Liverpool Rumours And General Discussion 2007/2008

whatawaster

great interviews. Does Alvaro have no money? Maybe we should have a whip around?

IrishMike

Those interviews are brilliant
Great post Tibor

Mitch Connor

i see Garrard's house was broken into last night - really do pitty these 'pool players going to away games, it doesn't seem to happen to other clubs - i wonder do they have a running pool on whose house will get broken into next?

whatawaster

Tauren wrote: »

i see Garrard's house was broken into last night - really do pitty these 'pool players going to away games, it doesn't seem to happen to other clubs - i wonder do they have a running pool on whose house will get broken into next?

don't know why they don't employ a security guard - especially given the money they're on and the recent trend.

spockety

Worse thing for Gerrard was that his missus and presumably his kids were in when it happened.

Cops describing it as a "confrontational" crime. Oh dear.

I presume Gerrard could employ a 24 hour security guard for the same money he earns in a week.

prendy

it has to be worrying for the players when traveling away...not good for the club image either.
scumbags!

_blank_

prendy wrote: »

...not good for the club image either.

wtf?

Anyone who equates player's houses getting robbed to the "club image" is deluded.

It has nothing to do with the club, one would hope.

whatawaster

DesF wrote: »

wtf?

Anyone who equates player's houses getting robbed to the "club image" is deluded.

It has nothing to do with the club, one would hope.

did anyone actually see Rick Parry at the game?

tibor

DesF wrote: »

wtf?

Anyone who equates player's houses getting robbed to the "club image" is deluded.

It has nothing to do with the club, one would hope.

Maybe not club image, but it certainly could affect any players thinking of signing...

Mitch Connor

DesF wrote: »

wtf?

Anyone who equates player's houses getting robbed to the "club image" is deluded.

It has nothing to do with the club, one would hope.

do you not think it is possible that potential player might be put off signing for liverpool as there is (seemingly a very real) possibility that their hourse could be broken in to?

Apparently, in Manchester (so people don't think I am trolling) big name players for hte local(ish) clubs such as City, United and Blackburn pay a 'protection' fee so their places aren't robbed, and they don't get hassled when out. Apparently there is a Blackburn player who refuses to pay it (fair play) and so doesn't go out in Manchester, at all. All unsubstatiated, of course.

prendy

ya sorry thats what i meant...players mightnt wanna join especially if they have young kids etc.

PHB

Crime levels in Liverpool aren't significantly higher than most of the North West Cities.
Manchester average is about 50 per 1000, compared to Liverpools 46 per 1000.
Compared to London's 212 per 1000. I'd say for some reason Liverpool players dont' all have security yet, but after this, they'd be absolutely stupid not to.

Ruskie4Rent

Could it be possible that its the one gang? Maybe with insider knowledge, when the players would be away ect.

kida

Ruskie4Rent wrote: »

Could it be possible that its the one gang? Maybe with insider knowledge, when the players would be away ect.

do you really think they need insider knowledge - its not as if the games are secret :rolleyes:

kida

kida wrote: »

do you really think they need insider knowledge - its not as if the games are secret :rolleyes:

I tell ya, this is what these ''WAGS'' should be doing. Staying at home minding the kids/house . Footballers need to go back to the 19th century mindset!

IrishMike

kida wrote: »

do you really think they need insider knowledge - its not as if the games are secret :rolleyes:

LMAO was thinking the exact same thing.
Insider knowledge is having the internet if thats the case

prendy

tell ya, this is what these ''WAGS'' should be doing. Staying at home minding the kids/house

stevies wife was in the house!

zing

prendy wrote: »

stevies wife was in the house!

... and his kids. And this is what makes this incident worse than the previous ones. If it is the one gang behind all the breakins then they've stooped to a new low.

spockety

heh... Supporters at Marseille airport last night when Rafa and the boys arrived to check in and head home..

Singing "Rafa's going nowhere" with George Gillett there.. haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Z6KRcfHH4

StickyMcGinty

spockety wrote: »

heh... Supporters at Marseille airport last night when Rafa and the boys arrived to check in and head home..

Singing "Rafa's going nowhere" with George Gillett there.. haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Z6KRcfHH4

nice find!

Tusky

Some stats posted on another forum.

FERNANDO TORRES

Minutes On Pitch: 1314
Goals: 12 (Premier League: 6, Champions League: 3, Carling Cup: 3)
Goal Every: 109 minutes
Games: 15 (+4 as sub)


DIRK KUYT

Minutes On Pitch: 1209
Goals: 7 (Premier League: 3, Champions League: 4)
Goal Every: 173 minutes
Games: 13 (+5 as sub)


PETER CROUCH

Minutes On Pitch: 965
Goals: 4 (Champions League: 4)
Goal Every: 241 minutes
Games: 10 (+7 as sub)


ANDRIY VORONIN

Minutes On Pitch: 1019
Goals: 4 (Premier League: 3, Champions League: 1)
Goal Every: 255 minutes
Games: 12 (+5 as sub)

RYAN BABEL

Minutes On Pitch: 981
Goals: 6 (Premier League: 3, Champions League: 3)
Goal Every: 163 minutes
Games: 9 (+12 as sub)


STEVEN GERRARD

Minutes On Pitch: 1746
Goals: 11 (Premier League: 6, Champions League: 4, Carling Cup: 1)
Goal Every: 159 minutes
Games: 20 (+2 as sub)


STARTING PARTNERSHIP STATS

Torres & Kuyt

Games: 6
Goals: 7
Total goals from team when this partnership starts: 19


Torres & Voronin

Games: 4
Goals: 5
Total goals from team when this partnership starts: 9


Torres & Crouch

Games: 4
Goals: 4
Total goals from team when this partnership starts: 9


Crouch & Voronin

Games: 3
Goals: 2
Total goals from team when this partnership starts: 10


Kuyt & Voronin

Games: 3
Goals: 2
Total goals from team when this partnership starts: 3


GOALS AS SUBSTITUTE

Ryan Babel: 5
Fernando Torres: 1
Andriy Voronin: 1
Peter Crouch: 1
Dirk Kuyt: 0

ASSIST LEAGUE

Steven Gerrard: 14
Andriy Voronin: 6
Dirk Kuyt: 3
Yossi Benayoun: 3
Harry Kewell: 3
Fernando Torres: 2
John Arne Riise: 2

---

Standout stats for me is Gerrard. Wow. Only 1/3 through the season and he has 11 goals and 14 assists from 20 starts + 2 sub apperances. Amazing stuff.

Torres is also impressive with a goal almost every 90 minutes. If you don't include penalties hes joint top scorer in the premiership (all competitions). Pretty impressive.

Babels stats are also good reading. 6 goals and he has mostly been a bit-part player with only 9 starts. 5 of his goals have come from the bench which indicates that he is a very effective impact sub.

Kewell already has 3 assists which is good to see. Hopefully he can knock a few goals in. Would do wonders for his confidence.

PiE

Was there a breakdown of Stevie's assists PL/CL-wise?

IrishMike

Voronin has 6 assists so far in the league.
Pretty decent return for a player everyone seems to slate

Guy:Incognito

Partnership stats seem to support what I thought: Kuyt & Torres is the best partnership, and kuyt didnt even play in the 2nd Besiktas game to get some stats ++++

StickyMcGinty

IrishMike wrote: »

Voronin has 6 assists so far in the league.
Pretty decent return for a player everyone seems to slate

he had a good start to the season, its his recent form that has been muck

Tusky

Voronin is a good little player but I don't think he is good enough to be a regular starter for a team challenging the title. Hes also far too similar to Kuyt.

Guy:Incognito

Tusky wrote: »

Voronin is a good little player but I don't think he is good enough to be a regular starter for a team challenging the title. Hes also far too similar to Kuyt.

He's worth every penny we paid for him.

mike65

Da dum!

---

Reina
Finnan-Agger-Carra-Arbeloa
Yossi-Masch-Gerrard-Kewell

---

Kuyt-Torres

Subs - GK, Babel, Hyypia, Alonso, Crouch

Is the "ideal" PL match squad for the next while

Mike.

whatawaster

mike65 wrote: »

Da dum!

---

Reina
Finnan-Agger-Carra-Arbeloa
Yossi-Masch-Gerrard-Kewell

---

Kuyt-Torres

Subs - GK, Babel, Hyypia, Alonso, Crouch

Is the "ideal" PL match squad for the next while

Mike.

Xabi instead of Benni, who has been very inconsistent.

Kanney

Xabi/Masch or Pennant/Yossi

Jesus Wept

Link


We all know that three days in football, as in politics, is a short time. Barely any doors on our advent calendars have been opened between Liverpool being in some kind of ludicrous 'crisis' to back among Europe's elite.

I'm not going to go overboard about this particular victory. It was faultless, but it's nothing we haven't seen in the majority of away games this season. Unfortunately, some people treat results like Reading as the rule, not the exception.

What I will say, as the country's top four yet again qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, is that it shows the real strength at the business end of the Premiership.

It illustrates just how well Benítez has done to keep Liverpool in amongst Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, all of whom have also improved since Benítez arrived in England.

Then there's the fact that not only has Benítez qualified for the Champions League every season, he's also perennially made the knockout phase. None of this was happening on a regular basis before he arrived. Before he arrived, Liverpool tended to be fairly limp in places like Marseilles.

I'd be lying if I said I had a good feeling going into this game. I had little doubt that Saturday's performance was hindered and inhibited by the prospect of this must-win match, which was looming so large it was almost in the corner of everyone's eye-line, but having lost at Reading I feared confidence might be damaged.

I expected a positive reaction from that defeat, in terms of effort, and a more focused mindset, but also feared some uncertainty and nervousness, particularly in yet another intimidating atmosphere, and with the pressure ramped up by the media.

But as ever in any big game, getting the first goal is crucial, and if you follow it up with the second virtually within the first ten minutes, everyone can relax, while the opposing fans quiet down and extinguish their flares.

There's always still plenty to do, as one costly mistake to make it 2-1 and the opposition will have their tail's up, especially when a 2-2 scoreline would lead to their success and your elimination.

But that two-goal cushion allows the players to play their natural game, and the manager to stick to his game-plan. In this instance, the timing of the first three goals could not have been better; the third killed off Marseilles' half-time dreams. The Reds started both halves majestically.

However, I have to say that with this result in mind, I am sick and disgusted with how much criticism Benítez gets in the newspapers when things don't come off for him. The reaction to Saturday's defeat was a joke.

As an example, why aren't Arsene Wenger's methods put under such incessant scrutiny? After all, he's won virtually nothing during Rafa's time here.

Have Arsenal hit a sticky bit of form, with two defeats, a draw and only one victory in their last four games, because Wenger hasn't been rotating that much? Were his team selections incorrect? I'm not saying that's the case, but just wondering why he gets so much (completely deserved) praise when his team do well, but –– and this is the crucial point –– so little of the ridiculing reserved for Rafa when his team slips up?

I am not saying Benítez is above criticism; obviously he isn't, because any manager is there to be shot at when his team loses. But until he gets sufficient (or sometimes just any) praise from certain quarters when he wins games with the teams he picks, there is a going to be a huge disparity in the reaction to those games he occasionally loses. The crime isn't the criticism, but the lack of balance.

We all know by now that Benítez picks 'unexpected' line-ups. That is not in doubt. But going into the Reading game he'd just won a series of games doing just that; in essence, he has now overseen six wins in seven games, with 26 goals scored to just four conceded, with the same methodology.

The question is, could a manager keeping the same side every game have expected to win six out of seven, including the three must-win fixtures, and to win them so handsomely? It's the kind of sequence that wins you trophies, and Rafa is averaging around four changes per game during this spell. This season he appears to be rotating more than ever, but it's also been the Reds' best start to a season in donkey's years.

Then there's the fact that even now he seems to get more criticism for omitting Torres than praise for buying him in the first place, and for helping him adapt so swimmingly. In the last two weeks I've counted at least half a dozen "why Rafa doesn't play him every I'll never understand" type comments. It's surreal.

It misses the point that Torres has been playing pretty much every game lately, and that most of those he did miss were down to injury. And despite missing several weeks with an abductor strain, he's still played more games this season (19, with 15 starts) than Christiano Ronaldo (18). Benítez is still being hammered for leaving out Torres in the draw against Birmingham in September, but Ferguson gets little or no criticism for omitting Ronaldo in the recent defeat at Bolton.

While on the subject of quick, skilful players, Ryan Babel continues to really impress me. His form is such a bonus, given that he is essentially playing a series of cameos rather than starring roles, as with the manager's help he adapts to the team and the league, but also because I'd pretty much written off his first season as a sharp learning curve given his tender years and his more laid-back style of play.

Super-sub can become a demeaning term, as if suggesting the player isn't good enough for longer on the pitch, but that's not the case here. He is not playing every 90 minutes, but he is certainly contributing. It also shows a great attitude: not sulking at being only on the bench, and being mentally prepared to make an impact when entering the game.

Babel's pace and skill, along with that of the sensational Torres, has added a whole new dimension to Liverpool's attacking play. Benítez has finally got the pace up front (allied to special technical abilities) that he was crying out for.

These two players are the antithesis of Marseilles' Djibril Cissé, a player who had some of the attributes and instincts of a genuine striker, but whose game lacked subtlety and an adequate touch, and whose mind seemed to be all over the place during games.

Something Benítez gets nowhere near enough credit for is the kind of players he buys. He simply does not purchase flawed characters. You simply do not find many skilful forwards who not only work as hard as Torres, but who refuse to be intimidated by the opposition, or rise to their provocation. He's pretty unique.

As with all managers' signings, not every player has proved a roaring success, but there's a consistency in the types of mentality concerned, be it flair players like the two just mentioned, or gutsy battlers like Kuyt and Mascherano.

On a night in France, it's worth mentioning the names Cissé, Cheyrou and Diouf: £30m of recently-acquired talent that Benítez inherited in 2004.

And while talent is the right word, in that each possessed at least some, they were far too flawed in one way or another when it came to the mental side of the game: be it composure, confidence or commitment. Diouf, for example, has bags of skill, but give me Dirk Kuyt any day of the week, because you need winners, not whingers, to win things.

Bolo Zenden, another ex-Liverpool connection with last night, may not have done much better on the pitch for the Reds than those three Houllier signings, but it was always interesting to hear Benítez talk about how valuable Zenden was as a positive influence within the dressing room.

It was also interesting to hear Zenden so full of praise for Benítez this week. Zenden, like a mature Robbie Fowler, had nothing bad to say about the manager after he was released. And as a thinking footballer who respected Benítez's philosophies, even if it meant he was never a regular, I think Zenden knew what the Reds were capable of last night.

For me, the Champions League is a bonus this season. I'd prepared for the worst after the defeat in Turkey.

The next round promises a great encounter, with pretty much only Europe's elite clubs awaiting in the draw. I'm almost always happier to see Liverpool pitted against a top team, as seen against Barcelona last season, than the 'banana skin' ties where you face talented but unfancied opposition. You get a great occasion, without excessive expectations. And you can rest assured no-one will want to be facing the Reds in the draw on this form.

The Marseilles match, as far as I was concerned, was more about the confidence boost ahead of the Manchester United game, in order to keep momentum going, combined with the psychological lift the club receives by still being in Europe next February/March.

Win or lose, the tournament was going to be put to bed for a few months, but the belief around the club will have been helped by knowing that when it comes out of hibernation the Reds will be there, too. The financial benefits are a bonus, as is the continued strength of the Reds' rankings in Uefa's seeding system.

Once it becomes a knockout competition, you have to accept it might not be your night during any given game, but there'll be no shame going out at any stage to any of the opposition that remains.

You can't wish to go out of Europe in order to do better in the league, as it doesn't work that way. I do think making it to the semis or the final again will only make winning the Premiership harder, but I'm happy to sit back and see where these thrilling rides take us.



These views are those of the author and are not necessarily shared by Liverpool FC or its official website.

whatawaster

The-Rigger wrote: »

Link


We all know that three days in football, as in politics, is a short time. Barely any doors on our advent calendars have been opened between Liverpool being in some kind of ludicrous 'crisis' to back among Europe's elite.

I'm not going to go overboard about this particular victory. It was faultless, but it's nothing we haven't seen in the majority of away games this season. Unfortunately, some people treat results like Reading as the rule, not the exception.

What I will say, as the country's top four yet again qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, is that it shows the real strength at the business end of the Premiership.

It illustrates just how well Benítez has done to keep Liverpool in amongst Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, all of whom have also improved since Benítez arrived in England.

Then there's the fact that not only has Benítez qualified for the Champions League every season, he's also perennially made the knockout phase. None of this was happening on a regular basis before he arrived. Before he arrived, Liverpool tended to be fairly limp in places like Marseilles.

I'd be lying if I said I had a good feeling going into this game. I had little doubt that Saturday's performance was hindered and inhibited by the prospect of this must-win match, which was looming so large it was almost in the corner of everyone's eye-line, but having lost at Reading I feared confidence might be damaged.

I expected a positive reaction from that defeat, in terms of effort, and a more focused mindset, but also feared some uncertainty and nervousness, particularly in yet another intimidating atmosphere, and with the pressure ramped up by the media.

But as ever in any big game, getting the first goal is crucial, and if you follow it up with the second virtually within the first ten minutes, everyone can relax, while the opposing fans quiet down and extinguish their flares.

There's always still plenty to do, as one costly mistake to make it 2-1 and the opposition will have their tail's up, especially when a 2-2 scoreline would lead to their success and your elimination.

But that two-goal cushion allows the players to play their natural game, and the manager to stick to his game-plan. In this instance, the timing of the first three goals could not have been better; the third killed off Marseilles' half-time dreams. The Reds started both halves majestically.

However, I have to say that with this result in mind, I am sick and disgusted with how much criticism Benítez gets in the newspapers when things don't come off for him. The reaction to Saturday's defeat was a joke.

As an example, why aren't Arsene Wenger's methods put under such incessant scrutiny? After all, he's won virtually nothing during Rafa's time here.

Have Arsenal hit a sticky bit of form, with two defeats, a draw and only one victory in their last four games, because Wenger hasn't been rotating that much? Were his team selections incorrect? I'm not saying that's the case, but just wondering why he gets so much (completely deserved) praise when his team do well, but –– and this is the crucial point –– so little of the ridiculing reserved for Rafa when his team slips up?

I am not saying Benítez is above criticism; obviously he isn't, because any manager is there to be shot at when his team loses. But until he gets sufficient (or sometimes just any) praise from certain quarters when he wins games with the teams he picks, there is a going to be a huge disparity in the reaction to those games he occasionally loses. The crime isn't the criticism, but the lack of balance.

We all know by now that Benítez picks 'unexpected' line-ups. That is not in doubt. But going into the Reading game he'd just won a series of games doing just that; in essence, he has now overseen six wins in seven games, with 26 goals scored to just four conceded, with the same methodology.

The question is, could a manager keeping the same side every game have expected to win six out of seven, including the three must-win fixtures, and to win them so handsomely? It's the kind of sequence that wins you trophies, and Rafa is averaging around four changes per game during this spell. This season he appears to be rotating more than ever, but it's also been the Reds' best start to a season in donkey's years.

Then there's the fact that even now he seems to get more criticism for omitting Torres than praise for buying him in the first place, and for helping him adapt so swimmingly. In the last two weeks I've counted at least half a dozen "why Rafa doesn't play him every I'll never understand" type comments. It's surreal.

It misses the point that Torres has been playing pretty much every game lately, and that most of those he did miss were down to injury. And despite missing several weeks with an abductor strain, he's still played more games this season (19, with 15 starts) than Christiano Ronaldo (18). Benítez is still being hammered for leaving out Torres in the draw against Birmingham in September, but Ferguson gets little or no criticism for omitting Ronaldo in the recent defeat at Bolton.

While on the subject of quick, skilful players, Ryan Babel continues to really impress me. His form is such a bonus, given that he is essentially playing a series of cameos rather than starring roles, as with the manager's help he adapts to the team and the league, but also because I'd pretty much written off his first season as a sharp learning curve given his tender years and his more laid-back style of play.

Super-sub can become a demeaning term, as if suggesting the player isn't good enough for longer on the pitch, but that's not the case here. He is not playing every 90 minutes, but he is certainly contributing. It also shows a great attitude: not sulking at being only on the bench, and being mentally prepared to make an impact when entering the game.

Babel's pace and skill, along with that of the sensational Torres, has added a whole new dimension to Liverpool's attacking play. Benítez has finally got the pace up front (allied to special technical abilities) that he was crying out for.

These two players are the antithesis of Marseilles' Djibril Cissé, a player who had some of the attributes and instincts of a genuine striker, but whose game lacked subtlety and an adequate touch, and whose mind seemed to be all over the place during games.

Something Benítez gets nowhere near enough credit for is the kind of players he buys. He simply does not purchase flawed characters. You simply do not find many skilful forwards who not only work as hard as Torres, but who refuse to be intimidated by the opposition, or rise to their provocation. He's pretty unique.

As with all managers' signings, not every player has proved a roaring success, but there's a consistency in the types of mentality concerned, be it flair players like the two just mentioned, or gutsy battlers like Kuyt and Mascherano.

On a night in France, it's worth mentioning the names Cissé, Cheyrou and Diouf: £30m of recently-acquired talent that Benítez inherited in 2004.

And while talent is the right word, in that each possessed at least some, they were far too flawed in one way or another when it came to the mental side of the game: be it composure, confidence or commitment. Diouf, for example, has bags of skill, but give me Dirk Kuyt any day of the week, because you need winners, not whingers, to win things.

Bolo Zenden, another ex-Liverpool connection with last night, may not have done much better on the pitch for the Reds than those three Houllier signings, but it was always interesting to hear Benítez talk about how valuable Zenden was as a positive influence within the dressing room.

It was also interesting to hear Zenden so full of praise for Benítez this week. Zenden, like a mature Robbie Fowler, had nothing bad to say about the manager after he was released. And as a thinking footballer who respected Benítez's philosophies, even if it meant he was never a regular, I think Zenden knew what the Reds were capable of last night.

For me, the Champions League is a bonus this season. I'd prepared for the worst after the defeat in Turkey.

The next round promises a great encounter, with pretty much only Europe's elite clubs awaiting in the draw. I'm almost always happier to see Liverpool pitted against a top team, as seen against Barcelona last season, than the 'banana skin' ties where you face talented but unfancied opposition. You get a great occasion, without excessive expectations. And you can rest assured no-one will want to be facing the Reds in the draw on this form.

The Marseilles match, as far as I was concerned, was more about the confidence boost ahead of the Manchester United game, in order to keep momentum going, combined with the psychological lift the club receives by still being in Europe next February/March.

Win or lose, the tournament was going to be put to bed for a few months, but the belief around the club will have been helped by knowing that when it comes out of hibernation the Reds will be there, too. The financial benefits are a bonus, as is the continued strength of the Reds' rankings in Uefa's seeding system.

Once it becomes a knockout competition, you have to accept it might not be your night during any given game, but there'll be no shame going out at any stage to any of the opposition that remains.

You can't wish to go out of Europe in order to do better in the league, as it doesn't work that way. I do think making it to the semis or the final again will only make winning the Premiership harder, but I'm happy to sit back and see where these thrilling rides take us.



These views are those of the author and are not necessarily shared by Liverpool FC or its official website.

I like Tomkins, but he is overly positive and optimistic most of the time. Calling the Marseille game faultless is a little over the top in my opinion. This just after saying "i'm not going to go overboard"

His stats are always interesting though.

Jesus Wept

whatawaster wrote: »

I like Tomkins, but he is overly positive and optimistic most of the time. Calling the Marseille game faultless is a little over the top in my opinion. This just after saying "i'm not going to go overboard"

His stats are always interesting though.

Agree completely there. It's always an interesting read, very optimistic but he does throw up some interesting stats and views.

tibor

Another good interview translated from AS.
http://liverpool-translated.blogspot.com/2007/12/rafa-benitez-interview-diario-as.html

First of all, congratulations for beating Marseille.

- It was a much needed victory and we’re happy with the outcome. It means that we will progress in a competition that we like, and people will be able to celebrate it accordingly. Just by looking at the atmosphere that we experienced at the airport, any extra effort is worth it.


What happened there?

- As always, many supporters made the trip to support the team and, on the way back, we coincided at the airport and they started to sing, to jump…the police had no idea of what to do because they[the supporters] started to approach me to greet me and they[the police] asked me what to do. I said it was okay, to let them come close and they started to sing for me to stay, hug me…


Do you feel like the people’s manager?

- I feel like Liverpool’s manager and I say that with a lot of pride.


But in the last few weeks the supporters have overwhelmingly come out on your defense…

- Liverpool supporters are, above all, very appreciative and they understand the progress that has been made in the last three years when the team was coming from situation of ostracism. I think they are very grateful for all of this and with each passing day I feel their affection more and more.


That kind of support to a manager is unthinkable in Spain, no?

- Not only in Spain but I doubt it’s happened anywhere else because we’re talking about internet petitions, demonstrations, chants of support and banners in the stadium…they’re incredible and I insist that we must be very grateful to them.


This kind of popular support seems to have put a brake to the owner’s pressure….

- Things are calm, we’re focused on every match and the team is responding very well.


What’s your relationship with the owners like?

- On a personal level the relationship is good, we’ve had some differences on the professional plane but once we meet and get to talk everything will be sorted out and it will end up being nothing more than a misunderstanding.


Is it a problem that they don’t live in Liverpool?

- I think that the distance makes things a little more difficult, that’s why everything will be solved once they arrive.


What do you expect of that face-to-face with the Americans?

- We all want the same thing which is the best for Liverpool so I’m sure that we will understand each other very well.


If you had known you were going to end up with this situation[with these owners] Would you have come to Liverpool?

- I have the virtue that my work is not based on the hypothetical. I will tell you that I’m very happy in Liverpool and I would love to remain here for many years.


But something seems to be happening in England, where we used to speak about a philosophy that seems to be dying out because there have already been five managers sacked this season.


- Perhaps the pressure is higher, everybody wants immediate results and more so now because there are people investing a lot of money and that makes the owners more nervous[about getting immediate results]. But I think that things will settle down now and, as is custom in England, more time will be given to managers to carry out their projects.

Speaking of projects, Are Liverpool favourites to win the Premier?

- There seems to be a misunderstanding when people talk about the amount of money spent by Liverpool when, between the amount we have recouped and what we have spent, we’re in a similar position to the teams close to the top but not close to the biggest clubs. If you analyze it, United have spent 70 million pounds when we have spent 40 something while recouping 26 mil. That’s why I say that a lot of people think that we must win the title because we’ve spent so much money, when there are other teams like Chelsea, United, or West Ham, Newcastle or Aston Villa that have also spend a lot of money, that’s why nobody has any guarantees to win the title. Arsenal have been spending a lot on young players during many years and they’re now starting to collect the dividends. All the teams at the top spend a lot of money but that doesn’t guarantee the title, the Premier is something difficult to achieve because Chelsea, United…are very big and they have been building on for years.

It does seem like more of an even fight this year in the Premier with many teams competing for the title

- Yes, but it’s not just the top four. The fight is more even between all the teams because any team can beat you on a given day.

Going back to the Champions. You’re certain to draw a big club. Do you have a personal preference for an Italian or Spanish team, perhaps Madrid or Barça?

- We’ve had to fight very hard to qualify out of the group stages and we’re just enjoying the moment, we haven’t really thought about which team would suit us best.

And on Sunday you welcome Manchester United…

- That’s why we must leave the euphoria for others. On the plane back from Marseille I spoke to some of the players to see what we could improve on. I think that praise weakens you and you can’t relax just because you’ve achieved one goal, because if you do[relax], you will fail to reach other goals.

Lets talk about someone: Fernando Torres.

- We’re very happy with him, he has a good mentality and I think that he is very happy in Liverpool, he is happy to be a part of this team, the supporters are delighted with him

What has he improved on since he left Spain?

- I think he has less pressure on his shoulders because at Atletico he was the only reference player and he had to carry the whole weight of the club, but here he shares that pressure with other team-mates with a lot of experience and that helps him and gives him confidence, he’s more calm and is more of a team player.

One of those players is Steven Gerrard. People always say that you two don’t have a very good relationship.

- That is just part of the false myths that circle the press, that get repeated over and over and people end up believing in them. It’s a shame that this sort of thing happens and even more so in this case because it’s not true, Steven is a fantastic lad and the relationship is very good.

Now there is another Spaniard managing in England.

- Juande is a good manager and to have more Spanish managers managing outside of Spain is important because it shows the level of quality in the collective.


What is the biggest problem he could face now?

- The language is the first thing because you don’t quite dominate the nuances of the language. One thing is to be able to say things in English and a different thing is to be able to communicate effectively, when to give it the appropriate connotations and be able to use it to motivate the group. That is quite complicated.

Is this the best Liverpool since you arrived?

- It is. The team has improved a lot. The squad in general offers more alternatives, with young players in many cases, but players with quality. We’re still in a phase of development, that’s why I insist that the team can improve, but there are players with quality and with the possibility of being very important players in the Premier because they have the talent.


Are you going to reinforce the team in January?

- We’ve had a problem in central defense because we couldn’t make the deal for Heinze and, then, Agger went down injured. This has forced us to use Hyppia, who is 34, and Carragher every match and many times twice a week, and with the intensity of play here, is not easy to hold up. Our idea is to bring in a central defender, to balance the team in that position.

What’s your take on La Liga?

- I see that there are teams that still haven’t found their rhythm and Real Madrid who keep winning and gaining an advantage, but the other teams are yet to awake and when they do it will be a more competitive Liga.

Barça are one of those teams, no?

- Barça have quality and if they have played well before they can do it again for sure.

And Ronaldinho?

- Speaking from the distance is difficult, I think he’s still a great footballer, but I don’t know what his day-to-day situation is like so it wouldn’t be right to voice an opinion on it.


Another team going through a rough time: Valencia.

- I have the same answer. In this case I know a lot about Valencia and that make me have an even greater respect for them, so it’s not correct for me to speak on the matter.


But you can tell us about their manager because you have played against Koeman a few times

- Not against him, against the teams he managed, because if I had faced Koeman as a player he would’ve beaten me for sure. When we played Benfica we didn’t do well because we conceded a goal from a free-kick in the last few minutes and then we faced a battle uphill and they knocked us out of the Champions. We had more luck against PSV, we played better, but every time we have played them, his teams have done well, they created some danger and we had to do a lot of good work to get some positive results.


Koeman insists on changing the system, Do you think that squad can do so without any traumas?

- I think that the players are the most important thing, that is clear, then, having players with intelligence allows you to tweak the system and find the weaknesses on the opposing team while maximizing your strengths. I don’t think you can talk exclusively about the players or the system, both things need to come together.


Another team, Atletico. Better without Torres.

- I will only say that, fortunately, Fernando is here with us and we’re very happy with him. If Atletico are doing well, then good for them.


The one thing that did get straightened out was the national team.

- That shows that you must always have patience. If you give the managers confidence, at the end they can instill their ideas and is easier to gain results. Spain has the individual quality and, now, they have shown that they can work as a team and play well as a group. Now we’ll see how far they can go.


And how far can Liverpool go?

- As far as we can. Our professionalism and our supporters demand so.

mike65

Torres and Dalglish talk to Marcotti and Balague

30 mb mp3 fast forward to 20.50

Mike

spockety

Damn.. Rafa really does loosen his lips more for the Spanish press than we're accustomed to seeing when he does his local press interviews and briefings doesn't he?

We always assume Rafa is a very guarded unemotional person who keeps his cards close to his chest.. but when we see these Spanish translated interviews he doesn't seem to have any problem being frank no matter what the question.

mike65

I guess he is still wary of speaking bad english at the wrong moment and setting the press off.

Mike.

whatawaster

that's a great interview with Rafa. I think we're seeing a change in the man. The fan's support really touched him during the recent crisis. I think him hugging stevie was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Tusky

spockety wrote: »

Damn.. Rafa really does loosen his lips more for the Spanish press than we're accustomed to seeing when he does his local press interviews and briefings doesn't he?

We always assume Rafa is a very guarded unemotional person who keeps his cards close to his chest.. but when we see these Spanish translated interviews he doesn't seem to have any problem being frank no matter what the question.

His English is good, but not perfect. We hear the same phrases over and over 'good qualities, no' 'our idea is always the same' etc.

When we hear him in Spanish he can express himself more and elaborate. I feel hes less afraid of saying the wrong thing to Spanish press.

mike65

Give him another 5 years and he'll be comfortable, with a slight scouse twang

Mike.

Jesus Wept

whatawaster wrote: »

that's a great interview with Rafa. I think we're seeing a change in the man. The fan's support really touched him during the recent crisis. I think him hugging stevie was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

lol, I didn't notice it, any video footage.

whatawaster

The-Rigger wrote: »

lol, I didn't notice it, any video footage.

not sure, it was just after the game when all the players were shaking hands etc, on RTE's coverage.

spockety

whatawaster wrote: »

not sure, it was just after the game when all the players were shaking hands etc, on RTE's coverage.

Aye, Stevie was hugging Torres and Benitez wanted in on that action..
Stevie went to give him his hand and Benitez bear hugged him

spockety

spockety wrote: »

Aye, Stevie was hugging Torres and Benitez wanted in on that action..
Stevie went to give him his hand and Benitez bear hugged him

Yeah good stuff, that result can really turn us around. BRING ON UNITED

shotamoose

Reading what Rafa says when he's talking in Spanish is fascinating, he's much more eloquent and insightful than most English football managers. Though maybe that's just a general Spanish v English thing ...

Daemonic

Also good to read he has definite plans to bring in another CB in January.

prendy

he doesnt seem half as cagey with the spanish media...good interview!
i think he feels way more confident now with the public support shown by players and fans alike.

whatawaster

Daemonic wrote: »

Also good to read he has definite plans to bring in another CB in January.

that is good news. And if he repeats that AFTER his meeting with Hicks and Gillet, then it will be very good news.

What are the chances of H&G letting us buy Mascherano, a quality CB and leaving 20million over for a world-class winger/forward?

oobydooby

Daemonic wrote: »

Also good to read he has definite plans to bring in another CB in January.

Hope he gets Heinze:D

Very good insight into Benitez and his thinking. It's a shame the English reporters don't learn Spanish so we could read some of this kind of stuff more frequently.

zing

Xabi back training and could be ok for the weekend.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158045071213-1433.htm

Agger & Finnan still out unfortunately