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Carragher: Aquilani signing was a complete and utter mess

TLW

By TLW,
in FF - Football Forum

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Bjornebye Grand Master

Bjornebye

Posted
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11 minutes ago, Dave D said:

Im liking all these little stories cropping up- Lambert has done one slating Ballotelli whilst also revealing that we tried to sell him (Lambert) within about 4 weeks of signing him for some reason.

 

Im looking forward to somebody giving us an account of the everyday life in training with Voronin 

Probably because Rodgers saw him in training. 

 

Nah I wanted Lambert to have a decent two years, plunder a few goals, maybe reach double figures off the bench then go and see out his twiglight elsewhere. I thought it could be a shrew move.

 

Ballofuckingtelli though. 

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diamondjoe Experienced

diamondjoe

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, cloggypop said:

I did wonder if he was going to fit in when he turned up with a marble bust of Benito Mussolini. 

He's slick

He's red

He's got il Duce's head

Alberto Alberto.

 

That was my chant. Not too shabby at the time. No fucker sang it mind you.

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Kevin D Grand Master

Kevin D

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10 hours ago, TLW said:

Jamie Carragher has opened up over the disastrous signing of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani in 2009.

Liverpool fans were in a state of great sadness and disappointment over the transfer to Real Madrid of the much loved Spaniard Xabi Alonso who was more or less forced out of the club by Rafa Benitez.

His shoes were going to be an almighty challenge to fill, and the choice was Aquilani.

 

Arriving at the club from Roma as a 25 year-old, Aquilani was a tidy technical player and seemingly entering his prime.

 

But his injury record was of great concern, and add to the fact that he was coming to a new league that played at a completely different tempo than what he was used to, there was indeed some raised eyebrows over the purchase.

 

No more than Carragher who recalled his thoughts of the transfer in The Athletic (via Football 365)

“It was just a complete and utter mess.

“It was a panic signing. Xabi [Alonso] was going and there was that sense of, ‘We have to get someone in’.

 

"But we signed someone who hadn’t played for months and was months away from being fit again.

“He was injured when he arrived and there was pressure on the medical staff to get him back quick. 

“It soon became clear it would take longer than the club had initially put out there and that then caused problems for the medical staff.

“It was a terrible decision all-round to bring him in. It just wouldn’t happen these days with the structure Liverpool have in place with a sporting director.

 

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Carra admitted it was a difficult period at the club and he certainly felt for the position that his new teammate was in.

“I felt sorry for the lad because he was caught in the middle of it. 

“He was put in a position he shouldn’t have been put in.

“I’m not having this talk about the finances at the time or missing out on who we really wanted.

“Managers frequently don’t get their first target. Look at Alex Ferguson. He missed out on Alan Shearer and signed Eric Cantona.

 

The club legend also said the departure of Xabi should have been foreseen by the club hierarchy especially after what transpired the previous summer. 

“If you couldn’t replace him properly, then why sell Xabi? 

“He was always going to want to go that summer with what happened the previous year with Gareth Barry. 

“You’ve still got to spend the money you can spend wisely. 

“All the lads were disappointed about Xabi leaving. He had been there a long time and he’d had a great last season for Liverpool.”

Aquilani made a total of 28 largely unremarkable appearances for the Reds and was quickly shunted off early in the following season to Juventus on loan.

From there, he became a footballing journeyman making stops at AC Milan, Fiorentina, Sporting CP, Pescara, Sassuolo, before finishing in Spain with Las Palmas in 2018.

They talk about one-season wonders in Football but for Aquilani, the 2009/10 campaign was one of true woe.

 

View full article

 

 

Bad bootle meff.

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Dave D Grand Master

Dave D

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What Klopp changed is that we stopped signing footballers and started signing Liverpool players if that makes sense.

 

They had to buy in to the ethos, the city, understand that they played for Liverpool- not players like Voronin/Sakho/Balotelli etc that simply churned out the same performances as individuals regardless of the colour of the shirt they were wearing.

 

Its why City players will always be regarded for their individual prowess, not the club itself. Players like Torres, Suarez, Cantona become iconic legends at clubs like ours and United who are steeped history.

 

Look at Aguero- had he been plying his trade at either of our clubs or even Arsenal he would be cemented in iconic legendary status- at City, its so watered down, drowned in a sense of entitlement due to the embarrasment of riches and Sky generation fans that his achievements seem to pale in comparison with the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Owen, Fowler, Shearer etc      

     

 

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easytoslip Veteran

easytoslip

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Dave D said:

What Klopp changed is that we stopped signing footballers and started signing Liverpool players if that makes sense.

 

They had to buy in to the ethos, the city, understand that they played for Liverpool- not players like Voronin/Sakho/Balotelli etc that simply churned out the same performances as individuals regardless of the colour of the shirt they were wearing.

 

Its why City players will always be regarded for their individual prowess, not the club itself. Players like Torres, Suarez, Cantona become iconic legends at clubs like ours and United who are steeped history.

 

Look at Aguero- had he been plying his trade at either of our clubs or even Arsenal he would be cemented in iconic legendary status- at City, its so watered down, drowned in a sense of entitlement due to the embarrasment of riches and Sky generation fans that his achievements seem to pale in comparison with the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Owen, Fowler, Shearer etc      

     

 

It does make sense, LFC have always brought in players over the years that fit their requirements and who they thought would fit in to Liverpool's way. 

That was until the not so distant past. 

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