One on One | Woltemade answers your questions & Slot discusses dealing with expectations.

0:04If you play at Liverpool you are used to these expectations, maybe with one exception, that was last season, because no one expected anything from us because Jürgen left. We can win the league, there are a few other clubs that can win the league and it's the same with the Champions League.

0:21Joe:Does Nick Woltemade know any Geordie slang? I heard yesterday, I'm a Kenny guy. I think that's the right word. You've nailed that, man. Is this the first time in your career you're in a dressing room with someone taller than you? Yeah, yeah. Is it actually? Yeah, first time. Wow, how does that feel, to not be the tallest man in a dressing room? Amazing, amazing, really, it's good.

0:45Joe:Hello, I'm Joe Tomlinson. And I'm Juliet Farrington. And this is One on One from Sky Sports, the podcast that brings you exclusive interviews with big names from the world of football. And as the Premier League returns, after its international break, It's a bumper show today. Coming up later, you'll hear from Arna Slott talking about the other side of a transfer window, despite how good a window Liverpool actually had. And also managing those expectations with the team being many people's favourites to win the title once again. But it's been a long time coming, Joe. We've been waiting for this.

1:17You talking to a player, but not just any player, a huge player, and they don't come much bigger than the striker that you've met.

1:26Joe:They don't. They literally don't actually because he is six foot six, almost two meters tall. Nick Voltemada is one of the biggest players in the Premier League. Newcastle, of course, picked him up from Stuttgart in the Bundesliga over the summer to replace the outgoing Alexander Izak. And anybody who saw Nick's debut, Big Nick, as I'm going to call him from now on, will know he's got much more to his game than height. Honestly, when I had the pleasure of meeting Nick and he walked in the room, it wasn't just his height that struck me, but it was his personality. This is a massive character that has joined the Premier League.

2:00Joe:And a couple of days after joining up with his new side in collaboration with our good pals at Sky Sports' Saturday Social, you might well recognise the name, I got to ask him questions that came directly from you guys, the fans. And he's covered all sorts of topics, by the way, from his love of fashion and his hair to English food and his nickname, Volta Messi. He was brilliant to chat to. I hope you'll enjoy listening as much as I enjoy talking to him. This is Nick Voltemada.

2:30Joe:It's inviting!

2:35Valdemar! He pulls himself away from Akadu. He doesn't read the flight of the ball. And Valdemar hits the back of the net for Newcastle.

2:45Joe:1-0. What a start to his career. This is Ask Valdemar. We gave you guys at home the chance to ask this man absolutely anything on the Sky Sports social media accounts. Nick, tens of thousands of questions. sent in so I've tried to narrow it down the best I can are you ready okay I'm ready I'm ready okay let's do this first and foremost I think people trying to get to know you a little bit better they want to know what striker would you compare your playing style to yeah this could be a difficult question like they're not too many 6.6 strikers or even players in the league and the most of them are center backs or stuff so it's hard I would say a bit of Kane a bit of Harvard maybe a bit of Ibrahimovic.

3:28I don't know. It's hard to say.

3:29Joe:I think it's really interesting because maybe people who haven't watched you before because of your height have a bit of a misconception. You're sort of a target man, batting around. But with your feet, very silky, very skillful, lots of technique, right? Yeah, that's my playing style. So I think it's difficult to say. I don't want to say I'm the only guy who plays like this. I don't want to say with that. But I think it's hard to find. I don't know. Maybe the fans have an idea. I don't know. have you always been really tall since you were a youngster so like your technique has always been there because with the ball you're dribbling is one of your best assets isn't it yeah this is my one of my best i think i think my parents thought they have a good good stuff with the ball so and then i played really young already in the US Academy of Edda Bremen so yeah also thanks to them that my technique is so good yeah the thing if you see me you don't think i can i can go with my with the ball so good yeah look forward to that i promise you he's going to cause us some surprises and i think that kind of leads into the second question why are you called volter messi in germany yeah i don't know the fans did it like i scored a really nice goal against and i think already before against spain i shot in under 21 was also doing a great goal and I think after that they call me like this.

4:46Yeah, like such a crazy name, but I don't know. I didn't give me this name on my own. So I think if the fans are doing that, that's okay for me. But I saw it already now, already in the comments all the time.

4:58Joe:Yeah, obviously the Geordie's already involved here. The 6.6 Messi. I think you could be the Geordie Messi pretty soon by the end of the season. Let's go to the next one. This is about your arrival. What was the first thing Eddie Howe said to you? hey big man something like that maybe i think i didn't know exactly what he said but he's such a such a good guy really like i felt already welcome when i'm when i was talking with him and i think he said hey big man because i said on the video call before don't be scared i'm really tall so but yeah a lot of tall guys so i think i don't care for him and you must be so excited to work with Eddie because he's done an amazing job sort of taking careers to the whole next level and the brilliant job he's done at Newcastle yeah I guess that's the point yeah why I want to go also to Newcastle because I heard that a lot and the talks with him been been really good and yeah directly from the first moment I felt like okay he can bring me to the next level and I hope yeah it will be it but it will be hard hard work for sure but if we work together and I think this could be a really good really good match what is the best and the worst thing about being six foot six this difficult one I think the best is that you always can see everything like even if there are a lot of people like you always can see where where your friends are where yeah like you can see everything and the worst I can see it now here in Germany is not so so heavy like this but the the doors are really small here like you always have to put your head down in In Germany, I don't have to do it so often.

6:36But in England, especially in Newcastle, I don't know if it's everywhere, but here I have to do it really often.

6:40Joe:Okay, okay. Next up, who is the most talented player you've ever played with? I think Flo Wurtz. Yeah? Yeah, like for me, he's such an amazing player. I think right now, I don't know, they put just a camera in against, I don't know, against Arsenal, I think, the match. Yeah, they did. Like if you can see, like he's checking everywhere. and he's playing like I like his playing style looking like smooth and he's creative so for me he's a national team also he's the best player I've ever played with I mean it's great to see Bundesliga players German players coming over and choosing the Premier League as well right coming in the same summer as Wurz that must be really exciting for you yeah we already talk now at national team about it like there have been also some guys which are playing here or played here and everybody said this league is amazing and this league is really nice so and we're looking forward okay let's go to the next next one i think this is interesting if you weren't a footballer what would you be i think a stylist i was just gonna say something to your fashion around this guy is stylish and his friends outside seriously it's like a runway he walked through his friends it was like a catwalk you're into your fashion though aren't you yeah a lot like i like it like i think uh yeah part next to football is my my favorite stuff um yeah i'm really into it and i like it so I think if I would not be a football player I would be like would do something for sure with fashion catwalks coming to you soon okay next one this is tough who is the best striker in the world?

8:14Joe:can't say yourself no I don't do this I think Kane I like him how he's playing his shots are amazing yeah yeah I take Kane yeah I think we obviously haven't seen as much of him recently because he's gone over to the Bundesliga but Premier League legend, obviously, the things he's able to do with the ball. You mentioned him earlier as a player that you've potentially based a bit of playing style on. Is he the sort of player you look up to and you think, wow, what an impact he had in the Premier League, his all-round games amazing? Yeah, also now in the Bundesliga, I guess I played four times against him.

8:48I don't know how many goals he scored against us, but a lot. And he's always hitting the ball perfect and he's a feeling in the box. I never saw a player which is so good like that.

8:59Joe:so yeah such a good player okay perfect we go with Kane there what will you miss most about living in Germany I think my family yeah I think my family they will be here often for sure but yeah I'm a really familiar guy I like to be around with my with my people with my family my friends and yeah for sure this would be the most what I'm missing for sure gonna have a big Geordie family though the Newcastle fans they're gonna be right behind you aren't you and obviously this is a real family club i'm sure your teammates have made you feel welcome straight away yeah they did already and also like the fans when i met them in the city and stuff like this is a family so this is my football family is now here i'm really happy about it already but uh my normal family after i'm missing okay uh whilst you're over here let's talk about this one because there's a lot of questions about german food but we're going to focus on what English food are you most excited to try?

9:57This is a difficult question I would think. I'm kind of complicated with eating to be honest. Yeah? So yeah, so maybe the fans, I don't know, they can text me or comment what I could eat but because I don't know like what you would say?

10:11Joe:I think for sure you've got to try Greg's, especially living in Newcastle you've got to try Greg's. Sausage roll? You know what a sausage roll is? Yeah but I don't eat meat. No, okay, so we'll go vegan sausage roll then maybe. A full english fry up beans you had tried baked beans yeah yeah what do you mean yeah it's okay it's okay i don't like it so much i'm just honest like but i maybe i have to try it here yeah i mean baked beans in england hit differently yeah yeah even just beans on toast okay i try i will try it maybe next time i see you nick okay okay yeah please please keep it simple try it uh whilst we're on the topic of england geordie land does nick faltemada know any geordie slang i heard yesterday i'm a kenny guy i think that's the right word you nailed that man have you heard the phrase how are the lads of course are we gonna need you to say how are the lads how are the lads yeah i just said it when i when i came here when i arrived of course obviously i could say this but i said it already so i want to take a new choose a new word this guy's fine yeah but i already bought a lot of a lot of trickles and how do you say trickles jerseys yeah at jersey yeah i bought a lot of and like everywhere it's like how are the lads i like this and everywhere like the fans if they if they meet you say how are the lads i like it i love it i love it uh who would win in an arm wrestle between volta marda and dan burn please this is an honest question yeah please look at his arm look at my arm like he will win for sure i know i would say like there's a lot of power in it but he would beat me for sure is this the first time in your career you're in a dressing room with someone taller yeah yeah is it actually yeah first time wow how does that feel to not be the tallest man amazing amazing really it's good like we had a lot of tall tall players like nick pope he's also really tall but then bernie like he's tall in the machine so like if he's like normally if you see people which are the same height as me it's always weird but now it's good because i see everyday people like and like my height so it's perfect you guys are gonna have to score a lot of corners a lot of set pieces this season.

12:11Joe:Dan Byrne up from the back alongside you for sure. Let's keep the comparisons going. Who has the better locks? Anthony Gordon or Nick Voltemada? Anthony, I'm sorry, but I would just say mine. I like mine. I like yours. Yeah, I think I have to say it's becoming a trend. Maybe we're going to see the whole squad soon. I have it already now for two years. Now I make it shorter. I had it also like Legody a little bit longer, but now I have it more short that I don't need a hair brand anymore. Yeah. no plans to change it we're sticking with this is the no maybe a bit longer but I like it to play without a hairband I play now for two years with a hairband and my coach in Germany he was angry at me because every two seconds I was grumping my hair but now I don't have to do it anymore so yeah I mean that seems like full locks now he's like down to his shoulders I think he's looking good though so let's keep it rolling next question who do you think your toughest Premier League opponent will be that would be a lot I think I think so yeah let's take Van Dijk, I think.

13:12Joe:Yeah? Yeah. Who's the toughest player you've played against so far in your career, you think? Uppamecano. He's really good. Yeah? Yeah, from Bayern. Juna Tantar is also a good player. Like, I just played in, like, national team. I played... Yeah, Ruben Diaz? Yeah, I played Ruben Diaz. Yeah, but to be honest, I would say, yeah, Uppamecano. But Ruben Diaz, of course, he was also a really good player. But Uppamecano, he's really fast and it's hard to play against him. Obviously, you mentioned Ruben Diaz there. and Virgil van Dijk. What are you expecting from the Premier League? Because it's, you know, we talk about it being very physical, very fast, lots of tall, strong players.

13:48Joe:What are you expecting? Yeah, I guess that's a point where it will be really intense, I guess, if you compare now to Bundesliga. Like, there are more sprints, more intensity in the duels and, like, you have to do it more often. I guess that's the point. Like, you have to sprint more, you have to win more duels, you have to, yeah, always have to be on 100 % because everybody's so good and I think yeah that's a nice challenge and yeah I want to do that challenge Love it okay who is your favourite Premier League player of all time? This is also a difficult one I would say like I'm 2002 so it's hard like to That's crazy man 2002 So like for me when I was growing up like Ronaldo in Man United was amazing but Ronaldo is also like you're obviously in Real Madrid Yeah you think you're more around Yeah so but for me when I was growing up like this was Ronaldo at Man United but I think maybe Steven Gerrard or something wow what about Steven Gerrard did you like commitment yeah like to be honest I always played like in FIFA and he had an amazing shot and I like his shot I know what you mean I like players which are like with full intensity and like shooting and wouldn't do it and I think he did it amazing and I guess it's hard to find one player like there's been so many good good good players and for me it's Ronaldo and Man United but just because when I grew up this was my my hero yeah so and this time I remember I played it always on FIFA and stuff so yeah for me it was Ronaldo and Man United final question of the day then what Premier League away fixture are you most excited to play in this is also a difficult one because I'm really excited like it's cool if you come into a new country a new league that you can you don't know the stadiums so that's like when i'm talking to my guys from national team they always say it's so nice because you see every week a new stadium and i think obviously amfield amfield yeah looking forward to you never walk alone yeah yeah big atmosphere yeah because you're in club was there a long time so that's also in germany like everybody has like likes liverpool there so and i think it's really nice nick love that man thank you so much see you soon joe so great to get to know nick volta marda but he had that immediate impact didn't he scoring on his newcastle debut and you talk about his personality so much potential in him to be a real cult hero up there isn't there i think 100 he's almost an instant cult hero following on from alexander he's like scoring on his debut but he has this sort of infectious personality when he walked in the room he had four of his mates from Germany over.

16:35Joe:They all looked super trendy because he's so into his fashion. He speaks really, really well. I think it's interesting. This is the first time he's ever shared a dressing room with someone bigger than him because, of course, Dan Byrne stands at a whopping six foot seven. But it's a big dressing room at Newcastle. Him, Nick Pope, Dan Byrne. I have to say, though, away from his height, his personality was just infectious. Like the way he laughed he's got a great understanding of the english language and the way he plays is an infectious playing style he's not just a big target man you're not going to lump the ball up to him yes he scored a great header on his debut but the way he flows the ball you can understand why people in germany call him volta messi i think this is one of the signings of the summer he could have a huge impact on the magpies i've never heard you so giddy talking to a player like your big mate now who you call big nick i'm just sensing that you you can't wait to go and see him again i can't absolutely if you could fly me back up there tomorrow i would fly back up there i'm not getting the train though because it took me about six hours to get there honestly it's a long old trip up north but you can watch the full interview with volta messi on saturday social this weekend or find it on the youtube channels just search sky sports premier league that'll be out very soon still to come on one-on-one as nick mentioned there to joe he's looking forward to playing at Anfield.

17:56So moving swiftly along, coming up after this quick break, I sit down with the Liverpool head coach, Arna Slott, to talk about transfer windows, his lover by Bifa, and fighting for trophies on all fronts.

18:13Hello, I'm Nikita Paras. And I'm Jordan Ops.

18:17Joe:And you can hear these two Lionesses legends every week on Pitch to Pod from Sky Sports, where they bring your topics straight from the pitch to their podcast. We talk everything football, WSL and beyond. So what are you waiting for? Search for Pitch to Pod with Jordan and Nikita wherever you listen to your podcast and give us a follow so you don't miss us at all. That's Pitch to Pod with Jordan and Nikita from Sky Sports.

18:50Joe:Welcome back to One on One. Time now to hear from the Liverpool boss Arna Slott who's been chatting to Joes. Yeah, had a sit down with him last week, Jo, ahead of their trip to Turf Moor. Players just back from international break, of course. Off the back as well of a busy summer where Liverpool had done big business. Buying players, selling players and missing out on one too. And that's where we started. The big business of the summer transfer window. Alexander Isak is Liverpool's new number nine. They've confirmed it officially now. He has signed in a British record transfer of£125 million. Arne, thank you for your time.

19:27It's been a busy summer. It's been a busy transfer window. Can we talk about that transfer window first? That was a big one, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We did a lot of trading. We've sold many players and that's also our model. So I think we've created our own budget by selling players, by winning the league last season. and as a result of that we could bring in a lot of very good players as well and that is I think the biggest compliment you can give to ownership to the sports director to Richard Hughes Michael Edwards that they've created a model that this is and was possible so I think looking at the age of the players we brought in many players that are quite young so yes we spent but we've sold quite a lot, we won the league which generates money and as a result of that we brought in very very good players that are all of a young age so we are future proof as well so a big compliment for everyone that worked so hard to accomplish this Dominic Somerslai oh it's a gym it is a gym Dominic Somerslai lands the first

20:43Joe:mighty blow of the title fight this is special the whip the dip the power the pace he's got everything if we have to play the same games 100 times I don't think we will win it 100 times so against Arsenal we needed a set piece to make the difference where in the second half we definitely deserved that goal against Newcastle yeah 2-2 after 90 minutes and then late minute winner which always you need a bit of luck for that as well great team goal by the way but an incredible winner though And an incredible winner as well. Yeah, like I said, the finish was great, but the whole lead-up towards the goal, I think all of our players touched the ball once.

21:26Joe:Grafenberg. Slip through by Elliott. Salah plays it across the box. That leaves it. Holgerboa! It's the stuff of teenage dreams! That was probably the best attack we had in that game, but the margins were small, and we need to find a way of, of hopefully in the upcoming weeks and months keep winning a lot of games. But more now, I think most games we've played, maybe except for the bottom of one, were 50-50. And you're hoping if you're Liverpool that you're at least 60-40 having a chance to win a game. Did the expectation change, the managing those expectations now? Because Liverpool title favourites already, a small amount of games into the season.

22:13Does that change how you manage the expectations of everybody else? No, not at the moment. Because I think if you play at Liverpool, you are used to these expectations. Maybe with one exception, that was last season. Because no one expected anything from us because Jürgen left. But fortunately for the club and for me, the players stayed the same. So we were able to compete. And if you work or play for Liverpool, there are always expectations. and we can win the league. There are a few other clubs that can win the league and it's the same with the Champions League. And again, probably it's a big compliment for ownership, Richard, Michael and all the other ones that were involved in the transfer window that people see us as a favourite to win things because that tells you that we've done a great job during this summer.

23:02The confidence must be there though. The confidence to go back to back. Yeah, but that confidence mainly comes from last season and a bit from the transfer window because like I said, we've brought in very good players. But the confidence is there because we were able to win it last season and that gives you the most confidence because we know what it takes now to win it. And we also know that now we've done a lot of trading. Some other clubs brought in a lot of players without selling a lot. So they've become stronger normally. So that's why we need to become stronger again as well compared to last season if we want to win it again, which is so difficult in the Premier League and in the Champions League.

23:42And that's what makes both leagues so interesting. Just on the transfer window, do you enjoy it? Do you enjoy the craziness of it? But also there's a brutality to a transfer window as well. With players coming in, you obviously get excited about that. Is that feeling the same when you bring a player that you want in? Do you feel as good as that player who comes to Liverpool? Yeah, in that moment of time, I enjoy it. So if we're able to bring someone in, that is definitely a moment to enjoy. In general, I don't think many managers that work on a daily basis with a group of players like the transfer window because there are so many different emotions in the group.

24:22Some of them want to leave. Some of them desperately want to stay, but they get the feeling that they don't play a lot. So then they need to go. So you try to bring players in, which brings down different emotions for the player that plays in that position. So I think the ideal world for a manager is after the 1st of September, when everything settles down, everybody knows what his position in the group is. And then you start working, which you did the months before as well. But that is a more difficult period for a manager than the one after the 1st of September. And the feeling and the emotion when you don't get a player that you want, which has happened to Liverpool with Mark Gehi and Crystal Palace.

25:05What's that emotion like? Do you switch off from that and think, well, there's nothing I can do about that now at this moment in time? Yeah, that is definitely the first thought. The second thought is at Liverpool, we have so many good players. So we would have liked to sign him that's out in the open. So I'm not going to deny that. But I also know and knew that we have very good options in that position as well. But we are a club that if we see an opportunity in the market and we can sign a very good player, we are always trying to do so. But if that doesn't work out, I'm more than happy to work with the players we've got.

25:41For us, it was, of course, a disappointment. But for the player, I assume as well, because he was expecting to come to us. You feel that as well? I think that's what I'm trying to get. Do you feel the disappointment? I'm trying to put myself in the players' shoes. But that can happen with a player from us as well, that maybe a player wanted to leave, but in the end couldn't because we couldn't get a player we wanted. That happens in football many times. And the good thing in football is if, especially after the international break, everybody comes back and then accepts the situation and knows he has to perform well.

26:17But yeah, if a player wants a transfer, that he doesn't get. You always feel for him. If it's a player of you, of my team, you talk to him and make sure he gets his energy back and keeps going again. And that's probably what has happened at Palace with Mark Gray now as well. Have you got your energy back? Now you've had this international break, ready to go. I'm not saying it had gone away, but you like travelling, don't you? You like to travel and see the world. I like to be with my family. and as people know they are here a lot of times but not always so the moment we have an international break I can be with them and and it doesn't matter to me where it is if it's in Holland or here in England or in other part of the world if I'm with them that is always something I look forward to and enjoy a lot I didn't need to be refreshed because we only just started the season I think the biggest one we all need is the one in March is that the Ibiza one maybe again I don't know I don't know yet where I'm going to go but after we've gone from November to March that is probably the only league in the world then you need to break a little bit more than in September October and November that's not to say that we as managers let's talk for myself I do like that first part of the season where we work three and a half weeks I think and then we have a few days off and the players then go to the national teams and hopefully come back fit all of them and that's what happened with us.

27:47So it's been a positive break for us. Just one more question. It's about Ibiza because I know a lot's been documented and said about it and I'm not just going back to what happened after Liverpool won the title, but you'd gone there before. And I just wondered, that whole scene, the area, the region, is that your kind of place? If the sun shines and I can be with my family, then it's my kind of place. the nice part of Ibiza is that it's known for partying and it didn't help me that I was on camera when I was at a party but everyone knows who you are now everybody knows that I was there but I think I've been there so many days so maybe I don't know 200, 300 days in my life and I think if there were one, two or three days of those that I was there partying then it was already a lot but yeah that's the downside of being a Liverpool manager if you are somewhere in public then they can make videos and it wasn't a problem by the way for me but no normally people don't see me partying normally they would see me in a restaurant or at my house or at the beach and partying is for my daughter she's 18 and not so much for me anymore.

29:05Joe:Jules we always love speaking to Arna Slott, don't we? What a top character. I mean, I like Ibiza. I went this summer. I saw Kara over in Ibiza, actually, this summer, very bizarrely. But I didn't see Arna Slott. I think maybe he frequents a different part of the island to me. Much more wholesome. Much more wholesome. Beaches, restaurants. Not saying he doesn't go to the places where you go, but I think he's more recognisable now after winning the Premier League title. And it's a little bit harder for him to sort of blend into the background of all the good vibes that Ibiza brings to everybody.