Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Pens: 6-5) | Andoni Iraola Carabao Cup Post-Match Press Conference

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Andoni Iraola (0:52)

Yeah, at the end, in the Cup competitions, what matters is that you are in the next round, and you are in the draw.

And luckily for us, we finish in the right side of the penalty shootout. I think, finish pleased, because I think the players have done a very big effort today, and at least we get the reward of being in the quarterfinals.

SPEAKER_3 (1:16)

You play your old team, Bournemouth, in the next round.

SPEAKER_1 (1:18)

You have seen a couple of games from getting to Wembley.

Andoni Iraola (1:22)

How does that feel already? Honestly, I was talking to Tony before the draw, and I told him, the only team that I don't want is Bournemouth. You know, for me it's special, but they know me very well. They are playing very well lately, in a good moment.

But it is what it is. We haven't been very lucky with the draw. We played Spurs, Chelsea already, now Bournemouth. That is going to be obviously special for me. But we have to earn the right to be in the semi-finals, and I hope we can do it here at home again.

SPEAKER_3 (2:00)

Andoni, there's been so much change here in the past 18 months or so, and change within the team as well. But it's felt like over the past few weeks there's a real togetherness, I imagine, and we saw that tonight, the way the players celebrated it at the end.

Richard (2:13)

Do you feel like the relationship has grown a bit?

Andoni Iraola (2:17)

I feel it. I feel it, and I'm very happy to feel it, because I think it's very important. We need to feel what we are feeling now, what the players are feeling. I think they are feeling the support of the ones who are in the stands. And I think when we are all together, we created atmospheres, even starting losing. I think there was a, let's go, come on. A lot of the players have given us very good help. And I think now it's like the third game at home where we finish with good feelings. And we have another big one on Sunday, and let's try to finish this four in a row that we had at home in the best way.

Richard (3:01)

Richard. Hi Andoni, in this competition we've seen you start with some younger players and bring on some of your more experienced players. When you come to a penalty shootout, you then go Alexander Isak and Alexis Calista and Florid Beats and people like that.

Is that sort of justifying that? Is that a real nice sight to see them all day on at 90 minutes?

Andoni Iraola (3:23)

A little bit of everything. You are not, when you do the lineups and the squats is you are not thinking in case it goes to penalties, I will leave the ones who shoot the penalties for the end. No, you are trying to balance the team. We are changing a lot of the players because we need to change. I think we've done today seven changes, but even in the Champions League that are very important games, we are doing always four or five changes.

And obviously when I've done the last subs, when I put Alexis and Alex especially, it starts to be on your head, okay? If in case of need, those are the best ones, probably, that you can put, yes.

Richard (4:00)

Can do the last one here, because...

SPEAKER_5 (4:01)

Just on Trey, just how pleased are you with how he's developed and the moments you get a lot of minutes, a lot of pressure on him to sort of take that step this season?

Andoni Iraola (4:08)

Sorry, I didn't understand the player.

Richard (4:10)

That's right.

Andoni Iraola (4:11)

Trey. Ah, Trey. I think he's done really well, really well. I think it's good for the James players especially to live these experiences in cup competitions where if you lose, you are out. And we've been losing, then the draw, then they haven't been there in the penalty shutout, but they live the feelings.