RafaTheGaffer

I was brought up watching football from the 80s, great spill over from 70s. the game turn more professional in 90s, when Wenger joined in the tail end of the nineties he revolution the game, the way he approach playing football, the dietary side of football. His approach of buying young talent from all over the world, people criticized this approach saying it's not good for our game now people are saying the same thing about Rafa. Now my interpretation what Rafa said after the European cup, things have to change in terms how the club is run. When he first came to is club everyone said he ripped out the soul of club by let go of lee & Thompson, I think this illustrates my point, Rafa thinks the club is run old fashion, also i think that is why he does not get on with Perry. this is how I see his vision & how he wants the club to be run. By reading what he said when he was at Madrid that he would have 40 plus players all competing to reach the first-team place, I don't think he considers having a first-team, reserve team and a youth team to me it looks like A team B team C team, the C team would be all his under 18s be it local talent or international talent all looking to get into B team, same process them will be for B team. Now lot people say that is as natural progression, but I think what is trying to do is make it a very competitive stead of having players progressing slowly from youth to reserve football, he wants them to be pushing to get in B team form C team. reserve football lets him down in England because all that drive and energy to get from C team to B team is lost as their is no competitive edge in reserve football.

chris

But isn't that what Mourinho has done at Chelsea ? Chelsea probably have a squad of 30 + players. Many are loaned out, like Alex at PSV. Benitez couldnt hope to keep 40 pro's happy hanging around at Anfield.