TNT Sports
Raul gets no satisfaction
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Published 14/06/2005 at 19:02 GMT+1
Real Madrid captain Raul says he has been unhappy with both his own and his team's performances over the past two seasons. "I haven't got any satisfaction from the way I've played nor have I enjoyed the way the team has played over the last two years," Ra
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Real have not won a major trophy for the past two years, the club's most barren run of form in 13 years.
This term they failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, were knocked out in the third round of the King's Cup and ended up as runners-up to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Primera Liga.
On a personal level Raul, who has been a fixture in the Real Madrid first team for the past 10 years, had one of his worst campaigns since breaking into the squad when he scored just nine league goals in the recently completed season.
"It wasn't a good season," said the 27-year-old Spanish international. "But the team did at least manage to give a good account of itself at the end and we can hold our heads up high. Next season we'll be working hard to win all three trophies we will be competing for."
The striker said putting an end to two years of underachievement was conditional upon the club strengthening its squad and ensuring that coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo remained at the helm.
"If we haven't achieved our objectives it's because something has gone wrong," he said. "We are now looking for solutions as to how we can become more competitive and I'm sure we'll start next season well by winning games.
"I hope the coach stays at the club so that we can plan the season from the start. We also have to develop a plan in the knowledge that Real Madrid will be battling to win everything and so it will be important to have a big squad.
"We are going to be playing between 60 and 65 games and so we will need 22, 23 or 24 players so that we can play a game every three to four days."
The Spanish sporting press have produced an almost endless list of players who could join Real in the close season ranging from Brazilian forward Robinho to England midfielder Steven Gerrard, but the club has yet to sign any new players.
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