[Albion] RDZ Chelsea post-match interview

[Seagull27]

Saw this on the match thread and thought it deserved a thread of its own. Key points for me:

- RDZ cares a lot about feeling "part of the family" in a club, and not just an employee. He feels like this at Brighton already, which is testament to TB, PB and all the employees at the club - as well as the fans hopefully.

- I'd like to hear him talk more about the situation at Shakthar Donetsk - he clearly feels aggrieved to have had the club taken away from him "by Putin". Both of these points say a lot about the man, he wants to find a place he can form strong attachments to. I think he is showing potential strong leadership characteristics and, dare I say it, emotional intelligence.

- wouldn't comment on the booing Potter situation, which is a smart move - doesn't upset the fans by defending him, but also doesn't stir up anything further.

- thinks Solly March (and Dunk) should be playing European football, and is amazed that he hasn't been getting the same attention as Mac Allister or Caicedo from top-level clubs and media. Thinks March has it all - technical, physical and mental ability. He commented how March is intelligent and if you give him an instruction, he will follow it perfectly. This is why he has been a key player for all the managers he has played under

- he likes inverted wingers, so I think we'll see March playing RW most of the season

- his knowledge of football and tactics is very impressive, and even more so of individual players - he talks about our players as if he's been training them for years. Up front about what he wants each of them to improve upon already

I really starting to believe we've got a gem here.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Let's just keep in mind 1 or 2 successful seasons and he will be a target for the CL clubs regardless how much he talks about being part of a family.

We're his 7th club in under 10 years of management. I love the guy, I'm not being critical at all, but if he was already genuinely on the radar of the likes of Juve, and he continues on a trajectory of improvement here - lets enjoy while we can, because the vultures have replaced the seagulls circling the Amex.

 

[Normandy seagull]

I saw the interview at the weekend- he really does love Solly doesn’t he who’d have thought a lad from Hailsham could be potentially a Messi or Ronaldo. Interesting he mentions every player apart from Gross and Lallana. Does he think they are too slow for De Zerbi ball?

 

[dazzer6666]

I saw the interview at the weekend- he really does love Solly doesn’t he who’d have thought a lad from Hailsham could be potentially a Messi or Ronaldo. Interesting he mentions every player apart from Gross and Lallana. Does he think they are too slow for De Zerbi ball?

He’s mentioned them several times before though, particularly Adam.

 

[Normandy seagull]

He’s mentioned them several times before though, particularly Adam.

True you can’t mention every player every interview. I think he does it because it fills out the interview with easy words. When his English is fluent he will talk less about players possibly

 

[Icy Gull]

It was clear he wanted more from Solly from the very first training session video, kept pushing him

After GP I am not investing too much love, jumping ship when the big boys come knocking is likely if he does as well as I think he might. In the meantime I am loving what I am seeing of him and the team.

 

[amexer]

It would help if i could hear the questions

 

[Wozza]

Not sure I like him linking our players with bigger clubs, though!*

* Unless he's implying that Solly can play for ALBION in the Champs League.

 

[dwayne]

Great interview. Much better than the early, slightly shambolic conferences.

Fascinating insights about English players not being recognised at smaller EPL clubs. Which is completely true.

 

[dwayne]

It was clear he wanted more from Solly from the very first training session video, kept pushing him

After GP I am not investing too much love, jumping ship when the big boys come knocking is likely if he does as well as I think he might. In the meantime I am loving what I am seeing of him and the team.

Dunno. Feel more confident in keeping this guy for longer than potter. There's not that many super star teams that can poach the manager, especially with our massive release clauses. I reckon we will get at least 2.5 seasons out of him.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It was clear he wanted more from Solly from the very first training session video, kept pushing him

After GP I am not investing too much love, jumping ship when the big boys come knocking is likely if he does as well as I think he might. In the meantime I am loving what I am seeing of him and the team.

I don't think there is anything wrong in loving them if you don't slip into believing they're going to love you back just as much.

I was really upset Chris got sacked, but loved what Graham was doing from that first game away to Watford. Gutted Potter has left, but from that first game away to Liverpool, completely onboard with Roberto - can already see I'm going to be a cheerleader for him too. However, it's love with some cold detachment, because success will equal departure, just the same as failure would.

 

[trueblue]

Let's just keep in mind 1 or 2 successful seasons and he will be a target for the CL clubs regardless how much he talks about being part of a family.

We're his 7th club in under 10 years of management. I love the guy, I'm not being critical at all, but if he was already genuinely on the radar of the likes of Juve, and he continues on a trajectory of improvement here - lets enjoy while we can, because the vultures have replaced the seagulls circling the Amex.

If he's successful enough that he get picked up by a Champions League club, we'll have done okay out of it. If there's something tangible to show for the project - a trophy or a even a season at some European level - before he moves on, I doubt anyone would complain. As long as he doesn't up sticks just when it's all starting to come together, no-one will mind too much.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Did my heart good to hear the manager talk about Solly in that way.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I saw the interview at the weekend- he really does love Solly doesn’t he who’d have thought a lad from Hailsham could be potentially a Messi or Ronaldo. Interesting he mentions every player apart from Gross and Lallana. Does he think they are too slow for De Zerbi ball?

He strikes me as the type of guy who wouldn't play someone if he didn't rate them. Personally, I think Groß and Lallana have been excellent in the past few games. As an aside, didn't he go out of his way to say how helpful Lallana had been in his first few weeks at the club, or was that someone else?

He also seems like a coach who can REALLY get the best out of players – as per the Solly March comments in particular. While he might not be able to add pace to the two you mentioned, he'd probably be able to squeeze a bit more of what he wants out of them...

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

That is a seriously good interview. He shares some insights and it's worth listening to. Not just the trite answers we have had in the past. Works his own agenda hard and doesn't fall into any traps (like predicting when Veltman might be back). And his English is already more nuanced than some native speaking managers of other clubs in the past.

I particularly liked that we had no idea Mitoma and Lallana would play - they were apparently doubts on Friday - and yet they both played and he lets slip in the interview that Mitoma was fit to play on Tuesday. So he's not as open (naive?) as perhaps some people think he is or as he lets us think. Cunning Italian midfielder that he is!!