Alonso: Juve in talks

[Lario]

Alonso is one of the classiest and talented midfielders i've seen pull on the red shirt therefore i think i'll be demanding a lot more than £16m in the case he leaves. whoevers lucky enough to get Xabi after we discard him just need to get his confidence levels up and give him a run in the team and they have one of the best midfielders in Europe. Imagine if Juve get him and they manage to get that Xabi-Sissoko combo working like it was 2 seasons again, they'd be pissing themselves at us, for managing to get an awesome midfield partnership for a measly £26m.

 

But if they don't play well, we'll be laughing our bell-ends off at getting £26m for two squad players!:drool:

[Xabi D]

Name a game he dominated in the last 18 months, Xabi D?

 

I love the bloke but you can't say he's not replaceable at the moment.

 

The Arsenal CL game at home for one. Xabi's been seldom fit and fully confident over the past seaon and a half. He still retains the ball better than anyone in our team, and i worry for our football if he were to leave and a workhorse like Barry were to come in.

[dirty_sanchez]

The way I see it, Barry + £4-5m for Alonso is a good trade, give us more threat from set pieces and gives us £4-5m to invest on other players. Alonso was shit last season, so what's the point in keeping him?

[Thants]

The Arsenal CL game at home for one. Xabi's been seldom fit and fully confident over the past seaon and a half. He still retains the ball better than anyone in our team, and i worry for our football if he were to leave and a workhorse like Barry were to come in.

 

Barry will be very good indeed.

[coop]

I dont think Rafa sees it that way.

 

Lets just say we get £16 million for Alonso and we then use that cash to sign David Silva who is rumoured to be available for the same amount.

 

Rafa then trys using player plus cash for Barry.

 

Basically what im trying to say is Rafa is not intending on using the Alonso cash for Barry as i think he has other methods he intends of using to tempt Villa wheras i dont think Valencia would be bothered about Riise or Carson as part ex for Silva.

[Xabi D]

I dont think Rafa sees it that way.

 

Lets just say we get £16 million for Alonso and we then use that cash to sign David Silva who is rumoured to be available for the same amount.

 

Rafa then trys using player plus cash for Barry.

 

Basically what im trying to say is Rafa is not intending on using the Alonso cash for Barry as i think he has other methods he intends of using to tempt Villa wheras i dont think Valencia would be bothered about Riise or Carson as part ex for Silva.

 

He is though Guillem said recently that Barry is going to be the BIG summer signing, the rest of the media seem to get that impression as well.

[MAC5]

He is though Guillem said recently that Barry is going to be the BIG summer signing, the rest of the media seem to get that impression as well.

 

Then it must be true then.

[coop]

He is though Guillem said recently that Barry is going to be the BIG summer signing, the rest of the media seem to get that impression as well.

 

Is this the same guy who said last summer that Forlan was the big summer signing then hello Torres.

[Carra_is_legend]

Is this the same guy who said last summer that Forlan was the big summer signing then hello Torres.

 

Aye. It was the same guy who said DIC will announce the deal the minute after the deadline expires.

 

Although he didn't exactly mention the deadline date ;)

[Unrighteous]

Name a game he dominated in the last 18 months, Xabi D?

 

I love the bloke but you can't say he's not replaceable at the moment.

 

This is the sad truth. I love Xabi and he's class... but he is replaceable from what we've seen the last 18months.

 

I also think that he isn't fully happy at the club. It shows in his play.

[Unrighteous]

He is though Guillem said recently that Barry is going to be the BIG summer signing, the rest of the media seem to get that impression as well.

 

He's never been wrong before, has he...

 

:whistle:

[Xabi D]

He's never been wrong before, has he...

 

:whistle:

 

Why do people always seem to get on Guillems back, he knows what he's talking about he predicted then Torres signing months before anyone else knew about it. Trust me he's get his finger on the pulse of European football, he is a red after all.

[Unrighteous]

Why do people always seem to get on Guillems back, he knows what he's talking about he predicted then Torres signing months before anyone else knew about it. Trust me he's get his finger on the pulse of European football, he is a red after all.

 

Um... there is no 'guarentee' with prediction. He looks at our situation and the strong link to Barry and thinks that is it...

[rebel23]

Why do people always seem to get on Guillems back, he knows what he's talking about he predicted then Torres signing months before anyone else knew about it. Trust me he's get his finger on the pulse of European football, he is a red after all.

 

he didnt know about Torres months before it happened, infact he was pretty sure he was signing for the Mancs

 

the only time anyone knew about Torres was when our 'officials' were in Madrid negotiating for him

[Xabi D]

he didnt know about Torres months before it happened, infact he was pretty sure he was signing for the Mancs

 

the only time anyone knew about Torres was when our 'officials' were in Madrid negotiating for him

 

What you on about? he didn't say that, i watch Reivsta De la Liga every week and he said on the last episode that Luis Garcia plus £24m will get Torres. He said fuck all about the mancs being in for him.

[Lario]

What you on about? he didn't say that, i watch Reivsta De la Liga every week and he said on the last episode that Luis Garcia plus £24m will get Torres. He said fuck all about the mancs being in for him.

 

Rafa has said that the deal was actually worth £20m total, inc. Garcia.

[hamstrung]

Ballague gets as much wrong as he does right, which is fair enough. He's paid to talk, so has to have something to say.

[Thants]

It's not a matter of getting on Guillems back, it's the way people blindly accept his papertalk interviews that bugs people.

The truth is he's a half insider half tabloid sky bitch. To quote the popular line "He knows less than he's letting on". Seems a nice chap though.

[G Richards]

It's not quite working out for Xabi of late. Mascher has become more important in the defensive midfield role, and while I think there is more to Xabi's game, we don't see him at his best much. It might be that in 4-2-3-1 he plays a little bit deep, and he would be better in a 4-4-2 where he got forward a bit more. His shooting is not bad at all, but we don't usually have him up there enough to shoot (not that that stops him when he fancies scoring from his own half!)

 

I get the impression that Xabi is bullied and hurried a bit too much in the Prem these days. In a more continental situation he will have time to pick his pass, and if/when he does go, he will probably start to look like an amazing player again.

 

As things stand, we know he is a great player, but clearly we are not quite getting the best out of him. And I wouldn't call this a blip, since it has been this way for the best part of 2 seasons.

 

I think Barry alongside Mascherano would give us better balance. I couldn't honestly say that Barry is a better player than Alonso, but he is better than many reds seem to think. It won't particularly strengthen the team if Xabi leaves and Barry comes in, but I can't honestly say that it will weaken it either. It might be the case that Barry will get a few more goals and whip in a few more balls, so he will possibly be more effective, though less easy on the eye.

 

If we can cobble together a deal for Barry without spending much cash, then the cash we receive from selling Alonso could be very useful in strengthening the three behind Torres.

 

I think it is unhelpful to set this up as Alonso v Barry, since it is about improving the whole team. I'm sure that's what Rafa is after.

[AdamD]

It's not quite working out for Xabi of late. Mascher has become more important in the defensive midfield role, and while I think there is more to Xabi's game, we don't see him at his best much. It might be that in 4-2-3-1 he plays a little bit deep, and he would be better in a 4-4-2 where he got forward a bit more. His shooting is not bad at all, but we don't usually have him up there enough to shoot (not that that stops him when he fancies scoring from his own half!)

 

I get the impression that Xabi is bullied and hurried a bit too much in the Prem these days. In a more continental situation he will have time to pick his pass, and if/when he does go, he will probably start to look like an amazing player again.

 

As things stand, we know he is a great player, but clearly we are not quite getting the best out of him. And I wouldn't call this a blip, since it has been this way for the best part of 2 seasons.

 

I think Barry alongside Mascherano would give us better balance. I couldn't honestly say that Barry is a better player than Alonso, but he is better than many reds seem to think. It won't particularly strengthen the team if Xabi leaves and Barry comes in, but I can't honestly say that it will weaken it either. It might be the case that Barry will get a few more goals and whip in a few more balls, so he will possibly be more effective, though less easy on the eye.

 

If we can cobble together a deal for Barry without spending much cash, then the cash we receive from selling Alonso could be very useful in strengthening the three behind Torres.

 

I think it is unhelpful to set this up as Alonso v Barry, since it is about improving the whole team. I'm sure that's what Rafa is after.

 

Top Drawer post of the month

[TommyW]

posted this before but fuck it, its quality

 

YouTube - Xabi Alonso Vs Spurs

 

Xabi's masterclass v spurs in his debut season

 

I think the main problem with Xabi (if there is one) is that we dont play as wide as we did in his first couple of seasons, look how many balls he is pinging wide in this clip, with the formation we play now I dont think he has that outlet as often, which is a shame as there's not much better than watching him passing a ball to feet from 50 yards consistently

 

as much as I do rate Barry and understand his possible signing he'll have to go a long way to matching up to Xabi in my opinion

[coop]

Xabi ruled in that match and also when we played against Norwich but both were from his first season and he has failed to rule as hard since.

 

Alonso is a quality player but he is been allowed nowhere near the space he was granted in them clips and in his first season but i think in the slower enviroment of the Italian league he will excel and once again show what a top player he is.

[dirty_sanchez]

Xabi ruled hardest against Everton though, when Gerrard got sent off. One of the best individual performances I'd seen for ages. If you've not seen it, look in the dictionary under "stepping up to the plate"

[Crazyhorse7778]

And Fulham away, 2-0 down at half time.

[OnizukaEikichi]

barry our major signing this season + alonso out? This is one fucking depressing summer if that happens.