Liverpool FC Forum

[66-1112520797]

FFS, this is getting annoying now.  So, yes, Alonso often gets closed down quickly, we all agree.  Smart tactics on the oppo's part, that. But, what happens in those cases?  Does he just hoof it up the pitch or send wild, arrant passes every which way.  No he  does not.  He usually plays the simple ball back to a defender and then repositions himself to receive the return ball in more space.  He then, more often than not, turns and looks upfield and, more often than not, feeds a ball into Gerrard's feet "between the lines" or puts a diagonal ball out to either Babel or Kuyt, some of which they control, others of which they don't.  Some people make out like Xabi gets caught in possession a dozen times a match and is just this lead-footed passenger in midfield.  I tell you, watch the matches again and see how many times he keeps possession and passes it to a red shirt.  Simple but effective.

This season especially he hasnt even been quick ehough to play thre simple ball, hes more pften than not been caught in possesion and then robbed, or at times when under pressure hes given possesion to the opposition.

Even Xabis die hard fans surely know this hasnt been his best season, and I doubt I'm not alone on that.

I just can't agree..  You are saying that he normally gets the ball taken off him???   That is utter nonsense.

We all know his best season was his first season with us, but he is still comfortably one of the best mid fielders in the Premiership...  Who would you want to swap him for?

Yes this season hasnt been his best this isnt nonsense its the truth, but see what you wanna see.

Look I dont want to turn this into an Alonso thread. But he has been by his standards wasteful in possesion and laboured in performances. I've watched numerous occasions this season where Xabi has left me feeling dissapointed with his displays and this isnt to just wind Lando up.

But I do acknowledge Xabi is slow out of the traps, meaning when the begining of the season starts and other teamates are already into the groove, Xabi is still tieing up his boot laces. He does take a while to find that groove, and since his injury as Sabre said he has looked slow, laboured and yes at times wastefull in possesion.

But looking at him right now, after the display against Arsenal and Blackburn I think hes now coming into this groove. He looked much sharper in his awareness, quicker and crisper in the pass, and at times kept us ticking against Arsenal. He sat in midfield and was starting to dictate the tempo, Xabi of old. He looked much more comfortabe with himself.

But in the main, how anyone can suggest hes had a good season is nonsense. Mascha has outshon him, and Sabre when we were playing 4-4-2 Alonso wasnt getting a look in, even when he was fit. So that also tells us Rafa wasnt 100% happy with the Spaniard too.

In this current formation we're playing of course I'd have no hesitation in picking Xabi ahead of Lucas to play alongside Mascha. I just hope now Xabi stays fit, gains momentum in his form, as he could really help us out in the latter stages of the CL.

[Toffeehater]

Well I did read this morning that Rafa is after Barry, what does everyone think if this happens? Alonso on his way out and Barry and Masch allowing Gerrard to go forward.

more 4-2-3-1 i reckon if that happens , I'd be happy , in fact over the moon if barry joined us , i don't think rafa will play him in midfield , he's been sensational there but don't think that rafa will play the 4-2-3-1 next season , he'd play the traditional 4-4-2 and barry can play left back or right back , i'm nt too sure but i know he can play in midfield and as a full back

[Toffeehater]

FFS, this is getting annoying now.  So, yes, Alonso often gets closed down quickly, we all agree.  Smart tactics on the oppo's part, that. But, what happens in those cases?  Does he just hoof it up the pitch or send wild, arrant passes every which way.  No he  does not.  He usually plays the simple ball back to a defender and then repositions himself to receive the return ball in more space.  He then, more often than not, turns and looks upfield and, more often than not, feeds a ball into Gerrard's feet "between the lines" or puts a diagonal ball out to either Babel or Kuyt, some of which they control, others of which they don't.  Some people make out like Xabi gets caught in possession a dozen times a match and is just this lead-footed passenger in midfield.  I tell you, watch the matches again and see how many times he keeps possession and passes it to a red shirt.  Simple but effective.

This season especially he hasnt even been quick ehough to play thre simple ball, hes more pften than not been caught in possesion and then robbed, or at times when under pressure hes given possesion to the opposition.

Even Xabis die hard fans surely know this hasnt been his best season, and I doubt I'm not alone on that.

I just can't agree..  You are saying that he normally gets the ball taken off him???   That is utter nonsense.

We all know his best season was his first season with us, but he is still comfortably one of the best mid fielders in the Premiership...  Who would you want to swap him for?

Mate , watch some of the games again , Inter milan , Arsenal over 2 legs and Everton , Fabregas and Arterta have nicked the ball off him on few occasions and thats not good , If it came down to a point of a swap or given a choice seeing as alonso does not rediscover his superb form of the first and 2nd season , i'd go for maybe gareth barry

[maypaxvobiscum]

FFS, this is getting annoying now.  So, yes, Alonso often gets closed down quickly, we all agree.  Smart tactics on the oppo's part, that. But, what happens in those cases?  Does he just hoof it up the pitch or send wild, arrant passes every which way.  No he  does not.  He usually plays the simple ball back to a defender and then repositions himself to receive the return ball in more space.  He then, more often than not, turns and looks upfield and, more often than not, feeds a ball into Gerrard's feet "between the lines" or puts a diagonal ball out to either Babel or Kuyt, some of which they control, others of which they don't.  Some people make out like Xabi gets caught in possession a dozen times a match and is just this lead-footed passenger in midfield.  I tell you, watch the matches again and see how many times he keeps possession and passes it to a red shirt.  Simple but effective.

This season especially he hasnt even been quick ehough to play thre simple ball, hes more pften than not been caught in possesion and then robbed, or at times when under pressure hes given possesion to the opposition.

Even Xabis die hard fans surely know this hasnt been his best season, and I doubt I'm not alone on that.

I just can't agree..  You are saying that he normally gets the ball taken off him???   That is utter nonsense.

We all know his best season was his first season with us, but he is still comfortably one of the best mid fielders in the Premiership...  Who would you want to swap him for?

Mate , watch some of the games again , Inter milan , Arsenal over 2 legs and Everton , Fabregas and Arterta have nicked the ball off him on few occasions and thats not good , If it came down to a point of a swap or given a choice seeing as alonso does not rediscover his superb form of the first and 2nd season , i'd go for maybe gareth barry

barry is much more consistent imo

[god_bless_john_houlding]

I like Barry alot. I put him in my list of "potentional squad players" for next year. But I wouldn't swap him for Alonso...IF we keep this 4-2-3-1 formation. Although Barry and Mascherano are decent passers of the ball, when you're sitting that deep as they would be, you need someone who can play the ball to get you out of trouble. Alonso can whereas I'm not to sure Barry would be able to.

I don't think Alonso has been doing it as well as he has in the past but for this current formation I personally think Alonso is the better option. If we revert to 4-4-2 as toffeehater suggested then I'd snap Barry up. He's a much better left back than what we have and his ability to deliver from wide areas is much better than what we have right now. I must admit though, I've never seen Gareth Barry play at right back. Left back in any formation Barry would suit us. Left wing or a central midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation Barry would suit us. But other than left back in a 4-2-3-1 formation and Barry would look out of sorts, I believe. He's been playing that holding role for England under Capello but he's had Hargreaves along side him, who can play the "hollywood" pass at times, so it's helped Barry out.

[PabloAimar]

who's this rick barry fella? thought he was gonna retire

[JoeTerp]

cuantitive

cuantitativo = quantitative           

[66-1112520797]

"potentional squad players"

I'm tired of squad players.

[Owzat]

Well I did read this morning that Rafa is after Barry, what does everyone think if this happens? Alonso on his way out and Barry and Masch allowing Gerrard to go forward.

more 4-2-3-1 i reckon if that happens , I'd be happy , in fact over the moon if barry joined us , i don't think rafa will play him in midfield , he's been sensational there but don't think that rafa will play the 4-2-3-1 next season , he'd play the traditional 4-4-2 and barry can play left back or right back , i'm nt too sure but i know he can play in midfield and as a full back

The fee reckoned for Barry is £12m, he was also linked with Chelsea, but I reckon even if we could get him for £12m then villa would be getting good money and we'd be wasting £12m on a position which is or should be about seventh in the priorities for signing. He's a good player but yet to show he is that good, little if any European experience and he's played ok for England, well enough to be in the picture and team for a while, but nothing that says to me £12m.

Barry for £5m then I'd say yes, it won't happen though. £5m because we can't really go spending £12m on a type of player who offers little if anything more than we have already and we need a couple of wingers, a striker or two, a full back for either side and then maybe we'll see about signing a CM who can play on the left.

I truly don't believe signing Barry will solve all our problems, it may improve the team ever so slightly, but do you pay £12m to improve your team by a few percent? We spent £11.5m on Babel and that's not exactly cured the problem on the left, I think I heard he's scored six times from the bench and that just says his pace is most effective when the defence is knackered. When the defender is fresh Babel doesn't pose much threat

[Festy]

We spent £11.5m on Babel and that's not exactly cured the problem on the left, I think I heard he's scored six times from the bench and that just says his pace is most effective when the defence is knackered. When the defender is fresh Babel doesn't pose much threat

Babel is still pretty raw and this was his first season in the premiership. It's normal for a world-class player to struggle in his first premiership season. It's the second season which will be the true test of his abilities, if he still doesn't perform like we expect from him, then surely he's a failure.

[Sabre]

cuantitive

cuantitativo = quantitative           

Correct, I meant quantitative . Cheers for that.

[Owzat]

We spent £11.5m on Babel and that's not exactly cured the problem on the left, I think I heard he's scored six times from the bench and that just says his pace is most effective when the defence is knackered. When the defender is fresh Babel doesn't pose much threat

Babel is still pretty raw and this was his first season in the premiership. It's normal for a world-class player to struggle in his first premiership season. It's the second season which will be the true test of his abilities, if he still doesn't perform like we expect from him, then surely he's a failure.

Like Torres you mean 

I don't buy into this second season is the true test theory, some have good first seasons and others don't. There's no rhyme or reason to it, what you have to gauge is whether what they did was good enough and at this rate Babel might need two or three seasons

[Toffeehater]

Babel has done well for his first season , not everyone adapts as fast as torres , he's goal scoring ratio is decent , he has a couple of good games and some poor games but that's expected in his first season , babel needs to work on his crossing and i think its fair to judge him when he's 2 or 3 seasons in

[stmichael]

Babel is a great talent but is never a winger in a million years. He's a forward with explosive pace and good finishing ability.

I can understand the idea behind sticking someone on the wing for his first season to bed him in but great forwards need to get used to playing in the right position!

He's still had a decent first season though. IMO he's been far more impressive than Ronaldo was in his first season here.

[Toffeehater]

Well I did read this morning that Rafa is after Barry, what does everyone think if this happens? Alonso on his way out and Barry and Masch allowing Gerrard to go forward.

more 4-2-3-1 i reckon if that happens , I'd be happy , in fact over the moon if barry joined us , i don't think rafa will play him in midfield , he's been sensational there but don't think that rafa will play the 4-2-3-1 next season , he'd play the traditional 4-4-2 and barry can play left back or right back , i'm nt too sure but i know he can play in midfield and as a full back

The fee reckoned for Barry is £12m, he was also linked with Chelsea, but I reckon even if we could get him for £12m then villa would be getting good money and we'd be wasting £12m on a position which is or should be about seventh in the priorities for signing. He's a good player but yet to show he is that good, little if any European experience and he's played ok for England, well enough to be in the picture and team for a while, but nothing that says to me £12m.

Barry for £5m then I'd say yes, it won't happen though. £5m because we can't really go spending £12m on a type of player who offers little if anything more than we have already and we need a couple of wingers, a striker or two, a full back for either side and then maybe we'll see about signing a CM who can play on the left.

Barry can play in left midfield and left back , so we have a full back there , given the choice for that price for lahm or barry i'd go for lahm then but if not barry seems to be the best option , he is also a utility player , can be used in many positions