Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

Dont like this interview one bit, even though most what he says is true , he should not be telling the world the the mood in the camp is pretty bad.

Pepe Reina admits title is 'not realistic' for Liverpool

The Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has revealed the depth of frustration among the club's players, saying winning the Premier League title was "not a realistic objective" and bemoaning the lack of match-winners in the squad.

Liverpool, who face promoted Burnley today for the first time in the league for 33 years, have lost two of their four games this season and lie seventh behind Arsenal on goal difference. Critics have pointed to the loss of their key midfielder Xabi Alonso as the reason for their stuttering start, along with the fact that his replacement, Alberto Aquilani, was signed while injured and has not been able to play.

With Rafael Benítez able to spend only £1.5m of the £10m-plus that was the difference between the prices of Alonso and Aquilani, there has again been apparent tension between the manager and the club's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

"Teams like Manchester United have lots of players who can tip the balance; we haven't got the individuals," Reina says in an interview with the Guardian today. "There are games that get congested and we haven't got the vision other sides boast. Chelsea have Didier Drogba, who can bring down any ball – a useful option we haven't got."

The Spanish goalkeeper also appeared to endorse the view that Liverpool are a two-man team with an overdependency on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. "That is a problem," Reina admits. "We have to hope that they don't get injured because they're fundamental."

Whereas last season Benítez was adamant that Liverpool were the best side in the league despite losing out on the title by four points, Reina now perceives an inferiority complex in terms of spending power and called on the owners to release more funds.

"There isn't frustration, there's resignation," Reina said. "The buying power of clubs is very different. You can't sign players if you don't have the money, and if there is no money, that's it. As a player, there's nothing you can do. We know what's in the squad; we can't do anything about it. All we can do is roll up our sleeves, work hard and try to win matches.

"It would be good if the owners made an effort economically, if they pushed. It would be lovely if we could find ourselves in an economic position where we can bring players in and build a squad that can compete with other sides. But it's up to the owners to try to bring players in, not us."

Reina felt that Liverpool's title chances were not completely blown but accepted that they faced a tall challenge. "Can we win the league? I think so but there are other teams that are very capable of winning it – Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Manchester City. We can't set ourselves objectives. We all want to win the league but right now it's not a realistic objective."

Benítez, who can look forward to Wednesday's home match with the Hungarian champions, Debrecen, in the Champions League, a competition Liverpool have always done well in, is hoping his players will improve their performances now that some of the international pressure has been lifted in qualifying for the World Cup. Reina, Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Torres, Albert Riera, Lucas and Dirk Kuyt are already on their way to South Africa.

"Now that the English and Spanish players have qualified this week it should make things easier for us," Benítez said yesterday. "At least mentally they do not need to worry any more about their qualification. They need to go to internationals now and enjoy the situation, and that will be another plus point for us because there are no distractions with regard to qualifying or not now. They are there."

Benítez, who hopes to have the full-back Fabio Aurélio in his squad for the first time this season after a knee operation, suggested Aquilani was making good progress. "Aquilani has improved, he has progressed in the way that we expected and maybe in two or three weeks we will see him training," Benítez said. "The last scan he had was very good."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/footbal....allenge

[Owzat]

He's not saying anything that a lot of people aren't thinking, makes a lot of these player comments rather pointless and page fillers. We might not have won the league had Alonso stayed.

Our start is not great, but nor is it terminal. We lost away to spudz last season and won away to Bolton so those results haven't changed in terms of points. We may have lost to villa when we beat them last season, but won at home to stoke which we drew last season so net loss is only one point (two gained, three lost = one lost overall)

What does worry me this weekend, besides a possible disaster against Burnley, is the spudz vs mancs match. If the mancs win then a lot of conclusions will be drawn from their result and our's, so I'll be hoping for more reasons than usual that the mancs lose (or at least only draw)

[andy_g]

a lot of what he's saying isn't anything we didn't already know. we know that we are over reliant on gerrard and torres, and we know that the owners haven't invested in the squad as much as they should.

the worrying things he says are about a feeling of 'resignation' amongst the players.

a little thing that crops up in another longer interview in today's guardian is the intimation that some players find benitez's methods difficult.

its this nagging feeling that all is not well in the liverpool camp, or at least not 100% motivated and focussed on the task of challenging for the league again, that could really be a major cause for concern.

[lakes10]

As i said last week Ciggy, more and more players are coming out saying they are not happy with the way things are at the club. I do fear that if we dont win something big this year they will look to leave to find a happy club to be at.

[andy_g]

actually, having said all that, there seems to be 3 or 4 versions of this interview in various publications and each puts their own slightly different spin on it. suprisingly...

[Bammo]

He's only downplaying our chances (maybe to take pressure off the team by lowering expectations) and it's nothing we aren't thinking. What makes me laugh about the article on the BBC is they play it up like he's written us off when he's only saying it may not be realistic with all the teams going well.

[kazza]

I think he is wrong though. We are a four man team (Aquilani and Johnson). Add to that Yossi and Aurellio (and don't forget yourself Pepe) and we are not that bad. We play better as underdogs anyway.

We lost a great player and a good player and we gained two great players. We may well have improved.

[The_Rock]

Reina is fast becoming one of my favourite players..... A very good player on the pitch and a realist off the pitch. He doesn't make "gung-ho" comments like some of our players who follow that by giving a sub-par performance.

Hope he stays with this club until he retires (even if benitez leaves by then).

[Effes]

I think he is wrong though. We are a four man team (Aquilani and Johnson).

Why imply we are a four man team, citing a player who's never even played for us yet

[Greavesie]

Reina is fast becoming one of my favourite players..... A very good player on the pitch and a realist off the pitch. He doesn't make "gung-ho" comments like some of our players who follow that by giving a sub-par performance.

Hope he stays with this club until he retires (even if benitez leaves by then).

[Rush Job]

Not good to read at all, wether we agree with him or not he`s one of our top players and IMO shouldnt be talking in the press like this. Our players should be working hard together with belief in one another with the objective to win every game we play not running to the press to have a moan every fkin 5 minutes.
Its not like we have had to sell half the team, considering the impact GJ has had when Aquilanni is fit we could well end up with a stronger 11 than we did last season and even if Rafa was given £50m the windows shut so why comeout in the press with comments like that?
It seems our team doesnt speak as one anymore when top players are coming out for a winge about how bad things are, it only degrades the club, brings the fans down and puts wind in the sails of our rivals.
I`m not saying I necessarily disagree with the sentiment but nothing good will come of going public like that and he must know it, which makes me think is it a thinly veiled ultimatum?
I thought there would be more reaction on here to that,the fact there hasnt been IMO tells its own story.

[kazza]

I think he is wrong though. We are a four man team (Aquilani and Johnson).

Why imply we are a four man team, citing a player who's never even played for us yet

Well he was a good player at Roma and good players don't forget to play, and better to be positive than not eh? As it stands right now he is a 20 million signing that is due back from injury, why would he not be a great player for us.

[Octsky]

After the Burnley game, i had to ask, "Are we back?"

[Effes]

I think he is wrong though. We are a four man team (Aquilani and Johnson).

Why imply we are a four man team, citing a player who's never even played for us yet

Well he was a good player at Roma and good players don't forget to play, and better to be positive than not eh? As it stands right now he is a 20 million signing that is due back from injury, why would he not be a great player for us.

.errr....ok...got yer.....

[tubby]

It's probably good Pepe came out and said this, not just because he is speaking the truth but then at least the media will not be so quick to gun us down when we drop points next. They can move onto some other no hoper team like Arsenal. It was depressing as hell reading that but hes not wrong. I just hope something changes next summer and we still keep most of our best players.