At dawn on Wednesday, the 6th round of the UEFA Champions League was in full swing, with Liverpool defeating Girona by a narrow margin of 1-0 as visitors. After the match, Liverpool iron defender Joe Gomez talked about his career in Liverpool, the recent situation of the team and his journey to cope with the new tactical layout in an exclusive interview with The Athletic.
Facing the future, Joe Gomez said: "It's true that there were rumors this summer that I might leave, but I've always focused on the club. I know how lucky I am to have joined Liverpool and next summer will be my tenth year with the team. I don't take it for granted and in my opinion, this is the best club in the world. Even though the transfer rumors didn't materialize, we quickly adjusted and regained our form, and it all seemed to go by in a flash. This is soccer and I'm a firm believer in focusing on the moment. Being at a club for almost ten years without any ups and downs reflects my ambitions to a certain extent."
He went on to elaborate, "I believe there is an inevitability to everything and I am honored to be part of such an outstanding team. We have a solid foundation and are looking forward to making a mark this year, which is why we are eager to be a part of it. I love this place and love this club. As a player, there is always a desire to get on the field, so you have to give it your all. It's tough not to play because you never know when the opportunity comes, when you're going to play, what position you're going to play and so on. But I'm a firm believer in just controlling what I can and focusing on being the best professional I can be."
Speaking about adapting to new coach Slaughter's tactical style, Joe Gomez said, "On a tactical level, it's a gradual process. It's far more than just seeing a teammate and passing the ball. A lot of it is about creating space on the pitch for three-on-two and trying to avoid too many men on one side. Also, the line doesn't always mean pass him the ball, sometimes it may take a moment to wait. The learning process is exciting and I just want to get better and keep improving as a player. Coach is helping me and the other players to achieve that. Slaughter constantly reminds us that we can't be complacent, and the attention to detail from the coaching staff and head coach is top notch. I think their ability to adapt and guide us down the right path, even at halftime, is quite remarkable."
On the news that Tuchel will be coaching England next January, Joe Gomez said, "Of course, I hope I can make the England squad. But fundamentally, Liverpool is my stage. Whatever the result, it's just the result. I just want to enjoy the game and now the season has just started and we haven't done anything yet. We have a platform to show what we can do, but if we don't utilize it, it's all in vain. I know that everything at Liverpool stems from that and that's what's important to me."
Finally, talking about the experience of nearly scoring against Girona, Joe Gomez smiled and said, "I can't say that I was prepared to celebrate - it depended on whether I could score or not! But corner kicks are an important thing to attack, and that's what I've been trying to break through. Because I've never been involved in too many corner kicks, the chances of scoring have increased now."
