Liverpool FC Forum

by **JC_81** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:57 am

LFC2007 wrote:My take is he'd prefer Alonso to stay, but if as appears the case Alonso would prefer to leave and if there's the possibility of getting £30m or close, then he's bound to keep it a bit more open. Combination of both. If Real were only prepared to pay, say £20m, I think he would've given it the 'No' treatment.

To be honest mate I think the financial instability at the club is having a big bearing on this deal. I think if Benitez had money to strengthen the other areas he wants to then even for 30 million he'd be giving Madrid the 'no' treatment. He'd be telling Alonso he's still very much part of the plans and to knuckle down, he's got three years on his contract, the fans love him and we're close to winning the league. I guess I'm saying he could have built bridges with Alonso if he'd wanted to... maybe. Of course there's the possibility that bridges are well and truly burnt and there's absolutely nothing Benitez could say or do to keep Alonso from wanting to leave, we'll never know exactly.

I think that at this moment in time, 30 million spent wisely on maybe two players would benefit the squad more than Alonso. But spending it wisely is the key and there's no guarantee Benitez will manage to do that.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:58 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:
s@int wrote:
Lando_Griffin wrote:
s@int wrote:Thats what I mean mate...... Asked if Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with Barcelona, will leave, Benitez said: "No."

Has Mascher handed in a transfer request?

Has Alonso ?

Last I read Alonso had denied handing in a transfer request.

This has been the state of play since May Lando , not just since the alleged request was handed in last week.

I do appreciate if a player is determined to leave, the manager has no option but to be a little more circumspect in his statements, but even you must see there has been a big difference between how he has handled bids for Torres, Gerrard and Masch to how he has handled Alonso's.

Infact we only really heard about bids for Torres well after the events. There has been no prolonged drama just a simple NO and move on.

Before the Alonso saga took on any real meaning, they were both spoken about in the same vein.

No mate. When the rumours first came out it was ALWAYS about price and money for Alonso, while with Masch it was a simple he is not for sale. While with Torres they never even bothered saying that they had received an offer for him, just that he wasn't for sale.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

"But Benitez has dismissed the idea, insisting Mascherano is happy at Anfield. "Mascherano has no price," the Spaniard told the club's website. "Barcelona could not afford to match his value to Liverpool Football Club. We do not want to sell and Javier is very happy here."

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE

by **Kharhaz** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:58 am

Not long back, when Alonso's team mates expressed their desire for Alonso to stay, Rafa had a conversation with Xabi saying "perhaps you should stay". I found that very strange. Put yourself in Xabis position. You like the job you doing, your satisfied with conditions but niggling at the back off your mind, your boss tried to ship you off to another working place a year before. You improve yourself, you show you can do the job in hand, but there is still that niggling doubt. Your work colleagues express their admiration of the work you have done and your boss pulls you over for a chat. Rather than say "well done, youve proved yourself a valuable asset" he says "perhaps you should stay".

For me that shows the boss doesnt respect you. What would you do? your not fully appreciated for the job your doing and can move on to another business with better pay?

If he stays, brilliant. He is acknowledging the love of his fellow team mates and supporters. If he leaves I wouldnt blame him one jot. The one person I do blame for this whole sorry business is Rafa. His man management skills leave a lot to be desired.

by **LFC2007** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:12 am

john craig wrote:I think that at this moment in time, 30 million spent wisely on maybe two players would benefit the squad more than Alonso. But spending it wisely is the key and there's no guarantee Benitez will manage to do that.

That's another reason I think we should keep hold of him. Obviously Rafa's not going to agree

but there always seems to be one or two seasonal duds, Babel/Dossena the standout ones of late. As you say though at £30m or near and with our apparent lack of funds, there has to be some temptation there.

And Kharhaz, Rafa's 'perhaps he should stay' comment was accompanied by:

"I was talking to him yesterday and telling him to listen to the fans. They love Xabi,"

"You can see he is a really good player and I'll be really pleased if he stays. All the players and his teammates want him to stay. If we keep Xabi I will be very pleased."

-------------------------

That's praise right there.

by **Kharhaz** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:18 am

LFC2007 wrote:"You can see he is a really good player and I'll be really pleased if he stays. All the players and his teammates want him to stay. If we keep Xabi I will be very pleased."

-------------------------

That's praise right there.

It is praise, but its not concrete is it? As has been pointed out, regarding Mascherano, he is not for sale. Its a different approach from Rafa regarding Alonso.

by **LFC2007** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:23 am

Perhaps a slightly different approach to their transfer situations, but the point I was making was regards your assertion that Rafa showed a lack of respect to him by not offering praise after he'd had a good season, when in fact he has done that.

by **Kharhaz** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:33 am

LFC2007 wrote:Perhaps a slightly different approach to their transfer situations, but the point I was making was regards your assertion that Rafa showed a lack of respect to him by not offering praise after he'd had a good season, when in fact he has done that.

He showed his appreciation of the season gone. And how Alonso has done well. But I dont consider it respect. For me, all Alonso has done is raise the price a bit for what Rafa can get for him. The greatest respect you can get from Rafa is, you cannot be replaced, as in your not for sale. Rafa has offered no such thing to Alonso. Compare the attitudes the two players must have, Mascherano and Alonso, Mascha gets "your not for sale", Alonso gets "I'll be pleased if you stay". I think its fair to say, the respected players know who they are, and the ones who are dispensable know who they are. Rafa is clever in what he says, but i'll bet the players can interpret better than anyone what he means.

by **LFC2007** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:35 am

by **Igor Zidane** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:06 am

Lando lad ,i think you better get used to life without Xabi mate . Look mate .he's a great player and been a great servant to LFC . The way i'm looking at it now is this . He's from Spain ,and he's worked in a foreign country now for a good 5 years .So he wants to go home with his young family and try something new . He doesn't get on with Rafa ,it's a world cup year and well The franco tw@ts are offering Galactico immortality . All we can say is good look fella and thanks for the memories .

Lfc will go on after he's gone ,because we've survived the loss of bigger and better players and still carried on . If Olly kay is right ,well then Rafa is looking to change the dynamics of the midfield anyway and try and bring in a more attacking midfielder. Lets see who we can get for the dosh and look forward to the new season ,unfortunately mate without Xabi.

by **Effes** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:13 am

Igor Zidane wrote:Lfc will go on after he's gone ,because we've survived the loss of bigger and better players and still carried on . If Olly kay is right ,well then Rafa is looking to change the dynamics of the midfield anyway and try and bring in a more attacking midfielder. Lets see who we can get for the dosh and look forward to the new season ,unfortunately mate without Xabi.

Just about sums it up Igor.......by the way......

a return to Moorfields please.

by **Toffeehater** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:51 am

Igor Zidane wrote:Lando lad ,i think you better get used to life without Xabi mate . Look mate .he's a great player and been a great servant to LFC . The way i'm looking at it now is this . He's from Spain ,and he's worked in a foreign country now for a good 5 years .So he wants to go home with his young family and try something new . He doesn't get on with Rafa ,it's a world cup year and well The franco tw@ts are offering Galactico immortality . All we can say is good look fella and thanks for the memories .

Lfc will go on after he's gone ,because we've survived the loss of bigger and better players and still carried on . If Olly kay is right ,well then Rafa is looking to change the dynamics of the midfield anyway and try and bring in a more attacking midfielder. Lets see who we can get for the dosh and look forward to the new season ,unfortunately mate without Xabi.

Top post .

by **NANNY RED** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:17 am

Looks like thats it then

i just hope its all the money up front

Liverpool FC close to selling Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid agree fee

Aug 3 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

XABI ALONSO’S departure from Liverpool is close to being sealed after Real Madrid agreed to meet Liverpool’s asking price.

The Spaniards have indicated they will go to a fee in the region of £30million to secure Alonso the move he has been craving all summer.

Anfield officials met with Real executive director-general José Ángel Sánchez yesterday and they stepped up their bid to finally bring an end to their pursuit of the playmaker.

Real capitalised on the fact that Liverpool were in Spain last night and held the talks in the team hotel in Barcelona prior to the 3-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Espanyol.

Although a deal was not struck, sufficient progress was made to convince Madrid that a final agreement is close.

Rafael Benitez has insisted all along that he will not accept a knockdown offer for the 27-year-old despite Alonso having indicated that he is ready to leave Anfield.

And the Liverpool manager’s patience appears to be paying off as Real finally got closer to the kind of bid he is looking for.

With Roma star Alberto Aquilani already lined up as Alonso’s successor Benitez will be keen for Real to put their money where their mouth has been and finally bring an end to the transfer saga.

The chances of that happening appear to have been boosted after reports in Spain suggested that the Bernabeu coffers will shortly be swollen to the tune of £18m due to the impending sale of Dutchman Wesley Sneijder to Inter Milan.

One of the main sticking points in Real’s pursuit of Alonso in recent weeks has been their insistence that they did not have the ready cash to meet Benitez’s demands following a spending spree that has seen them spend in excess of £165m on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

Benitez has always remained adamant that this is not his nor Liverpool’s problem however and has continually made it clear that unless his value of Alonso is met then he will not be allowed to leave.

With the two parties now edging closer to an agreement and with a channel of communication now flowing freely again between Anfield and the Bernabeu it is looking increasingly likely that a deal will be struck in the coming days.

Benitez’s reluctance to give Alonso any more than a substitute’s appearance in the dying stages of last nights’s defeat at the hands of Espanyol was a telling sign of how close an agreement is with the Liverpool manager clearly unwilling to put the Spanish international at risk of the kind of injury that could place the deal in jeopardy.

Alonso’s presence was sorely missed, particularly in the second half as Liverpool struggled with their passing and allowed Espanyol to take full advantage.

Daniel Agger missed the game with a recurring back problem and was today due to undergo treatment at Melwood after Liverpool returned to Merseyside in the early hours of this morning.

by **tubby** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:38 am

Kudos to Rafa to sticking to his guns on this one. I just hope now that we get in someone quick. I like Aquilani but there are a few question marks over his fitness.

by **roberto green** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:31 am

The ting is is this Alberto Aquilani is out injured for the first month so what will we do until then and also Italian players usually take a while to adapt from there style to our style.I'm quite concerned to say the least.Hopefully Lucas can grab the bull by the horns

:;):

by **bunglemark2** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:50 am

Not last night he didn't.....One tackle in particular, Lucas arrived his customary 15 mins late and got booked....

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