#dominterview

[stormoflina]

Domi interview, part2

About his friendship with Trent:

(The interviewer is actually so messy, because he even mentions Robbo lol. In his long question, he even says: " He [Trent] is a scouser, he obviously knows a lot of people, gets on with them brilliantly, and yet it seems you two have an even better connection, better it seems, than he [Trent] used to have with Robertson."

JAIL! Justice for Robbo! )

Domi: " We are only 2 years apart, so we don't have an age gap really. We have similar mindsets, both on and off the pitch. We have a great understanding with each other on the pitch, he said so as well.

It was with him, that I had the first story [experience], when he said, lets go to Manchester to have dinner, pick up some food, let's hang out here or there ( my translating skills are not the greatest, but basically, he says "ide-oda-amoda", which is first, a very cute thing to say, second, implies that they went to a lot of places together. So not just a one time thing, but quite a few!)

So yeah, then we became close, sometimes I go his place, sometimes he comes to mine."

Then, the interviewer recalls one of Trent's recent interviews, where he was mocking Domi how he fired both freekicks to the wall. He asks about the competitiveness between the two of them, asking if they indeed have it, if it's healthy or sometimes stresses Domi out.

D: " No, it's healthy. If I had [and missed] my chances against Wolves, then yesterday, so did he against Everton, they just didn't ask me about it later on [laughs].

I: "There seemed to be a lot of thinking between you, Trent and Salah about who will take the freekick..."

D: "No, it was going to be him [Trent], we were just talking about how to do it. Salah wanted to take it, because that would have been a surprise."

The interviewer then really bit onto this. Domi then explained in a sped-up and therefore not understandble cut, how they had usually three options about it (he asked them not to show this), but in the end, repeated how there is no problem about it. They all have an understanding, it's usually in the situation itself, when they decide who will take it.

About the competitiveness of the squad, if it's better or worse, than it was in RB Leipzig for someone on the bench to get into the starting XI:

D: "It's hard to say. There was a time in Leipzig, when I didn't play much. I trained very hard every day to get into the starting XI, but it still didn't work out under THAT coach [Tedesco]. But that didn't make me a worse player, in fact, because I trained every day, twice as much as before, because I wasn't playing, so when the next coach came [Marco Rose, the current coach of RB Leipzig] I was ready.

But it's normal, nobody wants to sit on the bench (...), or maybe, some do, I have heard some stories, before I came here from the others, I will not say names, they were comfortable sitting on the bench."

About the changes of the LFC squad, mentioning Henderson, Millie leaving, who were "big voices" in the team, a position, which now VVD or Trent has. Asking about if he feels secure in his position in the starting XI, if Klopp has his go-to midfield or not, or he has to fight for his place with the rest of the players:

The interviewer says he feels like Dominik became a stone solid starter in the 8 position on the right, even if at first he thought it's good how Szoboszlai came into a team, where he will have to fight for his place. He mentions stats about how Dominik played for most matches, barely subbed off.

Dominik says in a very long answer how there is a constant fighting for the starting positions, as everyone wants to start. When asked about his rivals, naming all the midfield players to choose from, Dominik says it's all of them, repeating once again, how they all want to play.

D: " I want to play at every match, even if I'm a bit tired."

I: " Even at the EL?"

D: " Yes, in every match. FA cup, PL-, EL-, Carabao cup. [...] I'm at my best, when I can play it all, when I play on both Wednesday and Sunday. It might sound stupid, but in this case, there is no training, but matches, then focus on rehabilitation. For me, I feel like, this works out the best."

I: "It seems like Jürgen doesn't even want to sub you off."

D: "Well, I don't know what he has in his mind, but hopefully he can keep this good habit. [laughs]

[stormoflina]

Domi interview, part 4

(just to give a heads up, at the end he talks about his dad, it's kinda heavy!)

About Darwin and other strikers

Interviewer brings up Darwin, his ability to score so many difficult goals, yet missing tap-ins. Asks Dominik if he thinks Darwin transforms Liverpool into a whole other team, or does he rather prefer when it's either Gakpo or Jota in front of him, when he can do shorter passes to them. (Darwin is basically chaos ball himself)

D: "It depends who is in front of me. If it's Darwin, then I will try to provide him him with those deeper balls, if it's Cody or Jota, then I do the shorter, smaller passes. It does depend on the opposition as well, if we are behind goals or not. For example, against Newcastle, (...) Darwin came on, they serviced him with those balls and he scored two. For me, it doesn't matter who plays in front of me."

About the comparision with Gerrard

The interviewer thinks it's a bit too early to draw such comparisions between the two of them, after all, Gerrard was world class, a scouser, who played for LFC for a decade, he was the captain. Asks Dominik if it bothers him, puts extra pressure of him, or rather motivates him, what is his opinion about it.

D: "I don't mind it. There are a very few things people can bother me with, this is definietly not one. I just want to do it on my own way. (mentions another interview, the one he did with Nike and with little kids, where he was asked about the same thing). It feels very good that I'm being compared to him, but I want to make my own journey. If someone would say, here, this is Gerrard's whole career, you can have and achieve the same thing, I would be more than glad to do so. But I want to make my own journey.

I: "You want to be the first Szoboszlai Dominik, not the next Steven Gerrard."

D: "Yes."

About his relationship with his dad

D: "It wouldn't work with anyone else [the stricktness his father raised him with]."

I: "Was it that bad?"

D: "Very."

I: "Then how did it work out for you? You say, only your own expectations motivate you."

D: "Yes, but when you are 12, you can't go by your own expectations. You have to do what your dad tells you to do."

I: "How were you able to change your mindset from that? What was the moment, when you said, I no longer want to live up to the expectations my father has for me, but for my own?"

D: "I don't know. I don't want to say that when I first moved out, because I was only 15... let's say, when I was 18. When I was already playing for the first team of Saltzburg, playing in the CL, when I was already a grown up. I had to grow up very quickly."

Question about his other teammates in his dad's football club, if they would have able to handle the extra pressure his dad put on him.

D: "No. Not just physically, but mentally. We did the same trainings. Maybe, they didn't have that extra minutes [his dad used to train him individually too], but we all had dad for our coach, we did the same exercises in training, and he cared for their trainings all the same, but he was much stricter with me. If I messed up even just a tiny bit, he would scold me, but for the same thing, he wouldn't the others."

I: "And didn't that feel unfair to you?"

D: " Of course it did! To my 12-13 years old self, of course it did. Now, I understand it why he did it, but back then? Sometimes I used to hate him."

I: " Do you have any...?"

D: *interrupts* "No!"

I: " Do you ever feel like you missed out on some things in your youth?"

D: " No. We had a goal. He put me on the top, and so did I, because I believed him. This is how I grew up, how we grew up. This is the reason why I'm here, where I am now. This was the mindset. I put my everything into football, and ignored everything else. It was all about and only about football. I didn't have a comparison, I didn't know anything else, just football, football."

I: "Complete isolation?"

D: "Yes. Just like the horses [only seeing strictly forward]. A day consists of 24 hours. You sleep 8 hours, work 8 hours. 1 hour each for breakfast, lunch, dinner. We are at 19 hours gone already. An hour to get ready for the day, to go to bed. You have only 4 hours to do what you want. Somebody uses that 4 hours to go out, drink, maybe party. Or study for 4 hours. Or play football. Next day, the same thing."

I: "When was the moment, as you have said, that it was decided, that you belong on the top, and you will get there?"

D: "For my dad? Probably the moment I was born." [laughs]

I: "For others?"

D: " There wasn't a specific time. I became good, because I had the ball by my feet all the time. If i didn't have that much of training, I would have been never this technical. (...) I trained a lot. Up until I was 14, technique is all we cared about. Only technique. This was our goal, that's why I developed my tecnique in such a manner. My goal wasn't to be the best amongst the boys of Székesfehérvár (his home town). That was not what I wanted. What I wanted is that when I play at Liverpool, then I will be able to hold my ground."

I: "Your father said this already a lot of times, that he never praised you. I'm interested, in this case, where does the motivation come from? You look up to your father, he is the one, who makes you achieve things, but he hardly ever praises you. I know, some say working under pressure can produce great results. But does it work, when it's constant? He was joking around about this, when you won the German Cup, he finally said congratulation. I guess it's not that bad, but do tell me, if that's the case."

D: "It's very bad."

I: Is he old-fashioned/ does he rule with an iron fist? (something about this kind of lines, basically asking if he is really that strict)

D: "No,no, well, he is very hard [strict]. He didn't praise me, because he didn't want me to be satisfied with myself."

I: "Were there truly 'danger' in being satisfied with yourself?"

D: "Well, I never tried it." [lauhs]. It was very, very, very rare that he would say 'congrats', like he did when we won the German Cup. Not like he would send me a long text, saying how proud he was, not like that, never."

I: "Don't you miss that? Like, let's say you win the Champions League..."

D: " If he won't say congrats then, I will sit him down and speak to him about it. But no, I don't know what it feels like. I know players, and this is not a bad thing at all, who probably had parents, who I don't know, used to congratulate to their kid if he brought the dirty plate to sink. Maybe he would do that to me too, because I never do it actually. [laughs] But we took a direction, where hardly anything was enough, so he only congratulated me with real, big achivements, like German Cup, signing for Liverpool."

I: "The current mindset in our world is that you have to praise your child, when they do something good. But for you, it was the not like that."

D: "To be honest, we did everything differently [than normal people do], everything was the opposite."

I: "For the both of you, for you to put up with that and for him, to be consistent with it, it would have broke other people."

D: " It was not easy, putting up with it. It was very hard."

I: " Did it change, when you signed for Liverpool? After all, there is enough of a pressure with that, did he stop putting his [pressure] on you?"

D: " There was a turning point. He used to call me, after every match, telling me what I did wrong, what I did right. Now, I knew when I played shit. You don't have to tell me that, I know it, what mistake I did, when I should have shot, what I did wrong. Then, he would call me, when I was 18-19 years old, already knowing that, well, then I would found that big, red button on my phone and press it. By that, he would know, stop. In time, he realised he shouldn't do that, I mean, he doesn't know what the coach is telling me to do.

Yeah, in time, he realised it not to call me after every match. I will call him.

I: " And are you a good boy, do you call him?"

D: " I do, after every match."

...

Well, the dad part was kinda heavy :D

[stormoflina]

Domi interview, part 1

At the start of the interview, they did a game to 'warm-in' where Domi had to answer in one word to questions/names.

His answers:

Trent: "Friend."

Salah: "Legend."

Szoboszlai: "Humble."

(This earned a good laugh from everyone lol. Just for context, the hungarian press literally has a fetish for being humble, and brutally slanders everyone, who shows just a tad bit of more confidence, than they deem acceptable. This was a funny, cheecky and smart answer from Domi, who being the most succesful hungarian footballer at the moment, gets targeted a lot, most of the times unfairly.)

A 22m freekick at Anfield, who takes it?: "Me."

Truth or not, the PL is more physically demanding than the Bundesliga: "True."

About being accepted in to the squad:

Interviewer: "All we hear is how easily you integrated to the squad, from your agent, dad, even Klopp. Are you usually like this?"

Domi: "It might looked like that from the outside (...), especially how easily and well it happened this time, but in truth, it's never easy. I didn't know anyone from the squad, except Konate, but I never played with him either, because I was injured [when they were both in RB Leipzig]. So when you come here, as a newbie and you know nobody, just sitting in the dressing room, thinking "with who i will have breakfast, what do I do" ...

I: "What happened then, did someone step up and asked you...?"

D: "Yeah, there was someone who said " have you eaten yet?" and i said "no, so can we go?" [laughing] But yeah, everyone is normal [nice] there, it took like 3-4 weeks [to get fully integrated to the squad], the first match, especially what I really needed, for them to fully accept me."

I: "The first pre-season match?"

D: "Yes."

[stormoflina]

Domi interview, part 3

Dominik says the biggest differences from going to playing in the Bundesliga to the PL, are pace and decision making.

D: "You get the ball, then you have 2 seconds to make a decision, in the Bundesliga you had 4. Every match is a life or death situation. Every team can beat the other, and this is what it's so great about it [the PL].

About how beefed up Salah got ever since his shoulder injury in Madrid, if working out like he does, strengthening core muscles are expected of everybody, or it's a plus they can decide to do:

The interviewer basically goes on a monologue about how muscular and strong Mo is. He seems very impressed, retelling how Mo works out, how strong he is and wonders if the special workouts he seems to do is what makes him avoid injuries. He asks Dominik about his opinion, if he too, believes in putting in the extra work, like Salah does.

D: "Nothing is obligatory, we don't have a gun to our heads to work out in the gym. Everyone does it for themselves. He [Salah], yeah, it's true all what you said. I talked a lot about to him about this, asking questions, because I was interested. He said, until he was like 28 years old, he didn"t do this (...), then he decided to cut out pasta, bread, sugar (...). He made his decision, and ever since, like even if we have training at 12, he is at the gym by like 10."

I: " And what about you, what do you think, do you do this or not (...)?"

D: "Everyone is different. I do my own things, this [what Mo does] is I think not what I need. I have tried it, being very strict about food (...), but I didn't feel better. I felt very anxious, that I had to restrict myself, I didn't feel free, didn't feel like I was able to do things freely. Now, if I feel like eating some chocolate, then I will eat it. He [Mo] thinks different."

About how much work he brings to his private life, if he watches matches in his free time, things like that:

D: It's hard still. I'm trying to build this habit up, that when I come in the door, I leave work behind, and when I leave the house and go to training it's all about football (...) But it's hard. (...) I very rarely watch matches, usually only when one of my friends play. I have a friend, who now plays in the NB2 (the Hungarian Second Division), sometimes I watch that on Youtube.

I have a friend group of 5 people, we do a shared call, than watch the friend's match on the TV."

I: "Do they do the same with you?"

D: "Sometimes it doesn't work out, but yeah, they all watch my matches too."

About playing style of RB Leipzig vs Liverpool

The interviewer goes on about how Klopp changed his tactics up a bit, after Liverpool became the champion, back then it was less direct, but now it's so direct, all about gegenpressing, there are so many balls going forward, meaning there are many, which "come back too". [It's all about counter pressing.]

D: "I can't really compare the two teams, it's a different league, different players. The coaching mindset is different too, even if Klopp and [Marco] Rose are quite similar choaches."

I: "And then there is Jesse Marsch, [Klopp and Rose] basically on steroids." (lol)

D: "You get the ball, long ball/long pass, then shuhsu. [makes a sound to go forward]

But, basically, the last season for Liverpool was kinda bad. So, he [Klopp] thought, let's twist it all up. We will go for every ball, we will get every ball, then when we have it, we will go forward. Not in a stupid way, of course, if we can't go forward, then we keep the ball, twist it around (...). There is [tactical] football, it's not get the ball forwards." [basically saying not hoofball]

I: "You are someone, who rather keeps the ball, turns it around in the sides..."

D: "Before the match against Everton, in training there was a situation, when we were playing, running for like 5 minutes, and I kept the ball, passed it back, said that why aren't we going forward? Then, the others told me, we are not going forward, because we have been running for 5 minutes, let the opponent run some, while we keep the ball."

I: "It was reported, that when TAA started inverting to midfield, he would find this information [if he has to do this or not] a day before the match. This seems ??? (sorry, for some reason I cannot understand what he says). Is it the same for you, because sometimes you play as a 6, mostly when you are down to 10 men [Dominik chuckles at that], it seems your position on the field changes a lot. How soon do you find this out?"

D: "Our positions are discussed in the training before the match. But everything can happen, so it does change a lot."

I: What did Klopp tell you yesterday [in the game against Everton] at the 61th minute, when he called you over to you at the side of the pitch? Everton was very deep by then, defending 5-3 basically, leaving no place left in the midfield. Do you remember what he said (...)?"

D: "He told me to go forward, to be closer to Jota. If there is a ball, shoot."

I: "In Leipzig and the NT too, you are right in front of the pitch with the ball [meaning that he had the time and space to attack, move the ball], but now, you are playing as an 8, where you have seconds to find space between the lines, it's all very quick. Which styling play you prefer (...)"

D: " I don't like to play backwards to the net. I feel like I'm someone, who can see things, when facing the net, which others may not. It's an advantage I try to use as much as possible, to give myself a bigger space from the people, then I try 1 vs 1, or either with passes, but if I have to play between the lines, then I will do that."

I: "Do you have any preference where to play? [position vias] You said you like to be in front of the net, but sometimes, as an attacking 8, that's not possible."

D: "It depends on how I position myself. Whatever position I play, I can position myself in a way that it works out for me. I don't mind if I have to play deep, what matters to me is that I can turn, and see everything in front of me. Not when I get the ball, and there are people breathing down in my neck. I don't like that."

I: "But that happens a lot lately. (...). Sometimes you have to play as a double pivout."

D: " Yeah, it happens, when we feel like we can't get through them. Then, Trent goes to the right wing, and then Mac Allister and I can deal with the rest."

The interviewer then mentions the problems Trent faced last season, that Henderson used to help him out. Question that when he has to do the same [cover for Trent, when he inverts into the midfield] how automatic it is, if it comes naturally, or it's something Klopp drilled into him.

D: "No, it comes naturally to everyone, I think. If you see your RB struggling, you will go and help them. I'm not a good defender, but I know what I have to do in that 1,5 min I'm there."

Question about the connection between Klopp and Pep. He said, and it was reported as well, that he [Pep] invented this new position of TAA, and sometimes it's him who is in charge of the training too. Who comes up with the tactics, who tells them (...).

D: "We don't know who comes up with the tactics. Klopp is the one who tells us, and it's only him, who does the training before the match. Other trainings, Pep does it sometimes."

Question about Dominik's feelings and impression of Pep.

D: "He is good. I love him. He listens to everyone, we all listen to him. It's great to work with him."

About Haaland.

Haaland said his superpower is regeneration. Examples how he tapes his mouth, things like that. "He is a machine, a robot, says that about himself as well." Question if Dominik believes in the same stuff as well.

D: "I don't judge (lol), everyone does what they think it's the best for them. Back in Saltzburg, I meditated with him a few times, because we shared a room. First, I thought it was stupid, then I joined him, because why not. He used to wear those blue light glasses, I tried that one out too, he said it would help me sleep better... Well, you can only guess, if it worked out I would be wearing them still. It didn't help me. Maybe it didn't work out for me, because I didn't believe in it. He does a lot of other [regeneration] stuff, that people don't know about. I have been in his place, yeah it's a lot. He is a bit strange. [laughs]"

Short questions:

I: "Do you prefer heavy metal football or a possesion-based, slower stlye?"

D: Both, it depends. Maybe I prefer when I have the ball, and it's the opponent who has to run, not me, even if I can.

I: DC or Marvel?

D: Marvel.

[stormoflina]

Domi interview, part 5 (final part)

About loneliness

D: "Whoever says they don't ever feel lonely, is lying. There are moments, when I feel lonely. Sometimes, there are days, when I'm sitting at the sofa, thinking "well, what do i do, they don't [friends] have time, they are not here", I haven't been here that long that I would just say it to somebody let's hang out. In dayslike these, I put on a movie and hope that I can fall asleep quickly and tommorrow can come quicker. There are days like that, they are not easy."

About getting recognized

I: "At the moment, in Liverpool or Manchester, can you just walk down the street [without being recognized]? Back in Hungary, Budapest, it wouldn't really work, I think, to like go to the grocery store?"

D: "It doesn't really work here either. Well, I don't really walk around in Liverpool, because I live in Manchester. only been there once, when I signed the contract, but even back then it was weird, even tho I didn't even play in a match back then. It happens in Manchester, but it's easier there, there are more teams, City, United. A lot of players live here, from Liverpool, Everton, you can get around easier, but you still have to be mindful, they recognize you, watch you."

I: "Is it tiresome, a part of it? Sometimes you must be like, okay, I just want to go to the mall. Can you make that happen, or are you like, I won't go, because it's too much trouble."

D: "There are ways to work it out. We have connections here and there, they can make it easier, more comfortable for us."

About the English press

D: With me, they have been fair so far, so I can't say anything bad about it. I guess, I haven't been here that long to say anything about me, but in time, we will see how it is."

About the Salah-Szoboszlai-Trent triangle

D: "I really like this box-to-box and the rotations we have going on. We all know what to do, we all pay attention to each other, I really like my position."

About his running capacity and speed

Asked if he feels like he always had this speed and runnin capability in him, or it's something new he had developed since joining Liverpool.

D: "I had it Leipzig too, I don't even understand... Speaking of the NT, in the NT, every single match, I get leg cramps. Here [LFC], never. Yet, when I look at the stats, I run much more in LFC, than I do in the NT. At the end of the Everton match, I started sprinting once again (...) But I'm not the only one. If you ask Milos (Milos Kerkez, his hungarian NT teammate, who also plays for Bournemouth), he says the same thing.

Maybe, because the pressure is bigger [in the NT], I'm the captain, I have to pay attention to more things, the others. I try to take the pressure from the others, so they can play more freely, I try to help everyone, so maybe this is why I get cramps. I do everything the same, I eat the same things, vitamins, everything."

---

There were some other questions in the end, but they were not that interesting, about stats and stuff, so I left those out. Hope you guys enjoyed it, thanks for all the kind messages you left me!

[stormoflina]

I'm going to translate some of the hour long interview with Dominik. Not sure how much, maybe not everything will be quote on quote, but I will try to summarize it.

I will also try to provide some context of the hungarian mindset, sense of humor, cultural things etc, because it's just different and in a hungarian interview it's just too strong not to be mentioned. Also, this is because I don't want him to come off in a bad way lol, so yeah, context in some cases is important.

I will use the #dominterview for this posts, if you are interested☺️