Szoboszlai shares his early impressions of Iraola

Sun, Aug 23, 2026

Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai joins Rebecca Lowe and the chaps pitchside at St. James' Park just moments after scoring his side's equalizer against Newcastle to earn a point in Matchweek 1.

Video Transcript

Newcastle here at St. James's Park, and Dominik Szoboszlai has joined us pitch side.

Dominik, thank you so much for joining us and our American viewers, here on USA.

Are you happy with a point, or are you disappointed that you didn't win?

I'm disappointed that we didn't win.

Although, also lucky a little bit that we got, we got the penalty.

And, yeah, happy to, to score, but I think there was more in, in the game for, for us, in my point of view.

I think we, we, we should have done better in the second half.

The first half I think we did quite good.

And, yeah, but, first game, take the point and we move on.

Dominik, I, I With Mo Salah leaving, and of course Virgil van Dijk as he's getting older, the, the leadership role will, will change over.

I, I've seen you, and I've said I think you're a future leader and captain of Liverpool Football Club.

When a new manager comes in, how much pressure is that on you to sort of get the manager's point across to some of the other players?

Thank you.

No, it's, it's a new manager.

Obviously everybody is, is motivated.

I think it's natural that you, you wanna show him that you, you wanna, you wanna be part of this, this squad, part of the first 11 and, of course, part of one of the leaders.

When I, when I joined Liverpool, that was my, my whole plan to, to be in the first 11, do my best.

And if you work, hard, if you do everything every day, then it's gonna, it's gonna be there and you're gonna get back everything what you have done.

So I'm still doing it every day.

Obviously we have Virgil, although he's 34, 5, he's, he's one of the best center backs in the world I think, still.

So happy to, to share the dressing room with him and, let's see what the future brings.

So the manager, what's different?

How, how is his processes and training different to Arne Slot?

Well, since I play football, I never spoke about what's the difference between one and the two managers.

So I really, I really loved Jurgen, I really loved, Arne, and I, I really like, Andoni as well.

So for me, o- if you are a coach of Liverpool FC, you have to be great.

So obviously they have some other ideas.

He's more of, a direct, direct, football, one v. One all over the place.

If you can, fight until the end, never give up, and which, which represent Liverpool FC.

So I'm really happy to have him here, and I'm gonna give everything what I have.

Dominik, when you lose someone like Mo Salah in your team and the amount of goals he brings, does that mean collectively everybody has to do a little bit more?

Yes.

Obviously Mo, I think his worst season was maybe 30 goals in the Prem.

So that shows everything.

So we have to, we have to step up and, everybody has to take a little bit more responsibility, into the goals and assists.

So hopefully, we, we will manage that.

We have unbelievable strikers, Alex, Hugo, hopefully he's back soon.

Wingers, midfielders.

Obviously now, Jeremy at the back, Ronald, Virgil, for the headers.

So we have, we have a great squad and, it's a, it's a big future in front of us.

Dominik, well done on that very cool penalty, and thank you so much for your time.

We appreciate your lot.

Thank you very much.

Thank you Dominik Szoboszlai joining us here.

I'll grab that from you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you to Dominik Szoboszlai.

What a good talker.

I mean, Tim there talking about a future captain.

Yeah.

You can see it, can't you?

Yeah, you can.

And I've There's been talk about long-term contracts.

And, and it was interesting today, Bex, 'cause there was little times when things weren't going right, and he was the one actually talking to his teammates and urging one or two on.

And you see that's I think it's a role that he's gonna look forward to taking on.

Obviously Virgil van Di- Dijk's the captain now, but he's gonna have a big role to play because at the moment Mac Allister's not quite right.

If he's playing next to Gravenberch or he's playing in the 10, probably instead of Wirtz at the moment, he's gonna have a really important role to play in getting them going forward.

Okay.

We're hoping still to have the Newcastle United manager join us, but while we wait, gentlemen, yesterday you teased everybody.

You gave us your top four, but in no particular order, so we didn't know therefore who you've all got to win the title.

I'm not gonna give it the big build up, because let me just do a queen sweep, clean sweep.

Arsenal.

Okay.

So everyone's going with Arsenal.

I am not- So the big question that I'm interested in, I hope our viewers are as well, is who is gonna push them?

So who finishes second?

Wow.

Who comes the closest?

Oh, it's Man City or Chelsea.

And I'm just excited for Chelsea.

Yeah.

We'll see what they look like tomorrow, but they've got so many good players, a new manager.

Can he get them excited?

Is he gonna bring something a little bit different?

Can they get off to a good start?

Chelsea have got so much talent.

They can challenge.

From 10th to 2nd?

Yes, yes.

And because of Xabi Alonso or because of- Yes Morgan Rogers?

No European football.

Or a combination?

They can f- they can, you know, prepare all week long to, to give their very best.

And, and they might still do stuff in the market, but they've got some very good attacking players.

Who you going for, Tim?

Pushing Arsenal.

Yeah, I mean, I, I think City is gonna be there.

I do.

But the, the Chelsea factor, the, the Xabi Alonso factor, I mean, I say it all the time and I can't, I can't s- I can't state it enough.

I mean, he took Bayer Leverkusen and he swept the Bundesliga side.

Like, that's crazy.

And by the way, they did it playing gorgeous football.

I think his idea- I think his ideas are fantastic and I really honestly think with the talent they have up front, th- this Chelsea team could, could surprise all of us.

They really could.

Okay.

Chelsea going to Fulham then.

That's tomorrow.

Craven Cottage, don't forget.

Who are you going for?

Chelsea?

Yeah.

Well, we haven't seen Chelsea yet, so I'm kinda holding my, my, my sort of vote on, on that one.

I'd probably still say Man City 'cause of know-how, because of muscle memory, because they're gonna get better and let's see how the squad are.

But really interesting.

Just in terms of the teams we've seen, Brentford would be a challenge and of course they're not gonna be there, but- Don't mind it.

Wow.

Don't mind it.

I actually turned round to see your facial expressions and you were nodding, which surprises me.

As a Ch- We loved Brentford yesterday.

Yeah.

We, we, yeah.

As a title challenger?

I'm just checking.

Well, you know Earl's the romantic, right?

Correct.

So we g- So or now but, but it was ver- very impressive.

Yeah.

No European football again.

Yeah.

And, and Keith Andrews, he's ambitious.

I'm not saying they're gonna ti- challenge the title- Okay but they might have a little run at the top four or five.

I mean, we shouldn't laugh because there are a lot of people actually I read yesterday were comparing yesterday's performance from Brentford to Leicester City's type of football 10 years ago.

I mean, we do love a Johnny Njeru reaction.

We do.

Yeah.

Well, being here, amazing.

What do you think on that, Brentford?

Well, think about what?

There's nothing like Chelsea v. Cancun.

Top four or five, nothing like opening weekend.

Nothing like a few players from Cancun.

Love Brentford.

They, they've been fantastic.

Yeah, again, d- push for Europe again.

It's, I mean, winning the title's so far away.

It's the hope that kills you though.

Oh.

You know?

It is.

It is the hope that kills you, but you gotta have the hope.

It's the opening weekend.

If you can't have the hope right now- you're never gonna have it.

Chaps, thank you so much.