Iraola and Araujo Preview Villarreal as Liverpool Eye European Progress

“I am learning English so I think I am going to learn quicker than I thought. To be honest, it surprises me because you know how big Liverpool are but when you get here and see the dimensions of this club the structure, the fans, you know it's a gigantic team.


“I'm very happy because since I arrived I've been welcomed just as another player not just by the people at the club but the fans. I am very grateful to them. I want to give back to them by giving everything in training and every match.”

“It's not a problem as I'd already played there a few times when I made the decision to come here I knew it was one of the possibilities to play as a right-back so it's not something so different for me.


“Ultimately I try to give everything I can no matter what position I am in, no matter what the manager ask. I'm not going to deny I don't feel more comfortable at centre-back but at the end of the day it's not a difficult position for me (at right-back).”

“To be honest, I really do believe we have a great side, a team with great players in it with great potential. Players who came a short time ago and have come in and given a great deal, like myself.


“The Champions League is a very difficult competition and there are great sides in there. Sometimes those knockout games are decided by small details. I think we can compete for all four competitions we are in. It's a long season but we are on the right path.


“We are working well despite not having great results. The team is going forward and progressing. We have potential to grow.”

“It's very early to talk about these things. I'm just trying to enjoy every day, continue to grow and develop every day to have that confidence. I'm really happy to be here, my family are also very happy.


“But it's a bit early to be talking about these things.”

“Dom is a spectacular player. As soon as I arrived here, I saw that quality. You understand what he can give to the team. He's physical and technical and a really important player for us and the way that we play.


“But right now we can't have him in the side. I'm sure we will miss him but we have other players who can come in. We have great quality in our squad and have players who can come in his place. We have to look forward to the game tomorrow with joy and excitement.”

“To be honest, really, really well. I came from a big side as is Liverpool. People here, they are more intense when you go down the street, and you go to the centre of Liverpool or go to eat, but that's lovely.


“You see how they experience football as well. I am really happy here. I'm just really hungry to go on this season and give everything.


“Continue to learn and grow as a player, which is something I've always wanted to do. I'm having that game time and minutes, and that's what I want. Let's see what happens.”

“Yes, of course. I'm very grateful. It's a really important aspect to feel loved by the people and the fans. I always try to give the very best of myself. I really feel represented by the fans when I go out on the pitch.


“Sometimes you play well or badly but that's football. Overall it's about giving everything. That's what I'll be doing.”

“Coming to Liverpool, it's not easy. There are those demands that responsibility. Personally, I'd already experienced that in Barcelona, where you have to give your best in every game.


“You have to play well in every game. It depends on the personality of each player and how they front that challenge. I knew it was a new challenge coming to the PL but from first moment I arrived I had no doubts I had to give everything here.


“And that's how I live it. It's not easy to be in big sides, but that's what we came to do. That's the work we have to do.”

“I'm studying English but it's important what the manager says. At the end of the day I can bring things to the team, what I make, what I know. Even if I say it in Spanish. But in football there's a universal language where if you shout at someone you say it in the same way. I'm continuing to develop and assist the group.


“We have wonderful young players. If I could talk about them now I could be talking about them all the time, in the game I say to Jeremy and Rio 'well done' in English, we have Koumas and we have youngsters who bring a great deal to the team.


“They can bring a great future to the club which is the most important thing.”

“Dom, it's not a new injury, it's in the same place, we have to be a bit more patient until he recovers fully. He is more or less in the same situation he was in last week.”

“I think he's coming in from two very good games, LASK and Brentford, he helped a lot in and out possession. I hope we can keep him there. We analyse and scrutinise everything but when he does well, it's fair to say.”

“We've had better results away but we've had tough games, Atletico and Spurs was good. I prefer to play at home 100% but it's true the games are different and we take it one by one.


“Now it is Villarreal, we focus and I know them very well. We need to do a game we did v Atletico.”

“I am thinking of the best XI for Villarreal but maybe it is not the one you think because some are not fresh enough. How can we put a good XI in there with the changes and we know we have a very busy schedule, we have to take it one by one and we take it that way, cannot plan too much because we can get injuries.


“So we try to focus on how the players recover. It was a demanding game against Brentford, they demand it, so it's important everyone who starts tomorrow feels 100%."

“It's a special game for me. We know each other and as soon as he retired, I grabbed him as an assistant and we have been through a lot together (Villarreal boss Inigo Perez), so it is a privilege. He knows me and know everything but I follow them and I know the players. So it will be strange but in a good way.


“It's not good for our relationship when these things happen! I speak to him a lot but then we stop talking, to leave the distance...We usually talk time to time about football, families, but when the game gets closer, we don't speak.


“I think we tried to take him to England but he couldn't work. We tried to do everything and there was a panel but it was not good enough to be an assistant. I complained at that moment but it worked for him because he could take Rayo and now he is with Villarreal in the Champions League. I am so happy for him.”

“It was difficult he wanted to work with us at Bournemouth but he didn't have a work permit. Then we realised it was not possible after the panel analysed it with the visa but once they told us and he was denied, luckily for him he could go and manage Rayo Vallecano.


“For me, it was a place I could work with Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper at Bournemouth, and they did a great job.”

“Victor is a player we know very well. I also have a great relationship with his manager at Osasuna, we understand what he gives to the group. Attitude-wise, he can help wherever we need him, right, left or even right-back!


“He has hunger, he hasn't like played professionally at a big club but Barcelona and Real Madrid academy teams so he knows the level required. He is adapting really well, yes.”

“You learn going through those difficulties. This gives us knowledge about each other, at half time in tough situations, adapting to injuries.


“Nyoni has to come on without warming up, reacting to all that shows character. Losing positions, unfortunately for us, we have been in those and we have been able to take a result, so we need more of those experiences and I hope we can score quickly."

“I don't even have time to think, it's been a bit of everything, we don't have time to reflect on a lot of things. I came back from Brentford, looking at the Villarreal report.


“We adapt to the circumstances, it's not just us though, Villarreal too. We have to learn every day and improve, especially improve.”

“I think the results were better to begin with at LFC than Bournemouth! From there we had a good run of games and I hope here too, no? I hope we can continue on from this.”

“I think Ronald was here to answer those questions but probably he was the sort of player that was not there before the market but we spoke to the player and it was quite easy, you see a hungry, experienced player, willing to show his level from a top club.


“I asked him straight away we might need him as a right-back and he has proven he is ready to help the team and the more he plays, the more he speaks the language and learns from his teammates. Everything has been quite positive with him.”