Mac Allister on Liverpool - Bologna
01/10/2024
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
01/10/2024
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon. As you can see, we have Alexis McAllister. We will get through Alexis's questions
00:26first, then we'll move on to Arnaud Sloth. As you can see, we have simultaneous translation.
00:33If you could let me know if you want to ask a question, just by raising your hand. Thank
00:35you.
00:36Vini?
00:37Alexis, what do you think you've shown as a group since the defeat to Forest with those
00:41four straight wins?
00:43Yes, I think for us it was very important to see the way we react, and I think we did
00:51it very well. Of course, we worked on certain details, let's say, but we didn't really like
01:03that game. It was the way we finished it. So yes, we spoke about that. Everyone knew
01:11that it wasn't our best game, so we just tried our best to win the next one, and that's how
01:19it was.
01:20You're top of the Premier League now. Are you better equipped to go further in the title
01:25race and in Europe this season compared to last season, and if so, why?
01:33I could say a lot of things, but we have to show it. It's not about talking, it's more
01:38about showing it. I think we have an amazing team, as we had last season as well. So we
01:47will try our best to win every game we play, and then in January and February we will see
01:53if we are capable of winning a trophy.
01:57I have to ask you about workload, though, because obviously this competition has changed
02:01and it leads to more games. Rodri said footballers are close to going on strike because of workload.
02:06I know Alisson said the other week as well that players aren't being listened to, and
02:11it doesn't look like we're close to a solution for football's sake and for the players' sake.
02:16How do you feel about the workload that's being put on you guys at the moment?
02:21I don't think there is much to add. The only thing I can say is that we all love playing
02:28football. We are tired, there are a lot of games, but the only thing I could say or I
02:39want to say is that we need more communication between all of the parties, between players,
02:47managers and everyone. I think that's the easiest way to go forward, and that's the
02:55only thing that the players ask.
03:03Can I just ask you about how much you're enjoying your football at the moment? Because at the
03:07moment it's generally been yourself and Dominic with Ryan playing in the six-man role. Is
03:13that something that's suited all of you, and how much have you enjoyed that sort of difference,
03:17if you like?
03:18Yes, maybe last season I played most of the year as a six-man, so my position is quite
03:27different, but at the same time we have a lot of freedom. We try to have a structure
03:35and know where our team-mates are going to be, but we have our freedom as well. Sometimes
03:41it could be just Ryan as a six, sometimes it could be a double six and Dom as a ten,
03:46so it changes a lot during the game. What I can say is that I feel really comfortable
03:51and I really like the idea. I'm really enjoying my football and hopefully tomorrow we can
04:00show it.
04:01It's obviously early in the season, but only the one defeat so far. You've got a tricky
04:06looking game at the weekend against Crystal Palace. I know this game comes first obviously,
04:10but do you feel like there's a momentum now that you're taking into each game?
04:14Yes, definitely. I think we have an amazing team, very good players, a good coach, and
04:24when you play for Liverpool you have to be up there. That's what we try, that's what
04:28we want, but at the same time we know it's quite early, so there's still a lot of time
04:36to see if we are able to win the title race.
04:50Hi Alexis, your good friend Luis Diaz is playing very well this season, five goals I think
04:56already. What have you made of his contributions this season and how he's starting to add more
05:02goals to the team?
05:05I think he knows how important the numbers are for strikers or wingers and I'm very happy
05:13that he's getting the goals and assists. He's been amazing for us and I think he can still
05:24improve and play the way he plays. I think consistency is key and hopefully he can show
05:35during the year how a fantastic player he is.
05:43Hi Alexis, you talked a couple of minutes ago about the way the midfield is working
05:48with you and Ryan and Don, but can you give us a bit more information as to Arne Slott
05:53and what he wants for you as a midfielder and how it differs or how it's similar to
05:57what Jurgen wanted?
06:03I think between Arne and Jurgen the principles are the same. As I said, I don't think there's
06:13a huge difference. I just think that now we have more of a structure and some patterns that
06:23we know or we are trying to improve. So that's the main difference. Apart from that,
06:32there is not much to add. At the same time, we are just talking about Ryan,
06:39Don and me, but you have amazing players as well like Curtis, Endo, Harvey.
06:47All of them are very important and that's what we want, to compete between us and to get better.
07:01Hi Alexis, to probably bump with that elite group of players,
07:05you've won a World Cup and a Champions League. Is that a dream for you?
07:09Yes, of course it's a dream. For some people it was a surprise that I won a World Cup,
07:18but I made my debut against Milan in the Champions League, so it's quite crazy.
07:25Definitely it's a dream to win the Champions League. As I said before, when you play for
07:31Liverpool, you have to fight for it. We have very good players, a good team and
07:38we will see at the end of the season if we can win it.
07:45If you win tomorrow night, Arnaud Slot will become the first Liverpool manager ever
07:49to win eight of his first nine games in charge here. What is it about him and his staff that
07:55have enabled them to ensure there's been absolutely no drop-off and make such a positive start?
08:00Has anything changed much in terms of the way you prepare for games,
08:03in terms of meetings and analysis?
08:06Now that the games come thick and fast, it's a little bit harder to prepare the games as
08:14much as we want. He definitely is an amazing manager. You can see the way he speaks
08:23and from the first day we understood what he wants from us. I think that's the main thing in
08:36a coach, try to get the idea he has in the players and I think we are getting there,
08:44but there is still room for improvement.
08:53Good evening. I would like to ask something about Bologna. Do you know the team?
08:58It's the first time for them in the Champions League in Liverpool. Have you studied the team?
09:04Do you know something about Bologna? How will be the match tomorrow?
09:08A little bit louder.
09:10Do you know Bologna and what have you studied for tomorrow night against them?
09:18To be completely honest, I haven't watched the games of Bologna this year.
09:26I know the manager from his time at Fiorentina because I have a very good friend,
09:31Nicolás González, who played under him, so I know more or less what he wants from his team.
09:37I'm pretty sure that it will be a very tough game.
09:43I think we expect the game to be quite physical, so we prepared really well and
09:54hopefully tomorrow we can show what we prepared.
10:01How much improvement do you think the team has still to come?
10:05You've obviously hit the ground running under Arne,
10:08but how much more improvement do you think the team has?
10:15As I said, I think there is room for improvement. We all know, for example, that
10:23the performance against Wolves wasn't the best, but I think when you have a manager and a team
10:30that realise that, that's a very positive thing. So, yes, I think we can improve a lot.
10:41We have to use the quality of the players much more and be defensively good because Arne wants
10:50to defend well and from there we can play the football we want.
11:00Hi Alexis, I want to ask you about your Italian team-mate Federico Chiesa.
11:03What have you seen from him so far and what do you think he can give to Liverpool?
11:10From the day he arrived you could see how happy he is to be here and that's already
11:17a very important thing. I think he's showing in training how good he is, so yes, we expect a lot
11:25from him. We know that he will be very important for us because he will compete against our players
11:36and I'm pretty sure that he's going to do very well here.