Liverpool FC Forum

[NANNY RED]

Has a look an leaves

[burjennio]

?? How can you say that Reina would walk into Barcelona when he isn't even considered good enough to be reserve goalie for Spain??

If you're basing that info on Football Manager 2001, then I stronly suggest you update your main source of footie knowledge with the latest patches and updates

 

I didnt know the Spanish were the master of the subtle insult!

[heimdall]

?? How can you say that Reina would walk into Barcelona when he isn't even considered good enough to be reserve goalie for Spain??

If you're basing that info on Football Manager 2001, then I stronly suggest you update your main source of footie knowledge with the latest patches and updates.

In real football though, the first choice of my country is Casillas and the second, Reina. For the third there have been some fight since Cañizares left between the likes of Palop and Valdes, but yes, nowadays the Barcelona keeper is light years away of Reina in terms of reputation.

Actually, if my country hadn't a media that is more Madrid biased than the English press is biased to Manchester, we'd have some debate about who's the better keeper in my country.

If Reina has no options of being picked before Casillas is because Real Madrid is the team of the journos and his impact in the media is greater playing the national league. But if you ask coaches and players, the debate is open. Casillas is better under the sticks, but Reina is better in the modern aspects of football.

Yes ok I'll give you that one and I stand corrected.

But the keeper for Barcelona is fairly good isn't he? I certainly hope he plays well on Wednesday. 

I know you guys love Reina, and Sabre as much as I appreciate your insight into Spanish football you are just a wee bit biased sometimes, but too suggest he is better than Casillas is crazy imo. He is getting better and better though, just wish he could work on his one-on-one shot stopping a bit then he'd be legendary instead of just being very good.

in any case if we get a good amount of money for Alonso then I won't miss him too much although as I have said before I'd PREFER that we keep him as he's an excellent midfielder.

[Sabre]

Yes, I'm biased to quality and Liverpool players. And Reina has earned my love in Liverpool before that, he was a good keeper. But thanks to Rafa, or Ochotorena, or whoever takes charge of the keepers in Liverpool right now, he's improved a lot.

It's easy to think Casillas is much better, because we all like the image of a keeper stretching and Casillas is very good at that, but in our football, Reina's so important.

As for Alonso, and unlike many of you, I do have problems with him leaving, and certainly if there's any truth in that "Where I can enjoy the football again" I'll tell him to fúck off, even if that leaving means money to my local club.

First, it's a phrase used by Madrid journos. Valdano is saying all the time that Alonso should be playing in a more flowing football team, and that Rafa's rigidness doesn't allow him to develop as a footballer.

But I'd be very dissapointed to see Alonso buying that cráp. Enjoying his football "again", how, like in Real Sociedad? Like in Eibar?

Let's get serious here, Alonso's football is one I admire, but he owes his football improvement to Liverpool, and he owes everything to Liverpool.

I can understand him being angry with Rafa last summer, but in all seriousness I thought Xabi stuck to his best interest, staying at a club that can make him progress further, and that has given him the international status.

By moving to Madrid, he'll dissapoint me a lot. It would be putting the vendetta to Rafa first, and his football interests, second, while forgetting about the fans and the city. It would be dissapointing too because he's telling the fans he's so happy here. That's not on and I can't stand false words of love. If he's píssed off with Rafa, I'd rather want him saying the truth and not bóllocks about finding his football "again".

Then again, Ibañez his agent is a cúnt. And it would be very normal for him to tell Rafa the offers he's receiving. Ibañez always gets a share for each move and is always eager to make moves.

I just hope that's the scenario. Xabi wanting to stay, Ibañez making his job of fúcking agent, and nothing more. If Alonso leaves with the pretext of "finding football again" (this has really got into my skin), then Alonso can right fúck off.

[maguskwt]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

Ok... I believe rafa has done enough to dispel these rumours... how many times does the man need to deny?

[Sabre]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

[roberto green]

Has a look an leaves

If Xabi leaves I somehow don't see Dirk kuyt playing the 007 role as your image saver

[maguskwt]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

Well sabre... I believe rafa is someone who doesn't mince his words... he says it how it is... same with the verbal assault on ferguson. He doesn't beat around the bush. The fact was that he did try to offload xabi in favour of barry... and xabi's form was so off that season most of us didn't mind if the deal went through. Even then rafa had rejected 16 million bid from Juventus and that shows that rafa does value xabi. It's just that he is a very practical man and doesn't show sentiments. In any case, xabi has proven to rafa that class is permanent and form is temporary, and by doing that he's evolved into a world class player.

[oreilly]

I consider Reina a great deal better than Valdes and think most others would too .......

He is the weaklink in a very strong Barcelona team, its my opinion he gets in the starting 11 because he is a Catalan......

As for Alonso- not a hope would I sell him, not even for Tevez, he has become part of the liverpool furniture, Why would it make sense to sell one of the players of the yr ?? Realistically we'd buy Barry and maybe another dossena- no improvement.

We need continuity; a flow ; 1 or 2 in , 1 or 2 out. Enuf !

[Ace Ventura]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

Well sabre... I believe rafa is someone who doesn't mince his words... he says it how it is... same with the verbal assault on ferguson. He doesn't beat around the bush. The fact was that he did try to offload xabi in favour of barry... and xabi's form was so off that season most of us didn't mind if the deal went through. Even then rafa had rejected 16 million bid from Juventus and that shows that rafa does value xabi. It's just that he is a very practical man and doesn't show sentiments. In any case, xabi has proven to rafa that class is permanent and form is temporary, and by doing that he's evolved into a world class player.

IF Rafa was considering that then it would have been better if he didnt tell the press that he would sell at a particular price.
It was disrespectful to a model professional.

He could have told him in private and just made the usual statements to the sh!tehawks in the press.

I thought his treatment of Alonso last summer was diabolical and could see why Xabi might think he is not fancied by the boss despite the fact that he starts almost every game.

[maguskwt]

IF Rafa was considering that then it would have been better if he didnt tell the press that he would sell at a particular price.
It was disrespectful to a model professional.

when did he say that?

[Ace Ventura]

IF Rafa was considering that then it would have been better if he didnt tell the press that he would sell at a particular price.
It was disrespectful to a model professional.

when did he say that?

He made quite a few statements when asked whether he would leave, every player has a price type stuff.

Which while it was true, it didnt show the player he was really wanted.

Wasnt good man management by any means.

[lakes10]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

the first thing yu do when you wish to sell a player is to say they are not up foe sale, that can put 15% on their price tag when you sell them.

[Ace Ventura]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

the first thing yu do when you wish to sell a player is to say they are not up foe sale, that can put 15% on their price tag when you sell them.

Thats another point about that whole saga before this season started.

If you are tempted to sell one of your better players like you said, dont advertise the fact if you want to get as much money as possible.

Makes no sense at all that.

[Sabre]

The Liverpool manager has also re-iterated he does not want to sell Xabi Alonso, insisting that funds for transfers can instead be raised by offloading Anfield's fringe players and those out on loan.

Benitez has admitted to a ''private'' conversation with Alonso's agent, but said: ''Xabi is not for sale, we want to keep the key players here. The spine of the team.

''We will want to sell other players, maybe those who are out on loan. We do not want to sell key players.''

In the other hand Rafa has to learn a lesson. You can't get a player one summer, give him a 5 year contract, saying he's a key player and at the end of the next season put him a price.

Now he says he doesn't sell key players? Ok. But you don't change your opinion in one season.

the first thing yu do when you wish to sell a player is to say they are not up foe sale, that can put 15% on their price tag when you sell them.

Yes we know that, I agree.

But to be honest, that didn't bother me that much, after all he just received an offer and said that was not good enough. In the moment you receive an offer and you negotiate, even if you try to leave Xabi and his agent out of the loop as Rafa did, the teams know that you're negotiating and there's no point really at that point saying that you don't want to sell. If you negotiate, as Rafa did with Juve, then words to the press are not considered.

It bothers me more the fact that Rafa offered Alonso a 5 year contract the previous summer to the saga. What's the message sent to the players: I give you a 5 year contract and you're a key player, and in one season you lose all your credit even if you stopped your season with three injuries? That makes no sense at all to me. We all have seen how injuries can affect good players like Aurelio and Torres.

My point is, that if Rafa agreed those who around here said that Alonso's game was average (not for his standards but simply average), then he shouldn't have offered a 5 year contract in the first place. Even less saying he's a key player, and even less raising his wages considerably. It makes no sense to me, even if you extend his contract just for the sake of thinking on selling him (if a contract ends you get little money).