PreviewAlisson Becker interview: Clean sheets, Tottenham and targeting 'something special'

The Reds visit Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday having drawn their last two top-flight outings, against Newcastle United and Fulham respectively.

Those results mean their lead at the top of the table has been shortened and Alisson is eager to return from the capital with three points.

Ahead of the weekend, Liverpoolfc.com sat down with the goalkeeper at the AXA Training Centre.

Read our interview below...

Ali, it’s back to Premier League action on Sunday. After two draws in a row, how important is it to get back to winning ways as soon as possible?

Yeah, it’s really important. I think [there are] many difficult games coming now at this time for us but that’s how the Premier League is – really difficult, you cannot take things for granted before the season finishes because you know how things can change quickly. Two games, you can drop some points and the difference [in points] with respect to the opponents is not so big anymore. But I think we have to focus on the next challenge we have in front of us.

Tottenham is a massive game, if we can go there and get the three points it will be amazing but we know how difficult it is to play there against their team. They are playing really well, a really intense way to play, not easy, but we have to get back on the winning track if we want to do something special this season.

Liverpool actually conceded five goals in those two draws as well – does that kind of run focus the minds of you and the rest of the team in terms of getting back to keeping clean sheets?

Yeah, clean sheets have been a big part of our success so far this season so again, if you want to do something special, if you want to win titles, you need to have a solid defence and that means that the whole team needs to work hard for getting the clean sheets. Also, in the game, if you don’t concede you are closer to the victory and with the quality our players up front have, we know that we can hurt the opponents. But if you look to the games we played, the last two games, against Newcastle it was a hectic game and they are really strong as well [and] playing away from home is not easy.

And against Fulham we had one man down and it’s not easy to manage that, you are going to give space to the opponents to play. You could see because we tried to win the game, we didn’t just try to get the result or something like that. But we know that we have a lot of things to improve and not giving away easy chances is one of them and this is something to do with all the team: the way we press high, the way we defend deep as well, the way we close the space in midfield, so it’s the whole team having the main goal of keeping a clean sheet.

Tottenham often start games quickly so is that something you have got to be aware of and also prepare for?

Yeah, we are trying to prepare as best as we can and we know their qualities. We know how strong a side they are, individually and collectively as well. But you know how football works when you go to play an away game, you don’t want to give any hopes for the supporters or the opponent. If you can hold them down at the beginning of the game that would be good, if you can cool them down that would be good. But we are ready to go there and have a proper fight. Our main targets are a clean sheet and the three points, that’s clear, and we know that we are going to have to work really hard to do that because, as I said before, it is not an easy place to go. When they get the crowd together they can be strong as well and we want everything to go in a perfect way for us.

You’ve been involved in several title races here, as have other senior players in the squad. How much can that past experience help you this season?

It helps a lot when you have experienced players. Not only myself, but so many players, even the young players they had experienced that as well before. Being there for the title race is part of the identity of this club. This club is so big it has to be there. It has to be fighting for something big, fighting for the prize, we know that [and] we carry this responsibility but it doesn’t come from nothing. You have to create that. You have to deserve it because if you are up there and you don’t deserve [it] you’re not going to last long at that place.

We want to not only win games, but we want to deserve it. We want to play well [and] we want to have solid performances; be solid at defence and be strong in the attack. There is a way of winning that is not a guarantee that you’re going to win, but a lot of hard work is necessary and compulsory for a team that wants to fight for something. At the end it’s not a guarantee, as I said before, but we want to do that, and we want to be there and we have the desire inside of ourselves. Bringing the experience can help us in all the different circumstances that we can get through the season.

Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are now the only players not training with the team due to injury so it’s a real positive to be getting back to a fully fit squad, particularly at this busy time of the season…

You have to be lucky with the injuries as well. All the teams that struggle at some points you can see that will be related to missing key players. It’s important that when those players are missing, the ones who come in and play can do as well as the others were doing. I stayed away for eight [or] nine weeks – six [or] seven games in the Premier League. Caoimhin [Kelleher] came in and did really well for the team, helping a lot with the games, with saves [and] with everything, showing how good he is and showing how important it is to have players with quality in the squad, not only the first XI who are starting the game, but everybody. It’s important for the long term. Hopefully we can get Ibou and Conor back soon. They are important players for us. But the players who are fit, we have to show the response on the pitch and to perform as best as we can to get the results.

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