Ibrahima Konate says Liverpool “don’t have to listen to the media” about their season, insisting they shouldn’t have their achievements undermined.
Liverpool are on the brink of securing their second league title in 34 years, and when the day comes that the trophy is mathematically secured, there will be an almighty party on Merseyside.
Though the Reds have been by far the best team in England this season, there has been a strange narrative developing in some quarters to undermine Liverpool’s achievement.
Virgil van Dijk recently clashed with Michael Owen over the topic and Konate has also now made sure the Reds’ success isn’t being downplayed.
Speaking to Sky Sports, it was put to the Frenchman that nobody expected Liverpool to be where they are.
Konate responded: “Exactly. I completely agree and if you ask every player or every fan what you will pick [out of] play for every trophy but you don’t know what you will get at the end of the season or maybe a chance to win the Premier League, I think all of them would say, ‘yes, maybe a chance to win the Premier League‘.
“We don’t have to listen to media and think that because we didn’t win the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup or we are out of the Champions League that we have a bad season.
“No, nobody expected us to be where we are today.
“We just have to do everything and give everything every game until the end of the season, game after game, and if we achieve something special, everyone will be very happy.”
Premier League parade has been a long time coming
Liverpool’s bus parades are legendary for their colour, passion and sheer numbers they attract. Konate has been a part of one after the Reds won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in 2022.
Despite losing the Champions League final the night before, an estimated 500,000 turned out to see the Reds that year, and it left an indelible mark on the players.
Konate commented: “I had this experience.
“I was close to winning the Premier League, I was close to winning the Champions League.
“And every single game I played this season for Liverpool, I just remember how close I was to winning this, but I didn’t and at the end nobody remembers this moment.
“For people to remember this you have to win it, and that’s why we have to be focused and ready because, me as well, even the players who won the Premier League in 2020, don’t know what will happen if we win it.
“This will be special for everybody in this club.”
It is sometimes underestimated just how important these occasions are for the players, who are increasingly housebound in an era when they are mobbed upon entry to a public place.
Konate added: “Just when we won the Carabao and FA Cup, I was like what is this?! I think I became crazy. I was like what is this? This is crazy!
“And I spoke with some people in the club, not the players but the people who work in the football – there’s a physio Chris Morgan with whom I’m very close, a very good guy.
“He said to me, ‘if we win the Premier League, you have no idea what will happen’.
“And I was like, ‘what do you mean? I hope we will not die!’
“But no, this will be very special and it’s not done. We just have to give everything.”
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