A thread about a man named Xabi

[Trumo]

If Xabi leaves it won't be for one reason. It will be for many, they will be economic, footballing, cultural, personal, etc etc. You don't uproot your family, renegotiate a multi-million $ contract, etc etc just because you've got the hump.

 

That's on the money.

[CaptainK]

if he had been dying to sell Alonso all year this summer for Barry he would have done it the day after the season finished at least in terms of buying Barry, rather than let him join City so I don't buy it.

 

here's the more likely scenario: Benitez wants to keep Xabi because he's playing better and contributing more than his previous 2 goals and 2 assists a season, he was after Barry for the left wing and it was a lower priority

Ties in with Barry saying that he didn't want to join Liverpool so that he could be shunted out to the left.

[Red Nick]

Has he gone yet.....?

 

No but it is the worst kept secret in football

[diego]

As Alonso has recently admitted and then reiterated in two interviews, money is a major motivating factor for him. It was one of the reasons he wanted to move last year. Rafa and Alonso both agreed that LFC would listen to offers last summer. When Rafa refused to sell him below his value of 15 million, Rafa told the press that they could say he had changed his mind or that Alonso had changed his mind - it didn't really matter because the fact was that he remained a Liverpool player.

 

This year, Alonso, personally and through his agent, has again encouraged better offers while at the same time protecting his right to stay at Liverpool under a generous contract. It is clear to me that money is a major factor with him. He wants more money from a new contract either with another club or with Liverpool.

 

Rafa does not want to sell him.

 

The other issue is whether he is irreplaceable. He has been good this year, mediocre in previous years. He is not world class. There are better players. I would trust Rafa to entice one of the better players replace him if he has sufficient funds.

[INTORRESTING]

You've gone full circle now. Earlier on you were saying that Xabi should just get on with things and not have any grievances but now you're justifying Rafa's grievance?

 

I don't know the facts so am open to both sides of the argument. Just sparking a bit of debate really.

[coop]

Sell Alonso and Arbeloa for £38m

 

Sign someone like Defour, Lucho or Veleso for £15-18m leaving £20m for Silva.

 

Would we be weaker as a team or stronger.

[Brownie]

Sell Alonso and Arbeloa for £38m

 

Sign someone like Defour, Lucho or Veleso for £15-18m leaving £20m for Silva.

 

Would we be weaker as a team or stronger.

 

Only time would tell. Personally, as an educated guess, I would say weaker because Alonso is far better than those midfielders mentioned and i'm totally unsure of how good Silva is.

 

As I say though, you only know the success of a transfer once the players start performing.

[silverlining]

I don't know the facts so am open to both sides of the argument. Just sparking a bit of debate really.

 

Excellent.

 

Does anyone else with a complete lack of anything resembling facts and a disinclination to favour any particular side of an argument, wish to contribute?

[coop]

Excellent.

 

Does anyone else with a complete lack of anything resembling facts and a disinclination to favour any particular side of an argument, wish to contribute?

 

I will give you a fact.

 

If we sell Alonso to Madrid for the rumoured £30m price Liverpool FC will still be a top team next season challenging for all the major honours.

 

Personally i think we are on the brink of something special with the strongest team we have had in years.

 

If Alonso wants to join the circus that is Madrid then so be it.

 

In all walks of life people don't get on with their bosses/manager to use that excuse to an highly paid footballer is laughable, my heart bleeds for him.

[silverlining]

I will give you a fact.

 

If we sell Alonso to Madrid for the rumoured £30m price Liverpool FC will still be a top team next season challenging for all the major honours.

 

Personally i think we are on the brink of something special with the strongest team we have had in years.

 

If Alonso wants to join the circus that is Madrid then so be it.

 

In all walks of life people don't get on with their bosses/manager to use that excuse to an highly paid footballer is laughable, my heart bleeds for him.

 

 

That would depend on who we replaced Alonso with

[INTORRESTING]

Excellent.

 

Does anyone else with a complete lack of anything resembling facts and a disinclination to favour any particular side of an argument, wish to contribute?

 

I don't take a stance without facts as that would show poor judgement. I can speculate and weigh up both sides of an argument but why talk as if you are right or know something when you blatantly don't?

 

It is all speculation and a merry go round so there is no right or wrong

[Red Nick]

Sell Alonso and Arbeloa for £38m

 

Sign someone like Defour, Lucho or Veleso for £15-18m leaving £20m for Silva.

 

Would we be weaker as a team or stronger.

 

Of course we would be unless your talking to an Xabi supporter who wouldnt be happy even if it was 60m.

 

The majority of them just have a floored point of view of exactly how much he brings to the team. Mascher, Torres, Pepe and Stevie are far more important to the team than Xabi and for that money Rafa would be mad not to sell.

[coop]

That would depend on who we replaced Alonso with

 

Regardless of whom we replaced him with we will still be a top team.

 

If we get the rumoured £38 million for Alonso and Arbeloa that will go a long way in signing some quality.

[Best Believe It]

That would depend on who we replaced Alonso with

 

[Glen C]

I don't want him to go but if he's gonna go then just bloody go and get over and done with. I'm bored with the whole saga to be honest.

[silverlining]

I don't take a stance without facts as that would show poor judgement. I can speculate and weigh up both sides of an argument but why talk as if you are right or know something when you blatantly don't?

 

It is all speculation and a merry go round so there is no right or wrong

 

Your username is ironic.

 

You rarely post about Torres and your posts are almost never interesting either.

[Red Nick]

Regardless of whom we replaced him with we will still be a top team.

 

If we get the rumoured £38 million for Alonso and Arbeloa that will go a long way in signing some quality.

 

 

And even if we didnt spend the money and dropped Stevie back into CM we'd still be a top 4 team next season

[INTORRESTING]

Your username is ironic.

 

You rarely post about Torres and your posts are almost never interesting either.

 

every cloud, I posted about Torres earlier.

Internet arguments, nice one mate.

[silverlining]

every cloud, I posted about Torres earlier.

Internet arguments, nice one mate.

 

It's what summer on football messageboards was made for!

[Antynwa]

And even if we didnt spend the money and dropped Stevie back into CM we'd still be a top 4 team next season

 

And that's what counts?

[Royal Family]

By the way - trying to find something we can all agree on - just HOW bad a journalist is Dave Prentice? He says today in the Echo that "Madrid have publicly declared they are no longer interested in Alonso" - yet this very day, Valdano has given an interview confirming they are still trying to sign Alonso, that negotiations are ongoing but are difficult and that they must be patient! Nice money if you can get it, i guess?

[Ted]

Prentice's stuff is just guesswork for the most part.

 

SSN just talking about how Real are still in for Xabi. Showed images of Xabi rooling too. Although, an image of Xabi standing picking his nose would rool more than the Mona Lisa.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I'm not running any kind of line, just stating what Alonso's grievences are. There's always two sides of the story but for me I would say that one of the most important traits that a manager has to have, is being able to keep his best players happy.

 

In this case, he hasn't and I think it may prove to be a mistake, only time will tell. I'm not demonising him though, he's a human and thus will make mistakes I don't see why people get so defensive about it.

 

How do you know what Alonso's grievance's are Ian?

 

Have you spoken to Xabi personally?

 

I am just curious as a few people on here and in the non internet world are saying "I know exactly what is up with Xabi ya know mate" and I can't help but believe it is all hearsay.

[INTORRESTING]

It's what summer on football messageboards was made for!

 

fair play

A little fact about Torres:

 

In the beginning he was goalkeeper, but after he lost some teeth, he would play in the field.

[Glen C]

How do you know what Alonso's grievance's are Ian?

 

Have you spoken to Xabi personally?

 

I am just curious as a few people on here and in the non internet world are saying "I know exactly what is up with Xabi ya know mate" and I can't help but believe it is all hearsay.

 

You really don't want to open up that can or worms regarding that issue. It could turn really ugly and stupid as everyone will voice their opinion about how the people that are in the know are full of shit and then some will say well i know that he knows stuff but i can't say how. Of course the ones in the know will say well things change all the time but my source is reliable blah blah blah. Seriously its been done to death for years now and yet they still argue about it.