Xabi Alonso: Welcome back to Anfield.

[Leyton388]

I have no doubt he's been told Madrid will be in for him at the end of next season. I've got zero time for Alonso. Firstly by the way he saw his arse and left us and now the way he has knocked us back in no doubt for his beloved Madrid again. 

 

I remember when he was at the legends game in 2016 and he said he was coming home or something to that effect and I was just like "Whatever lad". 

[Lee909]

I reckon he always wanted the Madrid job, he was happy to go to Bayern or ourselves if that wasn't a option. 

[gkmacca]

When did he stop being Basque?

[Code]

I think Alonso has been promised funds in the summer, and that Leverkusen will not sell players to Bayern as long as he’s not okay with it. He said his decision was made after talks with the clubs representatives. 

 

He will have a chance to recreate what he has done this year next year and have a go in the CL. 
 

They will also be seeded in pot two in the CL so will have a good chance to reach the knock out stages.

 

The more I think about it, the more obvious it is that it ended this way. 

 

 

[Dicko]

Xabi will be like Toshack it'll never be the right time.

[Dapower]

5 hours ago, Leyton388 said:

I have no doubt he's been told Madrid will be in for him at the end of next season. I've got zero time for Alonso. Firstly by the way he saw his arse and left us and now the way he has knocked us back in no doubt for his beloved Madrid again. 

 

I remember when he was at the legends game in 2016 and he said he was coming home or something to that effect and I was just like "Whatever lad". 

Didn’t he say it was a dream to manage Liverpool?

Be lucky to get the chance again 

[Leyton388]

7 minutes ago, Dapower said:

Didn’t he say it was a dream to manage Liverpool?

Be lucky to get the chance again 

 

Not sure about that but yes I think his opportunity has passed him by. 

[Razoray]

10 minutes ago, Leyton388 said:

 

Not sure about that but yes I think his opportunity has passed him by. 

Even if he goes to Madrid after next season, they have had 17 managers (including 5 interims) since Del Bosque was sacked in 2003. He wont be there long-term so it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that he spends some time as manager here during his career, if he fancies it, the timing is right and he is what we need when he is available. 

[Dapower]

4 minutes ago, Razoray said:

Even if he goes to Madrid after next season, they have had 17 managers (including 5 interims) since Del Bosque was sacked in 2003. He wont be there long-term so it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that he spends some time as manager here during his career, if he fancies it, the timing is right and he is what we need when he is available. 

That’s the thing if he falls on his arse in his next job or even next season and we have seen it with other mangers in the past he won’t get near the job here 

[Dicko]

When he gets fucked off from Madrid let him have the job, then appoint Rafa as director of football.

That'll teach him.

[Dapower]

8 minutes ago, Dicko said:

When he gets fucked off from Madrid let him have the job, then appoint Rafa as director of football.

That'll teach him.

He had his chance to come here when the club is in a fucking great place with the young lads coming through and he ain’t got the balls to take it so I don’t want him here in the future 

[VladimirIlyich]

On 31/03/2024 at 19:12, gkmacca said:

When did he stop being Basque?

When he signed for Real Madrid.

[Barrington Womble]

On 31/03/2024 at 19:51, Code said:

I think Alonso has been promised funds in the summer, and that Leverkusen will not sell players to Bayern as long as he’s not okay with it. He said his decision was made after talks with the clubs representatives. 

 

He will have a chance to recreate what he has done this year next year and have a go in the CL. 
 

They will also be seeded in pot two in the CL so will have a good chance to reach the knock out stages.

 

The more I think about it, the more obvious it is that it ended this way. 

 

 

They'll be in pot 1 if they win the uefa cup. 

 

But I don't think it has much to do with Leverkusen. He wants the Madrid job. If Leverkusen had said they were breaking up his team, he'd be mad not to move now. But as long as he keeps his side, he can wait for his dream job. If Madrid had let it be known they didn't want him, he'd have taken us or Munich now I think. It's all about Madrid. 

[Moo]

58 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

They'll be in pot 1 if they win the uefa cup. 

 

But I don't think it has much to do with Leverkusen. He wants the Madrid job. If Leverkusen had said they were breaking up his team, he'd be mad not to move now. But as long as he keeps his side, he can wait for his dream job. If Madrid had let it be known they didn't want him, he'd have taken us or Munich now I think. It's all about Madrid. 

 

I think it's a tough one to figure out.  If it's all about Madrid and they really want him, they'd have had no qualms fucking off Ancelotti and making it happen this summer.  There's more to it than just waiting for Madrid to give him the nod imo. It could be he genuinely and simply wants to give Leverkusen another season. And as for not coming to us I disagree with those saying it would have been the perfect time for him, the squad being in great shape etc etc, well, that's subjective. Following Klopp would be a bold move anyway and I don't think the squad is as great as many think, it's good and promising but everyone knows Klopp has us playing at a level above where we would otherwise be. Alonso might want to observe what happens next with us, the squad and our finances.  Not every manager thrives trying to compete with one hand tied behind his back, and Xabi is a sensible fella.

[Barrington Womble]

3 minutes ago, Moo said:

 

I think it's a tough one to figure out.  If it's all about Madrid and they really want him, they'd have had no qualms fucking off Ancelotti and making it happen this summer.  There's more to it than just waiting for Madrid to give him the nod imo. It could be he genuinely and simply wants to give Leverkusen another season. And as for not coming to us I disagree with those saying it would have been the perfect time for him, the squad being in great shape etc etc, well, that's subjective. Following Klopp would be a bold move anyway and I don't think the squad is as great as many think, it's good and promising but everyone knows Klopp has us playing at a level above where we would otherwise be. Alonso might want to observe what happens next with us, the squad and our finances.  Not every manager thrives trying to compete with one hand tied behind his back, and Xabi is a sensible fella.

 

Why would they fuck ancelotti off though if they can have Alonso continue to learn his trade at Leverkusen? The reality is this is too soon really, he's not had a season in the CL and he's also not really learnt how to deal with a downturn in form. But both us and Munich had vacancies, so we chased because there's so little out there. So Madrid just do their smart stuff. Tell him to keep learning and he can follow ancelotti. And they all want Madrid. 

 

As for winning one hand tied behind his back..maybe he doesn't fancy that, although he's doing ok at it currently.  It I'd be amazed if he doesn't fancy trying his arm at the premier league at some point, because it's the best league. And we are his obvious choice here. If he takes the job here, they'll be the terms, they won't be changing. And klopp is a sensible fella, it didn't stop him coming here though. 

[Moo]

2 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

 

Why would they fuck ancelotti off though if they can have Alonso continue to learn his trade at Leverkusen? The reality is this is too soon really, he's not had a season in the CL and he's also not really learnt how to deal with a downturn in form. But both us and Munich had vacancies, so we chased because there's so little out there. So Madrid just do their smart stuff. Tell him to keep learning and he can follow ancelotti. And they all want Madrid. 

 

As for winning one hand tied behind his back..maybe he doesn't fancy that, although he's doing ok at it currently.  It I'd be amazed if he doesn't fancy trying his arm at the premier league at some point, because it's the best league. And we are his obvious choice here. If he takes the job here, they'll be the terms, they won't be changing. And klopp is a sensible fella, it didn't stop him coming here though. 

 

Klopp is also a romantic, and someone used to fighting for everything he has achieved in life, not really things I'd associate with Xabi though the job he's done with limited resources at Leverkusen is stunning, it would have come with low expectations.

Ancelotti has a contract until 2026, Madrid could just have easily accepted Xabi going to a bigger club and proving himself there for 2 years before going to them. Xabi could have done that, got himself a big move and still have left the door open for Madrid, but he's not which is why I think Madrid in 12 months is not a fait accompli. I think he's just not in a rush and wants to see what things look like in another 12 months while continuing the job he's started at Leverkusen. And if that means the Liverpool job passes him by then so be it.

 

 

[Barrington Womble]

33 minutes ago, Moo said:

 

Klopp is also a romantic, and someone used to fighting for everything he has achieved in life, not really things I'd associate with Xabi though the job he's done with limited resources at Leverkusen is stunning, it would have come with low expectations.

Ancelotti has a contract until 2026, Madrid could just have easily accepted Xabi going to a bigger club and proving himself there for 2 years before going to them. Xabi could have done that, got himself a big move and still have left the door open for Madrid, but he's not which is why I think Madrid in 12 months is not a fait accompli. I think he's just not in a rush and wants to see what things look like in another 12 months while continuing the job he's started at Leverkusen. And if that means the Liverpool job passes him by then so be it.

 

 

It might not be 12 months, it might be 2 years. We'll have to agree to disagree though. Alonso doesn't turn down Munich and Liverpool if he doesn't have something up his sleeve. 

[A_S]

Isn't Haaland meant to be at RM around that time too? And Mbappe? 

[TheDrowningMan]

I have a feeling Man City could be the destination Alonso is on course for - a recent Ornstein / Pearce article mentioned in passing that he’d been spoken of as a possible candidate for that job in future, which struck me as curious given he has no link to them. Given their resources, following Guardiola at City is a far, far easier job than succeeding Klopp at Liverpool.

[Bjornebye]

1 nil up just whacked one off the frame of the goal. 
 

Consoling myself with watching Xabi smile 

 

Win this and it’s the title 

[Strontium]

Xabi Alonso would have been the perfect appointment for FSG, he ticks all the boxes. By which I mean he ticks the one and only box: have a vaguely competitive team while spending fuck all.

[Jhinge Machha]

Fuck him. Amorim is twice the manager he is.

[Code]

24 minutes ago, Jhinge Machha said:

Fuck him. Amorim is twice the manager he is.

43 games and counting without a loss in a far superior league, Europa League and German Cup suggest otherwise. 

[Carra_is_legend]

Well he is not coming...

[Jairzinho]

3 minutes ago, Carra_is_legend said:

Well he is not coming...

 

Yes, but we could celebrate his league title no?

 

That would be normal.