Transcript of LFC TV interview with Rafa

[fred milne]

Paul Eaton

 

OK Rafa just reflect for us again after a couple of days have passed on the draw with Tottenham and how you're feeling now about that result.

 

 

Rafa

 

I'm as disappointed as I was at the end of the game because I was watching the chances that we had in the first half, and the mistakes of the second half, and, OK - really disappointed.

 

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

The first half went so well, I mean arguably the game could have been over if you'd have taken the chances early on.

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah - the two chances that we had were very clear, especially the second one, no? Three players just against one and the keeper and, OK, I think that you need to take your chances in football, and everything is different, no? Or could be different.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Can you track down why things aren't clicking for the team at the moment?

 

 

Rafa

 

I think that we have lost the confidence. I think that the team was playing well, but after some bad results, no? some draws - the team has lost its confidence, and we need to go back to the beginning of the season when we were playing well and scoring goals.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

What can you do as a manager about restoring confidence?

 

 

Rafa

 

Just keep working, no? Last week we were talking about the statistics, the figures, and everything was good, but the other thing is the feelings, no? So we need to keep working and try to score the goals that we can score, and then to change the games.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

And we talked last week about how well we'd defended from open play, and then you concede two goals like that, I mean how deeply can you look into that, or can you just forget it as one of those days?

 

 

Rafa

 

Not really, I think that it's important to analyse why we concede these goals and try to do the right things the next time. We were talking today - we didn't have too many players - but we were talking with some of them, and trying to analyse, and I think that they know how to manage with this situation, but we need to start again, and maybe be ready for the next time.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Has Daniel Agger been a big miss for you in the last couple of games, do you think?

 

 

Rafa

 

I don't like to talk too much about the players that we don't have, no? It's clear that we have some players that are important in defence or maybe in the middle if you want to move the ball better, but I prefer don't talk about the players that we don't have because I think that Carra, Sami, Arbeloa, Finnan, Riise, Fabio Aurelio when he was fit - they were working really well and then we were controlling the games in defence, no? We had problems in attack but in defence we were OK. And then this game, OK, things change - we need to change for the future.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

And the home form - you would like that to have been better over the last couple of games - that's something you need to strive to improve on.

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah, we need to improve in everything, no? Before, we were good in attack and in defence - we had the balance. Then we started playing worse in attack, but the other day, it was two mistakes in defence that cost the points. We need to change and to restore the confidence as you said before.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

We've had a lot of callers in to the show on LFCTV talking about the positive side - still unbeaten in the league, which is a thing a lot of people forget, I mean it's still not as bad as a lot of people make out.

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah - I think it's important to know this. Still unbeaten and also the Champions League depends on us, no? We can win games - also we are in the Carling Cup, so I think that we are in a good position. A better position than last year, no? We were talking about the Premier League, and I think that we have in this moment 5 more points than last season, we are closer to the top of the table, one game in hand - and you cannot be negative - you must be positive.

 

You need to analyse why we are not playing with the same confidence now - why we are not playing as well as before; but - we are in a good position, and it's better to be there for changing things, no?

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Towards the end of that game with Tottenham, Javier Mascherano played a slightly different role than the one we've been used to seeing him in as a holding midfield player when you pushed him on as a more advanced midfielder and you're confident that you can see him playing in a slightly different way?

 

 

Rafa

 

It wasn't my decision (smiles). At the end, it's because he wanted to go forward - he wanted to push harder - he wanted to give the strikers support, no?

 

He was going forward - normally he must be a holding midfielder, but in this case he wanted to support, he wanted to be involved, and that is the reason.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

It's good for you as a manager to have a player with that kind of ability to be able to change his game.

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah - it's important, no? To see players with this character - if you see a player that is not doing anything. In this case he wanted to go, to push, and I think that's important.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Now, the international break comes maybe at a good time for the players - they're able to get away and play with a different set of players and maybe for get about it. For a manager, is it a bit of a nightmare this week?

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah, a little bit. The last international break we were at the top of the league, and now we need to talk about maybe it's good for us, but really it's not good for us, because you cannot train with the players, and you cannot control what they are doing when they are away, so its just to wait and cross fingers and wait.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Because of course you will be worried that maybe a player will pick up an injury.

 

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah, it's really difficult when you have a lot of players away, to wait and be calm because as I say before - you cannot control the players, and they will play important games and maybe you will have some problems, and for us, every player is a key player.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

What can you do as a manager with the players that you have available then, in training over the next couple of days?

 

 

Rafa

 

They were training with the reserves today, because you cannot do anything just - we were talking before the interview - maybe to play football tennis or something like this, but we were analysing with them the goals that we conceded, but just to train with the reserve team and try to keep the players fit physically.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

And I know already you'll be turning your attention to the next set of games that come up once the players return - are you already starting that preparation?

 

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah, we are analysing games, but we will have time until they come back, and we will see what we can do, but really we are analysing the games that we will play in the next weeks.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

The fans are already eagerly anticipating the Merseyside derby for obvious reasons - for the players with the metatarsal problems, do you know whether they will be anywhere closer to figuring in that game?

 

 

Rafa

 

Could be. Could be - I think that we need to be careful, but I think that they will be OK - maybe one of them, maybe Alonso, for Agger we will need to wait, but I don't want to say anything until the next week, talking with the doctor and the physios.

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

But the progress is going well?

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah, they are going well - yeah.

 

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

Fabio Aurelio, is he getting further on?

 

 

Rafa

 

Fabio is a similar situation - it's improving, and I think that he could be fit - we will see if we have time for training during next week.

 

 

 

Paul Eaton

 

There have been some reports that Dirk Kuyt had a slight problem.

 

 

Rafa

 

Yeah - he had a problem in his hamstring, so he will be here with us this week instead of with the national team, and hopefully he'll be OK for the next week, but he will need to be with the physios during the whole week.

[blago]

Good interview from Rafa, very honest.

 

I still trust him to get it right in the league.

[Tosh]

That's an OK interview, no?

[Gunga Din]

good old Rafa, no?

[honourablegeorge]

He's always likable.

[fred milne]

I thought these bits were interesting:

 

Paul Eaton

 

Has Daniel Agger been a big miss for you in the last couple of games, do you think?

Rafa

 

I don't like to talk too much about the players that we don't have, no? It's clear that we have some players that are important in defence or maybe in the middle if you want to move the ball better, but I prefer don't talk about the players that we don't have because I think that Carra, Sami, Arbeloa, Finnan, Riise, Fabio Aurelio when he was fit - they were working really well and then we were controlling the games in defence, no? We had problems in attack but in defence we were OK. And then this game, OK, things change - we need to change for the future.

 

Paul Eaton

 

Towards the end of that game with Tottenham, Javier Mascherano played a slightly different role than the one we've been used to seeing him in as a holding midfield player when you pushed him on as a more advanced midfielder and you're confident that you can see him playing in a slightly different way?

Rafa

 

It wasn't my decision (smiles). At the end, it's because he wanted to go forward - he wanted to push harder - he wanted to give the strikers support, no?

 

He was going forward - normally he must be a holding midfielder, but in this case he wanted to support, he wanted to be involved, and that is the reason.

Paul Eaton

 

It's good for you as a manager to have a player with that kind of ability to be able to change his game.

Rafa

 

Yeah - it's important, no? To see players with this character - if you see a player that is not doing anything. In this case he wanted to go, to push, and I think that's important.

[JohnnyH]

Wow. Eaton really asked the tough questions didn't he?

[Nerik]

Rafa did not mention possibilities once. Or did I miss it?

[floyd the barber]

wow...ermmmm nothing here, move along

[San Diego Red]

They're having a go at Rafa for saying no, no?

[Guest Paul AB]

wow...ermmmm nothing here, move along

 

i don't understand.

[psl]

i don't understand.

 

I think his point is that not a great deal was revealed by Rafa.

 

I expected him to say exactly who he was going to sign, how much he hates Riise, that he wished Stevie had gone to Chelsea and that Pepe is secretly his son.

[Guest Paul AB]

i wanted him to talk about rotation.