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LIVERPOOL FC: ABLETT'S END OF SEASON REVIEW: PART TWO

In the second part of an exclusive end of season review with Liverpoolfc.tv, reserves boss Gary Ablett talks about getting players in the first team and reveals his own coaching ambitions.

/noticias.info/ Talk to us about going to the Dallas Cup after Christmas, how did it all come about?

I think Dallas had been in the pipeline since just before Christmas. We had been approached by adidas and asked to go. I think Chelsea had gone the year before and had managed to get to the final and lost 1-0 to Sao Paulo. The week before we left we did a lot of acclimatisation with the players, trying to get their body clocks onto the American time. We prepared really thoroughly but we didn't know what to expect when we went out. We flew to Chicago and had to wait three hours before we got on another plane, which was another two and a half hours over to Fort Worth in Dallas. The length of the trip was difficult in the respect that we were expected to go and play not the next day but the day after. Having said that, the hotel was amazing, the food was very good and we were very well received.

Obviously the trip had a few problems - you couldn't get the Hungarian lads in right away...

I have to say it was probably a blessing in disguise in the fact that we could bring them out for the semi-final and the final relatively fresh. But yes, we got to the checkout and we were told they didn't have the right paperwork or the right visa, so we had to send them back and wait for two or three days until we got the paperwork in order.

So, a good experience for the lads overall?

I think so. We were very well received and met some wonderful people. We were fantastically well looked after by Mr Hicks, who took us to the ice hockey to watch his team, the Dallas Stars. He gave us the use of a private box. On the whole it was a very worthwhile trip. I have to say, we would think twice about going back if we were invited but we will have to wait and see what happens next season.

When you came back, Damian Plessis was called up into the first-team squad to face Arsenal, which must have been a proud moment for you?

Damian just missed the age cut for Dallas, so stayed behind and trained with Rafa and the first team. Obviously Rafa saw something in that time.

One thing you know is that Rafa wouldn't have selected him unless he was 100 per cent convinced that he was ready to play for the first team...

Yes, I've known that by conversations I've had in the past. If Rafa didn't think the player was ready, no matter whether I did or anybody else did, the player wouldn't play.

And he played very well in that game against Arsenal..

He did. He probably passed the ball forward a lot more than in our games. Obviously he had more experienced players making better runs for him. He was trying to get the ball down and play and I think you saw one of the tackles he made on Theo Walcott. He's not afraid to put his foot in. He has great potential and we hope that he can go on and fulfil that. notas_de_prensa_archivo