Steele: Klopp did not see any immediate results when coaching Liverpool. Saints give me time

Hupu September 22nd Southampton coach Steele attended the pre-League Cup press conference against Liverpool.

What do you think about Southampton’s performance so far this season?

We know we didn't finish the transfer until the deadline because it was a tricky summer window, and that's true. We brought in a lot of players in the last week of the transfer window.

We discussed with each other and got as many points as possible in the first month of August. We may get more points than we actually do. Then we know we have to start over and keep working hard. We changed the formation and changed a lot of players, and we knew it wouldn't happen overnight.

We will not be a very good team just because we have good players. But I think overall we have to learn, we have to learn quickly, we have to start getting points.

We have to defend better than last weekend. We are just trying to find a balance that suits us and is not.

I know it's frustrating, and trust me, it may be more frustrating than anyone else. But this is where we are, this is reality.

The start is slow, I know this completely, everyone knows it completely, we just need to keep moving forward.

You came to England to compete with the strongest team and test your strength. Now you are facing Liverpool.

Yes, welcome to England. I think it's a good thing we have mid-week games and we have a chance to make up for the mistakes we made on Saturday.

No one is stupid; no one turns a blind eye to tomorrow night's challenge. They are the best team in England and perhaps one of the best in Europe.

We have to play with the belief that we have the ability to play football, and we are good at certain skills we are good at. We expected it to be a challenge and we expected it to be a tough game.

But this is a cup, a desperate game, I think it's true in all cups, we have to show some personality, show some courage, and stand up again.

This will also bring some opportunities to other players. So, give it a try, don’t think too much, don’t over-analyze, stand up bravely, and show your strength.

Have you told the players that there is no such thing as kings, princes, generals and ministers? There may be upsets in the cup.

Yes, 100%, I think Grimsby did it in the first few rounds. Like I said, it's a desperate game; the chance to win always exists.

Actually, we did well in the previous two games, especially last weekend's match. I think we did a really good job in Norwich and that was probably the best game we performed.

I just hope we can try it, be braver, and show some of the strength we want, rather than just surrender.

We need to be strong, we need to do what we should do. So, yes, go and try it.

How did you choose a roster for this game?

Our lineup is huge, some players need to play, and some players need opportunities, so that's the case.

We will never completely ignore this and send a bunch of U21 players. We have a lot of great players, and some great players who deserve this opportunity.

But there are also some players who have performed very well, considering the poor performance or poor record of the past few weeks.

The key is to find the right combination between players who need to play and those who may be worth it. But no matter what starting lineup we send tomorrow, we will choose the team we think is the most suitable for this game and the most promising to play.

Liverpool will rotate. Will this bring more difficulties to your preparations?

I think they have very clear lineup positioning and game modes. No matter who comes on the court, you know that this will be a very good team with very good players.

We are also just trying to focus on ourselves. We fully understand their strengths, whether it's a full squad and starting lineup, or players with less playing time, they're still very good.

So we have obviously analyzed them and we know what their strengths are and what their main traits are. I think everyone knows this completely.

But we don't have to pay too much attention, just do our best to do what we are good at.

Do you like this kind of challenge?

Yes, it's great. When I returned to France, we were against Paris Saint-Germain or Marseille. Those competitions are important and exciting.

You want to achieve good results, you want to show the correct image of the club, the players and the team. So that's what we have to do, and I've been doing it all the time. We will continue to do this. I know the result is difficult and may disappoint many people.

This does not mean that I am a bad guy, it does not mean that I am a bad coach, nor does it mean that the players here are bad players.

There are enough examples for other clubs. I think if you look at the league now, Ipswich has as many points as we do, and they find it difficult too.

I think when Klopp took over Liverpool, when he coached, the team's situation did not come immediately, nor could it turn the world around in an instant.

I have studied many solutions, trying to find out which ones work, how, why, and what the correct information is. It took some time when Thomas Frank took over Brentford.

just takes some time, I'm not making excuses because I know I have to do better and have to act quickly.

But I am Will, I am just Will, I will continue to find solutions, keep working hard, and I believe we will eventually find the right answer.