Arjen Robben: "Comparing me to Messi is nonsense"

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Arjen Robben is desperate to get back out there

Arjen Robben is yet to play his first game at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But the experts see a hero's role for him. The man who is to give Holland the needed impulse is modest. "Comparing me to Messi is nonsense"

Lionel Messi is the big star of Argentina, and perhaps the best player in the world. Robben: "Let's go and play a game first. Then we'll see; I just want to get better, improve myself. It doesn't mean much to me where I am in the pecking order. I know what I am capable of, but let's not exaggerate."

He started the season with Bayern Munich with some clear goals. "I wanted to get more effective. Wanted to raise the efficiency. Enforce more decisive moments, have assists, score goals. I've become sharper. Even on training every chance had to go in."

It brought Bayern some silverware and Robben had a great season in which he was named the best player of the Bundesliga. Internationally he was also the man to make the difference. Yet he failed to do so in the Champions League final. "I felt good, but I missed Ribery in that game. The opponent had all attention focussed on me. Getting passed two of them went okay, but then there was always a third."

Towards the end of a warm-up game against Hungary, just before departure to South Africa, Robben got injured. A sudden movement and he pulled a hamstring. He then opted for an aggressive approach. "Normally it's four to six weeks to recover from this. I only had two. It was tough, but it worked."

Robben and Oranje, it's not a happy marriage, he says. "Every time there is something that has me missing the big games. Do I get used to it? No. Never. Here too it hurt to sit on the bus to the stadium knowing I wouldn't play. I wanted to but knew I couldn't. Fortunately the moment I can is getting closer."

Robben was very happy when he could travel to South Africa a week later than the rest of the squad. "I can still see myself on the massage table just after the game against Hungary. I was a mess. Everyone came up to me, hugging me, giving me hope. Then I thought to myself: 'I shall come along'. It's worked."

Holland need him. "You will not hear me say that. But in this squad we all have our specific qualities. I'm the one who ads depth and who can run at an opponent. But don't expect me to come on and have the game my way within 15 minutes. I need rhythm, playing time. We'll go by the ear and see how far I am, whether I can play. Cameroon on Thursday? It's possible."

The former Chelsea man thinks the game against (presumably) Brazil in the quarterfinals could become key. The laws of logic prescribe it will be the South Americans who they will face later on in Port Elizabeth. Robben: "But it's not that it's on our minds already. We first have to get through the round of 16. But I do think Brazil have been impressive so far."

Before that Holland will play Cameroon in Capetown. Holland are already qualified. "But we do take this game very seriously. We want to win, sustain the rhythm and play good football."

Two years ago, at Euro 2008, the scenario was similar. Then manager Marco van Basten chose to play the reserves against Romania, after which the rested first team lost to Russia in the quarterfinals.

"I can feel that the squad has learned from that game against Russia," Robben says. "But that's no guarantee for success. Still, the situation two years ago and four years ago at the World Cup (eliminated by Portugal in the round of 16, df) was different. Those times we came through the Group of Death and there was euphoria. Now there's none. Perhaps that isn't all that bad."