Champions League Press Conference: LASK vs Liverpool — Milos Kerkez & Andoni Iraola

[0:00] Hi, Milas. What's the feeling in the squad after what happened on Sunday? [0:07] Yeah, obviously, we were very disappointed after the game. [0:10] I think we did, we competed really well for the 60 minutes. [0:15] After that, what happened happened. [0:17] So it was frustrating, but we know that we had this game tomorrow already. [0:22] So next day we focus on recovery and today also to do the best things that we had to present tomorrow. [0:30] Do you think there are a lot of positives you could take from the game on Sunday? [0:33] Yeah, I think a lot of people also have that feeling, also we as the players. [0:39] But of course, end of the day, results matter always. [0:44] It was not ideal, but we move on. [0:47] Tomorrow is a new opportunity and we have to give everything. [0:56] Hi, Milas. We spoke to you in pre-season, but obviously Andoni's been here a couple of months now. [1:01] What have you made of the impact he's made and the changes he's made since he's come into the club? [1:08] I think it's just the style we play right now. [1:11] I think that we're running a lot. [1:14] We're playing more aggressive, more front-footed and all the players, I think, are buying into his philosophy. [1:22] And of course, there is still a way to go, a way to improve. [1:26] But like I said before, I think we're on the right track. [1:33] Anymore? [1:33] Is it fair to say you feel a lot more settled now at Liverpool? [1:40] Yeah, of course. My second year, I think I was adapting more last season after a new year, before a new year. [1:50] So, it's good. It's all development, you know. [1:53] And obviously, Gaffa is here now that I know for a long time that I was in Bournemouth. [2:00] So, yeah, I feel a lot more easier. [2:04] Is there anything in particular he's asked you to do that's so different to last season? [2:09] Depends on the game. Depends who you're playing against, who your position is, who the winger is. [2:15] So, it's always in the game and he tells me game by game what he wants from me. [2:20] So, that's what I want to do. [2:25] You mentioned the way you're playing under Andoni. [2:28] But given the quick turnaround between City and tomorrow and then Brentford again, [2:34] and you haven't really got that many, a lot of players out injured at the moment, [2:37] do you think it's a huge demand on the players at the minute? [2:40] Do you think you're confident of being able to cope with the schedule at the moment? [2:45] Yeah, obviously, it's a bit tough. [2:48] Games are coming quick, but we're professionals, you know, we have to take recovery very seriously. [2:56] And we have a squad, we have a quality. [3:00] Young players are also helping us a lot. [3:03] And I think it's all, you know, in recovery, you don't have much time to train really [3:09] and to prepare for the next game. [3:10] But like I said, it's very important recovery to take it seriously [3:15] and try to come for the next game 100% ready. [3:20] Hi, Miloš. [3:22] Talking about the lack of time on the training pitch, [3:26] can I just ask how you're building a relationship with Bradley [3:29] and how you find his game and what you've made of him settling in at the moment? [3:35] Yeah, obviously, he arrived, played a few games, needs a bit more time. [3:42] Everyone needs that arrives at a club like this. [3:46] Yeah, his real talent showed it. [3:49] Also in PSG that he has great skills. [3:52] He can help us a lot scoring goals going forward. [3:54] You know, it's just the thing is we should talk more and build that connection more. [4:01] You know, that he's going to help us get better combinations down the left. [4:08] I think we're on a good way and obviously I hope it will get better. [4:13] Yeah, when you say talk, do you mean on the pitch or is it in terms of getting to know each other's game? [4:21] Yeah, I mean... [4:21] Or is it off the pitch as well in terms of helping them settle into the dressing room? [4:25] Yeah, definitely. [4:26] I think you have to help a new player also outside of the pitch [4:29] and just in general, you know, get to know him better and talk outside of the pitch [4:35] and obviously in the pitch we have to communicate a lot. [4:38] And how good is he in training? [4:40] Yeah, he's good, really good. [4:42] Can you mark him? [4:43] Sorry? [4:44] You feel like you can mark him in one-on-one or is he...? [4:47] I can play with anyone, so it's no problem. [4:54] How's Dom? Do you think he will be fit for the weekend? [4:59] You mean for Saturday? [5:01] Yeah, for Brentford. [5:03] I don't know. You have to ask Gaffer that. [5:06] I don't know. He's recovering, but we hope... [5:11] I mean, I know Dom how he is. [5:13] He doesn't like to be out long and he wants to play every game, [5:17] so knowing him, I think he would like to play Saturday, yeah. [5:26] Thank you, guys. [5:33] How close were any of the three of them to make it [5:38] and what are their chances of being back for the weekend? [5:41] They are not far, but it's difficult to tell you right now. [5:47] Any of the three have trained with the group [5:52] and we are taking it day to day. [5:57] Probably, I think, the three of them are not far, I would say. [6:04] But it's going to be... [6:07] I don't know if they are going to be ready for Brentford, [6:09] for Villarreal, for Brighton, I don't know. [6:10] I don't really know. [6:11] Obviously, with no Isak and no Gagpo, [6:14] there's a big focus on the other attackers to step up. [6:17] Bradley hasn't yet been able to register a goal or an assist for Liverpool. [6:21] I think Florian Vürthes has only got one assist. [6:24] Where do you think the two of them are at? [6:26] Are you worried at all about confidence levels being a problem? [6:28] I think it's true that Cody, Alex and Dom are the top scorers this season [6:36] or top scorers, goal assistants, [6:38] because they've also been the ones playing more in those positions. [6:42] Now we will not have them. [6:45] We also didn't have them there against City [6:47] and we need other players to give us those numbers. [6:54] We trust the players we have now to play in those positions. [6:59] I think these things with the injuries in this case [7:03] have been because of the national teams, [7:06] but will happen to all the teams. [7:07] Even to Lask, I think, [7:09] the other day they had also one or two injuries during the game [7:12] and it's a matter of adapting to these circumstances. [7:15] Talking about Bradley and Flo that you asked me, [7:18] I think they've had good games, bad games this season, [7:22] like everyone else, [7:23] but are two players that we know their level [7:25] and they will give us for sure good performances. [7:31] Hi, Andoni. [7:33] Following on from the last question with Florian and Bradley, [7:37] they've obviously got big transfer fees, [7:39] which obviously they can't help, [7:40] but there's a lot of talk about it. [7:43] How are you, in terms of the man management, [7:46] dealing with that? [7:47] Because maybe at Bournemouth you wouldn't have had players [7:49] with such high, you know, price tags and demands. [7:53] At the end, the responsibilities are the same. [7:57] The other day, if Koeman scores the ball, [8:00] you know, that he connects it really well, [8:03] he's one assist for Bradley Barcola. [8:06] You know, his performance is exactly the same. [8:08] But we will always say, you know, [8:09] very good, he played really well, [8:11] an assist, he produced, [8:13] sometimes we are too focused on just the numbers. [8:18] I was happy with a lot of things the other day. [8:22] With Bradley, he had good situations, [8:28] we didn't finish them, [8:29] but it's him and Flo also are players that I trust 100%. [8:34] Just on Florian, do you think that given his age, [8:46] we need to be a bit more patient [8:47] and do you have the confidence that with a bit more time [8:50] it will click eventually? [8:53] No, at the end, when you are in big clubs like we are, [8:56] when you don't have a good performance, [9:01] I think the other day probably he didn't have his best game, [9:04] but has had good games this season. [9:05] With us, everyone starts looking for answers. [9:10] I think he had some good performances in the national team. [9:14] He scored one goal and he will have better, worse games, [9:20] but I would like to look at this more collectively, [9:23] more how they help us play well and get results. [9:30] After, I don't care if this one scores, [9:33] the other one scores, I think it's more collectively, yes. [9:35] Anymore, Andy? [9:42] Don't have to. [9:44] Ander, you said on Friday about it was with the players you got out, [9:50] being out, it was time for other ones to step up. [9:53] Do you feel that Bradley and Florian did that? [9:58] They didn't score. [9:58] If you ask me if they scored, we didn't score a goal the other day. [10:01] So they have to do it tomorrow? [10:05] Yeah, we'll see. [10:05] We'll see. [10:07] I think it's a matter of us. [10:10] You know, this is because we lost at the end, you know, [10:15] we are now trying to find the why and this. [10:21] I think I like the other team a lot. [10:25] I liked it a lot. [10:27] Not when we were with 10. [10:29] I think we didn't play well with 10. [10:30] I think you can play and you should play much better when you go to 10. [10:35] But before that, I like the spirit, the attitude, the work rate, [10:40] a lot of things about the team, including the offensive players, [10:45] some of the offensive players, yes. [10:46] Just on that point, what do you think when, I know you sit down to 10 men [10:54] and you have a player less, but I think you only made 30 successful passes [10:57] in the final 30 minutes of the game. [11:00] Do you think that's a mental fragility from the squad? [11:04] Or what do you put that? [11:06] I think we didn't play well with 10. [11:08] I think a lot was because we considered straight away before doing even the adjustments, [11:14] the first change, and then you go one nil down and then it's different [11:17] because then you have to kind of go and you get caught in between. [11:21] You are nil-nil, okay, you can defend more compact, lower, [11:25] but when you start losing the game, I think we were caught in between [11:29] because we didn't want just to be there low, one nil, and then wait, wait, wait, wait. [11:33] We wanted to go a little bit, and then you are not really putting the proper pressure [11:39] because they are always with one more very good in keeping the ball, [11:44] and then you are also leaving spaces in behind. [11:47] For me, the goal we consider straight away hurts us. [11:52] If you are like, okay, we can make the adjustment earlier and say, [11:56] okay, we prepare more compact, still with the nil-nil, [12:00] you don't have the need to go to press them. [12:02] It becomes a lot easier to play this 11 against 10, [12:05] but once you concede, then it's not enough just to be compact. [12:09] You need to go a little bit more, and then space is open. [12:14] And is it in your mind to maybe make some changes tomorrow to the line? [12:19] I think tomorrow is a game that we want to win, [12:26] and we need to win, and we want to start strong this competition. [12:31] We have already the first win, and we want to win the second one [12:34] because it's always difficult to win games in this competition, [12:38] but it's true that sometimes because of freshness reasons, [12:42] because of some niggles, [12:44] and I think it's going to be difficult to put exactly the same starting level tomorrow. [12:47] And only just on that, [12:54] Milos was just talking to us before about the challenge of not having, [13:01] or the way the schedule is, [13:03] it's difficult to train for you at the moment [13:04] and build relationships up on the pitch. [13:07] How are you managing that yourself in terms of the stuff [13:11] that you want to sort of integrate [13:12] and new relationships between Bradley, Milos, whatever? [13:16] It's hard to do it when you're travelling and there's so much recovery. [13:19] Yes, you don't have a lot of time to train. [13:22] You try to prepare the games now, [13:25] a lot of times just with the videos, in the tactic boards, [13:28] just a little bit outside, [13:31] but you have to prioritise the freshness of the players. [13:35] And now we are especially, you know, [13:37] this first game, we're playing four games in 10 days, [13:39] so he's keeping all their legs, all the energy in the games. [13:46] But I think in cases like Bradley, especially, [13:52] that has been probably the last one to arrive, [13:54] the more he plays, [13:55] the more he gets connections with the ones around him, [13:58] the better he will become, yes. [13:59] Thank you, everyone.