http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N146291041010-0912.htm
Assistant boss Pako Ayesteran talks to us about his new life in Liverpool and his early season thoughts on the Reds' performances.
Liverpoolfc.tv: Pako, how are you finding life in Liverpool?
Pako Ayesteran: I am really enjoying working here. Melwood is a great place. The structure, the facilities and the people are all very good. It's a place where you can really enjoy your work.
Because we are spending so long at Melwood I haven't had time to see the city yet, but that's something I am looking forward to doing.
When Rafa became manager of Liverpool did you have any hesitation in following him from Spain?
I had no hesitation at all. It was impossible to have any hesitation when you are being asked to come and work for one of the most important clubs in Europe. It was a very easy decision for me to make.
When did you first meet Rafael Benitez?
It was in 1995-96 season when he was at Osasuna. I had an interview with him and we discussed our ideas. I convinced him of my ability and we started working together. We've been together for the last eight years now.
Do you share the same footballing philosophies?
Yes. When we had our first meeting we realised we are both very methodical. We like to analyse all of the things around training and the games. Rafa is very thorough in his work but at the same time he has an open mind and is willing to listen to other peoples ideas.
Can you tell us what your role is at Liverpool?
My biggest role is to plan the training sessions and to advise the boss on what I think are the areas we need to improve. It is important that we improve our level as soon as possible and I look at a lot of data from our games to see where we can get better and what we need to work most on.
Can the two of you bring the success you enjoyed at Valencia here to Liverpool?
We can't just transfer what we had at Valencia to Liverpool. We'd like just to transfer what we had in Valencia to here but that isn't possible straightaway. We're not where we want to be at this moment but we have to deal in reality.
Our first reference point has to be last year and the fact that we finished 30 points behind Arsenal. Our first target is to decrease that gap and get nearer to them.
You can't suddenly jump five steps forward at the same time. You need to take things step by step and that is what we are trying to do. We want to improve our level every day and get to where we all want to be.
How does the pace of the Premiership compare to La Liga?
The game here in England is more direct than in Spain and perhaps less technical.
In Spain and across the rest of Europe the clubs who are playing at the top level will pass the ball between 250 and 300 times to each other in each half.
From the data we have from our games so far this season we are passing the ball between 220 and 240 times in each half. A big difference between the Premiership and European football is the speed of the passing and our objective here is to play at a faster pace.
Are you and the manager looking to give more of the younger players a chance this season?
The most important thing is whether or not a young player is ready. If a player isn't in the first team it's because they're not at the right level. They need to understand the importance of improving every day, performing for the reserve team and then waiting for their chance to play in the first team.
by