How happy are you with Liquid's performance in 2010?

I'm so stoked, it's unbelievable what these guys did! In a matter of months we went from nothing to establishing ourselves in the Korean, American and European scenes, and did it by the sheer dedication and talent of our players.

My favorite moment would be Jinro winning MLG because it was such a feeling of justice and things being right in this world. The nicest guy with the most dedication and the most undervalued skills finally pulling through! He had been an underperformer, and thus undervalued, even when he was living in Sweden. Of course moving to Korea, barely playing any tournaments and not qualifying for GSL didn't help that image at all. But we never stopped believing in him, not for one second, and for him to reward this in such a huge fashion just felt amazing. His GSL run may be more of a feat but I will always see it as a result of that MLG win. That gave him the confidence to kick ass on Korean TV.

In 2011 I expect the same from all the other guys. Right now Haypro is kind of in a spot where Jinro was before where his games on TV and in tournaments have not represented his skill level yet.
Of course, the moment things start rolling for him you can expect great results as well. I'm just really happy with the way our squad turned out. Tyler holding our ground in the US, Huk winning MLG and placing top 3 in 3 majors and Ret occasionally showing us a glimpse of what he is capable of.

One thing I'm really bummed about is TLO's injury. Moving to Korea is no small feat that deserves respect no matter what, but doing so while having CTS and then getting chickenpox is something else. I was right there and still can't really imagine what it must have been like for him. Right now he is mostly healing up and only playing an occasional tournament. We're not entirely sure where things will go in 2011, we may even have to look into surgery, but no matter what happens we will continue to support him.


In what ways is the present age of Liquid similar to how it was during Broodwar, and in what ways is it different?

The big similarities are all about the squad. When recruiting, we try to look at highly skilled, highly likeable guys. We all know each other well, are friends with each other and see a lot of things the same way. In recruitment I want guys to get the feeling that they become part of something bigger. At Liquid, it's more than just a paycheck and travel expenses. It's about becoming a part of a group of friends that sit at the center of a tremendous community, with dedicated staff and a lot history behind it. These are all things that have historically been a part of Liquid as well.

The biggest difference is the scene we find ourselves in and the role we play in it. Back when Liquid had a decent BW squad there was barely any proscene besides the one in Korea. Liquid played the role of a clan more so than a (sponsored) team. Now that SC2 is booming the position we find ourselves in is really unique and we're grateful to play such a large part in esports.


As Team Manager, you spend a lot of your time on administrative duties. Do you ever miss being a part of the action?

Hell yes! I think if you ask any ex-player in any sport there is always a lingering feeling of wanting to be back in there. However, to be a top level player you need to be able to fully dedicate yourself to perform. Even if you just say you are going to dedicate yourself starting tomorrow you can't have anything playing in the back of your mind or it will influence you too much in practice.

It is a sad realization but with the team, the site and the stage where I am in life, it is just not realistic for me to pursue being a player anymore. I had my shot when I was younger and now it is my responsibility that I prepare the scene and the players of the future as best as I can. Every now and then I may join a tournament if I am travelling with the team and I'll never take a tournament lightly so I'll prepare as good as I can for the games I play, but in my day to day activities there's not much room for gaming. I realize that I need to maintain a certain level of play in order to perform better as a team manager and site owner so I will always try to focus on that as well as I can


I guess the burning question is this - where to from here? What does 2011 hold for Liquid?

Expect lots of great things. I believe in every single one of these guys and I think they have the capability to achieve some incredible results in the year to come. The mix of old school members with experience and newer players that still have a lot ahead of them is going to prove more and more fruitful as time goes by. I'm confident that together we can deliver some amazing results. Our main focus will be on MLG and the GSL. Of course we would really like to be in IEM as well but the qualification process of IEM is currently very complicated for a team with so many players located in Korea.

I also think that in 2011 as a team we are looking to establish our position more. These past months have been incredibly high paced, and we have consistently taken big steps forward with the team. Finding a great sponsor in TLAF, moving to Korea, travelling around the world, recruiting new members - we did a lot, and everything has gone very fast. Hopefully not too fast, but it is a concern to be aware of. Now is the time to try and see if we can maintain this level. Part of this process will entail looking for more sponsors to help solidify the team in the long run. TLAF and Liquid both know that a team needs more sponsors, so now comes the maturation stage that we have to go through to become a true esports team. We hope to go through this together with our fans.


Finally, how about telling us a bit about how having TL behind them affects Liquid as a team? Players and teams always thank fans for their support, but it would be nice to hear from Liquid itself what the greatest ESPORTS community in the world does for them on a practical, every day kind of level.

At times it is pretty surreal to see this many fans supporting our players. With or without the team, the TL community is the best in the world. It holds so many amazing members with so many different talents that continue to impress all of us every single day, even after 8 long years. Seeing these talents put to use in supporting the team with cheerfuls, paintings, stories, or simple messages wishing us well is awesome. A quick look up to see Pholons amazing chainmail should tell you enough.

When all of these people rally up to support one thing together something special happens and I think everyone who visits TL can feel it.

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If you learnt one thing about yourself this GSL, what would it be?

That I don't like losing even when I know I'm realistically likely to lose.


What was your favourite GSL series you played in?

Probably vs Choya just because I practised so incredibly hard for it and it meant Id made it as far as Id dared dream really (me and MC always said wed meet in the semis, then he'd win the whole thing - he was supposed to meet ret on the other side though).


What was your favourite GSL series you watched?
I don't really remember, probably Clide vs Leenock?


What steps are you taking to make sure that your early game is ready to go for your next GSL appearance? Are you focusing on anything in particular when it comes to your play early on?

Experimenting with earlier ghosts+earlier stim, hopefully can find something that lets me expand safely (if slower), while punishing the expos that would be TOO far ahead of my slower expo.


The GSL goes into Code-S in 2011. Do you think this will change the way you approach at all? What about group dynamics and preparing for multiple matchups at a time? What experiences of 2010 do you think have better prepared you for the challenges of the upcoming GSL?

Maybe there'll be more emphasis on 1 time builds now that its 2xBo1, but mostly I'll just practice like I've done - prep hard for the week's game or whatever.


How do you plan to spend December, both individually and as a team?

Dont know, relaxing and keeping in shape (sc2 and otherwise) I guess. Probably gonna do something together as a team.


Is the Liquid-oGs house in the holiday spirit yet? You know, like handing each other free wins and stuff? This is the season of giving after all.

Not really, Christmas is a couples holiday in Korea!


If you could pick anyone on Liquid-oGs to have a grudgematch against, who would it be?

I would have Hayder play Ret in my stead, cause they are fighting like a married couple all the time anyway, might as well do it in game!


In closing, make a bold prediction about 2011!

It seems so boring to say "I'll win GSL", and I don't think there are any other bold predictions that can be made really, so I'm just gonna take 2011 as it comes.

This week, TL gfx hero ZeroCartin gives us yet another wallpaper of fan favourite Jinro. Remember to thank him after you download!