, second.
05:53Now we need to be ready from the start
05:56because they will make it a very intense game, as I just said.
05:59And apart from the physical part, it's mostly also emotionally and mentally not always easy
06:05after such an emotional and physical and mental peak we had on Wednesday evening
06:12then to go to a 12.30 kick-off and face a team and fans
06:19that are not going to hold their hands in front of their face
06:22but want to come at us straight away.
06:24And there we have to be very well prepared for
06:27and be ready to face that fight and go into that fight with them.
06:31It's brave but refreshing, isn't it, when a team does that come out
06:35and, as you say, wants to go outside to town?
06:37Yeah, it's really nice. It's always really nice.
06:41If I – you'll probably say, yeah, you're always something to complain,
06:45but I would have preferred to face a team now that maybe did this a little bit more.
06:52But if we would have had a week of rest, then please bring us a fight like that.
06:59But yeah, we're the only team, by the way, and that's not complaining, that's just being realistic,
07:06that played on Tuesday or Wednesday in Europe and all the teams are playing on Sunday
07:11and we are the lucky ones that have to play a 12.30 away game against one of the most
07:16intense teams in the league.
07:20But we will be ready for it.
07:22Do you like 12.30?
07:23I don't mind at all playing at 12.30 because we train – not today, a little bit later –
07:29because we want to give them as much rest as we can because sleeping is very important in recovery.
07:35But usually we train around 12.30, 1 o'clock.
07:39So if we could not perform at that time, then it's really stupid to train at that time.
07:44So I don't mind at all playing at 12.30.
07:49I do mind playing Sunday evening, I think it was 20 past six when we finished the game against Tottenham,
07:55then Wednesday evening, a tough game that could have gone also to extra time.
07:59And then putting that team on a 12.30 kick-off for the sixth, seventh time this season.
08:06That is not what you would prefer as a manager, let alone if you want to get the best performance
08:14or the best outcome or the nicest game against two teams that are usually,
08:18if they play against each other, a joy to watch.
08:23Just another one on Mo Salah.
08:26What did you make of the way he bounced back from that penalty miss the other night?
08:30And does it make it even more of a shame?
08:32Is it even worse timing that he bounced back really well, putting a great second-half performance,
08:37just when there were questions being asked about his form this season as well?
08:41No, I think his first half was also not too bad and the whole team played a very good game.
08:47And I've said many times that it's helpful for individuals if the team plays a very good game
08:53and then individuals can shine.
08:58It says a lot about him, about his mental strength, but that maybe also comes with age.
09:05So if you've experienced this more, that you missed a penalty or you missed a chance in the first half,
09:10if you get older you're getting better and better probably at handling situations like this.
09:18And he has always done this really well.
09:21The amount of times I had questions about him not scoring three games in a row, five games or 90
09:26minutes,
09:27or that's something he had so many times in his career that he can just shut that all down
09:34and give the performance as he did in the second half with an assist, a goal,
09:38and being involved in the other goal as well.
09:41That is experience that he has and the mental strength that he has.
09:47When Brighton came to Anfield in the league, they created a lot of chances against you.
09:51You weren't getting 2-0 of course, but I think they created 1.9 xG on the day.
09:55How does that compare to other teams you've faced this season in terms of the amount of chances that you
10:00conceded to teams?
10:01Yeah, and they didn't score, didn't they? No.
10:04And that's a big, big, big, big, big, big exception when it comes to us
10:09because usually we concede that we only have 0.4 xG against us
10:13and sometimes we even concede two goals like we did against Wolves.
10:19So that was one of the exceptions.
10:20But again, it tells you that if they come to us or they want to play,
10:25and both games were very equal and we haven't had a lot of luck this season.
10:33But those two games were quite equal and we were the ones that won them both, the league and the
10:38cup.
10:39Although I think in the cup we were maybe, xG-wise, also a bit above them.
10:44But in the league we were in a difficult time in that period of time, but we were able to
10:49win it.
10:51Yeah, that is who they are, who they are against anyone.
10:54Everywhere they go, everywhere they play, they are able to generate a lot of xG.
10:58They've been, like us, very, very, very unlucky this season if it comes to the amount of chances created in
11:05scoring.
11:06They deserve to have much more points than they are having, looking at their playing style,
11:11looking at how many chances they've created compared to how many they've conceded.
11:17So yeah, let's hope their run continues like that and it doesn't change tomorrow.
11:24Carl?
11:26Can you say what the nature of the mode is?
11:30Ah, Marshall.
11:58Yeah, I don't know how many times I have to say this.
12:02Please keep asking the question because then I can every time tell you.
12:06Dominic is for me a midfielder.
12:08He is for me a midfielder.
12:10Should I say this five or six times?
12:12So the moment I play him in a different position, that doesn't come because I think I want to be
12:16a tactical genius.
12:17That comes because I don't have other options available in that position and I try to choose the best available
12:23player for that position.
12:25And if I then sometimes play in there when there is a fullback on the bench, please ask yourself the
12:29question,
12:30is that fullback then available to play that game?
12:33Is it smart to play him or is it a big risk to play him?
12:35Because if I have another fullback available that is in good shape and in good form and is available to
12:41play,
12:41he will play there and Dominic will play in the midfield.
12:44So every time I make a line-up from now on, you don't have to ask yourself that question.
12:50Oh, there must be a reason why he's playing right fullback.
12:54Because Dominic is a very, very, very good midfielder for us.
12:59We have more than only Dominic, by the way.
13:01So that's also why I can bring him to another position.
13:05First of all because he's able to play in different positions,
13:07because he's done really well also in that position.
13:10But if I have the chance, I play him in the midfield.
13:20I don't completely agree.
13:23If everybody is available, the team is stronger when he's playing in midfield.
13:28But if we miss out five, six, seven players, which we've done a lot of times this season,
13:33then maybe we disagree.
13:35But then for me the team was then, when I made that choice,
13:39stronger with playing him at fullback and playing other players in midfield.
13:41Maybe I was wrong, because we didn't win every single game we played at right fullback.
13:48But that was then my take on it.
13:49But if every player that we have in this squad is available,
13:53then the best team is not with Dominic Soboslai at right fullback.
14:09Is this how football works? We win one time and now we're talking about my contract?
14:21We didn't win one time, by the way, although people try to generate that feeling.
14:26We've won more than everybody thinks in the last one or two months.
14:30But I'm completely not...
14:35You surprised me with this question because my focus is completely on Brighton.
14:40And three days ago it was more on how can we get something positive out of this season.
14:47Now we've reached a quarter-final that's positive.
14:49Now we have to make the next step in the league,
14:51because we don't have the greatest position in the league as well.
14:54So it's going to be a fight until the end of the season.
14:57And my focus is completely on that end.
15:01We don't talk about contracts of players here,
15:04so it would be a surprise if we talk about contracts of managers over here.
15:09You mentioned before that you don't mind playing 12-30 kick-offs,
15:13but it is difficult having had just 62 hours between the previous games.
15:17Currently the Premier League rule says that if you're away in the Champions League
15:21you don't play in the 12-30 kick-offs.
15:24But if you're away in the Premier League game, you have similar kind of issues.
15:28With so many Premier League teams now playing in Europe,
15:31I think there's nine this season,
15:33could potentially be nine again next season,
15:35last year they're going to finish top five in the Europa League.
15:38Would you like to see the Premier League maybe making it a little bit easier
15:41for the teams that are in Europe in terms of being able to manage the schedule?
15:44Yeah, it's so complicated and so difficult for them,
15:49because there are so many things they have to be aware of.
15:52So it's not only this, it's also television.
15:54We are a very popular team, so television really want to broadcast us.
16:02So they've told me in the beginning of the season once
16:05what they all need to know and need to do together,
16:09and things are getting more and more complicated every season
16:11because so many teams are in Europe.
16:13So it's not a complaint against DFA.
16:17It's just trying to understand for people that a 12-30 kickoff
16:23after Wednesday evening game, after playing on Sunday,
16:26it's already different if you play on Saturday.
16:28And please be aware if we come back after the international break,
16:32we play Wednesday Paris Saint-Germain, Saturday Fulham if I'm correct,
16:36and Tuesday Paris Saint-Germain again.
16:38That's again a program that is far from ideal.
16:47But we also have to accept this because we want this program,
16:50because I can already know that people are saying,
16:52yeah, why are they coming?
16:53This is what they want.
16:53Yeah, this is what we want.
16:57But if you want to have the best outcome,
16:59if you want to have the players in their best possible form,
17:01in the best possible way for them to perform,
17:03then 12-30 wouldn't be ideal,
17:05it would have made much more sense to players on a Sunday.
17:08But if I'm correct, but please correct me if I'm wrong,
17:12the television can always select one game to put on Saturday
17:14and the other one can have the other game on Saturday?
17:17I think there's been time for mid-play,
17:18it's the Saturday game in the evening.
17:20Okay.
17:24No, not with us, unfortunately.
17:29The last one?
17:31Just to come back to Salah,
17:32you had seven shots in the morning,
17:36and when they might be in the box,
17:39do you feel like getting in around the box and around the post
17:42hasn't quite happened this season?
17:44Do you feel like the post needs a bit more central role going for?
17:47Or even the rest of the season?
17:53I don't want to come across as someone who constantly tries to tell you the same.
17:58I've had to say 1500 times that Dominic is the best in midfield.
18:03So I'm going to reply to your question one more time.
18:07Styles make fights.
18:09So if it's an open game, then we will always be able to generate a lot of chances.
18:14And Mo will be able to generate a lot of chances and he will be there a lot.
18:18But if the game is not open or we hardly play because of time wasting or because of other reasons,
18:23then it's harder for our players to come as many times in the box.
18:26So you cannot compare Kalatasaray to Leeds at home or Sunderland at home,
18:32because these teams have a completely different style and they are used to playing that style.
18:38But it's always my aim and every manager's aim to get the guys who can score goals for you as
18:44much as you can in promising positions.
18:46But I assume that's the aim for the other manager to make sure Mo gets as less possible opportunities to
18:53be in and around the box and create chances.
18:55And that's what I mean with style makes fights.
18:59Yeah.
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