Angel Vales, born in 1967.
Source : La voz de Galicia (he's from that part of Spain)
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/deportes/2008/06/25/0003_6934299.htm
My rough translation:
I guess that the leap from university of La Coruña to Liverpool football club is pretty big
It's a different job, more practice than theory. I hope to learn a lot from this experiences and apply those one day in the university field.
So far, the change was worth the effort?
Absolutely.
What have your learned from Rafa Benitez?
A lot. For instance the importance of small details in the tactics of the game. When it comes to tactics, Rafa Benitez is one of the best coaches of the world. But the best thing about him is despite he has been succesful he doesn't relax never and always wants to improve and is demanding efforts like the first day.
His self-demand level is as big as when I knew him in the Real Madrid's lower categories. He's always looking to improve, or how to use new technologies to help the performance of the players.
So he has talent in the tactics aspect of the game, but he's also a tough worker. For me being here is a mixture between satisfaction feeling, and responsibility feeling, as the level we ask ourselves is big.
Is he very demanding or what?
He is very demanding with himself, so he is also demanding with the players and us.
What's your job in the Liverpool structure?
I coach the reserves team, and I'm the responsible guy of the analysis department (analysis of the game).
Well, you're doing well with the reserves
We were champions yesteryear. It's a tough league. Our team is made by very young players that we expect them to be first team players in 4 years . In most cases we're talking about international players with their countries and with a lot of future.
This season have made the debut Plessis, Insua, and the Morocco player Nabil. This is the true goal of the reserve team, to achieve a decent % percent of players reaching the first team. Being champions of the reserve league is an anecdote, but it's true Rafa wants a strong reserve team.
Have you got autonomy to work?
Yes, within the lines that Rafa sets, yes. We must not forget the reserves team shares the dressroom with the first team, and train with them almost simultaneously. Our reserve players can have breakfast with Torres and that's a good thing.
Now you mention it, how is Torres doing
Very well. Fernando is well aware he can improve his game, and he's a humble guy, and that will allow him to fulfill that path of improvement. He was very important this season, he made a lot of goals for us. I'm sure he won't relax and he'll maintain his level next season, if he doesn't improve it.
How's that analisys work you've mentioned?
We're 5 people working at that. 2 of them travel through out England watching games, another guy makes the report of the opposition teams, then another guy edits the videos, and then I coordinate the work of everybody and analyse our game, Liverpool's game.
I try to get as much information as possible about our game, so that Rafa analyzes it and improves our performance from that data, which is the point.
If any club is more than a club, that's Liverpool
There are few clubs of the size of Liverpool, especially when it comes to social size. We have an impressive crowd, values and traditions. Liverpool people are used to not having an easy life. And all that is transmitted to the team. We might not be the most powerful economically, but we're the most special team in England.
