Rafa: STEVIE'S FANTASTIC BUT HE CAN IMPROVE

[Benitez]

I like this article, gives a little insight to how Rafa pushes his team's captain.

 

 

RB: STEVIE'S FANTASTIC BUT HE CAN IMPROVE

Paul Rogers 09 April 2007

 

 

Rafael Benitez has revealed the real reason why you don't often hear him lavishing praise on Steven Gerrard ? no matter how well his captain has performed.

 

The Reds midfielder wrote in his recent autobiography that he wished his manager would give him a pat on the back every now and again but Rafa today insists that any lack of praise shouldn't be misinterpreted as a lack of appreciation for Gerrard's immense contribution to the Liverpool cause.

 

"I know he wishes I would say well done," claims Benitez. "But I like to put him under pressure. It?s my idea. If you think the players can give something more you have to push them sometimes.

 

?I know he will be disappointed at times but the best thing anyone has ever said about me has come from my former players. They talk about me eight or 10 years afterwards. They say: ?I learned this from him?. I think my way is the right way to make Steven an even better player.

 

?I know he is a fantastic player and a nice person but he can do even better. I think he?s more mature now. If I play him on the right, he plays well. If I play him in the middle, he plays well and if I play him on the left, he will probably play well. Whatever you ask him to do, you will get 100 per cent. If he needs to play in goal he will do it.

 

?And there is more to come from him. He can be an even better player. Every year you will see him learn more. My father was the same with me. I knew he was proud of me, though. My idea has always been to push myself and improve. I wanted to be a top player and it wasn?t possible, so I want to be as good as I can be as a manager. You like to read good things about yourself but I?m not always worried about that. If I see the people around me happy, then I know I?m doing my job properly.?

 

ere

[kacangpool]

Rafa is emotionally-challenged.

[Rimbeux]

Says he does the same to his daughter, never did me no 'arm

[Bootle Buck]

That's the one thing I wish Rafa could change. I would love to see him going nuts when we win our next CL and running around with a Sombrero on holding up his Rafatollah picture.

[Chili Palmer]

That's the one thing I wish Rafa could change. I would love to see him going nuts when we win our next CL and running around with a Sombrero on holding up his Rafatollah picture.

 

The very thing you would change is probably why he is one of the best.

[dorgie]

Seems to have deliberately set out to give the two Stevie's a wee bit of a jolt this week before the season run-in. Perhaps its because they've been the only two with little challenge for their places thus far.

[Benitez]

That's the one thing I wish Rafa could change. I would love to see him going nuts when we win our next CL and running around with a Sombrero on holding up his Rafatollah picture.

 

 

ohhh no! It just wouldn't be Rafa, it'd be way too odd if he did something like that He does celebrate, in his own little way. He jumped up and down a bit with SteG, what more do you want!

[IgPig]

Its pretty evident that its a deliberate thing with Gerrard. There are some players he praises without any prompting (Momo for eg).

[Guest kring]

The very thing you would change is probably why he is one of the best.

 

Thats actually one of the more clever things I've seen on here......

[Hassony]

Thats actually one of the more clever things I've seen on here......

haven't you ever read a post from Huyton_Sissoko?

[Guest kring]

haven't you ever read a post from Huyton_Sissoko?

Indeed I have mate...Indeed.....

[surf]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story...mp;lid=tab1pos2

 

Interesting article:

 

Those who have a tendency to suffer from height discrimination struggle to cope with the notion that Peter Crouch is a top class striker.

 

Liverpool's in-form hit-man doesn't have a newspaper article written about him that does not feature the words 'beanpole' and 'lanky', while his inability to look good even when he is dressed in a designer suit fitted to cope with his unusual requirements contributes to his reputation as something of a comedy character, but the time for jokes are long gone.

 

His stunning hat-trick against Arsenal last weekend and another fine display here today confirmed what many of his admirers have been suggesting for some time - Peter Crouch is developing into one of the most effective and dangerous strikers in world football.

 

It's a bold statement that is bound to see the Soccernet mailbox filled with more hate mail than my controversial views on West Ham inspired last weekend, but ignoring the facts is a job for fools. Now that he has added consistency and a touch of composure to the natural gifts his towering frame provide him with, Crouch is showing the sort of form that inspired Rafa Benitez to being him to Anfield.

 

It was only in his absence for the recent Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra that England fans who have criticised the 'big man' in recent years began to appreciate just how important he has become for his country and after an indifferent season at club level, he has come to the party at Liverpool just as they hit peak form.

 

Given the sort of run in the side he was denied for much of the campaign, Crouch is rewarding Benitez's recently found faith with a series of impressive performances and it took him just 15 minutes of this game at the Madejski Stadium to show that he is so much more than a leader of the line who provides an aerial threat.

 

Controlling the ball and assessing his options some 40 yards from goal, his perfectly weighted pass to the onrushing Alvaro Arbeloa carved Reading's defence wide open, with the finish provided by Liverpool's attacking full-back as impressive as Crouch's contribution.

 

The words classy and intelligent have rarely been attached to Crouch down the years, but that is just what he has been in recent weeks and there can be little doubt that Rafa Benitez's side are a better unit with their much maligned striker on board.

 

Looking a little jaded after his Champions League exertions on Tuesday night, Crouch's afternoon was cut short by his substitution mid-way through the second half. It was a move that proved to be crucial to Rafa Benitez's men as another replacement, Dirk Kuyt, popped up with a dramatic late winner to give the Reds maximum return from what developed into a thrilling game.

 

With both sides intent of securing the victory, end-to-end excitement thrilled the sell-out crowd in the second half, with Brynjar Gunnarsson's stunning effort shortly after the break looking set to earn the Royals a deserved point only for Kuyt to snatch a dramatic late winner.

 

Much of the credit for the excitement can be attributed to yet another impressive performance from Steve Coppell's Royals. Their ability to ignore reputations and tackle even the most illustrious opponents with vigour can only be commended and one man in particular stood out from their team of heroes.

 

Stephen Hunt's career was plunged into crisis after his innocent brush with Chelsea Petr Cech resulted in a serious head injury for the keeper back in October, but the Irishman has bounced back in the grand manner and earned the rare distinction of a standing ovation after just 12 minutes of effort against Liverpool.

 

Hunt put more effort into the opening few minutes of this match than many a Premiership star offers in an entire calendar month, with his determination to chase lost causes and passionate will to succeed a sight to behold.

 

It was as he chased back some 45 yards to wrestle control of the ball from Steven Gerrard that the Reading fans rose to their feet en-mass, offering him instant reward for what was a committed display and his drive set the tone for those around him. While this would ultimately finish in desperate disappointment for Hunt and his team-mates, the left winger who doesn't know the meaning of the word chasing a lost cause did not deserve to finish with nothing.

 

Reading manager Steve Coppell admits his side's determination to win the game may have cost them a draw and he couldn't hide his frustration as he met the media. 'The manner of this defeat is hard to accept,' he stated. 'I thought we deserved a point, but our enthusiasm to go all-out for the win sometimes counts against us. We don't draw many games and that may be down to a little bit of naivety.

 

'We have played a lot of the top sides in the last few weeks and pushed all of them close, but you look at the Liverpool bench for this game and realise they are just a bit better than us. They had players who could change a game and Kuyt did that with his winning goal.'

 

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was in jovial mood as he toasted a win that pushes his side a giant step closer to third place in the Premiership on a day when Arsenal crashed to a shock home defeat against West Ham.

 

'If we are sure of a top four finish by the time we get to a Champions League semi-final, then we will be in a very strong position, confirms the Spaniard. 'I would like to finish third and this win gives us a great chance to do this, but we have to give ourselves the best chance possible in Europe this season.

 

'Players like Steve Finnan and Steven Gerrard have played a lot of games and if we can give them a break ahead of big games in the Champions League, it has to be a help for us. Still, I'm always wary of giving Gerrard a rest. He will moan at me and say he wants to play every game and then the media will say there is a problem between us. I promise you if he does not play for one game there is no problem ok.'

 

With all the pieces of their jigsaw falling neatly into place at just the right time, Liverpool have every right to believe history could beckon for them in Athens next month. Their status as Champions League favourites is more than justified.