MatchIn full: Arne Slot's programme notes for Liverpool v Bournemouth
Before I look ahead to today’s game, I want to look back at the last one. Winning at a stadium like San Siro against a team with the history and stature of AC Milan is something that everyone associated with Liverpool FC should be proud of.
Sometimes it can be easy to take these kind of results for granted but we never should. For every single player, staff member and supporter who contributed I hope you were able to enjoy the moment because it was a special one.
For the team, the priority was to bounce back from a really disappointing result against Nottingham Forest a few days earlier. It was inevitable that we would have that defeat in our heads a little bit, especially after going a goal down so early, but the performance showed resilience, quality and character and this is why we were able to get an important win.
I said afterwards that the whole team played well and the reason for this is the hard work that the players put in. Responding to a setback is one of those things that is always easier said than done but it definitely becomes less hard when everyone pulls together with a focus on putting things right and this is exactly what happened.
The key now is to build on what we have done so far. We cannot change the loss to Forest but we can continue to learn from it and keep on improving. This will be our objective again today because, just like Forest one week ago, we know full well that Bournemouth will have their own ambitions of getting a positive result at Anfield.
Of course, I would like to welcome Andoni Iraola, his staff and the players and supporters of Bournemouth to the stadium. Bournemouth’s story in recent years is one that it is very hard not to like and respect. They more than punch their weight in the Premier League and have a reputation for playing good football which is very much deserved.
So we know what to expect and this is another tough challenge against an opponent with quality and experience. We did not arrive back from Milan until the early hours of Wednesday morning, but by the time kick-off arrives our aim is to be ready to go again because we know another good performance will be required.
I mentioned earlier how pleased I was with the players in midweek and the same goes for our fans. During the game itself I was totally focused on what was happening on the pitch so it was only afterwards that I was able to fully appreciate the impact that our supporters had on the stadium.
Seeing so many of you up in the gods, spread across an entire stand, was a wonderful thing and the support that we received throughout the game was incredible. Even though you were so heavily outnumbered you really made yourselves heard and this definitely helped our performance.
We can only ever appreciate this kind of support, especially when it happens in a foreign country meaning our fans have to travel a long way to give us their backing. This is why everyone at the club was so saddened by the tragic loss of Philip Dooley while we were in Italy.
Liverpool is a special club and one of the main reasons for this is our supporters, so to lose one of them in circumstances like this is incredibly sad. It goes without saying that our sympathies and our thoughts are with Philip’s family and friends.
You’ll Never Walk Alone,
Arne
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