The Soccer Blog: Spain

Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Friday, 2 December 2011

Capello insists Jagielka is fit to face Spain

Phil Jagielka has told England boss Fabio Capello that he is ready to play against Spain despite a broken toe.

The Everton midfielder was believed to have needed a painkilling injection to play against Newcastle in the English Premier League on Saturday.

However, the England international trained on Friday without any problems and told his manager that he was fit to face the world and European champions in the international friendly.

“I spoke with him and asked him, and he said he was ready, he’s okay. He said: ‘If you decide, I’m ready to play’,” Capello said.

“He trained normally without an injection. He will decide whether he takes an injection. He will decide.”

“The player told me, yes. Two things: before deciding about a player, I always speak with the doctors.”

“I ask the doctor whether they can play or not. He says he can. Then I speak always with the player. You can play? You are 100 percent? Not 90 percent, but 100 percent? You are ready? He said yes.”

“After that I decided to put the players on the pitch. I will decide, but I asked the player to be clear. The player said: ‘Yes, I want to play’. I didn’t say: ‘You must play’. That’s a big difference. Okay, clear? We need to be clear.”

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard believes preventing Spain’s Xavi and Andres Iniesta dominating the clash will be England’s toughest obstacle.

Lampard has seen a return to form this season with a series of impressive performances and goals for Chelsea.

The 33-year-old will replace John Terry as captain in the weekend’s game and believes Xavi is his side’s biggest threat.

“It’s hard to pick one, but if I had to I’d go with Xavi, given what he’s done over such a period of time,” Lampard said.

“Andres Iniesta is a fantastic player and to compare and split them up is impossible, but Xavi is the centre of their team. He’s the pinnacle of their team. He moves the ball.”

“I’ve played against him countless times coming through the ranks and over the years. His ability and his awareness and his touch are something special.”

“He’s one of the all-time greats and, in the last couple of years, he’s secured himself up there.”

The Chelsea star believes that his side must approach the game with confidence and not feel intimidated by Spain’s plethora of superstars.

“You have to believe in yourselves and see their weaknesses. We have to win the ball back from them and get our front men away and use the pace in our team,” he said.

“I watched them play Scotland and they pretty much dominated, but Scotland created chances against them now and again. With the ability we have in our team, on the counter-attack and in our own play. We must be bold, we have to stand up.”

“It’s a case of having to close them down as well as you can, don’t let them [Xavi and Iniesta] dominate games as Spain and Barcelona do so often. Get tight to them. It’s probably the most difficult job in football at the minute.”

“We’d seen them play a lot of teams who’d try to play their style against them, which is impossible. They’re the best at it. They’d try to press them right up the pitch and win the ball back.”

View the original article here

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Arsene Wenger Would Not Get As Much Time In Spain Says Arsenal Captain

9 comments by Jack Atchinson on April 19th, 2011

Emirates skipper says his boss would get the sack if he was in charge of a top La Liga club.

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Redknapp´s torrid night in Spain

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has rued the series of events that led to his side’s forgettable 4-0 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

It was a torrid evening in Madrid for the Spurs in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Real, who had to contend with the late withdrawal of winger Aaron Lennon and the sending off of striker Peter Crouch early in the first half.

“We lost Aaron Lennon a minute before kick-off. As we were walking to the pitch he didn’t feel very well and he said he had no energy,” Redknapp said.

“I had to make a change as we were leaving the dressing room. Then we went a goal down and had Crouchy sent off. ”

“In the first half I thought we did ever so well, we had a couple of good chances. But in the end, it’s difficult to come here with 11 men, never mind play with 10 men for almost 80 minutes.”

Redknapp lamented the sending off, as well as the injury problems that beset the side.

“I haven’t seen it. (Crouch) is the most inoffensive footballer you’ve ever seen. He’s not one for making rash challenges. I don’t know if he has lunged in for the second one, but it has cost us dearly,” he said.

“It’s just what we didn’t need, to have 10 men here against a team like this. We then ended up losing our right-back (Vedran Corluka to injury) and Gareth (Bale) gets cramp. Is he fit, isn’t he fit? It was difficult.”

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho conceded it was always going to be tough for Redknapp’s men after Crouch’s dismissal, describing the task ahead of 10-man Tottenham as ‘mission impossible’.

“Eleven against 10 at Champions League level – it’s always mission impossible,” the Portuguese said.

“I played Barcelona against Chelsea with 10, impossible; I played with Inter against Barcelona with 10 men – impossible. Arsenal played with 10 men against Barcelona a few weeks ago. It’s impossible.”

“It’s just a question of the team with 11 keeping concentration, keeping a high tempo, not letting their opponents breathe, not letting their opponents have the ball and we did that in the second half, not in the first half.’

Despite the convincing scoreline, Mourinho is refusing to claim victory just yet. He insisted the fighting qualities of English sides meant the tie was far from over.

“Not yet (the match is not over). You know that I know English football well, I know English mentality. I know White Hart Lane,” he said.

“It is not over. For you (English) it is not over. In other cultures I would say yes but in England they have belief until the last minute so it is not over.”

Wed 6 April, 2011