Liverpool head coach Arne Slot addressed the media at the AXA Training Centre, setting the stage for the Reds’ Premier League opener against AFC Bournemouth at Anfield.
The press conference, held ahead of Friday’s 8:00 PM BST kick-off, offered insights into Liverpool’s preparations, injury concerns, transfer updates, and Slot’s perspective on defending the Premier League title won in the 2024-25 season. Here’s a detailed summary of the key points from the Dutch manager’s briefing.
On Liverpool’s readiness for the new season:
“We are as ready as we can be. We’ve had a pre-season where we lost five or six players that played quite a lot of minutes last season. We brought in new players with a lot of quality, especially with the ball. Without the ball, it’s eight out of 10 times also very good – but the aim at this club is not eight out of 10 times, it’s 10 out of 10 times. We’ve worked on that in pre-season. Against Athletic Club Bilbao, we didn’t give away one chance from open play, but we struggled with set-pieces. Against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, we gave away a few chances from turnovers in midfield. That’s something we’ve addressed, but we are definitely ready for the league to start.”
On the challenge of facing Bournemouth:
“Bournemouth is a very good team. Last season, we won 3-0 at Anfield, but they had the first big chance of the game, they scored a goal which was fractionally offside. In the second half, they showed great mentality – they just kept on going. They are strong away from home, and they’ve recruited well. Their manager has done a great job. It’s a challenge for us on Friday, but an evening game at Anfield is something that everyone is looking forward to.”
On Ryan Gravenberch’s suspension:
“Ryan is suspended for this game. It’s quite ironic because if there is one team in the league that is, in my opinion, the most honest – and I’m not saying others are dishonest – it is us. For us to get a red card for a dive, that’s something that doesn’t happen often. He’s out for Bournemouth, but he’ll be back for the next one.”
On Alexis Mac Allister’s fitness:
“Alexis missed a lot of pre-season with an injury. He’s fit now, but he’s still building up his match fitness. It’s not ideal when a key player misses so much time, but he’s available and we’ll see how we use him.”
On Joe Gomez’s injury status:
“Joe is a doubt. He only trained twice now and missed a lot of pre-season with that Achilles issue from the Asia tour. We’ll see if he can be on the bench, but it depends on how many players we have available.”
On the transfer for Giovanni Leoni:
“We have agreed a deal with Parma for Giovanni Leoni. He’s a young centre-back with a lot of potential. The moment that he signs for us, I can go into more detail. For now, I’ll just say we’re excited about what he can bring.”
On speculation about Marc Guehi:
“He’s not our player, so I won’t talk about him. If you want to talk about Marc Guehi, go to Palace and speak to Oliver Glasner.”
On Dominik Szoboszlai’s role and versatility:
“What stands out with Dominik is the way he can press. His intensity is incredible. In the No. 10 role, he’s great, but he can also play deeper. We’re working with him on playing between the lines and delivering those through balls when he’s in a more advanced position. He’s got the quality to do both.”
On defensive adjustments after pre-season:
“We’ve seen some vulnerabilities in pre-season, especially from counter-attacks and set-pieces. That’s normal when you’re integrating new players and missing key starters like Virgil [van Dijk] and Alisson [Becker] in some games. It’s about little adjustments to get to that 10 out of 10 standard we want. Against Bilbao, we were solid; against Palace, less so. We’ve worked on it, and we’ll see the results on Friday.”
On Jeremie Frimpong and his role at right-back:
“Jeremie is a fantastic attacking full-back. He’s similar to Conor[Bradley] in how he can create space for Mo [Salah] with his runs. Both of them give us a lot going forward, and it’s great to have that kind of competition and quality in that position.”
On Liverpool’s ‘honest’ approach to the game:
“I am most proud of the fact of who we are as a team. We are by far the most honest team in the league. We don’t go down easily, we don’t exaggerate fouls, we don’t waste time. Sometimes that costs us – in the Community Shield, we had a situation where a player didn’t go down, and we didn’t get the free-kick. But we won the league last season with the team we were, so why change something which went well?”
On the excitement of playing at Anfield:
“An evening game at Anfield is special. The atmosphere, the fans – it’s something we’re all looking forward to. It gives us that extra energy to start the season strongly.”
