Diario AS interview. Here's the translation for you.
Miguel Á. Vara | 13/12/2007
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.
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