MANE & KEITAHe is a coach who knows how to handle you off the field, too.
Sometimes he can be hard with his players but it’s for positive
reasons and that’s helped us a lot on the field. It is quite
impressive, in fact, if you got to know him to understand all of
that.
NABY: Yes and he will always defend his players because for
him all the players are the same. There is no difference to
him. He’s always there to explain things to you, such as if you
haven’t played the best in a game, which is hard for coaches to
do.
But that’s a choice he has to make and it helps us fight harder
on the training field to push hard so you can be playing at the
weekend.
He communicates with us all equally and that’s what I really
like about him. During training he will stop you and give you
advice and explanations...
SADIO: But if you lose the ball, he can certainly shout “Naby!
Naby!”
NABY: But that’s quite normal and he would also give you the
same treatment!
SADIO: Yes, but I just give this little look [does comic glare].
HOW HAS HE HELPED YOU BOTH IMPROVE AS PLAYERS?
ARE THERE ANY LITTLE THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE?
SADIO: I believe it’s the fact that he makes you responsible on
and off the field. I think that football is in the head but then
you’ve got to transfer that to the body. He’s always there to be
able to give you confidence. Overall for a player it’s all about
confidence.
NABY: Yes, overall he is a coach that gives you confidence and
he is the motivating factor before a match, but you’ve also got
to be motivated on the field.
When you see him on the sideline and you’re on the field, it’s
as if he’s playing with you and that gives you a lot of desire to
do better. He’s always there for his players, he’s almost like a
best friend but he’s a coach who can communicate with all his
players.
NABY, HOW HAS HE HELPED YOU DEVELOP AS A PLAYER?
NABY: When I arrived I had to try and settle in and be able to
integrate with the team. I respect his choices, so I was there
to work every day. He is somebody who is able to give you
explanations on the field, and that helps a lot and when you
play of course you don’t ever doubt yourself. That’s coaching
and he sees everything.
I think I have now improved a lot, apart from my injuries
which have kept me out of several matches. He’s somebody
who communicates a lot and a coach who explains everything
to all his players.HOW BIG A FACTOR WAS KLOPP IN YOU SIGNING FOR
LIVERPOOL – WAS HE THE KEY REASON?
NABY: Yes, I made the right choice coming here. I have won
trophies and that was one of my dreams, to win trophies and to
grow myself as a player.
I’m always trying to improve and try to get over those injuries
to help the team improve, I think of my place here and I work
hard to be available to the coach.
This season I think he has increased the level of concentration
and the amount of work we do and also the desire, because last
season we were just pipped to it, and this season we’re doing
everything that we need to do.
We work hard every day and we are seeing the results. It’s
about work and desire.FOOTBALL IS IN THE HEAD
BUT THEN YOU’VE GOT TO
TRANSFER THAT TO THE
BODY OF COURSE. THE
MANAGER IS ALWAYS THERE
TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU
CONFIDENCE. FOR A PLAYER
IT’S ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE