Liverpool FC Forum

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:24 pm

I think it is perhaps more of an explanation of why maybe Pennant and Babel arn't playing as often as one might have expected this season. They are obviously not " little soldiers" and so maybe Alonso would need more support (perhaps from a 3) if our wingers didn't work quite as hard as Kuyt and Riera.

It is perhaps another point in favour of the much maligned Kuyt rather than just knocking Alonso ?

by **Sabre** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:31 pm

Perhaps.

Another hypothesis. Opposition teams are defending deeper lately to try to minimize the harm Torres makes them. Does that mean more space for Alonso to think and does that make him ->**SEEM**<- to be a much better player? Fortunately, opposition teams cannot cover all your danger when you have plenty of quality players. If they focus on Gerrard it will be Torres. If they defend deep and stick to Torres, they leave space to Alonso.

The thing is, that we often focus too much on a player and we don't often analyse the surroundings of that player.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:49 pm

Sabre wrote:Perhaps.

Another hypothesis. Opposition teams are defending deeper lately to try to minimize the harm Torres makes them. Does that mean more space for Alonso to think and does that make him ->**SEEM**<- to be a much better player? Fortunately, opposition teams cannot cover all your danger when you have plenty of quality players. If they focus on Gerrard it will be Torres. If they defend deep and stick to Torres, they leave space to Alonso.

The thing is, that we often focus too much on a player and we don't often analyse the surroundings of that player.

Yet if you look at the games in which Liverpool AND Alonso struggled to impose themselves the MOST ....... Standard Liege both home and away. Both games were played at a high tempo and we had Benayoun on the wing, and with Gerrard not partnering him in the first leg no "little soldier" beside him either!
Two problems with Benayoun, firstly he's not the most hardworking of players, and secondly he drifts inside almost all the time.
Torres played in BOTH games

Against the mancs we again struggled early on ,even with the ultimate little soldier along side Alonso, until Kuyt dropped a little deeper and then we basically harried them into the ground.

Torres didn't play.

by **hello_red** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:11 am

In a game where a team will sit deep and stop us from playing Alonso is a must, where we are playing free flowing football usually against mid - upper tabled teams maybe Alonso is not needed. But agsinst the bigger teams in the league and in Europe Alonso is a must as he has the ability to pick a killer pass in a tight game. He is a play maker in the Pirlo mold if you will. Hes a great player, could maybe add a few goals here and there... but how many are created through his passing game? Setting up passages of play or through balls?

:eyebrow

P.S. Does anyone else think Mascha looks a little burnt out? Hes defo not been his imperious best so far this season... Maybe a few games on the subs bench going up to xmas will do him good! Olympics and world cup qualifiers will take it out of you.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:11 am

In a game where a team will sit deep and stop us from playing Alonso is a must

You mean like against Stoke?

But agsinst the bigger teams in the league and in Europe Alonso is a must

Like against Inter home and away?

Masch has been m.o.t.m. in 2 out of the four games he's played this season, if thats him when he's burnt out, god help the rest of the prem when he's had a little rest!

by **Lando_Griffin** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:24 pm

s@int wrote:
In a game where a team will sit deep and stop us from playing Alonso is a must

You mean like against Stoke?

But agsinst the bigger teams in the league and in Europe Alonso is a must

Like against Inter home and away?

Masch has been m.o.t.m. in 2 out of the four games he's played this season, if thats him when he's burnt out, god help the rest of the prem when he's had a little rest!

Which 2 were they again?

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:39 pm

Lando_Griffin wrote:
s@int wrote:
In a game where a team will sit deep and stop us from playing Alonso is a must

You mean like against Stoke?

But agsinst the bigger teams in the league and in Europe Alonso is a must

Like against Inter home and away?

Masch has been m.o.t.m. in 2 out of the four games he's played this season, if thats him when he's burnt out, god help the rest of the prem when he's had a little rest!

Which 2 were they again?

Aston Villa AND the mancs

Just check Badbobs match thread or here it is in black and white

Fans' MOTM table 2008-09:

Steven Gerrard: 3

Fernando Torres: 2

Javier Mascherano. 2

Pepe Reina: 2

Xabi Alonso: 1

Jamie Carragher: 1

Daniel Agger: 1

Liverpoolfc.tv MOTM table 2008-09:

Fernando Torres: 3

Javier Mascherano: 2

Xabi Alonso: 1

Steven Gerrard: 1

Dirk Kuyt: 1

Pepe Reina: 1

Alvaro Arbeloa: 1

Daniel Agger: 1

by **Effes** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:25 pm

Does Lando still think you're a Manc s@int?

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:30 pm

Effes wrote:Does Lando still think you're a Manc s@int?

No mate just a c*nt

by **Effes** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:34 pm

s@int wrote:
Effes wrote:Does Lando still think you're a Manc s@int?

No mate just a c*nt

Could be worse, he could like you!

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:35 pm

Effes wrote:
s@int wrote:
Effes wrote:Does Lando still think you're a Manc s@int?

No mate just a c*nt

Could be worse, he could like you!

by **Effes** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:36 pm

Lando_Griffin wrote:
s@int wrote:(and I don't mean you OR Stu )

My name is Lando. L-A-N-D-O.

Slim Shady more like!

by **Sabre** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:33 pm

s@int wrote:
In a game where a team will sit deep and stop us from playing Alonso is a must

You mean like against Stoke?

But agsinst the bigger teams in the league and in Europe Alonso is a must

Like against Inter home and away?

Masch has been m.o.t.m. in 2 out of the four games he's played this season, if thats him when he's burnt out, god help the rest of the prem when he's had a little rest!

Sorry S@int, but the way you put it, you seem to imply that the game of Stoke makes unvalid hello_red's point.

If it's a light hearted comment, it's ok, but just in case, do you really think that two isolated games prove that Alonso is either not adequate for deep defences or not adequate for international games?

I mean, even if you blame Alonso of what happened against Stoke (and that's to say much), does that quick response make unvalid hello-red's point? If so, how?

<Please note that>
***I DO disagree that Alonso is a "must"***. Alonso must be on good form to play in such a competitive squad, and even in good form, in some games Mascherano might be a better option.

And I DO disagree that Mascherano seems burnt out aswell.
</Please note that>

If Alonso is not on good form, he should be benched like anyone else.

But I don't think pointing out the game of Stoke proves something relevant.

P.S. And excuse me if I didn't get you right, I don't know if you were trying to argue the "it's a must" point, or the "is adequate for deep defences" point.

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:48 pm

I don't believe Alonso is a must in any game...... he's not THAT good. The only MUST'S we have are Reina, Gerrard and Torres. Thats because we have no one who is good enough imo to replace them, everyone else is replaceable.

Do you think 2 good performances mean he is a must player against anyone! :laugh:

by **Sabre** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:50 pm

Ah, I wrote the P.S. too late.

I agree he's not a must.

but I think he should be a regular starter, I mean getting a similar number of games compared to Mash -- playing more than Benayoun or Lucas, that is.

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