The new Blancos boss says he will need time to adapt to his role after replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu
Rafael Benitez has pleaded for patience from Real Madrid fans, insisting that it will take time for him to make a real impression in his new job as the club’s head coach.
The Spaniard admitted it was a dream come true to be handed the job when he was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, but he has urged the Madrid faithful to give him some breathing space as he looks to find the right formula.
“In my experience, the Real Madrid fans want their team to play well and win, and we will try to do that,” Benitez told Real Madrid TV. “At the beginning there is always an adjustment phase for the coach and the players. As such, I ask for a little patience.
“The Real Madrid fans known we have a great team, and if they are on our side we will be even stronger. Our strength has to be the public, the Bernabeu, and the quality of the players and the coach. If we come together we can be difficult to beat.”
The 55-year-old added that he hopes his team can be successful in all areas of the pitch, despite differing reviews of his approach in the countries in which he has coached so far.
“In Spain they said I was defensive but Italians say I’m too attacking. I like my teams to have a balanced attack and a good defensive approach. The teams that win titles are normally those that don’t concede many goals. That’s the aim,” he said.
“You have to treat the ball well because we have a lot of quality. From there, we can create chances and score goals but a balanced approach means we will not be hurt by counter-attacking. We can defend well by being very offensive.”
Benitez believes he can help the Madrid players using the lessons he has learned in his 22-year coaching career.
“With age and the experiences I’ve had I can pass on a few things. I will try to exploit the qualities the players have and if we can correct minor details or give that touch of experience that can help them then we will. I hope I don’t really need to though, as the quality they have means that perhaps it is not necessary.”
