STAR PLAYERS, ONLY IF TEAM PLAYERS - RAFA

By MIGHTY REDS
March 29 2006

Rafa Benitez may have surprised many when, after winning the Champions League with Liverpool, the new players to arrive at Anfield were the likes of Momo Sissoko, Peter Crouch and Bolo Zenden, among many new young players littered through the reserves and Academy.

Many fans expected Michael Owen back, as well as maybe another top name player. Benitez though will buy only players that have the right character, footballing quality and work ethic for Liverpool Football Club, star quality or not.
For Benitez football is a team game and though the player must have quality he has to be a team player as well.
Liverpool Football Club have produced and signed many such players over the years, always checked out character and training ability before signing players.

Rafa told Champions Magazine:

"It's simple. When you talk about players, you talk about personalities. And then it is the difference between you and me.

"You go to a theatre and you see some things and they see other things because you are different. It's the same with players.

"Some understand the style of football, the culture, the language - others don't."
He added: "It's important to know all the things that you can before you sign a player.

"I always say that you can have a good player for winning one game, but you need a squad for winning trophies.

"You need good professionals because at the end you'll be with them for one, two, three, four years, not just one game."

"Sometimes there's a player who's a hero to the supporters.
"They see him and think, 'why isn't he playing?'. But maybe he can have one good game but not the next four.

"Okay, you can use players who can amuse the supporters but if you want to win trophies you need workers for 90 minutes, every week, every training session. Workers with enough quality for winning."



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