John Doolan on Accrington's FA cup exit at Liverpool and coaching Trent at the academy
11/01/2025
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
11/01/2025
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
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00:00John, how was that for you?
00:02Brilliant. I know the scoreline was 4-0,
00:05but I wanted us to come here and give a good count of ourselves as individuals and as a team,
00:09as a club, and the fans and the supporters,
00:12and I just thought, we didn't get wrapped up in the occasion,
00:14we didn't get wrapped up in the emotion,
00:16we had the game plan, I think everyone's seen that at work for 29 and a half hours,
00:20frustrated Liverpool.
00:22I think a bit more quality is going forward at times,
00:25and that lady luck or the magic that you get in the cup,
00:29we just didn't have it to start off with.
00:32To concede from a half-free kick was a little bit disappointing,
00:36but at the same time, we're playing against world-class players,
00:39and from one box to another box, they're there in a flash,
00:42and then you're getting jotted on the end of things,
00:44so that was disappointing, I wanted to see a reaction,
00:47I got the reaction that I wanted to see,
00:50and then again another world-class player just pops up,
00:53Trent Alexander, and puts one in the top corner,
00:55so you've just got to take your medicine and regroup at half-time.
00:58That first goal was probably the first time you got out of shape in the first half,
01:02and then the second half, Josh Oxley hits the bar,
01:04Donald Love has a great chance with a header as well,
01:07I sense then there's a bit of a feeling of what could have been.
01:11Yeah, exactly that, and that's what we wanted,
01:14we wanted moments in the game where maybe we could just exploit or capitalise on,
01:18and in the moments that we had, as you said, we didn't.
01:23But they were nearly moments that got the fans off their seats,
01:26they got us jumping in the dugout, so we just had to go again,
01:30we got into half-time just to regroup and make a couple of changes,
01:33and I thought we started the second half a bit positive.
01:36After the game as well, so you had a word with Arna,
01:38so you had a word on Trent as well?
01:40Well, the Arna, honestly, I can't speak highly of the man,
01:43he's a Liverpool manager and he's all well known that I'm an Everton fan,
01:47so he conducts himself, he's a world-class manager,
01:50he's got a world-class team, and he's invited us in for a drink,
01:53he doesn't have to, and he's done that,
01:55and I thought, wow, I'm definitely going to take him up on the offer.
01:58And Trent, I did say about a coach when he was six and seven,
02:02I don't know whether he remembers, Dianne's mum will probably remember,
02:06because she used to bring him to the training sessions.
02:09But in terms of the pitch at the end of the game, I didn't see Trent,
02:13so I've walked across to our fans and he's literally just turned up in flip-flops,
02:18and I've gone, wow, and he goes, I remember,
02:20and we just started chatting as if I was only talking to him last week,
02:23he's such a wonderful and humble guy, he's a top, top player,
02:28but to do that and show the class that he is...
02:31The lads were a bit quicker than you to get your shirt in...
02:34No, Vin, to be honest, mate, I was never going to ask for anyone's shirt,
02:38because I haven't played the game, so that's on them,
02:41and they've got memories of our players now for the rest of their lives,
02:44and I've just said to them in the dressing room,
02:46this is what you want, this is where you want to be,
02:48this is the younger players to aspire to get to this level if you can,
02:51but it takes a lot of hard work.
02:53Thanks, appreciate that.
02:56Is there any other examples of Liverpool looking after you today as a club?
03:02Yeah, so we trained at Liverpool Academy yesterday,
03:05so we had a difficult week this week in terms of the weather,
03:08like everyone has, we've done different things,
03:11we've been indoor, done yoga, we've got a soccer dome that we rented out,
03:15and Liverpool offered us their indoor facility yesterday in Kirby,
03:19which ironically enough, I obviously grew up in Kirby,
03:22so I moved from Liverpool when I was four or five,
03:25and to work at the academy and to go back and see how much advance that's kicked on,
03:29and now the first team are based in there,
03:31it was a brilliant gesture from them, to be honest.
03:34Can I just ask what Billy Carroll has done?
03:37Yeah.
03:38How's he been doing?
03:41Fantastic.
03:42Disappointing, but he's made a great save,
03:45and I think Dan's got the rebounds and knocked the rebounds in,
03:48and then Chiesa, these names that I mentioned, Chiesa,
03:52putting one in the bottom corner, Billy's nearly got there,
03:55but Billy's done great for us since he's come in,
03:58he's a fantastic player and he's got a fantastic attitude,
04:02and he's had a couple of clean sheets in the league for us,
04:06and he's doing really well for us.
04:08Jon, just a word on the support, it was great to see.
04:11The support was fantastic, I got asked about the atmosphere,
04:15and Anfield is a fantastic atmosphere,
04:18but I thought both sets of fans, our fans from minute one to 95, 96 minutes,
04:23were outstanding, and I wanted them to give the best version of themselves today,
04:27and I think they've done that, and I think the Liverpool fans giving us a standing ovation,
04:31a clap coming off the pitch, summed it up,
04:34summed up the efforts that we all put in, the way we went about it,
04:37and yes, it was 4-0, but it doesn't feel like a 4-0.
04:40So I couldn't thank the fans highly.
04:48Jon, thanks lads, thank you.