The only thing that was reported was a comment by the manager that Pacheco was talented but he had to learn the Vallecano way of playing football - or some such. That was initially interpreted as being a slight on Pacheco's willingness to graft. But I do remember some respectable authority saying that it wasn't quite that. It was about learning to play in the cruder, more direct style that the Vallecano manager favoured at that time.
He was also injured for a large part of his time with Rayo and even after the manager made these comments he had a recurring problem during the season. I said after the loan that even though it hadn't worked out I thought it would have given him much more drive and determination to succeed when he came back to Liverpool. Completely baffled that Rodgers didn't fancy him enough to keep him around given our squad even if a couple of players had been added on deadline day, we still looked incredibly light.
One of those players you brought in was Dani Pacheco on loan from Liverpool. How is he progressing?
The Spanish rate players on the present rather than the past. He’s come from Liverpool, but didn’t really play for Liverpool. We're looking to get the best out of Dani Pacheco: up until now he’s had injuries so hasn’t been able to get going.
But it’s important that a player knows where he is. He’s at Rayo now, he has to work like a Rayo player. If not, then you won’t play. So we're working a lot with him on a psychological level and getting over to him what the spirit of Rayo Vallecano is, as he needs to identify himself with the badge. Even if you have a lot of quality, if you don’t play the way I want then you aren’t going to be included.
I don't buy all this stuff about X number of managers who haven't fancied the kid. Benitez had been slowly working him into the first team. Dani was still incredibly young at the time but Rafa clearly rated the kid. The summer Rafa left Dani went off and got player of the tournament in the U19 Euros. He came back to a new manager in Roy who went on to blame him for that defeat. He never got a look in after this under Roy. God knows what this must have done to the kids confidence.
Kenny sent him on loan during the back end of the season he took over. He actually did quite well at Norwich in the short time he spent at the club. Scored a couple of goals in six appearances. Norwich at the time though were battling for promotion and Lambert naturally enough for the most part stuck with the guys who had got them to that point in season. They also had that lad whose name currently escapes me that went on a mad scoring streak to take Dani's place. Lambert praised the kid for his time with the club. He seemed to have enjoyed this time and the club and the supporters seems to have good things to say about him and would've been happy to have had him back the following season.
The following season he was loaned out to Spain. I don't really know what went on with the loanception thing but he never went to Madrid, they loaned him from us and sent him straight to Rayo. The other funny thing was Malaga made an enquiry to buy Dani outright at the time and were told we were only willing to loan him. Anyway he went off to Rayo which is where the story of this post started.
For a young kid like him trying to break through into the first team it has been very tough having seen the manager who brought him to the club leave. Since then the club has had three more managers. Lots of clubs over the years have shown an interest in buying him. We even signed him to a long term deal only a few years back to ward off interest.
So through our messing around of never giving him a run in the first team, not setting up good loan deals or just not selling him it has meant the kid in probably three of his most important years of development as a footballer has hardly played any football.
I had mixed feelings when I heard he would be staying as at this stage I want to see Dani's welfare as a footballer looked after. Another season in limbo playing very few games is the last thing he needs. I just hope that won't be the case as a success story for him at Liverpool would be something that would put a massive smile on my face.
