- 5 weeks ago
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola on his hopes for the season ahead of their Premier League opener against Newcastle and the transfer window
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:04When you train with the players, you feel like this week is a little bit different.
00:09We've been preparing friendlies, we've been preparing for other opposition, but this smells different.
00:16I'm looking forward to be there on Sunday and feel the pressure and start the competition.
00:25That is what we like here.
00:28Realistic expectations?
00:30I think you will put me for sure, the goals and everything.
00:34I want to be a really good team.
00:37I want to use the good players that I have in the best way so they give us the chance
00:43to fight for everything.
00:45To make this a better team, we understand you still want two wide attacking options.
00:50How confident are you doing that before the deadline?
00:53How much of a problem is it that you've not been able to do that already?
00:57As a manager, this is an easy one for me.
01:00I wanted the players for the first day, 13th of July.
01:03Everyone here, all the positions doubled, top-level players, you know.
01:07But you understand how the competition works.
01:11The market is open and you start the competition.
01:15We have to adapt as coaches to these situations.
01:19I hate these two weeks or these ten days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty.
01:25But not in Liverpool, not everywhere.
01:27Everywhere because once the market is open.
01:29But we have to adapt.
01:31Honestly, I don't spend too much time thinking on these things.
01:33I know that you will ask me a lot of questions about the market and this.
01:37But I am focused on the game against Newcastle.
01:40That is massive for me.
01:42Using the very good players that we have right now in the building in the best way so we can
01:48be competitive from the beginning.
01:50I think I know what will happen when I throw a couple of names at you.
01:53But Barkola, Minta, how likely are they to be the players that are brought in?
01:57But also, how important is it to bring in a replacement for Curtis Jones?
02:01Yes, you know what I am going to tell you.
02:03We cannot speak about players that are not ours.
02:06I understand the questions.
02:10With Curtis, you know, I think it is not still official but there is an ongoing situation.
02:17I understood with Curtis.
02:19I talked to him in the first or second training.
02:22We talked and I value him a lot as a player.
02:26He loves this club.
02:28It was very clear since the beginning for me.
02:31But I understood that probably the outcome was going to be what it has been at the end.
02:39And in terms of what we need, you know, there are certain situations that for me are clear,
02:44that are especially now on the wing because we don't have enough players specific to play in those positions.
02:52And then after, in other positions, I think we have to be open-minded in the market to see situations
03:00that honestly can improve our team.
03:03No, it's not about signing because we need a player here.
03:06No, it's about improving the squad.
03:08And we have very good players already here.
03:10So to improve our very good players, you need, like, specific level players, yes.
03:16Very good to see you.
03:17Good to see you.
03:17You talked about some of the incomings, a lot of transfers, speculation, of course.
03:20One name, again linked with a move outside of Liverpool, is Cody Gapbo.
03:24How motivated is he to contribute this weekend if he is caught up?
03:29Cody is performing really well.
03:31I think he has been, since the first day training, very well, understanding everything we need from his position.
03:38I think you can feel straight away when you talk to him, he understands the game.
03:43He is very smart.
03:46And he has been, I don't know if one of our best players in the friendlies,
03:50but definitely he has been performing very well.
03:53And I cannot tell you the starting eleven.
03:57The players don't know it, so I will never say it.
04:01But definitely he is in a great spot.
04:03We won't tell anyone the starting eleven.
04:06I suspect you will.
04:07In terms of Newcastle this weekend, a new Premier League era for both clubs, both new managers, of course.
04:12Matthias Gaisler, what do you expect from a Newcastle team?
04:17Yes, I think Matthias, we knew him from before,
04:21but we've been now that you play always the first game of the season.
04:24You overanalyze everything, even the teams that he has been coaching before.
04:29We don't have so many friendlies as a reference with Newcastle,
04:33but at the end, I don't think it changes too much the style.
04:39Newcastle will be strong in transitions, very fast players up front, physical team,
04:46especially at home, the atmosphere in St. James Winspark is going to be strong.
04:50So we know it's not an easy game to start the season.
04:53So we have to be ready for that start, for that level of players.
04:59And I think we are preparing for this year.
05:03And just finally for me, is there extra motivation for a player like Alexander Isak,
05:07not just because of the Newcastle connection, but surely after such lengthy spells on the sideline,
05:12he must be chomping at the bit to prove his point in the Liverpool show?
05:15I suppose it's going to be, you know, it's always special when you play against your ex-team in your
05:21stadium,
05:22the same way when I go back to play against Bournemouth or, you know,
05:26you always want to do well in the Premier League and the first game of the season.
05:33I think everyone will be very, very motivated and I think it's going to be the same for Alex.
05:38Hi, Andoni. Players like Mo Salah have left and Andy Robertson as well, Canate.
05:44A lot of experience there has gone out of the club.
05:47Are you confident that you've got the leadership qualities within the squad at the moment to carry through?
05:53Yeah, it's true. Both of the things you said are very true.
05:57We lost a lot in terms of experience of high-level players
06:03that have performed so well for so many years here.
06:06But I think it's also a natural thing in clubs.
06:09I think we have a lot of very young players also willing to take those minutes,
06:16ready to take those leadership roles.
06:21And overall I'm very happy with the attitude of the players in this pre-season.
06:26Pre-season is always easier for the managers because there are less complaints about minutes,
06:30about being out of the squad, about these things.
06:32But still I think everyone has been very ready to understand what we demand from them.
06:40And I'm happy with the feeling I have with this group of players, yes.
06:44And in the relatively short time that you've been here, has anything really surprised you about being Liverpool manager?
06:52No, I think a lot of things surprised you in terms of how big this club is.
06:58But I knew where I was coming.
07:00I knew that we are going in pre-season and we are more than 100 people travelling.
07:06The amount of people following us when you go down to your hotel and you see the expectations.
07:14But it's lovely and I feel the privilege of being here in this moment, yes.
07:31It's difficult to say in terms of percentage, but I'm sure if you ask Matthias the same question,
07:38I know a lot of the new managers that are coaching new teams, probably not 100%.
07:46But I'm happy in terms of, I think we are in a level where we can compete and we can
07:51win games
07:52and we can be still a good team.
07:55That we need to improve, definitely.
07:56We will improve and we will try to do it as quickly as possible.
08:01But there are always processes and I think, you know, pre-season always is, you never know where you are.
08:10So we are willing to start also and know, OK, because pre-season is, you change a lot the teams.
08:18You don't know if the teams have gone strong, has gone a little bit weaker.
08:22They've been training a lot, they've been training less.
08:25So friendlies are, for me, a good reference, but not as good as the real thing that starts on Sunday.
08:32And I think we are in a good place.
08:37Can I just go back to Isaac as well?
08:40Yeah.
08:40He's currently your own sort of fit striker.
08:44How important is it to A, keep him fit and B, keep him as part of the plan you have
08:51for him?
08:52I think the same as other players.
08:55Alex is going to be a very important player for us this season.
08:59Right now, I think he's in a very good place.
09:02He's been training every day, he hasn't been in a training session.
09:06He's been adding more and more minutes every friendly game.
09:10I think he already played a very good World Cup in terms of availability, fitness level.
09:17And I want to keep him there as much as we can, no?
09:21Because we know his level and if we can keep him there, he will score the goals, he will give
09:25us a lot of things.
09:27Probably my fights with him, my instructions are more in terms of without the ball,
09:35how he can help in the positioning when we are on the ball so he can open spaces for other
09:40players.
09:42I'm not trying to focus on terms of goals, but you know, he's a striker, he will want to score.
09:48But I try not to judge the strikers because they scored or they haven't.
09:56It says that you're going to face the first six games, six new managers.
10:01You've spoken before about analysts being sort of underrated in clubs and something obviously you pride yourself.
10:07I think at Bournemouth you to sort of cut your own videos as well.
10:11Is it the same here? What does the department look like?
10:13And how important is that particular department when it comes to the start of the season for you?
10:18Yes, for me there have been a lot of managerial changes this last season.
10:25We are facing a lot of new managers like me here in the first game.
10:31So there is an extra part of the job to do.
10:35Analyzing how they've played in their previous clubs.
10:41Even certain situations, set pieces, routines that they can use against us.
10:46Things that they've been doing.
10:51And I think we are getting to know each other with the analysts, the things that I like from every
10:59situation.
11:00I think we've had already five, six games in preseason to try to arrive also in the best form to
11:07this first game of the season.
11:08We've been doing the same thing in the friendly.
11:11So now we are ready for when the competition starts.
11:14But as you say for me the analysts group are very important in clubs.
11:20I've come also with one analyst that has helped me with this integration with their group.
11:26And I think we are in a good place.
11:29But I want us, the same as the team, to improve also our relationships, our connections, half-time, these things.
11:37Because it's the best way to help the players.
11:39And just one, Curtis.
11:41I think you said you spoke to him very early on.
11:43Was there a desire from your end to try and keep hold of him?
11:47Yes, I've never had it for me.
11:49Curtis is a very good player.
11:50Very, very good player.
11:51But I understood straight away when he talked to me, his situation.
11:56He's coming from some years now, kind of in the same position, same situation.
12:03And I didn't know in that moment.
12:05But it was a situation that could happen.
12:09And it looks like it's going to happen.
12:13Hi, Andoni.
12:14Just going on from that, obviously you've lost at midfield now.
12:18Obviously it's been a big preseason for Petrini.
12:20Is he someone who you feel can make that step up?
12:23Or are you sort of being open-minded and seeing if there's an opportunity in the market as well?
12:27No, I'm very happy with Trey.
12:29I'm very, very happy.
12:30He has been very good in preseason, not only in the games.
12:34Even when he trains with us, he's facing top-level players and he's at the level.
12:40So I have no doubts with Trey.
12:42He will be very valuable this season for us.
12:44And I hope he plays a lot and he gives the level that I see in everyday training, yes.
12:50Mark?
12:51Hi, Andoni.
12:52Following on from the question about Alex Isak.
12:54We've seen so far in preseason when he's been substituted.
12:57I think we've seen Will Wright play central striker,
12:59Luis Cumas, Federico Chiesa.
13:02We haven't seen Cody Gatpo, who in previous times at Liverpool has played central striker.
13:07Do you see him as an option in that position?
13:09And how would you overall assess the back-up striker options, obviously, with you and TK?
13:15Yes, I think Cody can play as a number nine.
13:18Probably in preseason.
13:19We haven't tried it because we don't have enough wingers, probably.
13:24And we've prioritised that he understands what we need him from his preferred position,
13:32if you want, as a left winger.
13:34But I've been talking to him about his minutes as nine, not only past season,
13:42because he's done it before.
13:44And in certain situations I think he could help us there in the main position, yes.
13:50James, last one.
13:52Andoni, can you check on the vice-captains?
13:54Have you decided he's going to take that decision?
13:56Yes, yes.
13:58We took a decision.
14:01The captain will be Virgil, Alisson, Joe Gomez and Dom Soboslai.
14:07But I explained to Alisson especially that it's not going to be possible that he wears the armband,
14:16because with the new rules I think there is a big limitation if a keeper wears the armband.
14:21Because, basically, if something happens in the opposition box,
14:25the referee has to explain to the captains what's happening, all the decisions.
14:31I had one season with Neto in Bournemouth,
14:34and then you have to start every game to say a different player that can act as a captain,
14:43and this is not viable.
14:44But I wanted him to feel like we value him.
14:49I've had enough time, and we will have more time to know each other.
14:54But I had to explain also the decision about the armband to Ali,
14:59because he's a keeper, and unfortunately they are putting the rules in a way
15:03that there is a lot of disadvantages to having a keeper as a captain, yes.
15:10Blake up next for you.
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