Source: Team_Talk
Salgado loving life in Premier League
Michel Salgado has no regrets over his decision to swap Real Madrid for Blackburn after falling in love with English football over the season.[LNB] Salgago turned a few heads when he was persuaded by Sam Allardyce to leave Madrid for Ewood Park last summer but the vastly-experienced Spanish defender feels justified now.[LNB]He said: "My friends come here from Spain and after a match they say 'it's fantastic'. Maybe it's not as high a quality game but it's really exciting, the tempo. You never give up until the last minute. It's a new experience but it's a great experience.[LNB]"It was a risk to come here because we could have been relegated but I like taking risks. Now I know I did the right thing.[LNB]"It's strange at first because I used to play for a club where you only can win, you can only be first in the table.[LNB]"Here we are battling for each point, but that's great. People ask how can you sign for a mid-table team like Blackburn and my answer after seven months is easy: I'm enjoying football and this is an historic club in England.[LNB]"At Real Madrid, at my age, 34, I could only enjoy football being on the bench or being important in the dressing room and a few games but not as a regular.[LNB]"That's what's most important, being a regular."[LNB]Salgado admits the style of the Premier League takes some getting used to.[LNB]"I've headed the ball more in one year than in the rest of my life!," he said.[LNB]"The high tempo is the biggest difference. In Spain you try to keep the ball, and when you have possession normally you win the game.[LNB]"In England it's so different, you can have more possession but not win the game.[LNB]"It's very important to win the knock-downs, to control the boxes and the midfield players are to support in defence and attack; in Spain they are the leader of the match and there if you control the midfield you usually win."[LNB]Blackburn can round off the season by beating Aston Villa on Sunday and securing 10th place.[LNB]Rovers made it to the Carling Cup semi-final this season and Salgado believes the emergence of several promising young players means they can do ever better in the next campaign.[LNB]He added: "Now I hope we can do something big next year.[LNB]"This season we were great at home, but we need to improve on the ball especially on the road, and we are up against teams like Tottenham and Manchester City with a big budget.[LNB]"We have other weapons: commitment, and we play as a team.[LNB]"This year we got to the semi-final and next year we have a good mix between great young players, and we can teach them to compete, and a group of proven players and that's a good balance to build a great team."[LNB]Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce may give young Algerian midfielder Amine Linganzi his debut at Villa Park.[LNB]The 20-year-old, who moved from French club St Etienne in January, is viewed as an exciting prospect and may come in for Steve Nzonzi, who has had an operation to remove some teeth.[LNB]"There'll certainly be one player that will play that has had limited experience, if no experience at all," said Allardyce.[LNB]El-Hadji Diouf will also miss out after having his tonsils out.
