On the reasons for the team’s inconsistency this season…
I think most of our performances, except for two or three, have been the same but not always we got what we deserved. So, against Leeds we conceded one chance, like we did today, but against Leeds we conceded three goals because the VAR intervened for a penalty and we conceded [from] a set-piece. Against Sunderland we didn’t even concede a chance until the 96th minute but before that we already conceded a goal by a deflection. If you simply look at the last four games, the players have fought so hard, showed so much mentality and I don’t think every time we have got what we deserved lately. But tonight, at last we did in again difficult circumstances.
On the performance of his midfield and reaction to supporters singing his name…
I don’t think I would do justice to only tell you that our midfield worked so hard. I think I saw all of the players showing a lot of commitment to the game plan. In the first half we tried to keep a plus one in and around our last line, but after the substitutions they made we struggled more and more with [Manuel] Akanji in the middle, who dribbled into the midfield. So, we said during half-time, we have to be more aggressive in our press, we’re going to go more one-v-one. Then, of course, it is important your midfield sprints back if they play over you, but it was the same for our attackers.
I think you are highlighting our midfield but I would like to highlight one player because he’s been highlighted a few times also in a negative way and this time I would like to highlight [Ibrahima] Konate, who played a very good game against two very good strikers together with Virgil [van Dijk]. I don’t think they made a mistake at all; like I said, we only conceded one chance and that is a big compliment if you play against such a great team.
And what it means for me that the fans sing my name, that means a lot for me, but I said yesterday, it’s not about me – it’s about the team. They were also there for the team. Again, so many away fans in difficult circumstances for the club and it shows you one more time if things go against us, or if there is a hard time, we are all there for each other, we fight together and that’s what the fans and the players showed today.
On clarifying a discussion during an interview with Clarence Seedorf and ‘where the initiative comes from’ in the situation with Mohamed Salah being resolved…
No. I’m happy that you asked that question because Clarence said ‘in his opinion’ and I said, ‘Yes, that’s your own opinion.’ So, I didn’t say anything about that, who should make the first step or whatever. It was his opinion. So, I am happy that I can clarify that, headlines tomorrow or not. What I’ve said, it was his opinion.
On ‘where he stands’ on the situation now…
Where I stand is that tonight it should all be about the players that are here. In the rich history Liverpool has, they have had many of these evenings but in the season we are in, I think if you have an away win in this stadium against such a strong team then it should be about the midfield or about Ibou or about the ones that are here. They deserve all the credits. I fully understand on Friday I get a lot of questions again about other things, but tonight it should be about the ones who are here.
On how he’s managed Konate’s form…
I think the hardest thing for him, but also for me, is to see that during large parts of the game he’s played very well, also in games he was involved in goals we conceded. Let’s take the PSV game – I think until that moment he played a very good game. That has been so many times, so it is not a surprise to me that he again played well but I am so happy for him that we kept a clean sheet and he wasn’t involved in anything that happened tonight.
He has also been very unlucky in that if you make a mistake, or if you are involved in a mistake, that this ball constantly has gone in. That is the situation we’ve been in for weeks, months maybe. Something about the referee decisions, every chance the other team gets is a goal, every mistake we make leads immediately to a goal. Again tonight, we weren’t able to finish our first chances but because we kept a clean sheet, when we scored our last chance of the game we could win it today.
