- 2 days ago
Liverpool boss Arne Slot on the fitness of Mo Salah and the challenges of their Premier League clash with fierce rivals Manchester United
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:00Good morning.
00:07I am, thank you.
00:10Arnold, the news came out that Mo could possibly still play this season,
00:15so who's the latest on the situation when you could possibly expect him back?
00:18That is the latest.
00:22As we know from Mo, he's always working incredibly hard during the season when he's fit,
00:27but definitely also when he's injured to be back as soon as possible.
00:31That's what he's trying now as well, and usually he's earlier fit than other players
00:34after a minor injury because he has a minor injury,
00:37so we expect him indeed to be back in the final part of the season,
00:41but not tomorrow, for Sunday.
00:44In some ways though, is there some relief that he'll be able to get that big send-off?
00:50Not in some ways, in all ways.
00:52It's a big relief that his injury is minor,
00:59so that he's able to play for us, that he's able to play at the World Cup,
01:04and if there's any time a player that deserves to get a big send-off,
01:09it's definitely Mo.
01:12Obviously Freddie did great on his Premier League debut last week,
01:15but it would be a bonus, so I'd imagine to have Alisson back for this weekend as well,
01:18so how is Ali, how far away is he at the moment?
01:21No, for us it's a bonus every player that comes back,
01:24because now if you add Mo to the injury list it's getting longer and longer,
01:29but that's been throughout the whole season,
01:31so Ali hasn't trained with us yet, very close to training with us,
01:36so I have to hear today from the medical staff if he's able to train today,
01:40rather tomorrow or otherwise, start of next week.
01:43So he's very close, but we don't want to take any risk,
01:50because that's never what you do with a player, and that's also what we do now.
01:54If he hasn't trained yet, it would be a big ask if I imagine to come straight back,
01:59and even a keeper at Ali's point.
02:00Yeah, I think there's a difference between the goalkeeper and the player.
02:04If a player hasn't trained for a few weeks,
02:06then players need to run much more than goalkeepers do,
02:12so I don't think the issue with a player is when he's out for four or five weeks
02:15that he forgot to know how to play football,
02:17it's usually that the fitness levels are not at the levels to play
02:20at this intensity that the Premier League is asking,
02:22so there's a difference between the goalkeeper and the outfield player.
02:27Obviously Liverpool against Manchester United is always a big game,
02:30but this is a game as well that could have a big impact on the final league position,
02:34so what importance are you putting on not just this game,
02:37but also trying to overhaul Manchester United and finish top three?
02:41No, I think it's always like that.
02:44Every game you play has influence on your league position,
02:48so that's not only when you play Man United every week and every game,
02:52but we are aware of the fact that it's a very big game,
02:57not only because we play Man United, but definitely also to qualify for Champions League,
03:03and to get the highest possible position in the league table,
03:08which of course is something we want.
03:09We wanted to, of course, win the league, that's not possible,
03:14and then you have to try to end up as high as possible,
03:17and that's what we are trying week in, week out,
03:19and that's what we are going to try Sunday again as well.
03:24Just in terms of steps forward then,
03:26there's a potential chance that you could confirm the top five finish to win this weekend.
03:33Do you see that as a valuable step forward in terms of where this season has been
03:39to where it essentially looks like now?
03:42Well, I wouldn't say a step forward, but it's the right step to make.
03:46We know how important it is to qualify for Champions League,
03:50for any club, but definitely for our club.
03:55So, it's an important step.
03:57If it's a step forward, it's definitely not a step backwards,
04:00but it's an important step to make.
04:02And in terms of the difference between your team and Manchester United last season,
04:09points-wise, it's changed enormously.
04:13What have you seen that has changed in their Master Peloton,
04:16the Michael Carrick that has made them this different opposition?
04:20No, I think last season when we played them
04:22and they were not in the same league position as they are now.
04:25League position, is that the way you say it?
04:28Then I also said that their players are much better than the league position shows.
04:34And another time, another transfer window adding a lot of players.
04:40And that has resulted, I would almost say finally,
04:44in that we now see how good their players are.
04:47And in terms of looking at the league table, we always knew that they were really good,
04:51but now they are also showing it at the league table.
04:54It might be a bit of an advantage that they only play once a week,
04:59but as I said, when we played them every single time,
05:03I saw before we played them in the lead-up to the game,
05:08analyzing them how good they are.
05:10And every time we played them I felt the same,
05:13and now they have become, especially under Michael Carrick,
05:17more consistent in their results.
05:22On that, three consecutive victories is a really good step in the right direction.
05:30For that to be sustainable, do you think you need to start converting more of your chances?
05:35You're right up there in terms of there are a few better when it comes to creating chances,
05:40creating really good chances.
05:42What's it going to take for that chance conversion to improve
05:48and to give you the best opportunities to maximize the potential you have?
05:54Having Alex more and more available,
05:57having him available at his top level would even increase that even more.
06:01In general, having players available would help in becoming consistent.
06:07At the moment, not playing three times in seven days helps in our consistency.
06:14But indeed, chance creation, converting into goals,
06:19that is something we haven't done very well throughout this whole season.
06:25But one of the players that we always thought could score a lot of goals for us
06:29has hardly been available.
06:31And you could see last week that it was a chance, but it wasn't the biggest chance we've got this
06:37season.
06:37And he finished that one-off really well, Alex, by scoring the 1-0.
06:41And scoring a goal is vital in football because that sets you in the right direction.
06:46Or if you don't score it and you can see the set-piece on the other hand,
06:48which happens so many times in the first half of the season,
06:53that brings the game towards a different direction.
06:56So, I'm happy to have Alex back.
06:59Unfortunately, Mo is, of course, another great goalscorer for so many years.
07:04He's not available on Sunday, but Alex is.
07:07And I think some other players that haven't scored the amount of goals that I think they are able to,
07:14or they've shown in the past also that they're able to.
07:18And that will go back to normal in a certain moment.
07:21And the sooner, the better.
07:24When you look at the season overall, we know it hasn't reached the standards that you want to.
07:29And because of that, you come in for a fair bit of individual criticism.
07:33Do you think overall you've been harshly judged because of the success of last season,
07:40especially when you consider all the factors that you rolled into maybe the underperformers this time around?
07:46I think that's for you guys to judge if I've been too harshly judged by many people.
07:51That's not up to me.
07:53I'm judging my football players, if they play well, if they work hard enough,
07:57if they execute tactics well enough.
07:59And I'm not in this job to judge if I'm criticised too harshly or too much or too less.
08:07That's not the way I spend my time on a daily basis.
08:12Carl?
08:15You've certainly gathered a bit of momentum now with the three seasons.
08:20I'm wondering, is the team back-performing at a level that you would expect them to be at now?
08:28No. No, no, no. I think we can be on a much higher level than we are now.
08:34If you simply look at the results, then we can be very positive.
08:38It's three wins out of three games.
08:39But performance-wise, I don't think it has been our three best performances of this season.
08:44So we can play much better.
08:46We've shown already that we can play much better.
08:49But in many of these games we were very unlucky with the outcome of the game.
08:53I think in the last three games, I wouldn't say we did not deserve to win,
08:57but we were more lucky than we've ever been this season.
09:02So this team is capable of much more.
09:05But yeah, it would be helpful if everyone is available once in a while as well.
09:10And that hasn't been the situation throughout the whole season.
09:12And that's very extreme at the moment, the amount of players we are missing.
09:16The good thing is that we only play once a week, which I would prefer not to have.
09:20I would prefer to play the Champions League semi-final during the week.
09:24But since that's not the case, that means that the players that constantly have to play
09:29are a bit better rested in the games in the weekends.
09:33But no, I think we can be much better than we've played recently.
09:51I think we all know that we've lost a member of staff during this season.
09:58We parted ways.
10:00So I think it makes complete sense for this club if someone is leaving in a certain department
10:05that you're looking at replacement.
10:07And in general, I think it makes sense for a club to not only look at
10:11to improve player-wise but also staff-wise.
10:15So we are always keeping our eyes open to improve the club.
10:21And that means that it could be a player but that could also be a staff member.
10:25So yeah, we always look around to see where we can strengthen the club.
10:31Yeah.
10:41How do you expect how we play some at-night out of the club?
10:46Very well.
10:47Not perfect, which is completely normal, but very well.
10:51Especially if you take into account – that's why it makes complete sense that it's not perfect.
10:55although who is perfect in whichever position but he hardly has played in that position throughout his career and that
11:02he does it the way he does it is a big compliment because I think he played twice a good
11:08game against Palace even better than against Everton defensively I mean that mainly which makes sense because usually we improve
11:18by playing more in a certain position getting more used to the players around you into your position and
11:25what we always know from him that he shows great personality in every position he plays never afraid to play
11:30never afraid to get the ball never afraid to take a bit of risk which is something he maybe has
11:38to adjust a little bit because in midfield it's a bit different than playing in the last line and taking
11:42risk but it's also one of his qualities that he's able to bring himself out of very difficult positions which
11:49could come across as taking risk but usually the ball is
11:55he's in safe hands when he has it because he's very good and comfortable on the ball.
12:25I have no clue you have to ask these people
12:30I think every week we need to prove ourselves that's not only for the players that's for me as well
12:37so that is not only when we play in England that's also when we play Fulham when we play Palace
12:42it's just that's the way our lives is we have to prove ourselves every three days and people judge us
12:48every three days and that's completely fair we know this when we went into this job so
12:54so yeah I have no clue how people would react after a win after a win after Palace or the
13:00game against the Man United that's up to others to judge me that's not about me.
13:17I only have a favorite Hungarian journalist
13:24but I also have some favorite Hungarian players
13:30Mo is not Hungarian although he's so close to Miloš and Dominic that sometimes I wonder if he's Hungarian but
13:37sorry
13:40with these two yeah he's a lot of times
13:42so I wanted to start with Dom Dom is always available since I'm here so he will be in the
13:50weekend Miloš has had some nickels so left the training pitch not yesterday but the day before we are today
13:59on Friday so that means he left the training pitch on Wednesday
14:02but I expect him to either today or tomorrow and Armin is in a very good place his teammates are
14:09sometimes annoyed by the fact how well he brings the ball out from the back when they want to press
14:13him so he's in a very good place
14:20that depends of course on Alison if Alison is available yes
14:24if Alison is available yes or no
14:25yeah
14:27I think Lauren said last week after last week
14:31I think you've been sure that Alexander is going to get the ball out and get some of service
14:35I appreciate you still getting back to the fitness
14:37but how important are these next four games
14:40working on that movement in the next season
14:43to get Alexander more in the ball forward
14:47it's very important because the more he touches the ball the bigger the chances we score goals
14:52but it also makes complete sense if a player hasn't been available for such a long time that connections need
15:01to be built
15:04and that's the good thing is that we have some training time now as well
15:08so we are able to bring him in certain positions to make his teammates aware of which positions he prefers
15:15and where he would like to have the ball and it's very helpful for him to get fitter
15:19because for him to get the ball more is not only about his teammates it's also about him
15:24making more runs being more available and not after an action needing a certain amount of time to make the
15:33next action again
15:34if there's anything become clear this week especially on Tuesday is that a game is 95 or no matter how
15:42long it takes
15:44full gas constant running over the course of 95 minutes so being fit is quite important in at the highest
15:56level where we are playing at
16:18I don't only hope that I'm 100% sure he will and for me it's also coincidence by the way
16:23and of course we have to play three more that are now in those moments
16:27so that gives him three more chances to do this
16:32but I think for me it's so clear the development Florian has made throughout his Liverpool career which has only
16:38been ten months
16:39it's for me already very clear and obvious
16:4293rd minute against Crystal Palace making a duel on the sideline
16:47winning a throw-in for us and then making a sprint from 40 yards and hitting the ball in the
16:52top corner
16:53that is something where I'm not completely convinced about that he could do the same eight months ago
17:02when we played Brent for the way or these kind of games
17:04so his improvement and he was already an elite player has been for me clear and obvious
17:12and that improvement will only continue because he's only I say 22 but he might be 23
17:2123 oh then I'm right that he's 22
17:25so so that makes complete sense almost every player in the world is at his best when he's 25 26
17:31but he's already an elite player now but he can only become better
17:34and that's the beauty of the signings we've with last summer that all of them are of a certain age
17:42where we can only expect them to become better as long as they don't get injured
17:47thank you
17:47thank you
17:49thank you
17:49thank you
17:49thank you
17:49thank you
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