Milner: How half-time team talk inspired comeback at Swansea
James Milner has revealed how the half-time team talk from Jürgen Klopp helped inspire Liverpool’s second-half comeback as they defeated Swansea City 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds were not at their best in the opening 45 minutes in Wales and found themselves trailing after Leroy Fer had tapped in for the Swans early on.
However, Liverpool emerged for the second half and turned in a dominant performance that was rewarded with three points thanks to Roberto Firmino’s header and Milner’s late penalty.
The vice-captain said: “It needed to be better, I think we all knew that. Big credit to the manager and all the boys. The manager knew it, he was angry but he kept most of it in, said what needed to be said and got us going.
“I think you saw in the second half it was more like how we’ve been playing in getting about the ball. In the first half, we weren’t really at the races and Swansea are a good team. We gave ourselves all the work to do but showed a lot of character to come back from a goal down away from home and get three points.”
Milner dispatched his 84th minute penalty with trademark aplomb to secure the win for Liverpool and move them up to second in the Premier League table – his fourth successful conversation of the campaign to date.
“As long as they end up in the back of the net, that’s all I am bothered about,” he continued. “It was a big moment in the game. We’d had chances in the second half, so it was important we took that [opportunity] and thankfully it went it in the net and we’ve got the three points.”
Milner’s sentiments were echoed by Jordan Henderson, who acknowledged Liverpool struggled to get going in the opening period at the Liberty Stadium.
Nevertheless, the captain was pleased with the Reds’ reaction as they notched a fourth consecutive league win.
Henderson said: “In the first half, we weren’t playing to our standards – especially in the first 25-30 minutes. We didn’t come out of the blocks quickly enough and Swansea punished us from a set piece.
“It was disappointing, but I thought in the last 10-15 of the first half we got going again and found our rhythm. We came in at half-time and the manager had a few words to say – and I thought in the second half we came out and we were brilliant.”
The result continued a fine opening to 2016-17 that has seen Liverpool garner 16 points from their first seven fixtures.
“I definitely think we’ve improved as time has gone on,” Henderson added. “We’ve had a good pre-season together and I think that was important. Now we’re starting to set the standard each week playing the way we have been.
“We’ve got to continue that. Hopefully we’ll keep on going, keep working hard, keep our feet on the ground and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
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