Liverpool FC Forum

by **Number 9** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:23 pm

Mmmmmn!

Whether or not Gareth Barry becomes a Red next season or not,it seems Rafa has stuck a spark plug up Xabi's ar'se!Maybe we can see the old him back now he does not feel untouchable!
Ideally a Xabi of a few seasons ago and wearing Red would be better than bringing in Gareth Barry for LFC!

We could use the money or swaps elsewhere!
Alonso has not lost his ability but at times seriously(in my opinion) lacks effort and passion on the pitch!

by **metalhead** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:24 pm

Im sorry but Im with stu, alonso is one of our best players, he needs to stay, Ill give him another season to see if he can get back to his best.

Also, get in Xabi Im happy you will be staying.

by **SupitsJonF** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:31 pm

You know a team is more then 11 players? We can have a good starting XI but with a shitty bench resting players wont be easy. Look at the other teams in the top 3, their benches are so interchangable its amazing really. (For some positions.) So since when is it policy to not have a good bench? Some horrible managers here.

by **Sabre** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:47 pm

I agree supitsjonf about the need of quality in depth. Alonso as he states is more than ready to take some competition, just like when Mascherano came to the team.

The article and the quotes though, are not enough to make my day happy Nanny. The mentioned article only mentioned Rafa in the lines of "Rafa's given green light to the departure of Alonso". So what Rafa probably clarified to Alonso is precisely that, that he didn't say such a thing.

That doesn't mean Nanny that at some point of the summer (even more with an Euro in which players get media focus) Rafa won't receive a very tempting offer for Alonso. And to be perfectly honest, and despite I think Rafa is a coach that has a high concept of Alonso, it's possible he'll accept due to our need to sell.

Alonso's quotes saying something like "I'd prefer in case he wants me to leave to be honest" is something I've heard before in these cases. It's an invitation for the manager to make up his mind quickly.

We'll see what happens.

by **bigmick** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:00 am

Well the reports that came out last week suggesting that madrid might be prepared to go as high as 19 million for Alonso would surely be tempting even to his biggest fans. Needless to say I'd personally bite their arms off at the elbow if they offered 19 million quid for him as I think that's probably about 5 million or so over and above what we can reasonably hope to get.

Xabi though hasn't surprised me with his latest comments. He remains one of the best professionals that have played for the club, and his attitude from day one has been absolutely first class. If indeed he does stay, it would only need a minute adjustment to the way he plays in my opinion to make him a better bet at central midfield than Gareth Barry. If Barry is being brought in to go left mid then I think everyone would agree he's a good buy, but at central midfield although our man has been well below his best for sometime now, my hunch is that Alonso is the better player. All that said I'd still take 19 million all day long.

by **Rush Job** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:29 am

bigmick wrote:Well the reports that came out last week suggesting that madrid might be prepared to go as high as 19 million for Alonso would surely be tempting even to his biggest fans. Needless to say I'd personally bite their arms off at the elbow if they offered 19 million quid for him as I think that's probably about 5 million or so over and above what we can reasonably hope to get.

Xabi though hasn't surprised me with his latest comments. He remains one of the best professionals that have played for the club, and his attitude from day one has been absolutely first class. If indeed he does stay, it would only need a minute adjustment to the way he plays in my opinion to make him a better bet at central midfield than Gareth Barry. If Barry is being brought in to go left mid then I think everyone would agree he's a good buy, but at central midfield although our man has been well below his best for sometime now, my hunch is that Alonso is the better player. All that said I'd still take 19 million all day long.

Agreed although Barry offers more of a goal threat and is good in the air, Alonso`s more of a purists defensive mid.

by **bigmick** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:41 am

Rush Job wrote:
bigmick wrote:Well the reports that came out last week suggesting that madrid might be prepared to go as high as 19 million for Alonso would surely be tempting even to his biggest fans. Needless to say I'd personally bite their arms off at the elbow if they offered 19 million quid for him as I think that's probably about 5 million or so over and above what we can reasonably hope to get.

Xabi though hasn't surprised me with his latest comments. He remains one of the best professionals that have played for the club, and his attitude from day one has been absolutely first class. If indeed he does stay, it would only need a minute adjustment to the way he plays in my opinion to make him a better bet at central midfield than Gareth Barry. If Barry is being brought in to go left mid then I think everyone would agree he's a good buy, but at central midfield although our man has been well below his best for sometime now, my hunch is that Alonso is the better player. All that said I'd still take 19 million all day long.

Agreed although Barry offers more of a goal threat and is good in the air, Alonso`s more of a purists defensive mid.

Barry does offer more of a goal threat, and he probably is better in the air although Alonso is actually a much better header than he he looks. Barry would be much more mobile as well and being left footed even if he plays centrally could drift to the left and link the play better. The Villa man also is a fantastic taker of a dead ball too.

All that said though, Alonso is the more incisive passer and overall just a slightly better footballer for me. I think if Xabi plays like he has for the last two seasons, then fair enough bring Barry in. If however we can find a way to unshackle our man (and although I'm just a plumber/cocktail barman/dildo mugger etc etc

I think we could/can) then i think Xabi is more than capable of surpassing what Barry is capable of as a central midfielder. I still think 19 mill is way too good to turn down though.

by **Rush Job** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:55 am

bigmick wrote:(and although I'm just a plumber/cocktail barman/dildo mugger etc etc

In case you havent checked the thread i said sorry if i oversteped the mark mate. It was dildo murder to be pricise

by **god_9** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:55 am

i personally don't think Barry would offer us anymore than what Alonso does. He's a deal ball specialist but Gerrard and Aurelio fancy themselves at set pieces as well so he's not going to be number one choice for corners or free kicks or even pens like he is at Villa. 9 or 10 goals this year, five from dead ball positions. Also at Villa he is liable to run freely, in this current system we have his main duties will be to help out at the back so those goals from open play may also dry up.

I think 10 million plus is a bit to much to ask for someone who isn't required urgently. If we're buying him for a left back then I'd snap him up in a shot, if we're buying him to replace Alonso then it's a bit pricey.

by **Rush Job** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:02 am

Rafa`s after Barry IMO because 1 he`s a quality player and 2 because money is tight and the lad can play anywhere down the left and also centre mid if needed, i dont think it was ever as a replacement for Alonso.

by **bigmick** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:08 am

Rush Job wrote:
bigmick wrote:(and although I'm just a plumber/cocktail barman/dildo mugger etc etc

In case you havent checked the thread i said sorry if i oversteped the mark mate. It was dildo murder to be pricise

I did see the apology mate but there was no need, I quite liked the imagry TBH of killing someone with a dildo

I took zero offence at all, not even a smidge but forgive me if I refer to it occasionally. The cocktail barman plumber thing was another poster on a seperate debate and once again I don't mention it as a dig, just in jest which I think/hope was the way it was originally thrown at me.

FWIW the argument about how can somebody who does what any of any of us do for a living possibly have a better knowledge of the game than the manager is absolutely impossible to refute. You could equally say to the bloke who jumps up at the match and shouts "JUST FECKING GET RID OF IT FFS!!!!" is probably not as good a player as the bloke he is shouting at, but I do kind of think he's entitled to his opinion anyway. Everyone is really, even if their opinion is utter b0ll0cks.

by **Rush Job** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:21 am

bigmick wrote:FWIW the argument about how can somebody who does what any of any of us do for a living possibly have a better knowledge of the game than the manager is absolutely impossible to refute. You could equally say to the bloke who jumps up at the match and shouts "JUST FECKING GET RID OF IT FFS!!!!" is probably not as good a player as the bloke he is shouting at, but I do kind of think he's entitled to his opinion anyway. Everyone is really, even if their opinion is utter b0ll0cks.

No arguments from me there mate, then thats an argument IVE never been part of.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:13 am

I still think Alonso is not a true defensive midfielder, but more of a deep lying playmaker, more similar to Pirlo than the more traditional Hamann - Makelele - Mascherano type. Barry for me is not in the same class as Alonso in that role (deep lying playmaker), but is more mobile and does the defensive midfielder part better (as does Masch). Just as Pirlo needs the support of a true dm alongside him(Gattuso) I think Alonso does too. Which is probably why Alonso does better when he has had Hamann, Sissoko or Masch beside him rather than Gerrard.

Barry can also play the CM very well (something Alonso struggles with), so IF Rafa decides that Masch is the main man, Barry can play the CM linking the midfield and Gerrard, IF (again) Rafa decides to go with Gerrard as attacking midfielder rather than reverting back to 4-4-2.

IF we go 4-4-2 I think it will depend greatly on the quality of the wide players we bring in as to how effective Alonso will be. Top quality wide players and Alonso may get the room to start playing as we all know he can, poor quality wide players and I think he will continue to struggle.

Unfortunately I have a sneaking(sinking) feeling that Rafa is more than happy with Kuyt out wide, and if he puts Barry on the other wing, I don't see any reason to believe Alonso will improve on the last couple of years.

by **Reg** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:48 am

May 15, 2008

Xabi Alonso pledges to fight for his Anfield future

Gareth Barry has stated his case to be allowed to join Liverpool in talks with Martin O'Neill, the Aston Villa manager, but if the England midfield player succeeds in securing a move to Merseyside, Xabi Alonso does not intend to be the man to make way for a new arrival.

Alonso's future at Liverpool is uncertain, with Rafael Benítez prepared to consider selling the 26-year-old to a Spanish or Italian club to raise funds for reinforcements, but if the Spain midfield player has his way he will stay at Anfield.

“I think I will be here next season even if Barry comes,” Alonso said yesterday. “He would bring good competition and he would be more than welcome. He can play different positions and if he plays in midfield then I could play with him. I have no problem with that. My situation is that I am a Liverpool player and I am very happy here. I signed a new contract last year and that meant I wanted to stay.”

Benítez spoke to Alonso on Saturday after reports in a Spanish newspaper that the player was a target for Real Madrid. “He never told me he wanted me to stay because he doesn't need to tell me that,” Alonso said. “He just wanted to clarify something the story had said. If he wanted me to leave I would prefer him to be honest and say, ‘Xabi, we are thinking about other players and you are not going to play that much.' Then I would look for a different option. But he still thinks I can play an important role.”

O'Neill, who has been irked by Benítez's approach to transfer negotiations, maintains that Barry will be staying at Villa Park. “We've spoken to Gareth and everyone wishes very strongly that he will stay,” the Villa manager said. “The main aim for the chairman and me is to try and keep Gareth at the club.”

Liverpool have offered Sammy Lee, their former player and coach, a role as assistant manager to Benítez. Lee has been without a club since losing his job as Bolton Wanderers manager in October.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:03 am

Interesting snippet at the end of your article Reg. Looks like Sammy is going to come back as Assistant Manager rather than just as a coach. I am not as happy about this as most, but I hope he proves me wrong and does a great job.

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