Konate on How “Tough” Pre-Season will Prepare them to Compete Again

Ibrahima Konate spoke to Liverpoolfc.com following the first of the club’s friendlies on their Asian tour: “Last season we came back with a new manager and he had a very good idea and he said before the season started what we have to do to win the Premier League.

“We just followed what he said and at the end we had a good result for the club. I think this season will be more difficult.

“Because for sure we are happy and we don’t have to forget last season, but we have to take the good parts of last season as well as the bad parts where we did not really great and work on that.

“We were champions last season and it’s finished now, we have to go again and try to do something even better than last season. That’s why the pre-season is very important.

“I know it’s very difficult for everyone but we need these tough sessions to be ready for the season.”

The high expectations for physical and mental workloads in training is something Konaté relishes:

“For sure, we can see [that] in the training videos that everyone can see.

“But I think this is very good for us and we need that. We need to train very hard for this season because I think every team wants to beat us – and we want to protect our trophy from last season as well.

“Then we need to work in these hard conditions with this hard weather. Just to be ready for the season because the season will be very difficult.”

While Konaté knows what to expect, he agreed that it is important for veterans to help newcomers, like fellow Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, adapt:

Yes, yes, yes, for sure,” he said. “This is normal if you are older than someone who comes to the club, for sure you have to look after him.

“Help him to adapt if he needs anything in the city or in the club, just to be there for him. That’s what I’m doing with him.

“It’s not only me. For sure you have some people who are more leaders than other players, but we are here for every new player to help them.”

The goal, he thinks, is not to intimidate but to prepare the team for the challenges ahead:

“We brought in some great players to this team but I don’t want to put some pressure on them.

“We just have to give them the time to adapt because they don’t know the Premier League now. But I’m sure with this team, with how the people in the team are around them, this adaptation will be easy for sure.

“We have to train very hard to be ready because the Premier League is very difficult.”