Keita: I’m already in tune with Salah, Mane and Firmino
Naby Keita may only be six weeks into his Liverpool career, but the No.8 feels he is already on the same wavelength as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
A series of eye-catching performances during the Reds’ pre-season friendly programme offered evidence as to why Jürgen Klopp brought Keita to Anfield this summer.
The Guinea international has counted Mane as a close friend since their respective spells at RB Salzburg overlapped briefly in 2014, and he is enjoying playing alongside the Senegalese, Salah and Firmino - who scored 91 goals between them in 2017-18 - along with the rest of his new teammates.
Keita told Liverpoolfc.com: “Over the course of pre-season we’ve all done a lot of work, I think we’re all at a good level of preparation.
“It’s not been too hard for me [to get used to playing with his new teammates]. I have a very good relationship already established with the three forwards particularly - Sadio, Roberto Firmino and Salah.
“Obviously we’ve done work together as a unit, but it’s not been difficult either with the rest of the team. We’ve all been working very well together and hopefully this is going to help us on Sunday to put it into practice in the league.
“The three forwards, obviously they’ve got experience together and they’re all very fast players. They think quickly [and] they have a very good understanding between themselves so my role is to support that, help in every way I can and hopefully provide them with some good service.”
Liverpool’s Premier League campaign gets under way with a home game against West Ham United on Sunday - five days after Torino were defeated 3-1 at Anfield in their final pre-season friendly.
And Keita, who played the first half of that win over the Serie A side, is relishing the prospect of performing in front of the Kop in a competitive setting.
“I was very happy to play of course, not only to get to know the pitch but to get the opportunity before the league commences to play with some of my teammates and to feel the atmosphere. I thought it was a great experience,” the 23-year-old said.
“Of course we’re all very motivated for the first match of the season, we’ve all worked very hard this week and it’s important now to go out there on Sunday and show the results of that pre-match preparation.
“Obviously for the fans as well it’s very important to get the first home match under your belt, so we’re going to give everything we can to go out there and hopefully come back with three points.”
The Guinea international has counted Mane as a close friend since their respective spells at RB Salzburg overlapped briefly in 2014, and he is enjoying playing alongside the Senegalese, Salah and Firmino - who scored 91 goals between them in 2017-18 - along with the rest of his new teammates.
Keita told Liverpoolfc.com: “Over the course of pre-season we’ve all done a lot of work, I think we’re all at a good level of preparation.
“It’s not been too hard for me [to get used to playing with his new teammates]. I have a very good relationship already established with the three forwards particularly - Sadio, Roberto Firmino and Salah.
“Obviously we’ve done work together as a unit, but it’s not been difficult either with the rest of the team. We’ve all been working very well together and hopefully this is going to help us on Sunday to put it into practice in the league.
“The three forwards, obviously they’ve got experience together and they’re all very fast players. They think quickly [and] they have a very good understanding between themselves so my role is to support that, help in every way I can and hopefully provide them with some good service.”
Liverpool’s Premier League campaign gets under way with a home game against West Ham United on Sunday - five days after Torino were defeated 3-1 at Anfield in their final pre-season friendly.
And Keita, who played the first half of that win over the Serie A side, is relishing the prospect of performing in front of the Kop in a competitive setting.
“I was very happy to play of course, not only to get to know the pitch but to get the opportunity before the league commences to play with some of my teammates and to feel the atmosphere. I thought it was a great experience,” the 23-year-old said.
“Of course we’re all very motivated for the first match of the season, we’ve all worked very hard this week and it’s important now to go out there on Sunday and show the results of that pre-match preparation.
“Obviously for the fans as well it’s very important to get the first home match under your belt, so we’re going to give everything we can to go out there and hopefully come back with three points.”
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/311502-keita-salah-mane-firmino-liverpool-fc
나비 케이타가 리버풀에 온지는 겨우 6주 밖에 되지 않았다. 그러나 No.8의 케이타는 이미 모하메드 살라, 사디오 마네와 호베르투 피르미누와 완벽하게 호흡을 맞추고 있다고 느끼고 있다.
레즈의 프리시즌 친선 경기들에서 눈을 즐겁게하는 경기력을 계속해서 보여준 케이타는 왜 클롭이 그를 이번 여름에 데려오려 했는지 증명했다.
기니의 국가대표는 마네와 2014년 RB 잘츠부르크에서 잠시 같이 뛴 이래 절친이 되어 지금까지 가깝게 지내고 있다. 그리고 그는 작년 총 91골을 합작한 세네갈의 에이스, 살라와 피르미누와 함께 뛰는 것을 즐기고 있다. 또한 리버풀의 다른 동료들과도 행복하게 지내고 있다.
"당연히 우리는 프리시즌 내내 많은 일들을 했습니다. 저는 우리가 매우 좋은 수준까지 준비를 했다고 봅니다."
"새로운 동료들과 같이 뛰는데 익숙해지는건 제게 어려운일이 아닙니다. 저는 이미 세명의 공격수들과 특히 좋은 관계를 맺고 있습니다. 피르미누와 살라 말입니다."
"당연히 우리는 모두가 하나로 뭉쳐 노력했습니다. 팀 전원과 함께하는건 어려운게 아닙니다. 우리는 모두 함께 열심히 노력했고, 일요일에 연습했던 것을 리그 실전에서 보여줄수 있기를 바랍니다."
"세 명의 공격수는 함꼐한 경험이 많고 모두 매우 빠른 선수들입니다. 그들은 빠르게 판단을 내리고 서로에 대해서 높은 이해를 하고있습니다. 그리고 제 역할은 그들을 지원하는 일이에요. 제가 할 수 있는 모든 수단을 써서 그들을 도와주어야 합니다. 제가 그 세명에게 좋은 지원을 하길 바라고 있습니다."
리버풀의 EPL은 일요일 웨스트햄과의 홈경기로 시작한다. 안필드에서 토리노를 3-1로 이긴지 5일만에 치뤄지는 경기다.
그 경기에서 전반을 뛰었던 케이타는 콥 앞에서 경기를 치루는 것을 정말로 좋아하게 되었다고 밝혔다.
"저는 경기에 나서서 정말로 행복했습니다. 피치가 어떤지를 아는것도 그렇지만 리그 전에 동료들과 함께 뛰고 경기장의 분위기를 경험할 수 있어서 더 그랬습니다. 정말 대단한 경험이었습니다."
"당연히 우리는 모두 시즌 첫 경기를 승리하고자 하는 강한 동기가 있습니다. 우리는 이번 주 내내 열심히 노력했고 일요일 그곳에서 프리시즌에 준비한 결과를 보여주는건 매우 중요합니다."
"분명히 팬들 역시 첫 홈경기에서 승리하는것을 중요하게 생각할겁니다. 우리는 그곳에서 승점 3점을 얻도록 최선을 다해야합니다."
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