Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:04 pm**

MightyLFC wrote:Yes he is to nice

Im being serious, when I met him, he signed a football for me kid and everything, Id rather he nutted me al la Roy Keane.

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:40 pm**

nasty stamp, was watching it at work... dunno what to say really, i guess it shows hes passionate about football, but if he does that for us he'll be missing for a fair few matches which we dont want!

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:38 pm**

How the f#ck is Aragones still in a job?

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:40 pm**

aCe' wrote:de la pena is a brilliant footballer ud think u being a spaniard ud notice if it wasnt for his recent injury id expect him to have been in the squad after having a brilliant season last year..

Unless there is a new de la pena, I think you're off your nut.

He's the Spanish equivalent of Steve Stone.

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:21 pm**

LFC2007 wrote:
aCe' wrote:de la pena is a brilliant footballer ud think u being a spaniard ud notice if it wasnt for his recent injury id expect him to have been in the squad after having a brilliant season last year..

Unless there is a new de la pena, I think you're off your nut.

He's the Spanish equivalent of Steve Stone.

You’ve already established that you have the football knowledge of a newborn so don’t even know why im wasting my time with you here…
Ever seen him play ? didn’t think so ! plays for espanyol by the way, might remember them from last year’s uefa cup final ! but then again….ddnt think u watched that either, Liverpool weren’t playin….mmm…tough !

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:55 pm**

aCe' wrote:You’ve already established that you have the football knowledge of a newborn so don’t even know why im wasting my time with you here…
Ever seen him play ? didn’t think so ! plays for espanyol by the way, might remember them from last year’s uefa cup final ! but then again….ddnt think u watched that either, Liverpool weren’t playin….mmm…tough !

Football knowledge of a newborn?

Says the bloke who considers Ivan de la fecking pena good enough for the Spanish squad.

'Mascherano over Alonso any day of the week'

Five minutes later..... Alonso is then included in your five a side team :laugh:

Enough said.

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:03 pm**

Sabre wrote:Albelda is the only player who's an alternative to Alonso right now. He's tough tackling and has experience and he has been Aragones' right hand many years, not only in the international stage. Even so, Aragones has played Alonso quite much in the world cup and other games, and he's being alternating the two players depending on the game. Under any other coach, I think Alonso would be first choice as far as I can hear to football men here.

What about Xavi, Sabre?

I know he's used more often in the classical CM role or a bit further afield, but I recall that he has filled in for both Barca and Spain in the DM role in front of the the back 4 AND did wonderfully well there.

As for what happenned with Xabi, can't really comment as I didn't see it but it sure seems out of character. If it really was intentional/malicious then theres no defending it whatsoever....

The other bit bout choosing Masch over Xabi anyday.... not to stir sh!t up or anything but I think Ace meant that in an 11 a side team, then this is what he prefers. In a 5 a side, it's a moot point as the game is different and requires different things from the players.... nothing wrong or flip-floppy bout his choice there as far as I can see....

Don't agree with him as I'd pick Masch anyday as long as Gerrard is the man he's meant to partner... for BOTH 5-a-side or 11-a-side. FWIW, I wouldn't pick Gerrard in a 5-a side team.

Also, imo, Ivan DLP was a damn fine midfielder in his day. A bit past it now... but Steve Stone?.... I think not.

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:20 pm**

i`m a bit shocked to read this, i could understand him getting his marching orders for 2 miss-timed challenges or even a genuine bad tackle (they happen sometimes) but a stamp on a prone opponent doesnt sound like alonso`s style at all.
it wasnt gudjohnson was it?

Posted: **Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:29 pm**

I'm not really bothered what Xabi gets up to on international duty as long as he turns up for Liverpool when he's needed and doesn't miss games because of his country

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:30 am**

ConnO'var wrote:Also, imo, Ivan DLP was a damn fine midfielder in his day. A bit past it now... but Steve Stone?.... I think not.

Incapable of sustaining it at the top level, a few international caps each, both decent midfielders but nothing special. Steve Stone is the worse of the two, but as an English equivalent he's not far off it.

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:39 am**

LFC2007 wrote:
ConnO'var wrote:Also, imo, Ivan DLP was a damn fine midfielder in his day. A bit past it now... but Steve Stone?.... I think not.

Incapable of sustaining it at the top level, a few international caps each, both decent midfielders but nothing special. Steve Stone is the worse of the two, but as an English equivalent he's not far off it.

Interesting point.... Could look at it the other way though.... Carra is a brilliant defender in my book.... but never got a chance to show it for England due to Ferdinand and Terry being the chosen ones. Doesn't make him anything less than a damn fine defender in my book though.....

If memory serves, when Ivan dlP was on top of his game, wasn't the main man for Spain Josep Guardiola? Could be completely wrong though.... getting old. I suppose that favouritism exists/existed in both the English and Spanish FA's powers that be.

I've always felt that he was a very talented midfielder.

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:51 am**

yckatbjywtbiastkamb wrote:i`m a bit shocked to read this, i could understand him getting his marching orders for 2 miss-timed challenges or even a genuine bad tackle (they happen sometimes) but a stamp on a prone opponent doesnt sound like alonso`s style at all.
it wasnt gudjohnson was it?

you know i always rated gudjohnson til that in the semis, now i cant stand the guy!

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:52 am**

De la pena had a successful stint at Barca in his early days, after that he wandered off into the wilderness for a while until last season.

If you look at the number of talented midfielders available to Spain you wonder why they have such a problem. It's similar to a lot of national teams, it's a case of finding the right mix and balance within the team, it's very difficult to do this when games are so infrequent.

Alonso should be the backbone of their midfield IMO, ahead of him it depends - Xavi or Fabregas perhaps, or both. I'm not sure how they line up.

But anyway, he's banned. He should be banned for a long time for what he did and here's hoping he keeps his irrational behaviour confined to the national team.

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:58 am**

LFC2007 wrote:Alonso should be the backbone of their midfield IMO, ahead of him it depends - Xavi or Fabregas perhaps, or both. I'm not sure how they line up.

Well last night Fabregas didn't even make it off the bench for Spain which was ludicrous. Fabregas is quality.

Aragones also dropped Raul from the squad completely despite the fact that he led Real to the title last year and has been on fire at the start of this season.

Like I said, I don't know how Aragones is still in a job.

Posted: **Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:06 am**

In this highlights you can see for yourselves.

In the images you can't see for sure what was going on there, but you can suspect there was something nasty at the end. Xabi didn't protest a whole lot.

As for Xavi, not that I have seen him in DM role often. He does come very deep to start plays, but as a true defensive midfielder he's too light in his tackle, he's not a big guy, and he's not strong. He can't receive long balls from the opposition defence and head them and details like that. Players like Xavi and Iniesta (or Ivan DLP at other level) have to be complemented with stronger and more defensive midfielders like Alonso, Senna or Albelda.

Barcelona has lots of quality attack wise, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Messi, Xavi... this year they've tried to complement that with some defensive power, as Motta wasn't good enough for that role. They tried to sign up Alonso for that but they signed Yaya Touré in the end

You can see what happens when they don't do that. The Barcelona away game was a good example of what happened when Barcelona removed their most deffensive mid in that stage of the game they went mad after we scored the first time. They subbed Motta and left only attacking and creative mids in the pitch. They became sitting ducks for a structured team like Liverpool.

Like I said, I don't know how Aragones is still in a job.

Neither do I. He's stubborn in a senile way.

Liverpool FC Forum

Xabi sent off last night - Blessing in disguise?