PSV manager makes pointed admission ahead of Liverpool’s must-win European night | OneFootball

The return of European football arrives at a moment where every detail matters for us as we try to reassert control over a season that has drifted in the wrong direction.

PSV manager issues honest message before Liverpool clash

(Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

While much of the recent conversation around us has centred on injuries and defensive reshuffles, the most striking comments ahead of this Champions League meeting have actually come from the visiting dugout.

As reported on Liverpoolfc.com, PSV boss Peter Bosz admitted “everything, really” must improve from their latest performance, insisting his side need to “keep hold of the ball more, stop losing silly balls and silly passes” when put under pressure.

Given how Arne Slot has spoken recently about our own battles in these areas, including when he said that “in moments we have to defend better because Man City was the same… we were lacking intensity in our duels,” the Dutchman’s words offered a reminder of how both sides arrive with something to prove.

PSV are unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions and come to Anfield with confidence, but their manager stressed that whether they succeed will come down to who imposes their identity most effectively.

“We’re going to try to play football,” Bosz said, noting that Liverpool “have got their own way of playing,” and this match will simply be “about who is going to do that the best.”

For us, the focus remains on available bodies. Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz have been missing and were absent again from Tuesday’s session, with Giovanni Leoni already ruled out for the long term.

Joe Gomez, described by our boss as “one of the five defenders we have,” is expected to be involved but continues to manage a knee problem after receiving an injection last week.

The 47-year-old explained that this also influenced his decision to start Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back against Nottingham Forest, a decision that could be repeated.

Liverpool weigh up options after Nottingham Forest defeat

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Our team news discussion inevitably sits within the context of a damaging domestic run.

The 3-0 defeat to Forest leaves us 12th in the table and highlighted the same concentration issues our head coach has discussed previously.

Those problems were visible again last weekend as we conceded inside a minute of the second half, making this European fixture feel even more significant for momentum.

Yet despite Premier League setbacks, we remain well placed in the Champions League league phase, and this meeting with the Eredivisie leaders provides an ideal platform to steady ourselves.

Bosz may be demanding improvement from his own group, but he also acknowledged that playing at Anfield removes excuses, insisting niggles and fatigue “won’t be felt” in a stadium like ours.

For us, that atmosphere must become a weapon again.

With uncertainty over who starts at right-back and with key attackers still striving for rhythm, the decisions made by our boss on Wednesday night could shape not only the match but the wider tone of the season.

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