Liverpool FC Forum

[66-1112520797]

Given the choice I would much rather have Barry than Xabi

That's because you're a f*cking idiot. 

What does that make Rafa then Lando ?

[Sabre]

Given the choice I would much rather have Barry than Xabi

That's because you're a f*cking idiot. 

What does that make Rafa then Lando ?

Not sure about that, myself.

But I remember more than five posters saying that Rafa wasn't as ruthless with the Spaniards as with others.

It will certainly mean such kind of statements were bóllocks.

[66-1112520797]

Given the choice I would much rather have Barry than Xabi

That's because you're a f*cking idiot. 

What does that make Rafa then Lando ?

Not sure about that, myself.

But I remember more than five posters saying that Rafa wasn't as ruthless with the Spaniards as with others.

It will certainly mean such kind of statements were bóllocks.

Wow ! You have a memory like n Elephant, I suppose you know who said that too.

Anyhow, whats your take on Rafa if he did sell Alonso, it would be interesting to her the views from some posters who love Alonso and declare Rafa is above scrutiny.

[Sabre]

For that matter, I refer to my previous posts. 

Not that your question to Lando is off the mark Bamaga, not at all. Just stating that several, don't remember exactly who and how many, did say something like that. And I think that should Rafa sells him, that would question such a view. That's all.

[66-1112520797]

I refer to my previous posts.

Picked up a very obnoxious habbit thee from LFC2007 I see, tut tut.

[banana]

The problem isn't Xabi leaving. It's who we are replacing him with Gareth Barry probably who is going to cost more than Alonso.

We're selling a really good player who has been a one of the cogs in our machine and replacing him with an inferior player for, someone who is going to cost more.

And all this while we still haven't touched on the fact that  we need two world class wingers, another striker and another full back.  Instead we go messing around with the central midfield that isnt broken and ignore our problem areas once again.

I just cannot understand this transfer.

I agree with you. Selling him would be a big gamble and almost unbelievable. People say Alonso hasn't been this or that lately. I think tahat is . The reason he stood out so clearly in the first season or so was only because the rest of the players around him was . Now we don't need Xabi to be everywhere and touch the ball all the time as we have a much better and more capable squad. So that changes things completely.

He is still a very useful player. A brilliant reader of the game. A good hard working all round midfielder, proven in the premiership, proven in CL, proven in the spanish set-up.

If we sell Xabi just to finance some other player, we gain nothing. Barry is a big question mark. He may turn out good, or he may just be another Morientes. Suddely we find ourselfes with a broken midfield. The only part of the team working 100% at the moment.

I say this; SELLING XABI IS A MISTAKE FORCED UPON BENITEZ BY THE AMERICANS

They have no transfer money for him and he must sell his most valuable players to survive. So he had to choose between:

Gerrard 18 million
Xabi 15 million
Masch 17 million
Torres 26 million


The other players are not that valuable:

Riise 3 million
Kuyt 4 million
Lucas 4 million
Carson 6 million
Agger 6 million
Crouch 7 million

and so on and so on.

Will selling our best players make us challenge for the title? I say no.

We will never win the premiership with the americans. This year they force us to sell Xabi. Next year they force us to sell Reina and Agger?

[woof woof !]

They have no transfer money for him and he must sell his most valuable players to survive. So he had to choose between:

Gerrard 18 million

Gerrard, £18 million ?

Is this a typo or are you taking the p'iss ?

[Number 9]

They have no transfer money for him and he must sell his most valuable players to survive. So he had to choose between:

Gerrard 18 million

Gerrard, £18 million ?

Is this a typo or are you taking the p'iss ?

Its not a typo he always talks sh'ite!!

[SupitsJonF]

They have no transfer money for him and he must sell his most valuable players to survive. So he had to choose between:

Gerrard 18 million

Gerrard, £18 million ?

Is this a typo or are you taking the p'iss ?

Its not a typo he always talks sh'ite!!

Besides Gerrard being undervalued, the rest of his post is basically right.

[JC_81]

I say this; SELLING XABI IS A MISTAKE FORCED UPON BENITEZ BY THE AMERICANS

No one is forcing Benitez to sell Alonso.

The Yanks may be asking Benitez to work within a certain budget, but if Alonso goes then it's Benitez's decision and no one else's.

Alonso has a good reputation throughout Europe and is relatively young.  His performances however, have not been up to scratch for a couple of seasons now.  All this together makes him the obvious choice of player to sell to raise funds.  The fact is though, that no one is holding a gun to Benitez's head saying he has to sell Alonso.  If he felt Alonso was a key player for us then he wouldn't sell him.

Personally I think we should sell Alonso.  If we get around 14 million for him then we're getting a good deal.  His performances in the Premiership have not been great for the last 2 seasons.  Barry is a better player in my opinion.  Ask Steven Gerrard who he'd prefer to have beside him in midfield between Barry and Alonso and I'd bet good money he'd choose Barry.

[account deleted by request]

I suppose it depends who we get with the money as to whether its a good idea to sell him. From what I understand Alonso's sale is not dependent on buying Barry, which leads me to believe its shortage of funds thats driving this sale. Either that or Rafa (or Gerrard) really have fallen out with Alonso?

[Sabre]

Iconsider pointless discuss about that right now. I guess Rafa will explain it all soon enough. If he said last season he was a key player, he can explain aswell why he now thinks it's a good idea to sell him.

If I was a journo, I'd ask him that, at least. So I'll just wait to know that.

[bigmick]

I've said a couple of times that selling Alonso so Barry can replace him as a central midfielder doesn't make too much sense to me. Some will say (as John just did) that barry is the better player, and although he maybe right (I don't think he is but it's definately close between the two) the difference isn't significant enough to warrant the upheaval in my view. We may be able to make a million or two out of it (I'd be very surprised if it's any more than that) but when you consider that Barry will take time to find his feet, settle in etc you wonder whether it's all worth it.

For that reason, I think that Barry is being bought to play left side. I also think that we are about to buy a striker to partner Torres and we are going to go 4-4-2. Obviously Barry can also play centrally very well, so he becomes a kind of two for one option should Masherano or Gerrard get injured, in which case Babel will play there. I think Babels role will be first change striker, similarly Lucas will be first change central midfielder. It wouldn't be my choice of how to play, but I'm guessing this Dossena bloke (who I've never seen play) is a bit of a bomber-onner and he will overlap as often as possible giving us balance.

While it wouldn't be my choice of how to play, it does give us "options" and I'm not actually taking the p!ss when I say that. I've said a few times that we would be absolutely fecked if Torres or Gerrard were out for a couple of months, so we need decent attacking possibilities should that happen. With that in mind, despite us being linked with some fairly mediocre players, I would be very surprised if we don't see a major, top quality, World Class striker bought. It wouldn't be the biggest shock in the World to me if it was David Villa.

[66-1112520797]

Well if Rafa did sign a quality striker in the mould of David Villa, he'd obviously have to opt for two up front (most of the time). But I dont think that would automatically mean we'd revert to a 4-4-2 again. I saw Sabres Spanish formation in the Euro thread and this line-up could well be a possibilty.

                                Reina

            Finnan     Carra     Skertel    Dossena
                                      /Agger
                              Mascha

                 Babel      Gerrard    Barry     
                /Kuyt
                         Torres   New striker

But then again that formation looks a bit to cavalier for a pragmatic manager.

[SundanceKid]

The problem isn't Xabi leaving. It's who we are replacing him with Gareth Barry probably who is going to cost more than Alonso.

We're selling a really good player who has been a one of the cogs in our machine and replacing him with an inferior player for, someone who is going to cost more.

And all this while we still haven't touched on the fact that  we need two world class wingers, another striker and another full back.  Instead we go messing around with the central midfield that isnt broken and ignore our problem areas once again.

I just cannot understand this transfer.

I agree with you. Selling him would be a big gamble and almost unbelievable. People say Alonso hasn't been this or that lately. I think tahat is . The reason he stood out so clearly in the first season or so was only because the rest of the players around him was . Now we don't need Xabi to be everywhere and touch the ball all the time as we have a much better and more capable squad. So that changes things completely.

He is still a very useful player. A brilliant reader of the game. A good hard working all round midfielder, proven in the premiership, proven in CL, proven in the spanish set-up.

If we sell Xabi just to finance some other player, we gain nothing. Barry is a big question mark. He may turn out good, or he may just be another Morientes. Suddely we find ourselfes with a broken midfield. The only part of the team working 100% at the moment.

I say this; SELLING XABI IS A MISTAKE FORCED UPON BENITEZ BY THE AMERICANS

They have no transfer money for him and he must sell his most valuable players to survive. So he had to choose between:

Gerrard 18 million
Xabi 15 million
Masch 17 million
Torres 26 million


The other players are not that valuable:

Riise 3 million
Kuyt 4 million
Lucas 4 million
Carson 6 million
Agger 6 million
Crouch 7 million

and so on and so on.

Will selling our best players make us challenge for the title? I say no.

We will never win the premiership with the americans. This year they force us to sell Xabi. Next year they force us to sell Reina and Agger?

Kuyt at 4 million? I personally don't think he's valuable, but clubs would pay big money for him. He's got passed Inter Milan, AC Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal in the last year or so. Other clubs see him more as a threat than we do.