Arne Slot on leaving first team at home and Liverpool topping UCL group

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Arne Slot on leaving first team at home and Liverpool topping UCL group  29/01/2024  uefa24

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00:00If we could keep it to a couple of questions each and if we start with English and then

00:08go to Dutch after that, if that's OK. Any English? James?

00:17Like expected, I think. Eventful game, with many goals. I think everybody expected that

00:22before the game, for two reasons maybe. One of the reasons I think two managers always

00:28want to press high, want to bring the ball out from the back, so sometimes you see then

00:32certain mistakes. But it's always eventful. And for the other reason, because both teams,

00:40maybe mainly ours, was not playing in the set-up that we usually do, so then you see

00:46in some moments that we defend in a way that probably is not expected if we play with all

00:53of our starters. But still, in the end, we were able to definitely make a game out of

00:59it, especially with all these youngsters on the pitch. So, eventful would be my word to

01:07use.

01:08It's the first time that Federico Chiesa has completed 90 minutes. Did that feel like

01:12a big step forward for him tonight? He seems to be getting a lot sharper.

01:16Yeah. He got knocked with the penalty, so that took him a few minutes before he kept

01:23going again. But I think it's been seven, eight or nine months ago, maybe even longer.

01:28I don't know exactly that he played 90. It's the same for Jadon Dans, it was the same for

01:32James McConnell. So we had quite a lot of players that were not used to playing so many

01:36minutes in the last six or seven months. So it's especially for them also important that

01:40they make these 90 minutes and were able to keep competing during 90 minutes. OK, Jadon

01:47couldn't manage to play the whole game. But Federico, in the end, was still sprinting,

01:52trying to do his work. So, positive, yeah.

01:54You must have a hell of a lot of sympathy for the poor lad who's just come on there,

02:04only played four minutes. What could you say to him to lift his spirits? Because it's so

02:08cruel, really, what happened to him at the end.

02:12Yeah, it's cruel, but he's never played first-team football yet. And then to make your debut

02:18at the Champions League level is probably the hardest way of making a debut. And yeah,

02:25I think he misinterpreted the situation. And that is immediately a problem at this level

02:30or a Premier League level. So it's a big moment for him to learn from. And it is cruel indeed.

02:37To think in a moment like this, ten minutes before the end, I'm going to make my debut

02:41in the Champions League. And a few minutes later, you go off with a red card. That is

02:46always difficult. But yeah, a career mainly is not always positive. There are also negatives.

02:54And he has to fight very hard to make sure he will ever play a second Champions League

02:58game again, which is not going to be easy. But hopefully he will.

03:01Do you think there's a chance that any of the young players that play tonight might

03:11be allowed to go out on loan before the transfer deadline?

03:15There's always a chance in life. And at the moment, we have most of our players fit. So

03:24we will have this discussion tomorrow, I think, me and Richard, about these players. But there's

03:30definitely one of them that will not go on loan. And I think you know which one I mean.

03:35Jadon?

03:36James McConnell. I wouldn't say definitely, but I liked him a lot today. So maybe now

03:41the end result of today would be good for him to go somewhere and play. But he is also

03:47a player that hasn't played in the last six or seven months, 90 minutes, because he was

03:52injured for a while. And he impressed me a lot today.

04:01Arne, what kind of taste do you like about this game?

04:06Well, in the base you lose, so that's not why you come here. And that's always the most

04:13disappointing, because in this industry it's about winning or losing. Now it had no impact

04:17on the ranking. Yes, you could be first or second, but it doesn't matter what it means

04:25for the ranking. So that's disappointing. Yes, look, I've seen a number of good things.

04:31I've also seen a number of counter-goals that we didn't score, which you'd like to see

04:35if we had done better. But it will be the other way around. How PSV gave away the first

04:39goal, they won't be very happy with that. So that's inherent to football. But good to

04:45see that, well, we just talked about it, a number of guys have made 90 minutes for the

04:49first time in a long time. A number of young guys have left a good impression. A number

04:53of guys who make minutes with us quite regularly have also left a good impression. So yes,

05:01okay, let's keep it that way.

05:04You have a peace with it. Calculated or are you going home with a chagrined feeling?

05:08Because you don't lose a lot this season.

05:10No, no, no, I'm not going home with a chagrined feeling. But I think it's a shame that

05:14we lost. I've also seen some positive things lately. And when this game is over,

05:21I always say and everywhere, I only look at the next game. I've done that my whole

05:26career as a coach. And this was the first mission. And the only exception in my career

05:32was that I was already doing a little more with Bournemouth. So there's all the attention

05:38now.

05:39What did you just discuss with Peter Bosz? Because you also took care of the show.

05:44Sorry? Oh, we just talked about it when we walked here and had to wait for the draw

05:50that they could or could not get. And if I understood him correctly, and I did,

05:56and if he was right, then I think it was Feyenoord or Juventus, I thought, that second draw.

06:01So yes, how is it possible, you would almost say. But do you miss that it will be Juventus?

06:07Feyenoord lost 6-1. Two injuries. Justin and Sand.

06:17Finishing top of the group, obviously, you spoke, you don't know what the advantage

06:22will be when you play the next round. But just the general achievement, it is a big

06:26achievement to be top?

06:29Yeah, no, definitely. I don't know if it's a big achievement, but it's a good achievement

06:33to end up top of this league. But I said many times, it's so hard to judge a league

06:39table after eight games, let alone if all the teams play different opponents.

06:45So it doesn't tell me much, to be honest, because some teams have faced easier opponents

06:52than others. But it's always nice if there's a new format that you end up number one,

06:59but it doesn't give us any assurances for the next round. Because if I now check the

07:06league table and I see the four teams, if I'm correct, we can face four, can't we?

07:11That's the difference between PSV, which I don't completely understand.

07:14But we can face those four, and those four are especially...

07:22One of them is definitely the one you're hoping not to face if you end up first in a group like this.

07:32Yes, Arne, it's a bit of a weird format, because you have 15, 16, 17, 18 opponents.

07:37One of those opponents, I mean, Paris, if you look at their league table, it's insane.

07:41A lot of good opponents. Are you actually a fan of this format?

07:44Because you say, if it's over, I can say something about it.

07:48It always depends on which club you're working for.

07:52If I was here in the finals, I was an absolute fan of this format.

07:55Because I think they're now 17, 18, what did they become?

07:5819.

07:5919, and then you normally go through the Europa League, because you went through the first 16,

08:02and now you're going through the Champions League.

08:04So yes, that's very nice for a lot of clubs.

08:07For us, there are two extra matches, and with us I mean Liverpool,

08:12where you normally end up in the first two.

08:14So yes, it depends on who you ask.

08:21I don't think it's too much fun right now, but if we win the Champions League,

08:27if that works out, then I'll talk about it differently.

08:31So yes, we'll have to wait and see.

08:33I don't think this will be an evening you'll remember for a long time.

08:38No, there are matches at PSV that I'll remember longer than this one.

08:45The last two here, and then here.

08:47Just on James McConnell, obviously you already knew he had enormous quality,

08:51but is he surprised, even you tonight, with how well he took his chance?

08:56If I would have been surprised, that would mean that during training sessions

08:59he's not able to play at this level.

09:01And that's not true, because he's competitive to the ones we have,

09:07that were not even here, but he's always a very competitive player.

09:10So I'm not surprised, but you always wonder how you're going to react

09:13on this stage, at this level.

09:16We saw the same with Amara Niala,

09:19which is not a player that has the same impact in training sessions yet

09:22as James McConnell.

09:24But that James just plays and is competitive is not a surprise,

09:29but he definitely deserves credits for his performance today.

09:35No, the last one is always for Valentijn.

09:37Okay.

09:39I've missed him a bit, so...

09:43Arne, we were just talking about a 50% chance of PSV and Feyenoord in the next round.

09:47You can always explain everything so well.

09:49What should we hope for when it comes to Dutch football,

09:51that it's going to happen?

09:54Otherwise it will be PSV, Juventus or Feyenoord, AC Milan.

09:58Yes.

10:04PSV has played a lot against Juventus, right?

10:07Yes, I know that.

10:10What should we hope for when it comes to Dutch football?

10:15By not saying anything, you already know my answer.

10:19Against each other?

10:21At least one in the round of 16?

10:23I don't think Peter would hope for that.

10:25As a Dutch club, you'd rather not play against each other in the next round.

10:28You'd rather play against a European team,

10:31than play against a foreign team.

10:33But when I was at Feyenoord, I never said that much,

10:35because that would have been too cheap.

10:39Years ago, in the UEFA Cup period,

10:43I was at Feyenoord against PSV.

10:46That was a cracker of a match.

10:48I think it was the quarter-final or semi-final.

10:50Yes, the quarter-final.

10:51Was it with penalties?

10:53Yes.

10:54I'm going to cheer for Van Oordonk's penalty.

10:56Yes, for Van Oordonk.

10:57But in general, I think you'd rather play as a Dutch club

11:01against Milan or Juventus.

11:03So let's leave it at that.

11:05You're welcome.

11:09Well, this is telegraphing, but...

11:11Are you going to let this happen, Valentijn?

11:13This is a shame.

11:15Arne, Johan, Bakayoko and Ismail Saibari

11:18are often associated with a transfer to a big competition,

11:20to the Premier League.

11:21You work in the Premier League.

11:22You work with players in the Premier League.

11:24How do you see their potential and opportunities to get there?

11:28I don't know if it's wise to say anything specific about these two guys,

11:31but what you can say in general

11:33is that the Dutch competition has shown

11:35that they can be very successful in the Premier League.

11:38And that's Cody Kakpo, who played here today.

11:40A fantastic example of that.

11:42And I think that the first goal Bakayoko scored

11:45was an impressive and beautiful goal.

11:49So I can certainly imagine...

11:50Because PSV as a team is so good

11:52that a lot of PSV players are interested in bigger clubs.

11:56But PSV is also a big club.

11:58Last year, I thought it was the Champions League quarter-final.

12:00We won the last 16.

12:02Who did we win against?

12:04The eighth final.

12:06The eighth final, okay.

12:07So they went through that as well.

12:09So it's a big club.

12:10A nice club to play for.

12:12So it's up to the players

12:14when they think they're ready for that step.

12:17But it's not ruled out

12:19that a number of PSV players

12:21will play at a higher level

12:23than they're doing now.

12:28Thank you, guys.

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