Michu: I score because nobody knows who I am
442 Staff - Thursday 07 March 2013, 16:04
Swansea striker Michu believes being an unknown quantity has helped him in his debut Premier League campaign.
Since arriving from La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano in the summer, the Spaniard has taken English football by storm, netting 15 goals in just 26 top-flight appearances.
The 26-year-old also helped the Swans lift their first ever major trophy by scoring in their League Cup final rout over Bradford City.
Speaking in the April 2013 issue of FourFourTwo, the high-flying hitman admits opposition teams have eventually grown wise to his prolific form.
"If you're [Robin] Van Persie or [Lionel] Messi, the eyes of the world are on you, but who is Michu? That helps," he says.
"Now I enjoy less space, which makes life more complicated, but I watch videos of my future opponents – especially keepers' movements – just like they do of me. I arrived as an unknown and defenders' attentions weren't fixed on me."
It did not take Michu long to mark his arrival in England as he bagged a brace against QPR on the opening day of the campaign.
The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all felt the full force of the Spaniard, but the man himself believes leading the line is not even his strongest position.
"My biggest strength is bombing into the box as a second line of attack
that nobody notices," he says. "I prefer to play as a No.10 because
it's easier to find that space.
"I offer something different to the smaller playmaker because I'm taller
and a bit stronger. They can be overpowered, especially in the area,
but I'm not."
Read the full interview with Michu in the April 2013 issue of FourFourTwo,
in shops now. The latest issue features Mario Balotelli's return to
Italy with AC Milan and the making of Jose Mourinho, and chats
to Michael Ballack. If that's not
enough for your monthly football read, we've also gone inside talkSPORT
for an in-depth look at the world of the football phone-in and grabbed
an exclusive word with Schalke loanee Ibrahim Afellay.
Then there's Michel Salgado on doping, David Haye on Danny Shittu and stats on the world’s most prolific academies.
Subscribe now, digitally and in print
By Joe Brewin