Slaughter: Bradley and Wheat are gradually regaining their form, which is very important for Liverpool

Hupu News November 05: Liverpool head coach Slott attended the post-match press conference after defeating Real Madrid 1-0.

How did this match go? How do you feel?

It's really impressive because we are facing a very good team, they are in hot form, they have only lost one game in the past 15 games and won all the other games.

So, yeah, if you can beat them and we played pretty well today, that's certainly a good thing. But apart from anything else, we won from set pieces. Of course it makes more sense to talk about set pieces after a win, because after a loss people always think I'm making excuses.

But nine times out of ten, as long as the set-piece attack is done properly, we can achieve good results, and we did it today.

Another reason for your win is that you kept a clean sheet for the second consecutive game, and it can be said that Bradley also set the tone for the team on the defensive end. So, how much do you think the team has improved this season?

Frankly speaking, our previous record was very bad. There is no excuse in the world for us losing so many games but we had to play a lot of games in a short period of time. We had almost no rest time, while our opponents had a long rest.

The opponent we played tonight also played on Saturday, so both of us had two days of rest. Playing at home helps because it seems like six of our last eight games have been on the road. So if you're a little tired, the fans can give you some extra motivation.

Conner did a great job, he was great. He performed well against Real Madrid last season but had to be substituted after 80 minutes due to injury. Now, three days after playing a full 90 minutes against Villa, he played a full 90 minutes with astonishing intensity against Vinicius.

I told the players before the game that they have scored 26 goals in La Liga, and Mbappe and Vinicius have jointly contributed 24 goals. So, if you want to have a chance to win, you should defend well because that's how teams score points. Of course, good players can score goals, and they both certainly did, and Connor's defense against Vinicius was excellent.

When Liverpool turned the tide, Alexander-Arnold came on the scene. After he came on the scene, do you think the atmosphere became more passionate?

No, I was impressed by the atmosphere throughout the game, even before it started. So I think the fans helped us a lot throughout the game, not just during the time that Trent was playing.

Have you talked to Trent?

Shortly after the game, I gave him a hug. I can't even remember what I said, probably not much. But every time I see him, I hug him or talk to him because he is so special to me as a player and as a person.

What do tonight and Win Vera have in common? From the performance of these two games, what strengths do you think the team has that can be applied to future games?

Common ground...I think both teams played very similarly against us. Maybe the difference is that I told the players today that I want them to either press high or defend low, because Vinicius and Mbappe are excellent players in every aspect, but their timing and speed when running back are on another level.

So don't leave any space behind them, and our defense did a really good job of that tonight. The defense was solid in both games. But it's more advantageous if you're not one or two goals behind, because if you're one or two goals behind you're taking a bigger risk.

You need to be more proactive, and if you have to be proactive and take extra risks, your defenses are sometimes a little weaker because of that. But overall, I think, even in the games we lost, we gave our opponents almost no chance. Of course, the exception is conceding goals from set pieces.

Hey, McAllister also scored against Real Madrid last year, so I think this is a good performance of inertia. However, do you think he is finally back to his best form after suffering an injury at the beginning of the season?

Yes, but I don't think he's the only one. I seem to have mentioned Bradley just now. He has now played two 90 minutes in three days. This should be the first time he has done this in a long time. The situation with Wheat is somewhat similar.

I think all players need some time, sometimes to adapt to the Premier League and sometimes to adapt to the limited rest time we have. In other leagues, if you are a big club or can win easily, then in almost every other league, 15 to 20 games is enough.

But in the Premier League, there is never an easy game to win, and this is something you need to adapt to.

So, if you missed preseason, or you're from another league, or you're younger, then those are all factors that you need to adapt to. Connor Bradley only played 30 or 40 games for us. And after the game against Villa, by the way, there was also the game against Crystal Palace, where he performed well.

He and the team are getting better and better, and this is the first step for us to get back on the winning track.