"I do miss the city and the fans," says Riise, speaking a few weeks before completing a move from Roma to Fulham. "When I left (in 2008) I was sad, I was disappointed - not only at Rafa, at that time, but also with myself because I didn't do as much as I could have done to stay longer. "When you've been somewhere for seven years you get so comfy. I was too happy with my position and I didn't work as hard as I could. I was too settled, I didn't think I had to work that hard. I regret that now - hopefully I won't regret it too much. "I didn't want to go. I had a chat with (Rafael) Benitez. He said to me straight out that next year he was going to buy another left-back and my future was not there. It was quite straightforward and I respected that he was honest and told me so I could sort things out, because there was no way I could have stayed there another year and not played. "He spent so much money on Andrea Dossena and I knew he was going to give him a lot of chances, even though I thought I was a better player than him. "I don't think there have been many left-backs to replace me since then. Not many have adapted to the English game and last season there was (Paul) Konchesky and I don't think he played." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/riise-on-rafa-leaving-and-his-og
to be honest if he admits he was resting on his laurels and wasn't putting the effort in then Rafa was 100% right to sell him on. Loved the guy though and he was a top player for a while.
He should have stayed longer Rafa made a mistake letting him go. No turning back now just remember the good times. "I think it (the Man Utd free-kick) was the best goal I ever scored - definitely the most important one in my career with Liverpool because it got me into the hearts of the Liverpool fans and it proved I could do stuff.
Liverpool legend, and one of my favorite lfc players of recent times. I think the whole team(including rafa) got a bit complacant after a couple of good seasons just after winning the champions league. We signed the wrong type of players and in my mind got rid of some players that we could have done with staying(crouch, riise and alonso all come to mind). I think things are starting to turn around now and with FSG's backing and Dalglish at the helm we should be able to keep a competetive squad and stave off complacency.
i think risse has admitted why he needed the move. I certainly thought he wasn't putting the effort in cos he simply wasn't able to get up and down the line like he should have been. there was no reason in terms fo injury for him to slow down like he did. For me given the times, and the financial constraints we were under rafa was simply mad to punt on dossena when he could have gotten risse for less money in terms of wages let alone waste 3-4mil. oh and have to buy krygiakos as well... thats is in the context of the times it was. I still think it was best for both us and risse to move on so rafa may have made a good decision in that regard, its just the buy he made was mad.
So not only did he get lazy, which affected his game - which was bloody obvious - but he didn't want to play 2nd fiddle and stay to fight for his place, which now looks pretty stupid considering Dossena's struggle to settle and adapt and Insua still a youngster. Yeah, it's all Rafa's fault for trying to do right for the club with a complacent player. If Dossena or NGog or Lucas or Insua or Voronin had admitted their performances had suffered because they got lazy they'd have been run out of town by fans. I'm really disappointed in him with this admission. He was struggling in his last season but I didn't know it was his own fault.
Agree with you mate. I for one noticed that Riisse wasn't the same player in his last year and a bit and he was really poor. Fair play to him, it was an honest self assessment but's unforgivable to say he couldn't stay for another year and fight for his place when he thought he was a better player than Dossena.
JAR starts tonight for fulham apparently... i'll be watching to see if he can drive in a 30 yard left-footer for good time's sake =)
Fine player when he was at the top of his game at both left back and wide left.He just took his foot off the peddle and got sloppy.He had to be moved on...he became stale.A change is as good as a rest.Bob Paisley used to do it with players that he felt were beginning to get sloppy.It was something that refused to tolerate.However he had signed their replacement two years earlier.
Not sure what you mean by this mate as we finished 2nd after Riise left and Alonso was sold 12 months before Benitez was sacked, so not sure where the complacency crept in! Also Crouch wouldn't stay as a back-up, and as much as i loved Riise the things he says above were evident in his performances. Unfortunately that OG was symptomatic of the end of his time with us and annoyed me nearly as much as i loved that free kick against Utd. One thing i take from this is- players like Torres should remember what this club and city means. Riise will be welcome back any time, he'll get a hero's welcome at Anfield, and he will have riches more than money when he retires. Who's going to sing Fernando's name when he returns to one of his old home grounds? Probably only Athletico if he can get back to end his career there. Also given the recent mess over the women's England team and penalties, what character JAR had to stick his neck out and put himself straight forward for those pens in the finals!
He missed on in 2005 and had the balls to take one in 2006 and he made sure that he wasn't going to miss.He put his foot through it.You could see the determination in his face.He came..he saw...he conquered.I was delighted for him when he scored.He showed unbelievable courage to go and do it again.
I think Shaka knew what was coming from Riise but decided that his hands/head/foot was worth keeping.....
I think Shaka got advice from Fabian Barthez.When both were at Monaco,JAR broke two of Barthezs' fingers,and was banned by Jean Tigana the then Monaco manager from taking pot-shots in training because he was hitting the ball too hard.
Riise will always be remembered fondly by our fan's and in hindsight it might of been worth keeping him as we've never really replaced him apart from Aurelio who as we all know is very good but is injured far too often. However at the time when he left i did feel he gone a bit stale as he has alluded to himself in the interview and it was time for him to go. I'm sure Rafa did what he thought was best buying Dossena who lets not forget had been voted best defender in serie A the season before he signed and it was just a shame it didn't work out. I'd say thanks for the memories to Riise and i for one will give him a great reception when he returns to Anfield providing he doesn't score the winner for Fulham of course.
that sounds like what i think too. stale is a perfect description. I still think dossena v risse was madness but the general though to replace risse was not a bad one. when you see dossena's legs pumping to sprint down the line and then tony hibbert stroll past him to take the ball... well you know it was a crazy thought that this guy from a lesser team in italy playing slower football was madness. hindsight is great.... riise was great, should have stayed great and still be with us but he is right to look at himself.... us fans can look at rafa in hindsight but only critise the replacement i think.
Ha ha you know you've bought the wrong player when tony Hibbert burns them up for pace, he made Hibbert look like Usain Bolt that day.
