Reina on Rafa and the dressing room

[Skillz]

Jose Reina rallies around Rafael BenitezJonathon Northcroft
JOSE REINA has reacted angrily to suggestions that the Liverpool squad has become split on nationality lines but admitted members are divided in terms of their fondness of Rafael Benitez.

The goalkeeper, one of Benitez's strongest advocates, made his remarks while issuing a strong defence of his much-criticised manager following Liverpool's Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday.

"He is the boss and he has been quite successful in his four seasons, and there is no doubt about him," Reina said, while conceding that while some players, such as Fernando Torres, have spoken up for Benitez, others have been less willing. "There is a dressing room and there are different opinions," Reina said. "Rafa brought Fernando to English football and with him he has become an even better player, and it's normal he can speak really well about him. I have the same feelings. He brought me here three years ago and all I have done has been improvement."

Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are among senior players who have declined to make pronouncements backing Benitez during a period in which the Spaniard has been under fire because of Liverpool's poor domestic form, and the revelation the club's owners held talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about replacing him as manager. Reina insisted, however, that nothing should be read into this. "To be a good manager you cannot be the friend of the players, because they have to respect you and know who is boss," he said.

He heaped scorn on theories that the Anfield dressing room is divided, with Spanish and English players at odds: "That is being said in a few newspapers that are lying. The dressing room has been absolutely together and quite strong in the bad moments."


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3423567.ece

[AFII]

24 February 2008
You don't have to like Rafa...just respect him
EXCLUSIVE WE TAKE YOU INSIDE ANFIELD...
By Steve Bates

Pepe Reina has told the English stars in Liverpool's multi-national dressing room: Don't expect Rafa Benitez to be your friend.

The Kop keeper is a respected voice among the Spanish contingent drafted to Merseyside by countryman Benitez.

And with speculation rife that the home-grown stars in the Liverpool squad are not fully behind under-pressure Benitez, Reina insists their experienced boss has to keep a distance from his stars.

Skipper Steven Gerrard has made no secret of his dislike of his manager's aloof approach since his arrival at Anfield in 2004.

Along with Peter Crouch and Jamie Carragher, Gerrard has resisted the chance before a widespread audience to give Benitez complete backing.

It is clear the English players do not hold their boss in the same unconditional regard as Reina, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso.

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Influential figures at the club privately blame Benitez for escalating the turmoil played out very publicly between himself and American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Reina concedes there are differing dressing room opinions about the manager but insists there are no rifts.

He says they could never have beaten Inter Milan in the Champions League last week if they were not all pulling together. "It is my opinion that if you are to be a good manager you cannot be a friend of the players because they have to respect you and they have to know who is the boss in the dressing room," says Reina.

"So it is a difficult situation to manage the players, to be the coach, and their friend as well.

"Of course, there are different opinions in the dressing room and you will always get that among a big group of players.

"Rafa brought Fernando to English football and with his guidance and advice Fernando has become an even better player.

"So, thanks to Rafa, Fernando is improving with these small details that they talk about, and it is not surprising he speaks highly of him - you would expect that.

"I completely deny that there is any kind of split in the dressing room and people who say that are lying.

"The dressing room has been absolutely together and quite strong in the bad moments when we have needed to be. It has been one of our secrets during this period. Since I joined Liverpool three years ago, it has been a united dressing room and it is important to have that kind of harmony.

"There is no way we could produce a performance as we did against Inter Milan if we did not have that kind of spirit and togetherness in the group.

"It has always been happy but the dressing room is more happy because of the victory over Inter, although we all know qualifying for the quarter-final is not even close to being over.

"We might have a 2-0 lead to take to the San Siro but we have to keep fighting."

Reina is happy to give Benitez his support, saying: "Of course I am with him - he is the boss. He has been quite successful during these past four years and, for me, there is no doubt about him.

"I have the same feelings as Fernando. Rafa Benitez brought me to Liverpool three years ago and all that I have done until now has been to improve under him."

Despite the intense speculation about his future on Merseyside, Benitez has not allowed his feelings to transmit to the players, says Reina.

"Rafa has maintained the calm because, in the end, it is a question of work. The harder you work on the training ground, the better you will compete at the end of the week.

"All I can say is that the manager is absolutely calm and trusts in himself, first of all, and then his players.

"It is time to be focusing on the Premier League and then the Champions League, then let's see what happens at the end of the season."

Reina has revealed the constant rumours about Benitez and his high-profile spat with the owners has been a distraction.

"Everything that goes on at the club can have an influence in the games but it is our job to perform on the pitch.

"As players, the only thing we have to do or we can do is play football. The rest of it - the comment, speculation and rumours - we have to forget about.

"We have a lot to play for in the Champions League.We are a team that knows how to perform and compete in this kind of competition - we handle the big occasions well.

"I hope that in the next weeks we can show this spirit ... and who knows what might happen?"

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/footba...name_page.html

[Skillz]

^^^^ that artcle is trying very hard to put a certain slant isn't it?

[redlancer]

I'm sure Carra mentioned that his game has improved under Rafa and he doesn't across like someone that needs a farther figure as a manager.

[Steve101]

Great isnt it. Two papers print the same player saying the same things, yet one manages to claim an exclusive!! The press here is a ****ing joke, *******s all of them.

[dww]

To be fair I know a journalist who in the past has been paid as part of his job to nip down to the station paper sellers as soon as they open to check out other papers exclusives in the first edition and re-write them for the later edition of the paper he worked for.

On a different but related to the idea of Rafa and his relationship with the players according to the Guardian podcast last week Rafa actually vetoed the appointment of Jewell as assistant manager which is why he ended up at Derby (who were going to offer the job to Paul Ince).