Madrid want Xabi

[Dirk]

Lost it near the end of the season, was responsible for the first goal in the FA Cup with an attempted short pass. Made a few of them in that game and then went of injured.

 

Cash in quickly, he just was not the same player last season as he was in his first season. ;)

 

He was patchy in parts but the derby at home was his best perfomance in a red shirt. He was iimmense at times but he wasn't consistently so but I wouldn't label the lad inconsistent, it's more to do with the fact that he has such high standards.

[05 Milan]

Did you not see his assured displays for Spain then?

 

Whoooooooooooooooosh!!!

[Dirk]

Whoooooooooooooooosh!!!

 

Hahaha, same goes for me too.

[Karl_b]

I fucking love Xabi me. I would never sell him. Him, Gerrard, Momo and Gonzalez will be the best midfield quartet anywhere next season. Fact. Chelsea can buy whoever they like it wont match those four for balance, quality, pace, tackling, passing, shooting, drive and all round ace-ness.

[Bert]

I heard that he's all friendly with some of the Real lads in the Spanish set up.

Shitehawk!

[Karl_b]

I heard that he's all friendly with some of the Real lads in the Spanish set up.

Shitehawk!

 

Im friendly with someone that works at Wilkinsons, doesnt mean Im about to quit my career and work there.

[rebel23]

I fucking love Xabi me. I would never sell him. Him, Gerrard, Momo and Gonzalez will be the best midfield quartet anywhere next season. Fact. Chelsea can buy whoever they like it wont match those four for balance, quality, pace, tackling, passing, shooting, drive and all round ace-ness.

 

fascinated to see how Ballack and Lampard will work in a 442

[Karl_b]

fascinated to see how Ballack and Lampard will work in a 442

 

It wont, add Joke Hole, Essien, Makelele, Robben et all to that mix and thats far too many players for a four man midfield. Rafa is building a team and finding the players to fit into that,Mourinho is doing the opposite.

 

Which looks better...

 

Makelele

 

Lampard Essien

 

Ballack

 

Or...

 

Gerrard Momo Xabi Gonzalez

 

No contest at all that. Mourinho is seemingly going to change the formation that has been succesful in the past two seasons to accomodate Lampard and Ballack in the same side, leaving out Cole and Robben, who have been two of their most effective players over that period.

 

The wheels will fall off the Chelsea wagon, and Rafa wont be calling the AA out to help them.

[bobhorse]

This story was first in the news when the candidates for the Madrid election where making there pitches saying who they where going to sign

 

This coldoron fella said he would move away from the galacticos way of signing players and bring in more spanish players

 

That was his pledge and the best names in the spanish squad are Alonso Torres & Fabragas now Torres looked a none starter to cross the divide so that left the other two he had agreement with Fabragas's agent but AW said he can fuck right off so now the focus turned to Alonso

 

In the mean time he is signing the likes of Emmerson and Canavaro he will keep the Alonso thing alive until Rafa says no way seeing Rafa isnt in the habbit of responding to speculation in the press this could take weeks

 

Madrid will sign cheaper players whilst saying they are close to Alonso deal

 

They will then say Liverpool said no

 

and everyone will be sort of happy

 

The best teams have the best midfield you dont sell your best midfielders

[bobhorse]

It wont, add Joke Hole, Essien, Makelele, Robben et all to that mix and thats far too many players for a four man midfield. Rafa is building a team and finding the players to fit into that,Mourinho is doing the opposite.

 

Which looks better...

 

Makelele

 

Lampard Essien

 

Ballack

 

Or...

 

Gerrard Momo Xabi Gonzalez

 

No contest at all that. Mourinho is seemingly going to change the formation that has been succesful in the past two seasons to accomodate Lampard and Ballack in the same side, leaving out Cole and Robben, who have been two of their most effective players over that period.

 

The wheels will fall off the Chelsea wagon, and Rafa wont be calling the AA out to help them.

 

Sell Lumpolard and Roben to Spain and then lets say Deco and Messi in exchange and you have a diffrent picture with Ballack at the head of a diamond Makalele holding and Cole left Deco right Sheva and Messi uptop starts to have a bit more ballance to it IMO but i still wouldnt swap it for Ours

[Rashid]

I think season ticket holders should be allowed to vote in a Chief Executive for Liverpool from alist given by the Chairman. ;)

[Guest FarmersBoy]

As for him being a proud Basque; he almost joined Madrid before us.

 

Whether or not that's true, it's certainly not the case that he wouldn't go to Madrid in future. In fact I'm pretty sure that he will, at some stage, go there. But he's a smart fella and knows that he's onto a good thing with us for all sorts of reasons, so I'm reasonably confident we'll get another 3 years out of him first - which would take him to 26? - when we could then sell him for a big, big fee and everyone would be happy.

[redrosetints]

It wont, add Joke Hole, Essien, Makelele, Robben et all to that mix and thats far too many players for a four man midfield. Rafa is building a team and finding the players to fit into that,Mourinho is doing the opposite.

 

Which looks better...

 

Makelele

 

Lampard Essien

 

Ballack

 

Or...

 

Gerrard Momo Xabi Gonzalez

 

No contest at all that. Mourinho is seemingly going to change the formation that has been succesful in the past two seasons to accomodate Lampard and Ballack in the same side, leaving out Cole and Robben, who have been two of their most effective players over that period.

 

The wheels will fall off the Chelsea wagon, and Rafa wont be calling the AA out to help them.

 

Spot on, we have balance. Chelsea are gong to struggle like England, with Ballack and Lumpard playing the same role.

[WaltonRed]

i'd never sell him,he's up there with the best and in a couple of seasons will be in the top 2 or 3.who else can ping a ball like Xabi?

 

for me he is one of those i'd never consider selling and while we are doing well i think he'd be happy to stay here for moons.

[Section_31]

i'd never sell him,he's up there with the best and in a couple of seasons will be in the top 2 or 3.who else can ping a ball like Xabi?

 

for me he is one of those i'd never consider selling and while we are doing well i think he'd be happy to stay here for moons.

 

 

Yep, in fact he came out during the world cup saying his spanish team-mates were jealous of his scuccess, bodes well for a happy bunny.

[Paul]

I think this is a load of bollocks, but that's not to say that I agree Xabi should never be sold. Every player has his price* and we'd be daft to keep hold of anyone if that price was offered. Having said that, the price for our very best players should be astronomical. We're Liverpool and to be persuaded to sell our best should require a significant premium from prospective buyers - say 50% on top of market value. I'd be gutted if he went, but would respect Rafa if that's a route he chose to go down. Like I said, I think this is bollocks, but £35m might soften the blow.

 

 

*Except Carra.

[Red Nick]

I think this is a load of bollocks, but that's not to say that I agree Xabi should never be sold. Every player has his price* and we'd be daft to keep hold of anyone if that price was offered. Having said that, the price for our very best players should be astronomical. We're Liverpool and to be persuaded to sell our best should require a significant premium from prospective buyers - say 50% on top of market value. I'd be gutted if he went, but would respect Rafa if that's a route he chose to go down. Like I said, I think this is bollocks, but £35m might soften the blow.

*Except Carra.

 

 

Xabi's Basque and would go to Barca but not Madrid

 

Might be a good idea to ask Xabi what he would want

[Guest Paul Mc]

Xabi's Basque and would go to Barca but not Madrid

 

Barca are Catalan.

 

And he was on the verge of signing for Madrid before we swooped in and got him.

[Red Nick]

Barca are Catalan.

 

And he was on the verge of signing for Madrid before we swooped in and got him.

 

Not true

 

Madrid were talking about a deal but not to the player.

 

FTR Catalans and Basques are united in their hatred of the Castillianos of madrid and both want idependence from the spanish state except Catalans major reason is financial as they would all have more money and wouldnt have to fund the poor places of spain, the same thing happens in Bavaria in Germany where there fed up financing the east

 

Anyway political lesson ended for the day

[Jose Jones]

Xabi's Basque and would go to Barca but not Madrid

 

Might be a good idea to ask Xabi what he would want

 

That's fucking brilliant!

[Paul]

Xabi's Basque and would go to Barca but not Madrid

 

Might be a good idea to ask Xabi what he would want

Bollocks to your increasingly more patronising tone, Nick. What's up with that?

 

Oh, and where did I mention any club in my post? I was talking hypothetically about the concept of selling our best players. Dur.

[Karl_b]

Surely being Basque, surely he would play for Bilbao and nobody else?

 

I dont think that really matters at all and if he wanted to join either Barce or Real then he wouldnt let politics or loyalty to a region dictate his choice.

 

As it happens, I actually think Xabi is extremely happy as a red, and why wouldnt he be? He's a main cog of the Rafalution and is going to be a big part of what will hopefully be many years of success.

 

I was reading the interview with Cally earlier and was thinking how great it would be for Rafa to lead this current crop into a period of immense success and to have players like Gerrard, Alonso, Carra and Momo racking up hundreds and hundreds more appearances for the club.

[Red Nick]

Surely being Basque, surely he would play for Bilbao and nobody else?

QUOTE]

 

Or Real Sociedad the team we bought him for which is the team of San Sebastian which is also in Basque land ;)

 

Not you Karl but some of you on here are stuck so far up your own asses you must have stomach aches

 

Touchy or fucking what

 

Probably cant handle the heat ;)

[Stu Monty]

Surely being Basque, surely he would play for Bilbao and nobody else?

QUOTE]

 

Or Real Sociedad the team we bought him for which is the team of San Sebastian which is also in Basque land ;)

 

Not you Karl but some of you on here are stuck so far up your own asses you must have stomach aches

 

Touchy or fucking what

 

Probably cant handle the heat ;)

 

I think I've found your baseball here Nick.

[Paul]

Surely being Basque, surely he would play for Bilbao and nobody else?

QUOTE]

 

Or Real Sociedad the team we bought him for which is the team of San Sebastian which is also in Basque land ;)

 

Not you Karl but some of you on here are stuck so far up your own asses you must have stomach aches

 

Touchy or fucking what

 

Probably cant handle the heat ;)

Who, specifically, are you talking about?