Aly: I liked what I saw against Stoke
Aly Cissokho took time out from preparing for Valencia's clash against Malaga on Saturday night to watch his new club Liverpool beat Stoke – and the Reds' latest acquisition was impressed by what he saw.
Cissokho completed a season-long loan switch to Anfield on Tuesday and afterwards he gave an exclusive interview, which LFC TV Online subscribers can watch by clicking below. Need to subscribe? Sign up now by clicking here.
The 25-year-old knew he was Merseyside-bound before settling down to watch Saturday's game - and he insists the creativity on display as Brendan Rodgers' side clinched a hard-earned 1-0 win filled him with excitement.
"Valencia weren't playing until 11pm, so I had plenty of time during the afternoon to watch the game while still at home," said Cissokho.
"I saw the whole game, I already knew I was going to sign for Liverpool so it was great that they won and played well.
"It was a very good start and the beginning of the season is always important. It was a very good performance against a Stoke side that defended well as a team.
"They played very well with a lot of passing the ball on the deck and the forward players showed a lot of skill and weren't scared to try things. It was an entertaining game to watch."
Cissokho has played at the top level in France, Portugal and Spain - and he insists he's ready for the challenge of English football.
Indeed, he believes his experiences so far stand him in perfect stead to adjust to the nature of the Premier League.
"I've played in Ligue 1, which is fairly physical and pretty competitive," he explained. "I learned a lot from my time there, right the way through from Academy level through to the first team at a big club like Lyon.
"I was also at Porto, another big club where I learned a lot, and my career really took off there in terms of playing at the highest level in the Champions League, I gained in confidence and added a lot to my game.
"The emphasis is on skill and technique in the football over there, with lots of technically gifted Brazilians and Portuguese who are great players.
"Then I moved to Valencia in Spain and the emphasis again was on technique and quality of passing in quite a high tempo style of football.
"With everything that I'd gone through, I really came on as a player, and I hope that with all the experience that I've acquired, I can perform well here."