Learning fast essential for Letizi

Source: http://sport.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=1299562006

LIONEL Letizi is in a rush. He is in a rush to cement his place in the Rangers starting line-up, in a rush to develop a better understanding with the defence which is supposed to help protect his goalmouth, impatient to see his family completely settled in their new life and, at this particular moment, the Frenchman is in a desperate hurry to get to his English lesson.

We are sitting at Murray Park and our window of opportunity is also closing fast, training went on slightly longer than expected and he knows his teacher and classmates will already be gathering in the room where, twice a week, he and several of Paul Le Guen's signings are being taught how to communicate with the natives.

But for him speed has been of the essence during his initial period in Scotland. Originally identified as cover for Stefan Klos, the former Paris St Germain goalkeeper was thrown into the fray sooner than expected as the German underwent surgery on his shoulder during the close-season.

But, with Klos back in training following his period of recuperation, Letizi, though insistent he is not worried, is well aware of the threat the German poses to his status as first-pick. That is why the Frenchman is keen to eradicate the blips which have blighted the Rangers rearguard in the opening games. He says that every player realises there is competition for their place but he knows the gaffer is less likely to break up a solid unit. At the moment he is candid enough to admit that he and his defence don't exactly merit that description.

"There are a lot of differences in the football but I am starting to get used to it. In France we have the time to play and to build moves but here it is more direct, a lot of long balls and a lot of crosses. In France, when the ball is in the opponents' half, you know that the ball will come towards you slowly but here you have to focus because it can come quickly, with one long ball. Another example is at corners. It is difficult for a goalkeeper to get out to get to the ball because the players do a lot of outswingers and we have a lot of people challenging in the box. It is more physical and referees are more lenient. Goalkeepers don't get as much protection."

At the moment, the main cause of that is not the officials but the men in front of him. While the midfield and forward line appear to have gelled and are an impressive body moving forward, the backline is still a cause for consternation among Rangers supporters and, more worryingly for the players, the manager. It is the main reason the side have had to settle for more draws than victories so far this season and recorded only one clean sheet. The consequence is an unsatisfactory third place in the league.

"We need to be more careful of the opponents but my defenders are there to help me," he says, convinced that one day soon, that will be the case. "We need to work at it to have a better understanding. When we do that we will win a lot of games. But everybody has to work. We know that if you are a defender then you can't make a mistake and when you are a goalkeeper, one mistake means one goal. We are used to that. That is one thing that was the same in France!"

While Karl Svensson's absence on international duty has hindered any progress this week, the 33-year-old keeper believes the shoots of improvement are already there to see.

"I saw the match against Kilmarnock as a spectator and I learned from that and I think that the defence looked better. I think we all have a better understanding."

The English lessons will help but are not a major contributing factor. Le Guen insists that all the talking on the training pitch and throughout a match is done in English and all the new arrivals, including the manager, were given a crash course in the local football lingo during the close season.

"When I have an emergency situation, I speak in French, because that's the first word that I think of so that's what comes out, but we use a lot of English phrases and after another few months, I hope I will be comfortable always using the English."

The opportunity for him and his family to learn a new language was one aspect of the Rangers move which appealed, as was the chance to experience new cultures and embark on a two-year sightseeing tour of Scotland. If identifying the differences between his own country and his adopted homeland was easy on the pitch, it is as obvious off it.

Scottish football may be more aggressive but when it comes to life on our roads, Scotland is less crazy and far more courteous and, if the "welcome to Scotland" he gets on the pitch is slightly bruising, off it he has discovered people are more kind-hearted.

A family man, he says his primary concern when accepting the Rangers move was whether his seven-year-old daughter Julie would settle. With no international school in Glasgow, she has been thrown in at the deep end, adapting to a new language and a new school. He need not have fretted. "She already has a friend," he says, laughing, "and her English is better than mine!" That will be another reason why he is so keen to get to his lessons.