I know you always talk about how much you are in contact with the leadership here, the likes of Sir Jim [Ratcliffe], Jason [Wilcox]. Sir Jim had some really positive comments for you over the break, really backing you. How do you feel when you see those type of comments?“He tells me all the time. Sometimes with a message after games. But you know, I know, and Jim knows, that football is not like that, so the most important thing is the next game. You cannot control, even with owners, you cannot control the next day in football. So, I know that, but it’s really good to hear that. Also, because of the noise, but he tells me, and Omar [Berrada] and Jason tell me that all the time.”
In terms of your vision for this club, does it help when they say that?“First of all, I can feel it. It’s not just that thing that people talk [about], but I feel it in every day. And again, sometimes the pressure that I put on the team or on myself is so much bigger than them. I know that it’s going to take a while, but I don’t want to think like that. I said that last year. But of course, again, it’s really good to hear that. I think it helps also our fans to understand that the leadership understands that is going to take a while. But at the same moment, I don’t like that because we’ll give a feeling that we have time to work things out. So, I don’t want that feeling here in our club. Again, the most important thing is the next game. It’s good to feel the support, but we need to prove in football, especially in big clubs, that, every weekend, we are ready to win games.”
This will be the 100th match at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester United. It’s a game with an awful lot of history. Your history, I think your first visit there as a player, maybe could have been better, but your most recent was possibly one of your highlights here so far.“Yeah, I remember it, we played well, it was a draw. I was really upset in the end of the game because we proved, on that day, that we can compete against any opponents. I know that it’s special for our club. I know that they are fighting all the time for the titles, the number of titles. I know what it means to the fans, but again, it’s one game that we need to prove again, that we are playing better. I think we are playing better. We need to do better in both boxes. So, it’s one more game that we need to win.”
