JEREMY MATHIEU BELIEVES he was unfairly singled out for criticism at Barcelona and would love to prove a point to president Josep Maria Bartomeu and technical director Robert Fernandez when Sporting CP host the La Liga leaders on Wednesday.
Mathieu moved to Lisbon during the off-season after an underwhelming three-year stint at Camp Nou, during which he announced his surprise retirement from international football.
The 33-year-old defender appears to have already made a more favourable impression at Sporting, netting a magnificent free-kick in the 2-0 home win over Tondela earlier this month.
If he nets again against Barca in the Champions League, he told Marca any celebration would be aimed in the direction of Bartomeu and Fernandez, whose reputations took a battering amid the fallout of Neymar’s world-record switch to Paris Saint-Germain.
I don’t know [if I would celebrate],” he said. ”I have a lot of respect for my former team-mates and the fans.
“If I celebrate it will be for Bartomeu and Robert Fernandez, because I think the way they treated me was very difficult for me.
It was just the two of them. But that’s football and now I’m very happy. I do not care anymore.
“With respect to Barcelona itself, here I feel a bit like when I was in Valencia. It is a very familiar club and I was comfortable from day one.”
Mathieu was particularly stung by the criticism he received from Catalan newspaper Sport, claiming celebrated Barca defenders Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano were spared the level of scrutiny he endured after Barca’s Champions League exit at the hands of Juventus last season.
The newspaper Sport, I’m a little f***** up with them because every time I played they always had something bad to say against me.
“Football is a team sport and when you lose it is never the fault of one, that is my opinion.
I have seen the match against Juventus and everyone says that I was the problem. It is true that [on the first] goal I am one against one and do not tackle, stand-off and then they make a pass.
“They could say ‘what does Mascherano or Pique do?’ but no. It is my opinion.”
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Dead right. hopefully a win today now to give him and the players a little boost.
Looking forward to seeing what he does with the team over the next few transfer windows. It’s obvious he takes no sh!t from anyone, players or owners. Hoping he gets rid of the rot in the club asap.
He’ll need about €350 million if he gets rid of all the rot in that squad
The owners gave so much to Rodgers and his transfer committee, and they squandered the lot, apart from a handful of players who have either made a positive impact or look like they have a bit of potential. Can’t see why Klopp won’t be given the same financial support. If he’s allowed buy the players he wants, that will buy into his philosophy, I can see Liverpool improving vastly. First thing though is to sell those who either won’t or can’t play his kind of football.
Considering the players he lost Rodgers was given peanuts. He was only given 17 milion on top of what they got for Suarez after he left. You can’t compete for the league I’d your net spend is just 17 million.
@Ron, he still nearly spent £300 million over three years. Three years with not one trophy to show for it all. Rodgers came out and said that Spurs should be challenging for the title after spending £100 million. Most of that £100 million came from the sale of Bale. I’m a Liverpool fan like yourself, but that is embarrassing.
philosophy score more than the opposition.
ah come on ron stop that oul guff he spent a couple of hundred million.
Cutting the waste is more important than bringing in new players right now. Liverpool will go backwards before going forward.
I have to admit I like this bainisteoirs philosophy and the sort of staccato German-English soundbites are altogether more succinct than the usual waffle
First job is to buy a brand new back 4 and goalie
@Beano I don’t think Mignolet has been that bad lately. His distribution is poor but he’s made a few quality saves. Back four is the problem. A centre back should be his first purchase.
He will need time and can’t be judged until we see what moves are made in and out of the club in the transfer market. Problem is there are a lot of average players there now and to get the quality needed to attract better players champions league football is needed. So then he could be relying on the current squad to get into the top four or three as it might be. Some of Rodgers players like firminho, origi, lallana etc. etc needed to deliver something and really he needs to pray that sturridge gets fit again otherwise he is a luxury that the club can’t afford.
I actually think that Sturridge won’t be able to cope with Klopp’s demands. He’s made out of glass, every time he comes back from an injury, he immediately is ruled out again. I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll be able to keep up the tempo and the pressure. Hope he proves me wrong but if he can’t, I don’t think Klopp will stick with him.
It’s clear looking at that Liverpool squad how bad it is. Much work for Jurgen to do
thats Baloteli gone for good so