Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has once again sung the praises of his goalkeeper Jose Reina, who won the Golden Gloves award again this year.
The Spanish tactician believes that because Reina plays for a top side, he is not called into action as much and therefore unable to show just how capable he is in goal.
The former Barça boy has won the Golden Gloves award for the third time for keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets this season.
"Pepe is a 'keeper in a top side, so he has less to do," explained Benitez. "If he played for a lesser team he would be fantastic because he'd be involved all the time. He is a very good goalkeeper."
Reina has won the award three out of the four years it has been in existence, with Chelsea's Petr Cech picking up a solitary award.
Benitez continued, claiming such a record did not surprise him, and even hailing Pepe as the best in Spain - at least when he signed him - though Real Madrid and Spain's No. 1 Iker Casillas may have something to say about that.
"I am not surprised," said Rafa of Reina's hat-trick of awards. "When you see the performance of Pepe in every game, and also the team in defence, you can understand why he normally doesn't concede too many goals. I am really pleased to be here again.
"When you talk about three seasons in a row, it means he is doing a good job. Always I say the same: for me, when we signed him he was the best 'keeper in Spain. He's really good, a good worker, he wants to learn – everything is positive now and for the future.
"Everyone likes to see strikers scoring goals but your 'keeper is always a key part of the team. When you don't concede many goals you always know you can win because you always create chances."
Rafa also blasted critics for highlighting defensive errors and not commending enough good work done by his team.
"It's something that you know is normal in football," he sighed. "People just talk about one or two mistakes and not the performance of the team during the year."
The Spanish tactician believes that because Reina plays for a top side, he is not called into action as much and therefore unable to show just how capable he is in goal.
The former Barça boy has won the Golden Gloves award for the third time for keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets this season.
"Pepe is a 'keeper in a top side, so he has less to do," explained Benitez. "If he played for a lesser team he would be fantastic because he'd be involved all the time. He is a very good goalkeeper."
Reina has won the award three out of the four years it has been in existence, with Chelsea's Petr Cech picking up a solitary award.
Benitez continued, claiming such a record did not surprise him, and even hailing Pepe as the best in Spain - at least when he signed him - though Real Madrid and Spain's No. 1 Iker Casillas may have something to say about that.
"I am not surprised," said Rafa of Reina's hat-trick of awards. "When you see the performance of Pepe in every game, and also the team in defence, you can understand why he normally doesn't concede too many goals. I am really pleased to be here again.
"When you talk about three seasons in a row, it means he is doing a good job. Always I say the same: for me, when we signed him he was the best 'keeper in Spain. He's really good, a good worker, he wants to learn – everything is positive now and for the future.
"Everyone likes to see strikers scoring goals but your 'keeper is always a key part of the team. When you don't concede many goals you always know you can win because you always create chances."
Rafa also blasted critics for highlighting defensive errors and not commending enough good work done by his team.
"It's something that you know is normal in football," he sighed. "People just talk about one or two mistakes and not the performance of the team during the year."
No comments:
Post a Comment