Thomas Mueller is holding Arjen Robben back with a giant elastic
band, waiting intently for Pep Guardiola's signal.
When Guardiola drops his hand and hollers 'Ja!', Muller releases
and Robben bursts into life. First he sprints 10 metres to two small
hurdles which he skips over, then slaloms between two posts
before a ball is rolled towards him.
Without breaking stride, Robben takes one touch to control, draws
back his left foot and hammers a drive from 20 yards that gathers
speed as it zips past Manuel Neuer. There is barely a flicker from
Robben as he jogs back to his starting point but Guardiola is
satisfied. 'Super!', Bayern Munich's coach acknowledges, beating
his hands enthusiastically.
This might be a routine session at Sabener Strasse, Bayern's leafy
headquarters on the outskirts of Munich, but there is nothing
ordinary about the way Robben goes about his business, repeating
the drill as he strives for perfection. It is a fascinating insight into
one of the world's best players at work.
Voted into the FIFPro Team of the Year for 2014, this flying
Dutchman is thriving and is second top scorer in the Bundesliga
with 17 goals. As we speak after training, his esteem for Guardiola
bursts through.
'I've had the privilege to work with a lot of great coaches and he is
certainly one,' says Robben. 'I'm 31 but over the last 18 months I
feel I've made steps forward.
'He is just crazy about football. In my first conversation with him
he told me it was important I started to enjoy football. He didn't
want me to relax but to appreciate what was in front of me. He
said: 'Enjoy football, enjoy your life'. Straight away he gave me
confidence.'
Robben has never lacked belief in his ability but he has been
transformed since Chelsea sold him to Real Madrid in 2007. The 13
major honours he has subsequently collected make him a rare
breed — a player offloaded by Jose Mourinho who has not only
enjoyed success but gone to a different level.
His time at Stamford Bridge was trophy-laden — two league titles,
two League Cups and an FA Cup — but, deep down, Robben
doesn't believe he showed his potential as questions were asked
about his fitness. So what changed?
'I'm a few years older and have less hair, I guess!' he says,
laughing. 'I think I made a positive development at Chelsea. I was
very young when I arrived, only just 20, and the problem I had was
injuries.
'I missed the first three months. It was a crazy situation during a
friendly against Roma in America. Olivier Dacourt, the French
midfielder, had a bad game, was frustrated and kicked me. He got
a red card but he broke my foot. It was like you see kids in school.
He was running behind me, taking kicks! I twisted over and broke
my metatarsal. When I got back, I started playing at a very high
level. It was just the injuries. I had bad luck.
'That is why it is so pleasing now. At the time, you hear people
say you are made from glass. I was angry because I felt like I was
always having to defend myself. I know now something was
wrong with my body.
'I'm a very explosive player and need everything to be right. I
started working with an osteopath the last year I was in Madrid
and have stayed with him. I have control of my body now and
know when I can 'go'.'
Did that uncertainty place a strain on his relationship with
Mourinho?
'He was very fair, very good,' he replies. 'The only problem was the
injuries. He could not count on me. It was frustrating for both of us
and it became difficult. But in a football point of view, he was very
important. He helped me mentally.'
If Mourinho shaped Robben, and Guardiola applied the polish,
Louis van Gaal 'made' him. When the winger left Madrid for
Munich in 2009, he knew it was his last chance to become the
headline act at one of Europe's giants.
'From the first day he made me feel important,' Robben explains.
'He gave me an important role and I had a great first year. I am
very thankful to him. He is a coach who makes individual players
better. That is rare nowadays.'
Scrutiny is on Van Gaal, given Manchester United's erratic
displays. Joining his old boss last summer was never an option
but not because Robben had concerns about joining a faltering
project.
'I have a lot of confidence he will be a success,' he says. 'He needs
time to build his team. When he qualifies for the Champions
League — and he has a realistic chance of winning the FA Cup — if
that happens, he has had a great season.
'The life I have with my family is so good, the team has been
successful. If things were not going so well, maybe (joining
United) would be the first option,' he adds, smiling. 'But he knows I
am happy.'
Robben is spoken of as a Ballon d'Or candidate, while accusations
that he goes to ground too easily are becoming a thing of the past.
'There are times people say too much and it isn't fair, but I can
live with that,' he says. 'I will always be the first to admit when I
have done something wrong.'
At present he is doing little wrong. Another Bundesliga title should
be wrapped up in spring but one trophy is coveted. The Champions
League is an obsession for the man whose goal secured Bayern's
fifth title in 2013 — but Robben is not one to dwell on the past.
'Do I still think about that goal at Wembley?' he asks, recalling the
night he broke Borussia Dortmund's resistance. 'Not any more. I
am not a daydreamer.'
The first leg of their last-16 tie with Shakhtar Donetsk finished 0-0
and Bayern should progress at home on Wednesday, particularly
as Guardiola does not tolerate complacency.
If something happens in training he does not like, the coach will
erupt until he gets his point across.
Robben adds: 'He makes you train at a certain level and that is
how you become successful. It is all about what we can achieve
next. We want to win the Champions League.'
If they do, Robben, with his lightning bursts and thunderous shots,
will be central to the plot. SOURCE: DAILYMAILUK |
No comments:
Post a Comment