EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: 'a local lad who lived his dream' and Slot's LFC predictions

Empire of the Kop's Peter Kernny Jones sat down with ex-Liverpool midfielder John Welsh in an exclusive chat about the Reds ahead of the 2024/25 season

We were delighted be joined for an exclusive chat with former Liverpool midfielder John Welsh. We discussed his memories of being a Red, still supporting the club today and a look ahead to next season under Arne Slot. Here’s our full conversation:

First off, what’s your favourite Liverpool memory?

Probably Istanbul, I think. I was trying to pick something other than that, but it was an unbelievable game. Unbelievable the way it panned out and a massive part of Liverpool’s history.

Obviously we were in the squad, but weren’t in the match day squad. So, when you're not in the match day squad, you sit in the stands. The game happened, we won, and then we were trying to get on the pitch to join the celebrations.

We were walking down, there must have been about 60 or 70 people trying to get on the pitch and the stewards weren’t letting anyone past. Then it just seemed to happen where everyone parted and Fernando Morientes, who is a god in world football who’s been there, seen it, done it, and he walked to the front.

The steward must have seen him and was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, you can come on.’ And then Fernando Morientes could have just walked away and walked on the pitch but he managed to turn around and was pointing all the young lads out saying, ‘Yeah, he's with us, he's with us.’

So, I don't think if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have got on the pitch or nowhere near the celebrations, even back in the changing rooms, possibly. Because there was no way without him, we would have got on the pitch.

We speak a lot about Steven Gerrard when we think of this era but how good was Xabi Alonso at Liverpool and what was he like off the pitch?

He was unbelievable, when you talk about Steven Gerard, I think Xabi Alonso was always a close second for me, as a midfielder. His passing and distribution was unbelievable. His technique was unbelievable, there’s different styles of passing and he could drive it, he could float it, he could bend it and he always had that style where he could whip it into people and could spot players through in half spaces with his intelligence.

But as well as all that, he was really humble, a nice fella. He always took time to speak to the young lads. I remember when we were on a Christmas do and at things like that the young lads probably stuck together a bit more, so we were probably a little bit away.

Xabi come over and was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And we were like, ‘Oh, no, just sitting here, having a drink.’ He was like, ‘Come with us. Come with us.’ And we were like, ‘We will now.’ So he went, ‘I'm just going the bar, do you want anything?’ We were like, ‘No, no, no.’

There must have been about been about five or six of us and the next minute he come over with six tequilas. We were like, ‘Oh, no, we don't want a tequila.’ And he was like, ‘You are having a tequila!’ So , we all had the shot with him.

But just things like that, integrating us into the group and taking the time to come over and see if you’re okay, see if you wanted a drink. That just summed him up as the nice, humble person that he was.

Does it surprise you then that he’s doing so well at Bayer Leverkusen?

No, no, it doesn't surprise me because I think he will have a good connection with his players. There’s no doubt that when you watch them play, you can see that they're playing for him, and that probably is testament to his character and the way he treats people and he probably motivates them by by doing that. Which means his man-management skills are probably off the charts.

Put that together with the level that he's played, the managers that he’s played under and the knowledge that he's got - I’ve got no doubt that he'll go on to do even bigger and better things.

Maybe even at Anfield one day! Speaking of Anfield, can you just describe what it's like to walk on that pitch as a player?

It was magical for me. From the minute I could kick a football, that was my dream. When I put my head on the pillow - that's what I thought of, that's what I dreamt of. Playing in front of the Kop, in front of a packed out Anfield was heaven to me and no matter what I went on to do in my career - no one can take that away from me.

That's what I wanted to do, that was the reason I got into football and I did it quite early in my career. But yeah, that was the most amazing experience I've ever had.

Do you notice the fans when you’re playing?

Before you go on you do, that's why I was so nervous! But I think once you get on and you're in the game, I think your focus is solely on the game then, the noise gets drowned out. You can't really hear fans unless the ball goes out and you start looking around. But other than that, it's fairly tunnel vision on the game.

If we move onto Liverpool today, what did you think of Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool, was it too soon or do you think it was the right decision for for him?

I think he's probably made the decision on what he thinks is best and you probably have to respect that. I was gutted like every other Liverpool supporter ever but you've got to respect that's his decision.

If he felt it was time to move on for his reasons, for his benefit - then you've got to respect that. And as gutted as I was and everyone was, he's probably got to do the right thing that's right for him and his family. So, you've just got to respect it and look back with fond memories.

I put him as one of the best managers for Liverpool that I've seen, obviously there's been loads of them but I think when you galvanise not only a football club but a fanbase and a city and you have that connection with them, and just the way it went from when he first come in to where he ended up - I'd say most of it was probably down to him.

It was such an amazing experience for me as a fan to have that connection with my kids, to go to finals, to go to games, to even watch on the telly beating Barcelona 4-0. Just them experiences you’ve just got nothing but respect for him and if that's his decision - then that's his decision.

The next manager will be Arne Slot, do you have any thoughts on him?

You get clips sent to you on YouTube which I'm always a bit dubious about because it's always going to be all good stuff. But me and my missus recently went to Amsterdam and we were in a taxi, and it was a big Ajax fan and obviously he heard the accent and we got talking about football.

He was full of compliments for Slot, he said when he first took over at Feyenoord, they were an average team. He said he turned them into a really good team, he was saying, ‘You’ve got a really good coach that's coming to your football club, he's a high energy manager who wants his players working hard for the shirt, for the club.’

I think Louis van Gaal has come out and said how good of a coach he is too, when you’re hearing good things like that, I'm sure they have selected the right man because they've got the right people in place to make them decisions. I think you've just got to get behind him from the day he walks in the building, which he is now of course, get behind him and give him your full support.

If you could sign players in two positions for this current team, what positions would you strengthen?

I would probably say a six, so a midfielder and I would say probably another left back.

But then obviously with Caoimhin Kelleher going, I don’t know whether we’d probably need to bring a ‘keeper in as well.

But I'd definitely say a left back and probably a midfielder.

And is there anyone out there that you want us to sign, either in those positions or elsewhere?

I've seen a couple of clips on that Portuguese lad, João Neves. He's playing over in Portugal, 19-years-old and there might be interest in him I think, but he looks a decent player.

I'm more prone to sign players like Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, he's a good player.

Maybe a bit of a horrible question, I apologise. But the front five of Salah, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo and Jota, if you had to sell one of those five this summer, which one would you sell?

If I had to, I would probably say Cody Gakpo. I think he's had an up and down season, he come in, started well, tailed off a little bit, then towards the back end of the season he was playing well.

I’d find it difficult to lose the other four. Now, people have got the reservations on Darwin Nunez but I think he's got one final piece to get right and I think if he does, you're looking at the forward who can score a lot of goals.

Mo Salah will be Mo Salah and I think when you look at when Salah's playing well and he's firing, it’s more often that he scores a lot of goals. I think Diogo Jota has been unlucky with injuries, if you get him fit and keep him fit for the whole season - he'll score goals. And Luis Diaz just seems to come up with stuff when he shouldn't really but he seems to have an impact in games.

I think when you look at that, even with Gakpo in there, the front five is exciting. They're all exciting players, players who can score goals. I think we've just lacked a little bit in the goal-scoring department, and it's probably been the one season that we have. Every other season we've scored a lot of goals, so I think if we got that bit right and which hopefully the new coach will do, who is to say we couldn't go on and challenge again.

It’ll be difficult and there'll be a transition period, no doubt. But I think we're in a better place now than when Klopp come in. So I'm hoping that the turnaround will be quicker for us to be turned into contenders.

Well, that was the next question, where will Liverpool finish next season?

I think we've got the squad to finish top four. It probably just depends on how quick the players adapt to Arne Slot or vice versa, whether we can actually challenge.

Manchester City are always going to be City, and they're always going to improve and strengthen. Teams will get better, probably Arsenal will do the same. So it probably just depends on how quick the manager can get his methods to the players, how quickly they can adapt to his methods.

I think if they get that right, I think everything else is pretty stable at the minute, I think we've got a good team, with world class players, who all seem to be pushing in the right direction at good ages, in terms of the physical aspects of everything.

So, I think top four would be comfortable, not sure on whether we'll be title contenders or not.

The last question is about you, how do you want Liverpool fans to remember you?

Just as a local lad who lived his dream.

Thanks very much to John for joining us for a chat.

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