Benítez: "We're focused on the Betis game"

28/08/2015realmadrid.com

Imagen
Rafa Benítez, Real Madrid head coach, spoke to the assembled media outlets in the 'Ciudad Real Madrid' press room on the eve of the Santiago Bernabéu's inaugural La Liga fixture of the season (Saturday, 10:30pm CEST). The manager talked about the Betis game: "Pepe Mel knows this ground and Spanish football. He understands the importance of doing well in the Bernabéu. I'm expecting them to set up like Sporting, they'll be eager to do well. They have great fans and will be highly motivated to give a good account of themselves and get a good result. We are expecting a hard working opposition side, one that will run itself into the ground and not make life easy for us".

"We're training tomorrow and I'll wait until the last moment to make my final decision about the line-up. The squad is narrower now and all our players are very important in my opinion. I'm going to try to ensure the team are at their best for each game. If that means playing Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema or Lucas and Cheryshev, that's what I'll try to do. I didn't come here just to win the first game, but to create a well-oiled side and get to the end of the season winning matches and titles".

Is the squad finalised?

"I'm done answering these types of questions. We have a game coming up against Betis and that's what matters most. I'm focused on the match and not the market. I want the team to be in good shape tomorrow and for things to go well. We have a very good side, a number of players have left and that will strengthen those still here because they'll play a bigger role in terms of the team's performance now. The Betis game is my priority".

"25 players is the limit. Twenty-one outfielders and three goalkeepers is a good number. The squad is in good shape. We've evaluated what we have and the reason behind some players leaving is that we believe that those we have here can cover every position. In football luck and injuries also influence things. We have a good squad and we're not paying any particular attention to the market, we're just trying to get the best out of this group of players".

James on the bench

"Players are given a few days off after a World Cup or a Copa América. James joined up with us a bit later, within the usual timeframe, knowing that he'd be arriving without having done as much preseason as his team-mates. It's a technical decision".

"There are people who like starting debates. James is a great player and is fundamental to our plans, as is Isco and the rest of their team-mates. What I'd like is for everyone to follow in James' footsteps. I'm happy, I want... That's what they need to do and then it's up to me to make the decision. If he doesn't play it'll only because of a technical decision, there's nothing to talk about".

Benzema

"Having spent three weeks working by himself he doesn't have the same level of match fitness as his team-mates. He's ready to be put on but we'll have to see for how long. We have to decide if he's able to start and, if not, how many minutes he could be on the pitch for".

"He's a great player. He's a forward who does almost everything well. His problem is that he has to play continually. The quality is there. He puts defenders off balance, can lose his marker and scores goals. He's good at everything. I've given him a scoring target of between 20 and 25 goals, and also want him to keep on providing assists and everything else. He's an extremely important player for us in attack".

Criticism towards Bale

"I understand that there are a lot of media outlets and they have to come up with stories. That means blowing a small story into a big one. At the moment with Gareth it appears that having a pacey player, with a good shot, who can put defenders off balance and can do so many things well is actually a problem".

"Having Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema, Jesé... in your forward line is a blessing, not a problem. That these debates get started really surprises me. We are the side that had most shots on goal on matchday one. If shooting on goal more than anyone else is defensive, then I'm completely lost. Attacking is looking to cause damage to your opponent. That's what we did. It wasn't defensive, it was attack minded, although we did lack precision".

Bale's position

"A coach has to manage a very talented group of players. The positions are what they are, there are eleven places. I think Bale is a fantastic player, just like the rest of his team-mates. Each of them has their own attributes and qualities. I have to manage the group so that we can win games while juggling the players around. I have to manage the dynamic of the group".

"I can't guarantee a player's position or place in the team for the whole season. One of the things I stand by is the freedom of the front men. If I restrict them to a position they say it confines them. If they have freedom to roam the say it becomes confusing. I'm managing a group of players for the whole season. I make mistakes on occasion but I'll try to keep that to a minimum and get the best performances out of the team. I ask the supporters to be calm, we'll play with intensity, we'll score goals, we're confident and we know what we have to do".

Analysis after the Sporting game

"I always assess things after each match. It surprised me to hear so many people evaluate our performance as defensive. We had more strikes on goal than any other team. There were things we need to correct. We've discussed those points and looked at the video. I'm working towards making the team more and more competitive. At the end of the day, people need to see the work being carried out and the team have to understand what they're doing".

The Champions League draw

"It's not an easy group. PSG are a great side with great footballers, Shakhtar have plenty of experience and quality players, while Malmö are the defending champions of their domestic league and knocked out Celtic. It's not an easy group".

De Gea and Van Gaal

"Just as I show respect towards players from other sides, I also do the same with other managers. I have no right to talk about Louis van Gaal. I'm focused on my own squad and I'm not prepared to talk about that".