Rafa Watch

[wiw]

Perhaps it was his head then

http://scruffylookingnerfherder.tumb...e-v-shevchenko

Ha! I knew it!

[Phil]

Ha! I knew it!

surely that pic is just after it has hit his arm and is rebounding up

[Phil]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvfYVaUlJyc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvfYVaUlJyc[/ame]

2 mins in shows a perfect angle.

[wiw]

surely that pic is just after it has hit his arm and is rebounding up

Probably

[Frenchie]

Napoli win 4-0 today...

[Norbs]

Easy league

[Darkon]

Next weeks game against a surprisingly well playing Roma will be an interesting one. Roma have entered the race against all predictions - but then again they took the manager I wanted after Kenny was sacked - so not enterily surprised Self-promotion

It's a race of 3 teams now and this game could set a lot of pace for the rest of the season.

[Shaggy]

Will be a hell of a game that. Rudi Garcia even has Gervinho playing well again. It's at Roma isn't it.

[Darkon]

Yep, Saturday at 7pm CET IIRC in Rome

[Arn]

Reina sleeps in Balotelli's shirt after saving his penalty

Pepe Reina created a little bit of footballing history two weeks ago when he became the first professional keeper to save a Mario Balotelli penalty, getting a sturdy right hand to the Milan striker's spot-kick at the San Siro during Napoli's 2-1 victory over the Rossoneri.

Naturally, Reina fancied a little memento of the occasion and set about asking for Balotelli's shirt after the final whistle.

Balotelli duly obliged and handed over his shirt in the tunnel, though he may now regret his act of benevolence -- especially if he's heard about how the Spanish stopper has put his little gift to use.

“After saving Mario’s penalty I couldn’t not ask for his shirt. It was a historic event," Reina told Spain's Onda Cero radio.

"He gave me it and I’ve brought it home to create an unusual pair of pajamas. I sleep with his shirt and Napoli shorts.”

Now there's the kind of mental image that even the strongest mind bleach won't shift. Let's just hope Pepe washed it first, eh?

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoe...d/4939?cc=5739

[BobTheCharmer]

Whats wrong with the man? I guess after so long without saving a penalty its gone to his head.

On a side note Arn, picture this, you're at sea on a boat, lets say you're doing a bit of sea fishing, you're relaxing on the boat having a beer, the sun is shining, the sea is calm, to be honest between me and you its a perfect day for catching fish, also on this boat are your wife and rafa benitez as well as the captain. A good time is being had by one and all, good humoured banter fills the immediate air, its a great day until.............you catch a stupendously large fish, a massive shark, it causes such a commotion aboard the boat, regrettably your wife and rafa happen to get thrown overboard in the impending confusion, diaster! As if its happend by God himself the calm turns to storm, the weather goes from calm to slightly choppy, you have one life ring to throw into the sea to help save them, you will of course immediately ditch the rod and rush to their help, alas the weight that Rafa is carrying these days mean that ring will only help one, the dilemma you face Arn and you understand this is hypothetical only, do you save your wife or Rafa?????

[Arn]

Whats wrong with the man? I guess after so long without saving a penalty its gone to his head.

On a side note Arn, picture this, you're at sea on a boat, lets say you're doing a bit of sea fishing, you're relaxing on the boat having a beer, the sun is shining, the sea is calm, to be honest between me and you its a perfect day for catching fish, also on this boat are your wife and rafa benitez as well as the captain. A good time is being had by one and all, good humoured banter fills the immediate air, its a great day until.............you catch a stupendously large fish, a massive shark, it causes such a commotion aboard the boat, regrettably your wife and rafa happen to get thrown overboard in the impending confusion, diaster! As if its happend by God himself the calm turns to storm, the weather goes from calm to slightly choppy, you have one life ring to throw into the sea to help save them, you will of course immediately ditch the rod and rush to their help, alas the weight that Rafa is carrying these days mean that ring will only help one, the dilemma you face Arn and you understand this is hypothetical only, do you save your wife or Rafa?????

Hmmmm......

I would of course first save my wife but I would then tweet Robbie telling him to stop piggy back Ayre and instead kill the shark and get the excellent weather back.

[Phoenix07]

First, this picture may interest Shaggy & Arn.



Now, here is an interview from Mr Benitez.

http://as.com/diarioas/2013/10/09/en...74_204780.html

The former Liverpool and Chelsea boss spoke to AS about the 2022 World Cup and the progress he is making with Napoli.

How many new players do Napoli have?

Seven. Napoli finished second [in Serie A] last season, nine points behind Juventus. However, they did so playing in a different style from this year. They set up with a five-man defence and played on the break, with the focus on Edinson Cavani. We have changed the playing style, with more possession and more control. The fans are really happy with it. I meet a lot of supporters on the street; you get mobbed for autographs. Right now, the difficulty is keeping our feet on the ground.

How does your cold, methodical approach fit in with the chaotic atmosphere in Naples?
You have to forget about your surroundings and do things as you always have. The coaching team is also from a Latin country; we understand how the supporters express themselves and try to establish a balance.

How were Napoli able to spend so much over the summer?

On a sporting level, the club has been run very effectively. It has even been making a profit. Cavani’s departure doesn’t hurt so much because, as well as that bringing in a lot of extra revenue, a lot had been generated beforehand. We were in a position to invest heavily in [Gonzalo] Higuaín, [Raúl] Albiol, [José] Callejón and [Pepe] Reina... No other team in Italy has spent as much as we have. Juventus are the strongest team because they own their own stadium. We talk about not signing players for one or two years but with a long-term view, players who can be sold further down the line if needed but who can compete at the highest level for a number of years.

Is Italian football in crisis?
It has improved... It’s true that it’s no longer as strong as it used to be.

Could it even be suffering from an identity crisis?

There are teams that play good football. Roma, us... Teams look to keep the ball more and more, but it’s still a league that’s tactically pretty difficult. The likes of [Carlos] Tévez, Mario Gómez, [Fernando] Llorente and Higuaín have arrived, and that has raised the standard.

Have you had time to find out how television revenue is shared out?

I don’t know in great detail. It’s being negotiated now...

What is your opinion of the disparities that exist in Spain?

The teams that generate the most revenue are logically the big clubs, and they want to be entitled to what they generate. But at the end of the day they’re playing in a league which also includes other teams. It isn’t easy to find a balance, [but] in terms of creating a more competitive league it would be important to adjust that.

What is your take on the exodus of Spanish players to other leagues?

When I first went to England, it [Spanish players playing abroad] was something new. We took Luis García, [Xabi] Alonso, Reina, [Álvaro] Arbeloa... It’s possible that they wouldn’t have gone on to play for the Spain team if they hadn’t had spells in a league as competitive as the Premier League. The same could be true for [César] Azpilicueta, [Fernando] Torres and [Juan] Mata, for example.

How did you persuade Higuaín to move to Napoli?

The president [Aurelio di Laurentiis] convinced him, just as he convinced me. He told me about the project, about the potential to invest in strengthening the team. While he was selling the club to me, Higuaín’s name came up.

Did it surprise you that Real Madrid sold him?

I don’t think about whether or not it was the right decision. He was a target for us, we went after him and that’s it. It isn’t for me to assess why they did it.

What is De Laurentiis like?

He’s an intelligent person who has a lot of ideas. He’s enterprising and he has a vision to see this club grow and compete on all levels with the biggest clubs in Italy.

Would you have sold Mesut Özil?

It doesn’t matter. It’s a decision made by a club, and it isn’t for me to evaluat. We all know that he’s a great player and it’s clear that he’s doing well at Arsenal and he was doing well at Real Madrid beforehand.

What are the differences between the Rafa Benítez of today and the man who started his career?

It’s been many years since I was coaching in the Real Madrid youth set-up. Then I moved to Extremadura, Tenerife, Valencia and then Liverpool, who have a history that is known all over the world. What changes are the experiences you have, and the capacity for analysis that that gives you. The fact that I’ve won trophies in Spain, England and Italy is something that means a lot, because you realise that it wasn’t easy. It’s very difficult to express yourself and show your emotions in another country. And it’s difficult to adapt to the football and the players.

You have a reputation as a coach who ‘nags’ his players... Are you less of a ‘nagger’ than before?

People call me a ‘nagger’, but I would only say ‘be consistent’. When my players finish the season they say to me: “I have to admit I’ve learned something.” It’s just like what you do with your children. Sometimes they don’t like you, but then they say: “I have to admit that I was given a good upbringing.” The more intelligent the player, the better their capacity to take things on board and the better they’ll end up playing.

What time do you get up in the morning?

At seven or just after seven. Right now, we’re working from seven in the morning until eleven at night, because we’re living in a hotel right next to the Napoli training ground and we’re always there, watching games and analysing our team. The coaching team is Antonio Gómez, Paco de Miguel, Xabo Obledo and Fabio Pecchia, the only Italian... At the moment we’re putting together individually-prepared videos for each player. That takes a long time.

Your main role model as a coach is Arrigo Sacchi. Is that down to his obsession with space on the pitch?

At the time, his [Milan] team was the most fashionable team. They had a lot of intensity, played the ball very quickly, put teams under pressure, got back behind the ball...

It was a revolution...

Definitely. They started playing the offside trap and opening up and squeezing the pitch in a way that no one else had done before.

Has there been another revolution since then?

The impact that Barcelona’s possession of the ball has had. Before there were teams that have played very good football in other countries, but in terms of working as a collective unit, Barcelona are now the reference point for many. At times, they’ve also lead many others into getting it wrong: people think that it’s the only way to play. There’s a long way to go from continuously hitting long balls and playing short and to feet. Balance is the key to a team working well. There are teams that follow Barça’s style, lose the balance and play football that many say is attractive but through which they never end up winning. Rayo Vallecano have 51% possession to Barça’s 49%, but Barça end up winning. It’s about creating a blend of possession and effectiveness.

Is that what you aspire to do?

My philosophy is about neither pure and simple direct football nor possession. It’s about a mixture.

Is that why a coach needs to build his own team and sign his own players?

The theory says this: either you have an idea for how to play or you have a collection of footballers and you adapt to them. If you have time and money, you can go about buying the players to adapt to your playing philosophy and you gradually adjust that. If not, you have to get the best out of the players you have and do things little by little. For example, at Valencia the team played attractive football and became more and more competitive because the players gradually adapted to what we wanted. Another example would be Liverpool, who began adapting from the start because the financial power wasn’t there to make a lot of signings, and little by little we got better and better.

Do you have a preferred formation? Or is a term like that overrated?

We usually play with a 4-2-3-1, [but] I believe that the playing philosophy is more important.

It’s easier to do your opponent damage by taking advantage of the spaces, isn’t it?

At Napoli, the only match in which we had more than 70% possession ended in a draw. When the spaces are there, you can exploit them. If they aren’t, you have to be much more precise.

Has a club president ever suggested who you should pick?

Not directly. But when you speak to them, they say this, that and the other to you. They mention things to you that are totally normal, and that’s all.

What’s it like coaching a team after José Mourinho has been there?

Every team is different...

It’s an issue that I bring up because you took charge at Inter Milan after Mourinho’s departure...

My experience there was conditioned by the fact that the team was getting on a little. A number of promises were made, and the players that were supposed to be brought in didn’t arrive. We won two trophies in a short space of time and we couldn’t do any more than that.

Is Mourinho the type of coach who squeezes his players to the point that they have nothing left in the tank?
In this case, what I’m talking about is the age of the squad and the fact that there was a clear way to do things. That hasn’t happened since and that’s why they have been constantly changing over the past three years.

Is it true that Mourinho kept in touch with his players after he left the San Siro?

I’m focused on the job we’re doing at Napoli and I believe that you have to look forwards rather than backwards.

Has Carlo Ancelotti taken on a poisoned chalice at Real Madrid?

He’s a great coach, he has a great team and I’m sure he’ll do very well.

What is your opinion of him?

I know him well. He’s a great coach. I met him in Italy playing against Milan, and on more than one occasion in the Champions League. He’s a good guy and a great coach.

What do you think of Real Madrid’s playing style under him?

I haven’t seen much of them. It’s natural that it should be difficult at first, until the new players start to get used to a new coach.

If you had Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in your side, would you opt to leave them plenty of space to run into?

I try to use Higuaín and [Marek] Hamsik as well as I can. I’ve got enough to think about with that.

What are your thoughts on Atlético Madrid’s start to the season?

I know them well. I’ve been following them, and I’ve always had a lot of affection for Atlético. They’re doing well. [Atleti coach Diego] Simeone has a very competitive, compact and aggressive team. They have a lot of confidence in themselves.

What do you think of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s policy of spending heavily on transfers?

Every club has its own strategy and its own conditions. A club with fewer resources has to do things differently by buying young players and building up their value. Others have to get the best out of the players they have.

Pérez has spent 800 million euros on signings since sacking Vicente del Bosque – with a return of one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey...

Again, that’s a matter for the club. As a coach I have one responsibility; as a manager, I have another. But that’s down to Real Madrid.

I won’t ask you if you want to coach Real Madrid, but are you going to retire before taking charge of the national team?

[Current Spain coach] Del Bosque is doing a great job. I’ve said before that I would have no issue [taking the job], but in the very distant future.

Isn’t it something you’d be eager to do?

Yes, but again let me reiterate that it’s not something that I’m thinking about in the short term, because Vicente is doing a phenomenal job and that’s that.

Perhaps you could be the Spain coach at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. You visited the country recently...

We went there and we saw the football school that they’ve established there, the Aspire Academy. We also saw the organisation, ideas and means that they have to develop those ideas and it all looked really good. Then there was the infrastructure they want to create for the World Cup: the stadia, the ease of access and their use after the tournament. They were designed in three tiers, and then two of them can then be used in African countries, that have fewer resources. The whole project looked very good. I don’t know if the World Cup will be in the summer or the winter, I have no say in that, but the project and the excitement around the place is tremendous. Europe and the Americas shouldn’t have a monopoly over football.

Are they capable of organising a good World Cup?

There are some interesting features. The stadiums are going to be completely air-conditioned, but I thought it was important that the stadiums were so close together. At most World Cups the host cities are often very far from each other and it’s difficult to get to many games. In Qatar they are building high speed train networks over short distances to make it easier for people to move around a terrain which at first glance appears difficult.

[Arn]

Is it true that Mourinho kept in touch with his players after he left the San Siro?

I’m focused on the job we’re doing at Napoli and I believe that you have to look forwards rather than backwards.

Has Carlo Ancelotti taken on a poisoned chalice at Real Madrid?

He’s a great coach, he has a great team and I’m sure he’ll do very well.

What allegedly happened at Inter will probably not happen at Real because the players that rule in the dressing room hated Mourinho so no chance to sabotage this time.

[Arn]

No one can really think that someone will be so sick that he calls the players and tells them them to sabotage for the new manager.

Rafa figured out what happened very quickly and left a few millions richer.

Rafa should call Mostar, he would sort out the videos a lot quicker.