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Liverpool face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
It was a quip that Jurgen Klopp made fairly regularly. And Arne Slot deployed a similar tactic.
“We play Newcastle in two days, people know?” joked the Liverpool head coach to those present at the AXA Training Centre.
Indeed, the Reds do face the Magpies. And it is not a regular fixture. It is in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. The national stadium will be sold out and the first piece of silverware this season is up for grabs.
Given what is on the line, many might have expected the pre-match press conference to have more magnitude. But, in truth, it felt like any normal Premier League game this season. There were no faces who you rarely or have never spotted in the media room. There have been Dutch journalists before games to quiz Slot this season. They did not make the excursion for Slot’s maiden cup final since leaving his homeland.
It was telling that there was not a raft of hands waiting to get an insight into Slot’s thoughts - during the broadcast section, at least. The Liverpool head coach has already spoken to the press pack twice twice this week and conducted a plethora of interviews with other outlets.
Granted, Liverpool head to Wembley against the backdrop of exiting the Champions League. But the Reds did not suffer a thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and went out in the best possible manner, with penalties the deciding factor.
No-one thinks that a kneejerk reaction is needed There are few who feel Slot requires drastically altering his starting XI from the PSG loss. In earlier rounds of the Carabao Cup, there was intrigue around fringe players and some of the youngsters. But with a trophy on the line, Liverpool will go as strong as they can.
The subject of Virgil van Dijk was raised by Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor at the beginning against the backdrop of the Liverpool captain’s comments that he had still not signed a new deal and anyone who said otherwise was lying. That question was pertinent given Van Dijk’s comments and Slot would have been expecting it.
But to delve deeper into Van Dijk’s contractual situation or that of Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose respective deals also expire in the summer, could be left for another day. The subject of who’ll play at right-back against Newcastle was the main subject given Alexander-Arnold’s injury and, in particular, Jarell Quansah’s trajectory this season and how he will be able to adapt.
After the PSG loss, much has been discussed about a potential revamp that will be needed in the summer transfer window. There are question marks around several players futures and their positions. Before a cup final, though, it did not feel entirely appropriate.
Still, it underlines that Liverpool are back at the very pinnacle. Wembley is again being referred to as Anfield South as it’s the fourth time in as many seasons that Kopites journey to the national stadium. There is significantly less pressure on the Reds compared to Newcastle, who have not won a piece of silverware since 1955. Still, Slot believes a victory will mean just as much to the Reds even though the Premier League title is their priority.
He said: “A final in this country is always special because there are so many strong teams in this country and this league. If you reach a final, it's always a big moment for them but also for us because, in the end although we have two cups in this country, you can never take a final for granted. We don't play every single season, every final so it's definitely special for them and also for us.”