It's not hard to miss Rafa's natural confidence.
On the pitch he always wants the ball and is comfortable with it at his feet. Some may stretch to a bit of a diva at times. A 'flair player', which may be a nicer way of putting it.
Off the pitch he is more than happy to voice his opinion to the press about his thoughts. Having, in recent weeks, spoken on more than one occasion about his dislike for being deployed on the right, preferring to sit in behind the striker. He muttered about Harry not including him in the Europa league squad, not consulting him when he had gone to the trouble of seeing his own specialist in Holland. He's happy to say when he doesn't think the team are doing well and that 'I feel that I am a starting player so I am not worried about starting, but of course I feel sorry for Jermain.'
Personally I don't think there is any problem with someone in the team like this. He wants to play football. He's a great footballer and his confidence that he beleives he is one of the best players in the world, will hopefully rub off on our other players.
What I do think is that a lot of his comments are quite calculated. A self publicity drive, to make others realise what he does. Again, I have no problem with this. I want our forward line to be talked of by other teams in an admiring way. Something that, last term we struggled with up front.
I worry that when the time comes to drop Rafa, for whatever reason, he won't take kindly to it. Is the future of our frontline with or without Rafa?
On the pitch he always wants the ball and is comfortable with it at his feet. Some may stretch to a bit of a diva at times. A 'flair player', which may be a nicer way of putting it.
Off the pitch he is more than happy to voice his opinion to the press about his thoughts. Having, in recent weeks, spoken on more than one occasion about his dislike for being deployed on the right, preferring to sit in behind the striker. He muttered about Harry not including him in the Europa league squad, not consulting him when he had gone to the trouble of seeing his own specialist in Holland. He's happy to say when he doesn't think the team are doing well and that 'I feel that I am a starting player so I am not worried about starting, but of course I feel sorry for Jermain.'
Personally I don't think there is any problem with someone in the team like this. He wants to play football. He's a great footballer and his confidence that he beleives he is one of the best players in the world, will hopefully rub off on our other players.
What I do think is that a lot of his comments are quite calculated. A self publicity drive, to make others realise what he does. Again, I have no problem with this. I want our forward line to be talked of by other teams in an admiring way. Something that, last term we struggled with up front.
I worry that when the time comes to drop Rafa, for whatever reason, he won't take kindly to it. Is the future of our frontline with or without Rafa?