Reina has top quality - says the boss

[Benitez]

Reina has top quality - boss

Sep 7 2006

By Chris Bascombe

 

NO sooner had Pepe Reina declared the season ahead 'a defining year' in his Liverpool career, he was watching in horror as another West Ham fluke whizzed past him.

 

Fora keeper intent on proving his successful debut campaign was a taste of what's to come, the consequences could have been serious.

 

Recent Liverpool history is littered with examples of goalkeepers who have arrived resembling men of steel, only to crumble beyond recovery after their first error.

 

Rafa Benitez brushes off any concerns about his keeper's ability to build on the strong foundations of his first year in England.

 

Indeed, it's Reina's ability to block the mistakes from his mind and focus solely on the next save which makes him, potentially, one of the best in Europe.

 

"Maybe I still need to convince all of the people," Reina claimed in the ECHO recently. "The second season is when you show how good or bad you really are."

 

Benitez noted such observations, welcomed them, but also disagrees with his keeper.

 

"Pepe has nothing to prove. He has already shown his quality," Benitez said. "Of course, he can still improve, but he will because he's a player who wants to work hard.

 

"For Pepe to now come out and say the second year is the most important is a good sign. It tells me he is a winner, with the winners' mentality.

 

"Maybe some players like to look back at their first year and say they've done so well they don't need to worry about what they'll do in their next season.

 

"Pepe is different. He wants to keep on improving and show people he is even better than they've seen already."

 

The records Reina has claimed speak for themselves. He's gone longer than any Liverpool keeper in history without conceding a goal, narrowly missed out on the overall clean sheet recordfor a season, and let in fewer in his first season than any of his predecessors.

 

"It was very difficult for Pepe to achieve what he's already done in one year at Liverpool," said Benitez.

 

"If I look at the history of the club and ask the supporters to tell me who is the best goalkeeper they've ever seen here, they will all tell me Ray Clemence.

 

"For another goalkeeper to come to a new club, in a new country, and have even better figures than Clemence deserves a lot of credit.

 

"You maysee Pepe makea mistake, but he responds very well. He's always ready for the next shot and doesn't worry about what's happened before, because he realises you can't change it.

 

"The FA Cup Final was the best example of this, where he started the game with a mistake but ended it making important saves to win the trophy.

 

"We've had problems in the past when goalkeepers became too nervous after making one mistake and lost their confidence. Pepe doesn't let things affect him. He will forget about it during a game and then watch it again and learn from it with the goalkeeping coach."

 

"He is the right keeper for a top side,because the challengeis not to make many saves in one game, but sometimes just one important save. Against Maccabi HaifaPepe didn't have alot to do, but at the end he made a fan tastic save. That's why we need him."

 

And Benitez added: "He will have more work to do if we continue to play the system we want to."

 

ere

[Phil236849]

And Benitez added: "He will have more work to do if we continue to play the system we want to."

 

ere

 

Blimey, we're going to win 5-4, keystone kops, kevin keegan and ossie ardiles?

 

 

i dont think so. rafa wants to get a better balance between defence and attack but i honestly think he has a better gamplan than ged had. remember 442 with a midfield of kewell, gerrard, smicer, diouf?!

Edited September 7, 2006 by Phil236849

[Kindred]

remember 442 with a midfield of kewell, gerrard, smicer, diouf?!

 

Im sure we won a derby (3-0?)with that midfield though!

 

 

The other interesting point in that article was mentioning the confidence of other past keepers - presumably Dudek (& Kirkland?)

[Guz]

"You maysee Pepe makea mistake, but he responds very well. He's always ready for the next shot and doesn't worry about what's happened before, because he realises you can't change it.

 

"The FA Cup Final was the best example of this, where he started the game with a mistake but ended it making important saves to win the trophy.

 

"We've had problems in the past when goalkeepers became too nervous after making one mistake and lost their confidence. Pepe doesn't let things affect him. He will forget about it during a game and then watch it again and learn from it with the goalkeeping coach."

 

[Phil236849]

but it was hardly a strategy geared to likely consistent success. just like the fab five at spurs, and ole baseball bat victim's set-ups at the barcodes

[Guz]

remember 442 with a midfield of kewell, gerrard, smicer, diouf?!

 

We didn't see much of it but I thought we played some of the most fluid football we saw under Ged with that. Didi sitting with Gerrard, Kewell and Diouf all interchanging and confusing the opposition, and Smicer or Baros playing up with Owen. I remember thinking how much potential a partnership of Finnan and Diouf on the right had. That was when we couldn't hold onto a lead though I think and drew 2-2 three times in a row or something similar.

[Benitez]

 

i dont think so. rafa wants to get a better balance between defence and attack but i honestly think he has a better gamplan than ged had. remember 442 with a midfield of kewell, gerrard, smicer, diouf?!

 

 

aye, think you are right there.

 

Rafa isn't going to go all gung-ho!

 

It's more a case of getting the balance, like he had at VCF.

[Ronnie Whelan]

The records Reina has claimed speak for themselves. He's gone longer than any Liverpool keeper in history without conceding a goal, narrowly missed out on the overall clean sheet recordfor a season, and let in fewer in his first season than any of his predecessors.

 

 

Not a bad first season unless you use it a benchmark for the following season. Quality keeper, absolutely no doubt in my mind, i just hope he does have the mental strength that Rafa seems to think he does.

[Magic8Ball]

Reina having to do more work, does this mean more attack from us ?

 

or Reina having to play the "sweeper " more?

 

I'm interested in seeing how this plays out

[Kindred]

but it was hardly a strategy geared to likely consistent success. just like the fab five at spurs, and ole baseball bat victim's set-ups at the barcodes

 

Oh I completely agree. I couldn't see it working long term. We did play some good stuff in those few games IIRC - just left us wide open. I seem to remember Owen getting a mild rebuking from GH after he said that he very surprised that we played that way in the derby.

[Ginu]

he's going to play in midfield we've already seen it once

[Guest Lpool8life]

Yes it was strange and surprise seeing him play in midfield in Kaiserslautern game. But he did well.

[Lee W]

Reina having to do more work, does this mean more attack from us ?

 

or Reina having to play the "sweeper " more?

 

I'm interested in seeing how this plays out

 

It started in the West Ham game. Sent the sh*ts up me after the last six years though tbh. Can't believe how open that game was. Still not sure we have the regular personnel to defend that high up (five yards from half-way in some instances).

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I thought Dudek had an absolutely unbelieveable 1st season when he first arrived.

[Guz]

I thought Dudek had an absolutely unbelieveable 1st season when he first arrived.

 

He did, but made that mistake at Boro and our whole season and his confidence seemed to just shatter instantly.

[Earl Hafler]

" potentially the best in Europe " ?

 

Wouldn't swap him for any other keeper in the world.

[Bjarkinn]

Reina will be top class for us for the next 10 years

Edited September 7, 2006 by Bjarkinn

[Dule]

Ive seen enough of Reina to totally agree with Rafa once more.

[Alonso]

Dunno if he can take the pressure tho he clearly looks a bit harrassed:

 

 

 

Coat.......

[Coyler]

I thought Dudek had an absolutely unbelieveable 1st season when he first arrived.

When he was good, he was f*cking awesome.

 

 

 

 

Almost as good as Irishman Shay Given.

[brucelee]

Reina you are not alone

[Spike]

kinell, Cudicini made a few howlers didn't he