Liverpool FC Forum

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:56 am

dawson99 wrote:thats cool but why do you think it? Because of what Molby said or have you seen something?

My opinions, right or wrong, are mine.

Technical quality can be spotted in many ways, in how a player touches the ball, how he leans on the ball to shoot or send a long pass, how he controls it. How he runs with the ball. I've seen aquilani hitting the ball with almost all parts of the boots, and he does things quick and naturally that makes me think the quality is there.

Besides naked eye, you've probably noticed that Aquilani was allowed to shoot a free kick recently, normally not gifted player technically aren't allowed to enter the hierarchy of free kicks in a team that have a Gerrard. The Aurelios and the Aquilanis are allowed to do it because their technical quality is good enough.

A good player can send a long pass, a better than good player can send that long pass with a curl of the ball that's easier to control.

Besides that, sometimes he has ideas, quick controls+turn+passes, that he does naturally, with instict.

That said, I have also seen that so far he hasn't done enough to fulfill the place of another midfielder that also had a lot of quality despite some failed to see it. And I have also seen that he's adapting to a different tempo. I don't know if he'll adapt, or he'll fail to adapt, but I trust his technical quality.

If you're truly interested on learning about technical quality ask bigmick, he puts perfectly in english those things, and despite he doesn't think Aquilani will make it, I'm pretty sure he's able to see his quality and put it in a perfect english.

P.S. Thanks for the answer Made in UK

by **agoodmentality** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:03 am

[quote="Sabre"]
A good player can send a long pass, a better than good player can send that long pass with a curl of the ball that's easier to control.

Razor Ruddok could do that with his eye's closed, not the greatest technician to pull on a red shirt,

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:18 am

agoodmentality wrote:
Sabre wrote:A good player can send a long pass, a better than good player can send that long pass with a curl of the ball that's easier to control.

Razor Ruddok could do that with his eye's closed, not the greatest technician to pull on a red shirt,

I know there are always doubts with foreign players because we've seen many with not enough attitude and strength to triumph in a manly football like that.

I understand the skepticism, but not that I think that Aquilani is simply quality like an indoor football player or one of those guys who makes keepy uppies for fun.

In fact, it's likely that you lot are right about this discussion... but a forum it's about posting opinions!

P.S. Speaking of Ruddock, just wondering, the "Razor" nickname is related to his football?

by **agoodmentality** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:25 am

Sabre,, how is Rafa's reputation holding up in Spain?

Is he still the Madridistas messiah?

by **dawson99** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:29 am

lets try and keep one thread on topic for a bit lol

Aquilani was just a panic buy, except he was injured at the time, so what type of buy was he?

by **Sir Roger** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:34 am

made in UK wrote:
Sir Roger wrote:
made in UK wrote:
Sabre wrote:
made in UK wrote:He started brightly and played some nice passes, he's definately an intelligent player with the ball at his feet. Having said he's a nice passer of the ball, that includes setting Reading up for some dangerous counter attacks.

The guy doesn't fancy a tackle neither and looks pretty lazy tracking back, had Mascharano been next to him I think he would of looked better complimented.

Overall and going by what I've seen from him, I think he's going to struggle and could be another nail in the coffin for senior Benitez.

I couldn't watch the game yesterday (stream didn't work well and I hate streams), I'll punnish myself today.

Just to clarify, in the match thread I read yesterday, in some posts you and some other reds used a expression "the ball past by him" or something like that.

What do you mean by that? that he didn't tackle? that he didn't try to tackle? too static?

BTW I've quoted this post of yours because besides wanting to know what that expression means, I also think you are right in the bold part.

Personally I think that if you have Gerrard and Mascherano in your team, you can complete the midfield with anybody. Lucas being the exception that confirms the rule.

I hope he becomes a success, and I expect so, with or without Benitez.

To answer your question:

Yes, he looks to lackluster and static therefore the games seems to sail on by while he's playing.

Static means standing still
I saw him running around all match. Not very effectively I grant you.
But he was definitely NOT static

Okay lacklustered, no energy, no bite, no fire in his belly...

I disagree
He was trying his best. Maybe too hard and things werent going for him. But he never let his head go down and carried on trying till the end.
He had a bad game where he had very little influence. I admit it. But to say he was lacklustre and had no fire in his belly is unfair.
No energy? Maybe he tired through lack of match fitness.
What do you expect from a foreign player with no Prem experience who has been thrown in at the deep end with a team of losers after coming back from a serious injury?

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:59 am

agoodmentality wrote:Sabre,, how is Rafa's reputation holding up in Spain?

Is he still the Madridistas messiah?

A manager's reputation often depends on how much stick he receives from the press, and I'm pretty surprised the Madrid press is still treating him with respect... as I expected them to have a chip on the shoulder because he said no to Real Madrid.

Obviously they echo the english press aswell and they see sacking danger, as a manager in the situation Rafa is (top club with an awful season like this) is sacked always.

But I wouldn't say he has lost the respect as a manager.

by **made in UK** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:06 pm

What do you expect from a foreign player with no Prem experience who has been thrown in at the deep end with a team of losers after coming back from a serious injury?

I'd hope Rafa get the right foreign player for 20M ala Torres without prem experience.

by **Scottbot** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:15 pm

Sabre wrote:
dawson99 wrote:thats cool but why do you think it? Because of what Molby said or have you seen something?

My opinions, right or wrong, are mine.

Technical quality can be spotted in many ways, in how a player touches the ball, how he leans on the ball to shoot or send a long pass, how he controls it. How he runs with the ball. I've seen aquilani hitting the ball with almost all parts of the boots, and he does things quick and naturally that makes me think the quality is there.

Besides naked eye, you've probably noticed that Aquilani was allowed to shoot a free kick recently, normally not gifted player technically aren't allowed to enter the hierarchy of free kicks in a team that have a Gerrard. The Aurelios and the Aquilanis are allowed to do it because their technical quality is good enough.

A good player can send a long pass, a better than good player can send that long pass with a curl of the ball that's easier to control.

Besides that, sometimes he has ideas, quick controls+turn+passes, that he does naturally, with instict.

That said, I have also seen that so far he hasn't done enough to fulfill the place of another midfielder that also had a lot of quality despite some failed to see it. And I have also seen that he's adapting to a different tempo. I don't know if he'll adapt, or he'll fail to adapt, but I trust his technical quality.

If you're truly interested on learning about technical quality ask bigmick, he puts perfectly in english those things, and despite he doesn't think Aquilani will make it, I'm pretty sure he's able to see his quality and put it in a perfect english.

P.S. Thanks for the answer Made in UK

I've got no doubts about the lads technical ability Sabes, he's clearly a player with the ball at the his feet. He's got good vision, he sees things quickly, he looks to play it forward and he's clever with it, BUT (and it's a HUGE BUT) he doesn't want to tackle. That won't wash in this league. Xabi was the most underated tackler in the league during his time here, he adapted very quickly to the physical side of the English game and it was clear that he enjoyed it from the get go. This lad is completely different.

by **stmichael** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:25 pm

got in the box a few times last night which proved to me that his defensive abilities are limited at best. in the 4-2-3-1 i'd like to see him play behind torres with gerrard on the right.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:27 pm

I think that in a balanced side playing well he could be a star. In a team struggling for form with liabilities all over the park he looks lightweight and frightened of tackling. Last night on a number of occasions he was in the right place but allowed a player to just walk past him unchallenged. He needs to start putting a few tackles in or he just wont make it in the prem.......certainly not with us at the moment.

by **Ben Patrick** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:03 pm

After last night i still have the same opinion as i had after watching other games.
Neat and tidy with a decent touch but shirks the responsibility of being a playmaker.
If you have really top wide players thats ok or a footballer in the middle with him that can do it - funnily enough like Alonso.
But in the middle with Lucas or even Masher i cant see him offering enough.
he lays it off almost every time he receives it immediately. Which keeps the ball moving and at times is good. But not all of the time. To me its more of him passing the responsibility onto other players.
He needs to step up to the plate and be more thoughtful with the ball and not just offload it straight away.
Because lucas and mascherano wont be able to do anything in posession if he keeps knocking it short and hoping they will unlock defences.

by **loke** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:39 pm

From what I have seen of Aqulani so far I think he is even worse than Lucas, and btw I don't hold Lucas in very high esteem.

He goes for the fancy flicks but lcks the basic skills to control the ball, he is also a completely gutless fecker shirking every single tackle and that is a very worrying sign.

Overall posibly one of Rafa's worst ever signings and that also is quite soem acheivement!

by **Greavesie** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:41 pm

loke wrote:From what I have seen of Aqulani so far I think he is even worse than Lucas, and btw I don't hold Lucas in very high esteem.

He goes for the fancy flicks but lcks the basic skills to control the ball, he is also a completely gutless fecker shirking every single tackle and that is a very worrying sign.

Overall posibly one of Rafa's worst ever signings and that also is quite soem acheivement!

by **loke** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:43 pm

Greavesie wrote:
loke wrote:From what I have seen of Aqulani so far I think he is even worse than Lucas, and btw I don't hold Lucas in very high esteem.

He goes for the fancy flicks but lcks the basic skills to control the ball, he is also a completely gutless fecker shirking every single tackle and that is a very worrying sign.

Overall posibly one of Rafa's worst ever signings and that also is quite soem acheivement!

great post well done, loved the way you countered all my arguments so intelligently.

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