Alisson, let’s talk Premier League: 57 games, 31 clean-sheets
and only one defeat; 30 goals conceded at just over one every
two games. What most impresses you about these stats and
how happy are you since you came to Liverpool?
ALISSON: We don’t really look at the numbers, although obviously
they are important in football. The important number is the one
that wins you the title, the number of points we end up with. That’s
most important. Having said that, I’m really happy to be achieving
so many records here at the club, a place that has received me
so well. I was so pleased with my welcome. I’m really happy to
be representing Liverpool, such a passionate club with players
all playing at the same intensity and rhythm. As you said, we’re
breaking records, but the most important thing is that we are on
the right path to winning the title which is our most important
objective. We also have a chance in the Champions League.
That is also within the club’s aims.
Adrian, within a couple of weeks of arriving at Liverpool you
won your irst trophy as a professional when you helped the
team to the European Super Cup. Looking back at it now, how
diicult was it to come almost straight in to the team?
ADRIAN: From my point-of-view it was a good deal as my contract
with West Ham inished last season and I took the decision to
move on to leave happy and enjoying my football. It was an
atypical summer as I had to train by myself, with friends and the
goalkeeping coach over in Seville. At the beginning of August the
call came from Liverpool, and we agreed the contract very quickly
and I had to make my way here hurriedly as the season was about
to start. I obviously didn’t expect Ali to sufer the misfortune of
an injury in the irst game. So I had to step up to a new challenge
at my new club and gain the conidence of everybody again. I
was more than prepared for this. After playing so many games
previously in the Premier League it was nothing new other than
playing for another team in a diferent stadium. And thankfully
the dynamic was really good. It was very easy to it in with such
an excellent team dynamic with the team showing such high
standards as they are right now.
Alisson, we’ve often seen you trying to occupy as much space
as possible when you are trying to make saves when faced by
an attacker?
It’s a characteristic of my game in one-on-one situations. I like to
close down the space. I’ve always worked on this to close down as
much space as possible, to gain some time to narrow the angle of
the striker’s shot and to leave my hands in a position which allows
me to react with my arms if the ball is taken out of my immediate
radius of action.
Adrian, you also made an important save in a one-on-one
situation from Tammy Abraham in the game against Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge earlier in the season?
In a one-on-one situation I believe that the keeper has to make
themselves big and as Ali was quite rightly saying, when the player
puts their head down to strike the ball, it’s the moment to close
them down and narrow the angle for a shot and cover as much of
the goal as possible. We need to force the player to decide, whilst
not giving them an easy decision to make. And the other thing to
add is that ultimately being in a good position with your feet and
your arms slightly open and legs blocking the goal makes it more
diicult for the striker to score.
We’ve also seen both of you make amazing reaction saves. How
do you do that when you have barely any time to react?
ALISSON: Those are completely diferent types of save. They are
saves where I’m reacting to the ball. I’m not moving as I need to
be balanced with both feet on the ground to make the save and
react in the best way possible. When the ball isn’t too far outside of
my radius of action, I only need to be well positioned to be able to
react quickly and make the save.
ADRIAN: Like Ali said, it’s one of the most diicult things,
maintaining a good position when faced with a shot that comes at
you quickly. With crosses, if you can help by coming out to punch
or block the ball, that’s great. But if you can’t do that, you have to
get back in position and stay on your line but remain in a position
where you can still dive. Like Ali also said, with your two feet on the
ground at the moment you need to react and then your arms just
do their job. Of course, if the ball isn’t too far away from me I will
be able to stick out a hand and hopefully make more of a reaction
save. Of course, even when we are reacting quickly, you can still
see out of the corner of your eye whether an opposition striker is
coming in. In that situation, if we turn the ball away weakly with soft
hands or leave it in our immediate area because it may be a diicult
save to make, the oncoming attackers can take a touch and then
score. In these situations, I try to save it with the strongest wrists
possible to knock it away from the danger area. But the key here for
us is to be in the right position. Good positioning for us goalkeepers
is the most important thing to have.THE IMPORTANT
NUMBER IS THE
ONE THAT WINS
YOU THE TITLE,
THE NUMBER OF
POINTS WE END
UP WITH. THAT’S
MOST IMPORTANT