Q&AEvery word from Arne Slot and Richard Hughes' first LFC press conference
Read a full transcript from Arne Slot and Richard Hughes' first press conference at Liverpool.
The new Reds head coach and sporting director met the media at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning.
Here's what the pair had to say during a wide-ranging chat…
*Q: *Arne , Jürgen [Klopp] when he arrived said he was 'the normal one'. How would you describe yourself?
AS: I think it's not about what I tell you now. It's more special what Jürgen did to this club. When he arrived he said he was 'the normal one', but I think what made him special is the impression he left behind. Winning trophies, of course, but his playing style I think the fans loved it. Maybe he said he was 'the normal one', but I think the fans see him differently. Maybe not as a person, but what he did for the club was more than normal, let's put it that way.
Obviously we've seen the rivalry there has been with Manchester City and Pep Guardiola. We've seen the emergence of Arsenal and we know the threat of the likes of [Manchester] United potentially strengthening again, Spurs et cetera, so what expectations can you have on the season at this stage?
AS: I think you said it correctly: if you work in this league, everybody gets better every season, so it's also important for us to improve. One of the things is because our competitors improve as well, but that's normal if you work in the biggest league in the world – you can expect other teams to become better. That's also the aim we have and also the reason we come in every day: to make the team and the players better.
Q: Richard, can we ask you what it's been like working with Arne over the last few weeks and also what you've been able to accomplish? I am thinking in terms of identifying transfer targets to bring in and also sorting out the futures of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
RH : A lot of questions there! It's been great to work with Arne. Clearly, it was a difficult position at first as we both had jobs to finish where we were and, of course, there was an important season to finish at Liverpool. Since then we've been in communication daily on many things, logistics, organisation and, of course, preparing the transfer window, which is something we will know more about as we go on. Clearly, the more time we spend with the current squad – which we're both delighted to have inherited, it's a very talented squad. We need to improve and we need to improve on the training pitch, first and foremost, as Arne said. With the window open we will always be opportunistic if we can, if we can improve certain areas as we go we will look to do that.
Contractual situations, I don't think it would be fair for me to talk about. These are private matters between club and players. The only concern I have, that Arne has, about those situations and everyone else in the squad is that there is total commitment from the players to the cause for next season – and we are absolutely convinced that is the case.
With Jürgen's success, people said he got Liverpool, he got the city. I'm just wondering how you will allow yourself to get Liverpool and get the city? What do you do to integrate yourself with the club, the city and the fans?
AS : It takes some time to understand everything but the way I'm going to use my time in the upcoming weeks is, of course, to make the team in the best possible way and the players in the best possible way for us to be ready for the first game. It always helps if you get to know the city but I think as a manager, and everybody knows, it helps even more if you win most of your games. I think with Jürgen it was a combination of getting to know the city, getting to know the style of play the fans like.
I don't want to take words out of Richard's mouth but I think one of the reasons why he came to me was that our playing style is not so much different. We both like the fans to come into the stadium and see a team that plays with a lot of energy, that plays good football. I think that is the thing that I'm focused on most. If we do that in the best possible way, that probably will give me some time as well and if I have time then I can get to know the city a bit better. It all starts with improving the team and winning as many games as we can.
Last season, due to a lot of injuries with senior players, we saw a lot of the younger members of the squad being used by Jürgen, and they certainly stood up and were counted. Are you someone that likes working with the younger members of the squad and bringing them through? And will they have that same opportunity this season?
AS : I like to see good players and if they are old or young, that doesn't matter that much. But it's always nice for a club and also nice for a team that young players come through the ranks, I think that's the right words to use. That always gives energy into a club as well, so that there are not only the players that are brought in from other clubs but also the players from the academy. But in the end it's all about the quality. I agree with you, they did really well. If they continue doing so, there will be a fair chance that they will play as well.
What will be the things that you'll be focusing on first? What are the things you want to focus on and instil in the team first?
AS : Getting to know the people that work here, which I've done already, of course. Getting to know the players, especially as a person but also mainly as a player. I've seen a lot of games from them, I've seen a lot of training sessions, but I think you get to know them even better if you are there with them together. And then implement [the] playing style. It's not that we're going to change everything over here because a lot of things are done really well. But we have to find ways to improve. I took my time for that because I was off for a lot of weeks, so I had a lot of time to look where we can improve. But I think starting to work with them will actually get us an even better insight in the improvements we have to make.
As a head coach as opposed to manager, how do you understand the dynamic of how it's going to work with transfers in terms of your input and influence on them?
AS : For me it's not a change, as you might know, because in Europe we work like this and I worked at Feyenoord and my former clubs like this always. I think there are not many clubs in the world – maybe there are not even clubs in the world – where there's one person that decides everything. It's a collaboration between people. I don't think there are many sporting directors that bring players in that the manager or the head coach doesn't like, and it's the other way around. But it's not only the two of us. I think at a club like this there are many more people that can bring in their opinion, and that's the way I've worked [in] recent years and I like to work like this, to be honest.
Some people would have been put off by the prospect of trying to follow in the footsteps of such an iconic figure. Was that something you had to mull over or was that just your self-belief that you wanted to take this on?
AS : No, not at all actually. I think you can look at it both ways. Yeah, there are big shoes to fill. You can also look at it in a way that you inherit a squad and a team that has a winning culture. And one of the reasons to come here – and there are always more for this – but one of the reasons is that I do feel we have a real good team, a real good squad. I think as a manager you want to work at a club where there are good players with the opportunity to win something, and the past has shown that there is a possibility for Liverpool to win some trophies. You can look at it as the way to be the successor of someone who was really successful. But I look at it in a way that that is ideal because there is an opportunity to win something. I like to work with players, I like to develop them, but I like to win as well and there's an opportunity at this club to win.
Jürgen Klopp had the fans singing your name on the final game [of last season] and you've also spoken with him. Was there one piece of advice or one thing that he said to you about the club and the role that has stood out to you?
AS : We've spoken about many things but I think it's not more than normal that the things we've spoken about stays between us. Him singing a song for me was special because there are not many managers where the fans sing for – maybe not the best English to use. I was fortunate enough that after a few years at Feyenoord they started to sing for me. But now coming over here without working here yet, without winning a game, already fans singing for you, that's a good start!
Obviously Jürgen's rivalry with Pep Guardiola really engrossed the Premier League. How much are you looking to that challenge as well, taking on the likes of Pep?
AS : Something to look forward to but I think there are many more good managers in this league, which is normal. English people like to believe that it's the best league in the world and I believe this as well! It's normal that if you work in such a league that there are many good managers which you're going to face, and Pep is one of them, that's for sure. I think it was the last time when I had the interviews with Liverpool, I'm lucky enough that I lived in an area where I could see the Barcelona team – that's one thing we have in common. But when Pep left over there, there became a new era and that was the rivalry between Liverpool and City. I've seen a lot of that rivalry and a lot games of both teams. I'm looking forward to working here but not specifically [for] playing against Man City because there are many nice teams we are going to face, starting with Ipswich, of course, which is at this moment the most important one.
Richard, can you explain the criteria used to pick Arne? I know he's mentioned the playing style as a single basis for that. What are the other elements fans should be looking out for?
RH : That philosophy, that playing style that attracted us to Arne is based on subjective footballing opinion and data as well, as you'd expect. In all the metrics, Arne's Feyenoord team came out really well. The way they played with real front-foot, attacking football, played with intelligence, played with passion, and I think those are all attributes that we would welcome here at Liverpool. I think they lend really well with the current squad that we have, our supporters and the football club as a whole.
And do you believe that his playing style is the best there is? For example, Pep has his own style, Sean Dyche has his own style, Arne has his own style...
RH : I think it depends on the situations that you have. I think it depends on the players that you have, the players that you would like to recruit. I think this way of playing, this style of playing that Arne has obviously been very successful with is the most attractive to watch, in my opinion. But I believe it will be so in the opinion of the football fans, and that's the most important thing. I think there is a duty here to play that type of football where you're trying to grab games by the scruff of the neck, and I don't think every Liverpool team that I've seen in recent memory has done that. As Arne said, it's not going to be a hugely different approach and style to what has been so successful in the foreseeable past and we hope to emulate that again.
You've already spoken to the captain Virgil van Dijk and presumably Mohamed Salah. Can you tell us anything about the desire and hunger you felt in those conversations for them to keep performing for Liverpool and keep winning trophies here?
AS : I think in general every top player wants to win. I assume and I am hoping Virgil first wants to win the Euros! Maybe not everything is in one line in that area! And then when he comes back after he enjoyed a few days of his holiday, he will come back and all these players want to win. They have the hunger to win. If you don't have that, you're not playing for a club like Liverpool.
Did you sense a hunger to stay at Liverpool as well?
AS : I did, yeah.
And did you tell Cody Gakpo to slow down at the Euros?
AS : No, I'm hoping he will step up a bit even more! Especially in the semi-finals but first [in] the quarter-finals. I'm hoping to see them playing England in the semi-finals. So, we are hoping and expecting him to do even better! No, Cody has a very good tournament, like his last one – the World Cup was really good for him as well. He's been impressive until now and I can only hope for him that he can continue doing so in the upcoming games.
Just on following Jürgen Klopp, do you have to think about what you're going to say to the players? Because there's something unquantifiable about a manager who has been in charge for so long that the voice, the messaging is consistent and the demands are the same. You've got to go in and impress those players as well...
AS : Yeah, but that's a general feeling. That has nothing to do with who worked here before. I think as a manager you go to bed at night and you think about what you're going to do and what you're going to tell the players every day. That's not only before your first day, that's during your whole period where you work. People tend to look at us and think we're only thinking about the tactic boards, which we do a lot as well, but it is also about convincing players and the way to talk to them.
For me that has nothing to do with being the successor of Jürgen, that is something that is part of the job that you think about, 'OK, how can I get the best out of the players? What way do I have to approach them? As an individual or as a team?' So, for me that's not something, [that] I have Jürgen in mind, 'What would he say?' No. That's not the way I look at it but it is, 'OK, I get to know the players, which is the best way to approach them and get the maximum and the best out of them?'
Richard, you mentioned before about the players and the contracts. In general it's been very quiet in the Premier League in transfer terms apart from the flurry of activity at the back end of last week which Liverpool seemed to end up getting involved with by someone offering you a player. Do you think that will change as we get nearer the transfer window deadline? Or do you think there is not a lot of money for any team at the moment?
RH : It's hard to say and speak industry-wide. I think naturally when there are major competitions during the summer – a World Cup, a European Championship and in this case a Copa America and the Olympics as well, so there's a lot of football being played – naturally the attention is going to be there. After the flurry that there was in June, I think it will calm down a little bit, [that] would be my prediction for the month of July and then, like always, when August starts and coaches have had more time to work with players, I think then the opinions will be more set at football clubs and then you may see a situation in August which is, like in previous seasons, there's a little bit of hurry to get things done and to make sure that everyone's squads are in order. I don't think this will be any different. Who knows what will transpire economically? It's hard to say and speak for other clubs but that was probably the case in June and why situations occurred as they did. But I would see a quiet July and perhaps a crescendo in August will probably await us all.
I'm just wondering whether you've been to Anfield yet? And how much of a factor the idea of managing in front of the Anfield crowd was in your decision to come to Liverpool?
AS : I've been there twice, once as a fan and once when they showed me not only this training facility but also the stadium. One of the reasons to join Feyenoord was that I think my playing style – the way I would like my teams to play – it's nice if you have the fans that appreciate that style. They are special in the league in Holland, everybody would tell you the fans, they bring more energy to the team than every other fans do. And this is what has been told to me about the Liverpool fans as well. But not only told to me; if you watch a lot of football and I've been there once myself, I also know what it means for the fans to see the team playing. It's a win-win situation; a very good team to work with, but implementing a playing style that is going to be similar but a bit different as well, that will lead to a lot of enthusiasm by the fans. If that's going to be a good cooperation, the two of them, then hopefully it will lead to special things.
I speak to fans every single day and the dominant conversation right now is your preferred system. Obviously we've seen at Feyenoord a lot of 4-2-3-1. At Liverpool we're accustomed to seeing a 4-3-3. Is the formation and system something that's a non-negotiable of your ideology or will you look at your players and tailor your system to the players at your disposal?
AS: I'm a bit sad… that's maybe not the right word, but I was hoping if people looked at my team they would not say it is 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 or whatever formation you want to call it, I was hoping they would say, OK, there's a lot of freedom when they have the ball to take it into different positions. So, sometimes it's a 4-2-3-1, sometimes it's a 4-1-4-1, sometimes we do build-up with three. So there's a lot of freedom when we have the ball. But if we don't have the ball, then there's not so much freedom, then we want to be really aggressive and there is only one way and that is everybody mostly keeps his position. I wouldn't put myself in a situation where I say I prefer 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1; there's a lot of players taking in a lot of different positions so if you would have asked me, I would say we played 4-3-3 instead of 4-2-3-1 at Feyenoord. But we did build-up a lot of times with three, full-backs had different roles. I'm curious who told you we played 4-2-3-1! Maybe that one should go to get his licence or analyse a bit better!
Can you tell us a little bit about the backroom staff you have put together and what they will bring to the table? And if there's any scope for further additions to that?
AS : I think what has been announced already is Sipke Hulshoff, who I worked with at Feyenoord and our former club Cambuur Leeuwarden as well. He is sitting here in the room as well, like you probably saw. That's been announced already. The goalkeeping coach [Fabian Otte] has been announced; I haven't worked with him but we have spoken, the two of us, and we're really happy that he is going to join our team. And we're expecting two others to join. More announcements to come in the near future.
Q: Richard, what sort of chats have you had with the owners since you have come in, what's been the expectations set for yourself? And how much are you looking forward to working with Michael Edwards again? Obviously you know him from your time at Portsmouth and have kept in touch since…
RH : Yeah, very much looking forward to working with Michael. In my opinion, the best British sporting director to date. The decision to come to Liverpool was obviously one that I was humbled by and delighted to take, but the people I'll be working with as well made it extra-special. Conversations, again, daily at the minute. They had been from quite a way out because there was a fair bit to do to hit the ground running of course, with Arne's appointment being the most important thing to do, to get right. And since then, it has been a bit more sort of, like with Arne, logistics and conversations, forward planning. Very much looking forward to working with Michael and the ownership group as a whole.
When contact was first made with you to bring you to Liverpool, what was that emotion, that feeling like, with the ambition you have as a head coach? And was there a nervous excitement that everything would go to plan to bring you here?
AS : I've worked at a real special club at Feyenoord and I wouldn't leave that club for many clubs, but when Liverpool comes along that was obviously one of the clubs I would leave Feyenoord for, since you are seeing me here. But for me maybe even more important is the first time Richard came over, to hear the reasons why he wanted Liverpool to bring me in. And since then I've noticed how professional this club is, so it went quite fast afterwards. But most important for me at least is to get to know the reasons why they want you.
Of course, we – Sipke was involved in that as well – were lucky enough to win a few things but the playing style, if someone wants to convince me he should talk to me about, 'I like your playing style' because otherwise I would have been the wrong fit for this club or any other club that doesn't like my playing style. He really knew a lot, he saw a lot of games and I think this is something you want to hear, that they don't only want you because maybe you won the league last season or the cup this season, it has to be more than that. And I was impressed by that and since then things went quite smoothly, due to my agent as well!
You've spoken already about the quality of the squad you've inherited, but also the need to improve. How much activity do you think you'll need to do this summer to continue that improvement, in terms of transfers? Do you have an idea of the scale of what needs to be done this summer?
AS : No, not in specific numbers if you meant that. For me, it's clear that we've inherited a squad that is a good team. There have been a few changes last season already. The way I look at football, I can see now during the Euros how important it is to work on a daily basis for a longer time with a team. Because, in my opinion, you see many real, real, real good players, not all of them have the same level as they have at the clubs. So that proves my point of how important it is to work on a daily basis with your players and get the best out of them. That's something we're going to do.
There's already a real good team. Like I just said, there have been a few new signings last season. The longer a team plays together, if there's a good manager or a good head coach, normally you see things will improve. That's why I'm fortunate I'm going to a club where normally not many transfers go out. I've worked at Feyenoord, it was almost normal that eight, nine, 10 players left the club after every season so it's more difficult for a manager then to get this progress. But here I'm expecting him [Hughes] to keep most of our players! And I think he wants it himself, and from there on we can only build.
Over here during the Euros there's obviously been plenty of debate about Trent's best position, whether he should be a defender or midfielder. I'm sure in the Netherlands you're getting the same with Cody Gakpo, whether he should be a striker or left winger. We've seen them in very specific positions here. Have you had an idea about where you might see their roles or what you think about their best positions playing at the Euros compared to here?
AS : I don't have an opinion on what their best positions would be at their countries because that always depends on other players you have as well. You cannot judge a player on his own, it's always a team effort. But I do have my opinion about where they're going to play here – but, if you don't mind, I'm going to talk to them about that first and work with them first before telling you.