and with the other injuries you have in the squad,
are you happy with the size and quality of your squad
or are you still inclined to strengthen in this transfer window?
So, I'm happy with the strength, size and quality of my squad.
But we have injuries, that's how it is,
now it's a question of how long the players will be out and stuff like this.
There are different solutions for it, and one of them is the transfer market.
The transfer market only makes sense if you can bring in the right player -
the right player, not A player.
That doesn't help even for a week.
If we have the right player, then it could make sense,
but we always would have done that from the first day of pre-season actually.
But in some cases it's not possible, and in other cases, extremely difficult.
So, that's why you don't have to think about it:
if something's not possible why should I then constantly think,
"We cannot exist without it" - we can.
So all the other solutions are inside the squad,
we have too many injuries at the moment, that's clear,
a couple of boys coming back - Naby will be back for Monday
and Kostas will train for the first time today,
so he might be back as well.
That's the situation. I understand the questions, really,
but on the other side I don't understand it as well,
because if there would be the right solution for us, we would have done it already.
We are not stubborn or whatever and say, "No way, we don't bring in anybody."
It's just about the right thing to do, and when people told me at the beginning of the season
that we lacked a specific kind of midfielder,
I didn't understand, because if you search for this specific thing
then you always lack something.
If you have technical players, then you miss fighters;
if you have fighters, then you miss the technical ones.
That's the main two things. So it was always like this,
if there was the right player and the opportunity, we would have done it,
but we don't see it because we had a lot of conversations already
and it doesn't look like something will happen.
You referenced the slow start to the game last weekend,
I'm sure you expect the tempo to be different in front of the home fans at Anfield,
also will the timing of the game help?
Given the intense heat on Saturday and Sunday,
it's going to be a lot cooler on Monday.
Is that a big advantage for you?
Yeah, but for Crystal Palace the same.
It's much better to play then, much more comfortable,
but it should not be a comfortable game at all,
it should be really busy, but I'm not annoyed about that.
Helped by the fixture list - wow.
This is what you take out of my answer - helped by the fxture list?
No, it's fortuitous, I suppose.
For both teams, it makes it a fair competition.
It's just a game at night.
Apologies.
Harvey Elliott signed that extension to his contract yesterday,
a big talent and a great future ahead I'm sure,
is he very much in your plans for Monday in terms of a possible start?
Yeah, he is always. He’s a fantastic boy,
a super player and came on and had a real impact [at Fulham last weekend].
He played a really good pre-season - very helpful - and...yeah, of course.
Thank you.
Hi, Jürgen.
This weekend is the 30th anniversary of the first Premier League weekend,
back in 1992, a lot has happened in that time,
I'm just wondering what were your first memories of the Premier League
and what your favourite memory is?
My first memory of the Premier League...
I have memories of it, I wouldn't say they were highlights, when I watched games before.
But the first was obviously the away game at Tottenham [his debut].
I mean just in general, not necessarily for Liverpool - what's your favourite then?
That's easier.
We didn’t even play!
It was the penalty for Chelsea,
when Willian scored the penalty for Chelsea against [Manchester] City
when we became champions in that moment [in June 2020], definitely.
That was a mix of everything. I can remember the situation before,
it was a chance of Chelsea like shooting, defending, shooting, blocking,
and then handball, and everyone was shouting ‘handball!’
It was not immediately the whistle,
and then the whistle came and that was the first celebration.
I am actually absolutely not like this, honestly.
I watch football games, other teams when I’m not involved, I couldn’t care less -
it’s always kind of analysis, watching, learning.
But it was completely different in that moment,
I was really hoping it would be a penalty and I was really hoping Willian keeps his nerve.
When he kept his nerve, it was good - it was my Premier League moment.
Roberto Firmino, if he does start it'll be his third start in a row,
which he hasn't done since February or March I think,
his next start will also be his 200th Premier League start as well.
So how does he figure now, Firmino, has his role evolved,
how would you sum up how important he is to you?
Very important, very important.
If you take now our last game against Fulham,
we didn’t find Bobby properly.
There were different reasons, we saw in the analysis a lot;
we can speak about it but it was something that had nothing to do with us, to be honest.
Because the centre was very often blocked.
If you want to watch it back you'll see it as well, and they were not bad players.
That’s why it was a bit difficult for him to get into the game.
And we didn’t play well, and that’s always for an offensive player not easy to show up really.
But apart from that, I don’t obviously judge Bobby
because of one game or two games or whatever.
Bobby is a fantastic player and had a good pre-season -
not a perfect pre-season, but a good pre-season, and that’s all he needed,
that he could have the amount of sessions he had
and could train as often as he did.
He will benefit from that definitely during the season, and from there we go.
200 starts in the Premier League is not bad. Most of them must be with me?
All of them, I think.
He didn't start before I arrived?
He was injured I know, but he didn't start before?
- I'll double-check that. - Yeah, double-check!
Jürgen, you said after the Fulham draw that the attitude wasn't right.
Is that something that's been addressed this week, did it take much sorting out?
Addressed, of course - after the game directly.
With my English, I’m not sure if ‘attitude’ is the right thing,
but we had a slow start, I didn’t like the start at all.
I saw then the attitude to fight back, but that’s a different thing.
It’s better you have a high intensity, high concentration, lively start
in a football game than not.
But it’s very often a game starts like this, that’s not a problem.
First pass you turn it to the full-back, pass it backwards,
next one gets blocked by the winger.
That is always, ‘OK, come on, switch on now’, and that took too long in this game.
When we wanted to fight back we gave already parts of the momentum to Fulham,
which was absolutely unnecessary,
because we played a really not good game - and still could have scored more goals.
Imagine we would have found [our way] really back in the game?
We had our moments in the second half.
And we had moments in the first half, but really not enough.
So if I make now a big fuss of it and talk every day about it, imagine that?
That would be strange as well.
We try to make sure we are ready for this game.
We were more often ready than not, and that’s what we have to be again, nothing else.
Having a slow start doesn’t mean you have to start slow all the time
or you will never do it again, but it’s a sign -
use it as information, change it and go from there.
This feels stupid, but how do you avoid a slow start, how do you get it right?
That's easy. By not being slow!
But we saw that last season as well, a slow start in some of the games towards the end.
Towards the end? You cannot compare that.
Your life is so easy, after 55 games and then you tell me, 'Oh, slow start.'
What do you want? It's a completely different situation,
this is the start of the season, it's completely different,
I didn't watch these games back but you cannot play 64 games or whatever
and just do all phases of the game superior -
you have 64 games and you fight through it.
So this one now, find direction, open up, be awake,
and be awake before it starts.
So that's how it is, it's not really difficult, most of us do that every morning.
Some of us start every morning slow and some of us start
and are awake and can start working in that moment,
if they need the bathroom...
That's the difference, but these boys, more often than not...
I don't like if you find one thing in the stats then you come here
and tell me, as it would be, the truth.
It's not. If the truth would be that easy, my life would be much easier.
That would be really cool.
You just mention it - done.
Unfortunately each week we are in a different situation against a different team.
We have to be ready for all of them, and that's what we try this time better than last.
Jürgen, as disappointed as you were with the performance last week
sometimes can there be merits in the players refocusing at this stage of the season?
Sometimes can it be a bit of a warning sign?
Of course.
I'm sure it was for everybody, definitely.
The boys didn't like it as well, it was not that when I told them after the game
that it wasn't good enough, they thought, 'What are you talking about?'
I know that the boys knew as well,
so it's like I always said: you can lose games, but you learn from it.
This was exactly the same because it felt like a loss,
that was exactly the feeling I had when I left the stadium,
but we didn't, that's the good news. We got a point.
Now let's go.
How encouraged have you been with the work as a partnership
between Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah?
They've not had much time playing together but already really encouraging signs.
It’s a cool partnership, definitely.
It’s two players who are determined to score and be in the decisive areas -
I mean behind the line, wherever the line is.
It’s very helpful.
Mo is in a really good moment and Darwin is settling in.
I think Luis [Diaz] just missed the goal, if you want [at Fulham],
really good moments, really good situations.
[He had] two chances, one was post I think, or crossbar,
and then got blocked in another situation.
So, a little bit of luck and then he would score, and that would help him as well massively.
But apart from that this department was not our problem last weekend.
Hi, Jürgen, just to go back to the midfield situation,
there's been quite a few words about Harvey's new contract
being a reward for his development and increasing influence in the team.
We've spoken about Naby and his false starts and need to get a run of games,
do you now need one of those players to step up and fill the gap in midfield
and be a consistent selection?
Everybody just has to make the next step in their development, that's normal.
Harvey played an incredible level already then he got injured.
That's it, pretty much, played a good pre-season,
all the games when he came on he was really decisive;
came on against City and played a really good game,
came on against Fulham and played a really good game.
So, does he have to step up? Yeah, like all the others.
And filling the gap...
Actually, when you start with eight or nine midfielders,
they all have the same chance, so if one is out, is there then a gap?
Or is it just the situation?
We have injuries, but I expect from the boys that they...
over the time we worked together, and of course, rather sooner than later,
they fulfil their potential.
So that's what I'm looking for, and Harvey is on a good way.
And Fabio [Carvalho] didn't even start and is on a good way as well - that's cool.
Millie looks sharp when he comes on - does he have to step up? He showed a lot already.
Hendo played good on No. 6 when we moved him inside,
like he did last year,
so with the players we have there is still competition for positions.
If the boys need that, it would be new to me,
that we have to motivate them by telling them:
'If you are not perfect, or at your best, then he will play.'
It never worked like this.
So in training I expect them all to be 100 per cent here,
and then I make a decision about who is ready this week
and who might be ready next week.
It's not about stepping up, it's about being the best version of yourself,
or getting close to that.
That's what all the boys try, as far as I see it at least.
Just on Thiago, what's that injury looking like?
Thiago is good, but the injury is not good.
Any timeframes?
Are there any timeframes...
I read four to six weeks
LAUGHTER
Yeah, I would prefer four...
We'll see.