NAF: "It's disappointing where we are right now"

"Our time just isn't right now, it's maybe in the future," the Canadian player said after the elimination match.

Liquid have been knocked out of the BLAST Premier World Final following a 2-1 loss to a Vitality side fielding a stand-in. It's another disappointing run from the team, who began the season promisingly but have since faded, winning only one of their last seven series.

Speaking to HLTV after the match, Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic did not hide his frustration with the team's rough patch of form. "I think a lot of us had higher and better expectations of ourselves to be in a better spot right now," he said. "But that's the life for us right now."

The Canadian player also shared his thoughts on Roland "⁠ultimate⁠" Tomkowiak and Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis' form struggles, expressing his belief that they'll be able to work through their issues, and leaped to Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken's defense. "It doesn't just come down to Twistzz and his in-game leading," he said. "I feel that it's just our team understanding and team cohesion. We're simply not on the same page, like, at all."

Looking ahead to the Major, NAF provided insight into the team's decision to stay in Singapore until the Americas RMR. Even without top-level practice in Asia, he expects Liquid to be able to make it to the Major. "It's all event-to-event. Who knows? We could show up and be in twice the form that we are in now or even more. So, we just need to find our way and show up."

You can listen to the interview on the widget above or by clicking here.

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A 2-1 loss and you guys are out of the tournament. Just like yesterday, you won the first map but couldn't close it out. What are your thoughts on today's match?

So obviously we ended up going with Anubis as our pick. One of our stronger maps, of course. And one of our more confident maps. We were able to win. Of course, we were still very close, Vitality still played really well. And then, Dust2 was the second map. I don't know, we definitely have a lot of things to work on in Dust2. I think our win rate on that map must be pretty bad at the moment (laughs).

And then, Nuke, we were somewhat playing well. We were able to win, like, what, four rounds? So I think that's pretty good on T-side Nuke. And then, unfortunately, later in the half I think I fucked up pretty big, dying to Glocks. That was a very important round. And we could have maybe been up 2-1 and maybe won the series with that one. Obviously, that's a shitty way to go out. Don't feel so great about that. That's pretty much all I can say. We won our map pick and then, in classic fashion, I guess, 1-2.

What are the positives that you can take from this event?

I don't know (laughs). It's honestly really hard to look for positives because it kind of just seems like we're running into the same wall in most of the events. We're able to get one map and then we we can't win the series. You know what I'm saying? It's still the same Groundhog Day for us, just going back and forth and ending the series 1-2 not in our favor. I don't know. We just need to keep looking forward. Obviously, the Major is right around the corner. So we need to make sure that we're in good shape and thinking positively for the future.

Of course, missing out on the last Major was shitty for the team and for the org and all that. So we're hoping that we can bounce back, make the Major and maybe fix our mistakes and come in swinging for the Major.

When I spoke to Twistzz in Cologne, one of the things we talked about was how you guys were getting wins on all the maps. But lately, things seem to have changed a little bit. You are very strong on Anubis and Ancient, but the rest of the map pool seems to be a bit all over the place. For example, on Inferno, you either get good wins or you get blown out. What are your thoughts on the current status of the map pool?

Yeah, I think what you said was pretty much fairly accurate. Of course, Anubis, I think, is our best map. Ancient is definitely another map that we seem to be pretty good on. It's not a map we've practiced too much, but it seems that, individually and as a team, we're just comfortable on it. So obviously, Anubis and Ancient are definitely really comfortable for us. And then, when it comes to the other maps, it's just like you mentioned. Either we win big or we just lose on those other maps. And we definitely need to have more than two maps to win a series.

There are obviously a lot of things to continue working on. It sucks that our pace has somewhat slowed down compared to when we started out. We just need to keep grinding, keep continuing, and see what's going on. As I said, the Major is just around the corner.

I wanted to ask you about something we saw yesterday on Mirage, where jks on the T side was being moved from A lurker to Underpass. What is the reasoning for that change?

I think the reason for that change is jks is kind of adapting a little bit better to more aggressive plays than I am, so I think it was somewhat better to kind of put me back in my original role, since, in my opinion, I was probably one of the better Halls players in the game. I think it's also good to have me back there. As I said, I think jks is adapting more to picking up aggression and having that more pace, whereas I'm somewhat slower for sure.

There was a lot of hype surrounding your roster during the first few tournaments, but we're starting to see some cracks in the team. What has it been like for the team to have to work through all these issues, especially with a new IGL who is still getting used to the role?

Of course, it's very tough, pretty much crafting somewhat of a new team. Of course, the core was Twistzz, myself, and YEKINDAR. But Twistzz took over the IGL role, so that's a really big change. And then you're bringing in two new players. So somewhat there's a big change within three players, even though Twistzz was on the team before, but taking on a whole different role. It's tough.

We're not playing where we want to be playing right now. Obviously, I think we're all pretty disappointed. And it sucks to end this tournament again with another disappointing loss. It's disappointing where we are right now. I think a lot of us had higher and better expectations of ourselves to be in a better spot right now. But that's the life for us right now. A lot of the teams are really tough to play against. There's not much to say about it.

I was going through the stats and you guys have the lowest T win rate of the tournament. Just 38% Today, you couldn't get a single round on Dust2. Yesterday, you couldn't get a single T round on Inferno. What do you think seems to be the issue with your T sides?

I don't know. I feel that people who don't really understand are going to pinpoint, like, 'Oh, maybe Twistzz isn't the right IGL or he's not smart enough,' or something like that. I don't think it's anything like that. It's mainly more just the team cohesion and the team understanding, in some moments we clearly aren't grasping it and it could be we need more time, we need more practice. And of course, it's been pretty tough for us. Even before this event I had to go back home to get my visa. So we couldn't really practice before this event, but we were able to get a couple of days in.

Obviously, a lot of us are frustrated. But in my opinion, it doesn't just come down to Twistzz and his in-game leading. I feel that it's just our team understanding and team cohesion. We're simply not on the same page, like, at all. We definitely need to keep working and fix those things. But of course, it sucks to not have any practice to even fix those things with the things we had to do to get our visas, especially for China. And especially since I'm from North America, I had to fix that. So it sucks to miss out on practice. I think we just need more time. At the same time, sometimes it may feel, like, 'Is this team working or is it not?' I don't know. I always believe. I'm really confident in everybody, and I'm confident in Twistzz leading and all that. Our time just isn't right now, it's maybe in the future.

Before yesterday's game, Twistzz said that ultimate was working really hard to make sure that other teams couldn't read him. What can you say about the work that he's been putting in? Has it been trying to figure out a new playstyle, watching demos of other players? And what can you say about his mindset? Because for a young player who doesn't have a lot of experience, I imagine it's very hard to try to change your playstyle.

When he first joined, he was super confident. And having a more inexperienced player come in and be really confident, even around players that are more known and more experienced than he is, I think that just shows that his mindset is that he is confident and that he believes in what he does and how he plays the game. And I think it's important for him to come into the tier-1 playstyle, play his game, and let him make mistakes, if they're big mistakes, small mistakes, just let him make them, and then that's where we kind of help him in fixing those and just telling him.

And, of course, he came from tier-2 Counter Strike, playing on a Polish team, whereas he's now in tier-1. I think that throughout the first tournaments that he played, a lot of people didn't really know too much about him and what to expect from him. He was making a lot of plays and catching players off-guard, and people were seeing that he was really good, that he had sick mechanics and the way he aimed and all that.

But in recent events and in recent times, I think a lot of people are somewhat catching on and watching how he plays. He is a super confident player who likes to go for his peeks and all that, and I think a lot of people are studying that and seeing that, and now they're finding ways to counter him and are understanding him. So that's where he needs to understand and adapt to the tier-1 playstyle, that you need to find different ways and different avenues and different timings to get kills and outplay your opponent.

That more comes from learning. Then again, he's only been playing in the tier-1 scene for a couple of months now. So I think people have to cut him some slack. But I think he's been doing pretty well overall and he has a great mindset, a great attitude. He's always willing to improve and do better. I think he'll definitely be one of the future stars, for sure.

But how do you look at him on the server? Do you think there have been some changes compared to your first tournaments with him? Or is he still the same player, going for the same peeks and having the same approach to the game?

I think he somewhat still has the same approach to the game, and I think with these last events I think he's slowly starting to understand that he might need to change his playstyle in some areas. Maybe his numbers don't look exactly the same as they did at the start, and I'm sure he knows that and I'm sure he's disappointed and I know he's working really hard to try his best to get back to that type of form and just understand how to outplay his opponents and get the kills and the statistics that he needs. All I can say is that I know he's working hard and we're trying to help him as much as we can. And we just need to keep moving forward, pretty much.

Before the match, YEKINDAR was asked about his personal struggles, and he said that a lot of it is down to mental issues. Don't you think it is a worrying sign that two of your players, including your AWPer, are going through a bit of a struggle just before the Major?

Obviously, it's no surprise. We can all see it. We're not going to be blind about it. ultimate is having his, like, rough patch of form and I'm sure he can fix it. With YEKINDAR… I don't know. I don't think too much about it. I always believe in my teammates and what they can do. I always believe that they'll come back and all that stuff. But of course, when it comes to performances and all that, when you kind of have multiple players missing, it can be hard to win games.

At the end of the day, we're all making mistakes somewhat. For me, it's always just a team thing. I don't think we should pick out one player or two players or whatever, but of course, when the public and everybody on the outside is looking in, they're looking at these players and they might call them out. I try my best not to think about that type of stuff. It's just a team thing and we need to work on it. If we get better as a team, I think they'll also improve as individuals. I think it's just a team thing that needs to be worked on, and if those things can be worked on, I think it can help them in their individual form. And we just need to, as I said, come together. I think the biggest thing is more of a team thing than just individuals, but of course, individuals need to play well.

It was announced just before the tournament started that you guys are going to bootcamp here. Obviously, I understand not wanting to travel to Europe and then back here in just a week, and trying to beat the jet lag. But aren't you a bit worried about the quality of practice you'll find here?

Of course, the quality of practice won't be too good. But luckily, in recent times, a lot of Asian teams have gotten better. You have The MongolZ, I think you have other teams. Rare Atom, TYLOO… Of course, people are going to look at us and say, 'Oh, why are they not going back to Europe? They're in their bad form and they're not really playing well or showing results. Why don't they go back to Europe and practice?' But for me and the team, it's different because with the European RMR it's a lot later. They can actually go back and be there for two weeks, whereas if we go back then we're adjusting to things and we only have a couple of days to do it. So it doesn't really make too much sense.

At the same time, I can understand people arguing the other way around, but there are positives and negatives on both sides if you look at it from the big picture of things. I think there is somewhat good practice here in Asia, and we should be able to at least make it through the RMR, and then when we're at the RMR, and we are able to qualify for the Major, the European teams will be coming to China and will be playing, so we'll have our opportunity to practice and be ready for the Major when that time comes. I think there are some positives to it, but I of course see the negatives.

Given the team's current struggles, what sort of expectations do you guys have for the RMR and the Major?

As I said, we at Liquid didn't make the last Major, and obviously, that was a huge blow. So hopefully, we can at least make the Major. It's been a while since I've made the playoffs at a Major. I'd love to at least have set the goal to at least make the playoffs. But of course, with our current form, it can be a little shaky and it can be very doubtful. We just need to put the work in. And it's all event-to-event. Who knows? We could show up and be in twice the form that we are in now or even more. So, we just need to find our way and show up. And, of course, it's a Major, it's a big event. That's where you need to play with balls. And I'm ready for it. That's how it's going to be for us, I guess.