by 66-1112520797 » Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:17 am
July 2008
RICARDO QUARESMA - A DEEPER SOUL
Alberto de Silva, Bola
Alberto de Silva: Ricardo, the nations still depressed (re: Euro 2008)
Quaresma: Yes, I am aware, but these things happen in football, we must just look at the issues and put them right for the world cup.
Alberto de Silva: Was it anything in particular, anything you could have changed if you were on the pitch?
Quaresma: No, I don’t think so. I think this year had allotted of very strong teams and this perhaps took us back.
Alberto de Silva: You weren't prepared?
Quaresma: No, I didn't say that, I just think this was a particularly tough tournament with some very exciting teams
Alberto de Silva: Was it anything to do with Scolari already stating he was going? Or perhaps your friend Ronaldo's choice of club?
Quaresma: No, I wouldn't say either effected us in any real way, we hurd things, and we knew things were happening but neither could be the reason why we failed.
Alberto de Silva: Did Christiano ever talk to you about his future? Did he put pressure on players to help him out atall?
Quaresma: He did talk to me, we spoke about many things but his business is his business and we view our profession in a slightly different light.
Alberto de Silva: Ronaldo is seen as the more enthusiastic, your more into designer gear and partying aren't you?
Quaresma: Not atall, I don’t understand why you and half the world seem to see me in this light, I very rarely go out 'clubbing' or 'partying' I just like to have a good time as I have worked hard my whole life to afford this lifestyle.
Alberto de Silva: But whilst your friend is out there winning the premiership title and the European cup, you have done very little to move, you seem happy to play in Portugal and not test yourself, you seem determined not to venture. Look at your time in Barca, you were pushed out very quickly there because you simply weren't interested were you?
Quaresma: Look (with very miserable expression) I am tired, I am tired of Christiano being some kind of benchmark for me, I am tired of people saying I’m not ambitious. I did try very hard at Barca but it didn't work out, simple really, sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can’t win.
Alberto de Silva: So why is it three months ago you said you were leaving, why is it you made it publicly clear that you were gone, but somehow you still sit here, on your own with your feet up watching cartoons?
Quaresma: I only stayed in to have this discussion with you. I am here because the right offer has not come up.
Alberto de Silva: Not enough money?
Quaresma: Your very good at twisting my words. Not about money, it's about making the right choice; I don’t want to end up in the situation I was in before (Re: Barcelona)
Alberto de Silva: You had some very big clubs after you last season, why not of moved then?
Quaresma: I wanted to say good-bye properly. I wanted to make people happy.
Alberto de Silva: You could of made people happy moving last year, you are a very exciting talent who could of made a name for himself, like Christiano, Instead your price tag has dropped and your desirability has fallen, maybe due to the bad attention you get for perhaps 'play acting'
Quaresma: You seem very interested in Christiano, I think you feel I am jealous of him
Alberto de Silva: You are though aren’t you?
Quaresma: No, that is why I am still here, because I don’t need to prove myself, as you said, last summer I had huge clubs after me, two in particular but I wanted to help FC Porto.
Alberto de Silva: I hurd an English club had discussions with you, before rejecting you.
Quaresma: You must be talking about Liverpool? Well yes their representative came to me, and we spoke. They did not reject me, I believe they wanted to kind of change my role; they wanted me to be less expressive on the pitch and be more aggressive.
Alberto de Silva: What is wrong with that, after all most clubs would want to see you doing less of the tricks and more of the work. Scolari didn't like it that is why you upset him in Switzerland.
Quaresma: I didn't upset him, I just tried something different and it didn't work. If Liverpool had come to me and said they wanted me to be me, I would of moved, they are doing something special and their fans are incredible, I know of no other team with fans who care so much. I remember Fernando Torres scoring against us and the noise was defening. They were incredible.
Alberto de Silva: So have they approached this summer, perhaps with different views?
Quaresma: I cannot comment, many clubs have spoken to my agent and me.
Alberto de Silva: Not Chelsea though, Scolari doesn’t believe in you.
Quaresma: Perhaps not, but I believe in myself and many clubs do. I like the premiership to watch, very fast paced and games change quickly.
Alberto de Silva: Would be great for you to actually summon up the effort to take that league on then.
Quaresma: Perhaps. We will see.
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Hmmm quite interesting that (the highlighted bit) to see that we were interested in him. But wanted to change him some what ?
Now I thought changing a player (for the worse IMHO) is what the English coaches do do best at grassroot level, although its a different topic altogether. Why look to sign a player and change him ?
Firstly why bother trying to sign someone when your not totally convinced/happy with their own abilities in the first place ?
Secondly why try and change someone ?
Now we've all had a good moan around here about the "Parry factor" and the daily digs about the Yanks not pulling the stops out into getting a player signed up. But when the manager talks to a player and starts to become fussy with the players attributes, telling him you 'want to change him into something hes not'. Then maybe this is another reason it takes an eternity for us to sign a player.
This is another gripe I have with Rafa though, when signing a player it seems that he always has to be a workhorse before anything else. If the player isnt, it seems the gaffer isnt interested. Is this why we still have no wing players do you think, because Rafa would like glorified fullbacks playing that position instead of an out and out tricky winger ? I think so.
If we'd have signed Quaresma the bloke would of had to work more on his physical aspect of the game, hes joining the Prem FFS ! He would of beefed up surely in training, aswell as matches. Doing more for the team, well couldnt Rafa with a bit of subtlety gotten a bit more out of him as time went on. I think so, instead of scaring the bloke off during talks telling him "we want to change you".
Do you think Fergie did that with Ronaldo, tell him to cut out the tricks. Become more bland in his style and mould him into something hes not. 40 odd goals last season would suggest he didnt, and he reaped the rewards.
Last edited by 66-1112520797 on Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.