FABIO CARVALHO on confrontational meetings with JURGEN KLOPP and how Liverpool’s transfer meltdown
In the last segment of his exclusive interview with Theo Squires of the ECHO, Fabio Carvalho discusses everything about his transfer to Liverpool, including why it actually fell through at first, rejecting Manchester United, and why his first season with the Reds wasn’t successful. “I’m not sure, perhaps… I would like to say following the Forest game. It has been requested of Fabio Carvalho to identify the moment in his debut season with Liverpool when his campaign began to unravel. After his Fulham contract expired, the Portuguese really had a great start at Anfield, signing a deal for up to £7.7 million. But that didn’t prove to be the start of something new at the Reds, as they fell short of their previous year’s quadruple-chasing attempts.
However, he was replaced in the 62nd minute, just after Forest took the lead thanks to a goal from former Red Taiwo Awoniyi. For Klopp’s team, a 1-0 setback to the recently promoted team made it an unforgettable day. By the end of the weekend, Liverpool was eight in the table after 11 games played, five points behind the leaders of the league, Arsenal, and twelve behind. They never seemed to have a chance to make up for such deficits because Carvalho’s playing time rapidly decreased. At the Hull City training field, he remembered telling the ECHO in an exclusive interview that “we didn’t really play that well.” “And I didn’t really have many opportunities following that game. If I were to do so, it would be played in the cup against Man City, but I wasn’t even meant to start,” he disclosed. “I believe Bobby Firmino was hurt or unwell. I scored, but at half-time, I was substituted out. And that concluded things. Carvalho would go to Jurgen Klopp’s office and knock on his door, hoping to discuss his limited playing time with his manager. But he acknowledges that maybe he ought to have talked to the German more. They advised him to wait patiently for his opportunity. Even several of his teammates were perplexed by his finest training efforts, as he stayed sidelined for months hoping for such an occasion. Yes, I did talk to him. To be honest with you, I didn’t talk to him very often,” Carvalho admitted.