Walk through the door marked “Assistant Manager” at Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, and you find yourself in the looking-glass world of Sammy Lee. Flattery falls flat and references to his trophy-laden playing days are dismissed. If I was to write that Lee works feverishly hard, understands the Liverpool philosophy better than anyone, is admirably modest and surprisingly inspirational, he would be livid. But I will risk it.
Lee is addicted to his job – “it’s not a job, it’s a vocation” – and has refreshed his Uefa Pro Licence more than it needs refreshing. “I’ve got every qualification you can get,” he said. No doubt Rafael Benitez saw a kindred spirit; Lee says they share the same intensity. It helped, too, that Lee speaks Spanish, learnt while a player at Osasuna. “My Spanish isn’t great but it’s better than my English – Rafa says that,” Lee said.
Benitez appointed Lee a year ago, the former Liverpool midfield player having opted not to hang around Anfield after Gérard Houllier was dismissed, to be replaced by Benítez, in 2004. “I was the only one who wasn’t sacked,” Lee said. “I left of my own accord. I felt if I was an integral part of the success in that regime, then I was an integral part of the failure. I felt it was the honourable thing to do.”
And he carries on being honourable. When pressed, he says his best quality is his loyalty. “Loyalty is paramount,” he said. “You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you haven’t got loyalty, you may as well forget it.”
So, is Lee’s primary loyalty to Liverpool or Benitez? “Rafa has the club solely at heart so I have no problem having a great loyalty to him,” Lee said. “He is the best man for this job, so there is no conflict of interest. If my beliefs were radically different to Rafa’s, then he wouldn’t employ me. I know he’s the best man to guide this club to the success it deserves.”
When Benítez was accused by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, of a lack of respect after a gesture made during Liverpool’s defeat of Blackburn Rovers in April, Lee faced the media.
“If I didn’t believe that was the right thing to do then we’d have to part company,” he said. “On the door it says ‘Assistant Manager’ and I’ll assist Rafa in any way, shape or form. I know what went on the day and it had nothing to do with the opposition. The Liverpool way is to fight our corner when necessary. It is also about respect and humility.”
Similarly Lee defends the so-called rant Benítez issued against Ferguson’s attitude to the Respect campaign. “They were facts and Rafa felt at the time he wanted to bring them out and for people to know them,” he said. “We know where we fell short [on the pitch] and it was nothing to do with that period.”
Lee’s credentials – he was signed by Bob Paisley in 1976 – mean he should know how Benítez fits into the Anfield hall of fame. “Rafa is trying to instill a lot of Shankly-isms, Paisley-isms, the Liverpool way, which is about winning and competing with dignity,” he said. “It’s about fighting for the principles you believe in. Rafa does not bury his head in the sand about the past; he wants to embrace the past and take it forward.”
But is that preparation under Benítez all about statistics; does he have intuition? “He’s got that,” Lee said. “People don’t know that about Rafa, they think he’s analytical but he’s a very emotional man, a very caring man, a family man.”
Even so, the impression is that Benítez puts those qualities on hold during a match. Lee disputes this. “He has his gut feelings,” he said. “In football you have to be adaptable. He’s got intuition and that ability to change things. He knows what he wants but he can see things in the course of 45 or 90 minutes. He bounces things off us. It’s a consensus of opinion. That’s the good thing about the man; he listens to people and the great men do.”
Liverpool appeared to evolve before our eyes this season, developing into a side that could embarrass United at Old Trafford and be marked out as the most entertaining of teams. The change of gear came about, Lee says, because of the five goals scored in two legs against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
“Post Madrid, there was a surge of confidence, having beaten one of the best clubs in the world,” he said. “If any of the players had any sort of doubts, then those games gave them an added sense of belief. Maybe it was a watershed moment for many.”
Lee is not best pleased that this season’s team photo will have no trophies in it but, perhaps as among Liverpool fans, there is no despondency. It has, he says, been a joy to watch the team improve.
Lee is addicted to his job – “it’s not a job, it’s a vocation” – and has refreshed his Uefa Pro Licence more than it needs refreshing. “I’ve got every qualification you can get,” he said. No doubt Rafael Benitez saw a kindred spirit; Lee says they share the same intensity. It helped, too, that Lee speaks Spanish, learnt while a player at Osasuna. “My Spanish isn’t great but it’s better than my English – Rafa says that,” Lee said.
Benitez appointed Lee a year ago, the former Liverpool midfield player having opted not to hang around Anfield after Gérard Houllier was dismissed, to be replaced by Benítez, in 2004. “I was the only one who wasn’t sacked,” Lee said. “I left of my own accord. I felt if I was an integral part of the success in that regime, then I was an integral part of the failure. I felt it was the honourable thing to do.”
And he carries on being honourable. When pressed, he says his best quality is his loyalty. “Loyalty is paramount,” he said. “You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you haven’t got loyalty, you may as well forget it.”
So, is Lee’s primary loyalty to Liverpool or Benitez? “Rafa has the club solely at heart so I have no problem having a great loyalty to him,” Lee said. “He is the best man for this job, so there is no conflict of interest. If my beliefs were radically different to Rafa’s, then he wouldn’t employ me. I know he’s the best man to guide this club to the success it deserves.”
When Benítez was accused by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, of a lack of respect after a gesture made during Liverpool’s defeat of Blackburn Rovers in April, Lee faced the media.
“If I didn’t believe that was the right thing to do then we’d have to part company,” he said. “On the door it says ‘Assistant Manager’ and I’ll assist Rafa in any way, shape or form. I know what went on the day and it had nothing to do with the opposition. The Liverpool way is to fight our corner when necessary. It is also about respect and humility.”
Similarly Lee defends the so-called rant Benítez issued against Ferguson’s attitude to the Respect campaign. “They were facts and Rafa felt at the time he wanted to bring them out and for people to know them,” he said. “We know where we fell short [on the pitch] and it was nothing to do with that period.”
Lee’s credentials – he was signed by Bob Paisley in 1976 – mean he should know how Benítez fits into the Anfield hall of fame. “Rafa is trying to instill a lot of Shankly-isms, Paisley-isms, the Liverpool way, which is about winning and competing with dignity,” he said. “It’s about fighting for the principles you believe in. Rafa does not bury his head in the sand about the past; he wants to embrace the past and take it forward.”
But is that preparation under Benítez all about statistics; does he have intuition? “He’s got that,” Lee said. “People don’t know that about Rafa, they think he’s analytical but he’s a very emotional man, a very caring man, a family man.”
Even so, the impression is that Benítez puts those qualities on hold during a match. Lee disputes this. “He has his gut feelings,” he said. “In football you have to be adaptable. He’s got intuition and that ability to change things. He knows what he wants but he can see things in the course of 45 or 90 minutes. He bounces things off us. It’s a consensus of opinion. That’s the good thing about the man; he listens to people and the great men do.”
Liverpool appeared to evolve before our eyes this season, developing into a side that could embarrass United at Old Trafford and be marked out as the most entertaining of teams. The change of gear came about, Lee says, because of the five goals scored in two legs against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
“Post Madrid, there was a surge of confidence, having beaten one of the best clubs in the world,” he said. “If any of the players had any sort of doubts, then those games gave them an added sense of belief. Maybe it was a watershed moment for many.”
Lee is not best pleased that this season’s team photo will have no trophies in it but, perhaps as among Liverpool fans, there is no despondency. It has, he says, been a joy to watch the team improve.
No comments:
Post a Comment