A thread about a man named Xabi

[Whelan]

Beacuse he is the Count. He's undead. He's got big undead balls and is over 400 years old.

 

Yeah! like totally.

 

But if you are going to talk in the third person, you could have at least acknowledged the king of third person speak, Bomber!

[Count Morfeo]

Yeah! like totally.

 

But if you are going to talk in the third person, you could have at least acknowledged the king of third person speak, Bomber!

 

Bomber fooking ruled did Bomber.

[crouchaholic]

I suppose it all depends how much Xabi hate Rafa now, my point of view is he is already making his point of view known to his close friends within the dressing room. If I was Rafa who doesnt like his autority being questoned I would want rid, Xabi will be a destabalising force in the dressing room but in a much more cold and calculating way and will pick his moments to try and get Rafa sacked. We wont know until Monday how bitter this whole thing could be. For me Id put him up for sale to the highest bidder and if I had to sell for 25m euros id take it and buy someone who did want to play for the club. there is no way I would have a player at the club who wants to play for another club and if that means selling him for less and ridiculously high valuation so be it. Just put Xabi on the market and i bet you no other club in Europe will bid more than 20m euros for him.

 

Totally understand your point, but I'd rather take the chance of having a destabilising force, than to be short shifted in the market - again. The difference between 21m pounds (25m euros) and 30m pounds could be very significant if we take in for granted that the Xabi fee goes directly into the transfer budget for the rest of the window.

[Thants]

Bombers away

[redrosetints]

would be gutted to see Xabi leave but wouldn't mind Arteta as his replacement

 

Good good, sign up for the Arteta bandwagon.

 

There are a few of us, lets get more ....

[redrosetints]

Benitez is the master politician, everyone will think Xabi is the bad guy here.

 

But Phil, its us, the fans who seem to be making these kind of statements putting people into categories. There arent good guys and bad guys in this, just people trying to do the best for their careers.

 

As we've seen, its easy enough to paint either as sinner or sinned against, but really we should be able to move on from that and just accept this is what happens in footie.

 

As when Keegan, Souness, Rush, Fowler etc moved on it really should be a case of 'the king is dead long live the king'

[Red Nick]

Totally understand your point, but I'd rather take the chance of having a destabilising force, than to be short shifted in the market - again. The difference between 21m pounds (25m euros) and 30m pounds could be very significant if we take in for granted that the Xabi fee goes directly into the transfer budget for the rest of the window.

 

Id prefer to have 20m on somebody that does want to play for the club, were still a big club and big clubs dont keep want away players its only small time clubs like Villa and Everton who do.

 

If we keep him against his wishes and he has a shocker season whats his value next seaon in comparison in what you can get for the money.

 

Real did exactly the same with David beckham bid 24m when Barca bid 30m but David Beckham said he would only join Real and once he said he wanted to play for Real he was never going to play for manu again.

[Red Nick]

But Phil, its us, the fans who seem to be making these kind of statements putting people into categories. There arent good guys and bad guys in this, just people trying to do the best for their careers.

 

As we've seen, its easy enough to paint either as sinner or sinned against, but really we should be able to move on from that and just accept this is what happens in footie.

 

As when Keegan, Souness, Rush, Fowler etc moved on it really should be a case of 'the king is dead long live the king'

 

I dont understand why the majority of the thread is about apportioning blame with RAfaites and Xabiistes putting there case forward. For me it doesnt matter its done now its how we get him sold and get replacements in which is far more important.

[redplanet]

I dont understand why the majority of the thread is about apportioning blame with RAfaites and Xabiistes putting there case forward. For me it doesnt matter its done now its how we get him sold and get replacements in which is far more important.

 

:thumbup:

[Barrington Womble]

The Count Rules Barry he really does. And what happened to that drink before I left?

 

i'm not knocking the count. just those who think everything he says is gospel until they don't like what he says.

 

have you gone already?

[Barrington Womble]

I still get the feeling there is a joke I have missed?

 

Sorry, it might be age, it might be a lack of social skills on my part, but why does a grown adult need to post under a Pseudonym and speak in the third person?

 

Sorry but it's a bit 321 for my liking, I am waiting for Ted Rogers to come along and help us decode his post.

 

the point I'm making is there was a time not so long ago when the count was a regular poster on here. at the time he posted some inside information. because people like what he had to say, they loved the count and loved the information. as soon as his message isn't what they want to hear, he gets dug out. it really has nothing to do with the count talking about himself in the 3rd person or liking toast at all.

[redrosetints]

It is Rafas fault he tried to pimp him round like a cheap whore which is the main reason he wants to leave, he hasn't been unhappy playing for him in a while and obviously doesn't want to play for him anymore.

 

At least this time it won't be 15m and Gareth Barry replacing him though. I think the PL is screwed by these changes a bit.

 

And now your doing it !

 

Why can't it be possible that Rafa, like several people on this very forum, decided that Xabi wasn't playing as well as he had, is it not possible that the real driver for Rafa was Xabi Alonsos poor form, nothing else, nothing sinister, but pure and simply a case of needing to move a player on to replace him with a better one ?

 

It seems lost on some, but clearly, without one shadow of a doubt, had Xabi played the previous three seasons as he did the last Rafa wouldnt have tried to move him on last summer.

 

The fact is that in the 07/08 season, Xabi was not good enough, plain and simple.

 

Having posted earlier in reply to yourself about people taking sides, I dont wish to take eithers side, but for balance I feel the above needs pointing out.

 

What happened to supporting a club ? When Rafas future was looking shaky, people said 'he can be replaced, there are other managers out there'. Fine, but managers create the teams and since he's our best manager since Kenny, that will be hard.

 

Now people are working up a fury over the possibility of a player leaving when he's not even our best midfielder of the past 5 years (Didi, Masch, Macca, Gerrard) and certainly not of the past 20 years.

 

If Xabi goes, we may get better, we may get worse, but we shall see. And ultimatley, if Xabi leaving costs us, Rafa will have to take that on the chin and work out a way of getting us back to where we were with Xabi.

[redrosetints]

Rafa started the whole thing, like I said the other day.

 

Do people think Alonso would have wanted to play for Real M if rafa had not got his contract extension.

 

Rafa has done nothing as far as I can tell to make Alonso feel wanted before the barry deal fell through earlier this summer.

 

Unfortunatley it was too late after that and his comments lately have certainly not helped.

 

well maybe if Xabi had played some decent football in the 07/08 season, Rafa wouldnt have felt the need to move on the player.

 

You're boring now code. Rafa feels let down, Xabi feels let down, they are grown men they will move on. get over yourself.

[crouchaholic]

Id prefer to have 20m on somebody that does want to play for the club, were still a big club and big clubs dont keep want away players its only small time clubs like Villa and Everton who do.

 

If we keep him against his wishes and he has a shocker season whats his value next seaon in comparison in what you can get for the money.

 

Real did exactly the same with David beckham bid 24m when Barca bid 30m but David Beckham said he would only join Real and once he said he wanted to play for Real he was never going to play for manu again.

 

It's equally small time to let players go for far less than they're worth, is it not? The only realistic options for Xabi seem to be Real or us, based on what's been said by the player and the two clubs officially. The Beckham analogy would only stand if another club came in and offered what he's worth.

[Paco]

I feel really let down by Alonso. We are closer than ever to winning the league. he 's been here 5 years, won the biggest prize in football, become a world class player and he knows how much winning the league means to us yet he still wants to go and play for a soulless, rudderless outfit who have bought every quality player in the world in the hope that they will form a team and reclaim top dog status in Spain and Europe.

 

Ferguson obviously done some sort of deal last season to keep Ronaldo for one more year when he clearly wanted to go to madrid. why can't we do the same with Xabi?

 

He needs to be reminded how close we are to winning the league and how much it means to us.

[Anny Road]

260 pages of pure shite.

[redrosetints]

I dont understand why the majority of the thread is about apportioning blame with RAfaites and Xabiistes putting there case forward. For me it doesnt matter its done now its how we get him sold and get replacements in which is far more important.

 

I agree, but thats boring. Can you imagine the transfer thread.

 

May 20th : Xabi might leave

May 25th : We might sign Johnson

June 20th : JJohnson is a done deal

July 15th : Xabi wants to go

July 30th : Well we've had good service from Xabi, he and Rafa dont get on so well now. Xabi gets a new deal and to join an exciting project, Rafa gets his money.

 

Threads closed with 5 posts, its in our nature to want to discuss it in the minutia of detail, thats what these types of forums, Radio phone ins etc etc promote.

 

You are right, the salient point is, Xabis lwants to leave, we need to get the best money we can, if we do, he goes, thanks or he stays and hopefully get all this sorted as quick as possible.

[philyhamann]

I think the problem with one more season is that it puts us in a worse bargaining position.

[redrosetints]

Aye. Catch has a point but the problem is he thinks it is the main criteria, which is wrong.

 

How many top players have wanted to go abroad this season? How many players from United, chelsea or Arsenal have wanted better contracts because of the new tax rules? Not many.

 

Ronaldo, Tevez, Barry, Xabi, Masch and now Terry and Adebayor. All are leaving for the continent or for a far bigger wage packet at a less succesful club in Citeh.

 

Money money money.

[Whelan]

the point I'm making is there was a time not so long ago when the count was a regular poster on here. at the time he posted some inside information. because people like what he had to say, they loved the count and loved the information. as soon as his message isn't what they want to hear, he gets dug out. it really has nothing to do with the count talking about himself in the 3rd person or liking toast at all.

 

It is for me! don't get it.

 

You can add that criticism to everyone, and every poster! Including you Barry!

 

You have been just as guilty of this in the past, and so have I and I can guarantee we will do it in the future as well.

 

UEM has been right as well in the past, and he disagrees with the count, so do you dimiss what he is saying? or do you end up agreeing with both and confusing yourself?

 

Give people a little bit more credit in their ability to reach conclusions, bar the exceptions (and they are!) most people have accepted both sides of the arguments.

[redrosetints]

I think the problem with one more season is that it puts us in a worse bargaining position.

 

That is a worry, but what if his desire to play for Spain in the WC means he continues like last season and that Spain win the WC with Xabi being key, it may even increase his value.

 

But I think Tom made the point last week, he is perhaps at his high now. Thats just one of those decisions isnt it ? If you believe in Xabi, then its possible he will excel for us, excel for Spain and be worth more next summer, on the other hand he may play well, but not aswell for us, have an average WC for SPain and be worth less, as less money is floating around the transfer system (assuming Madrid arent at it again). Or Xabi stays, has a blinder, we win the league and Raf goes to Madrid instead ! who'd be a manager eh ?

[Code]

well maybe if Xabi had played some decent football in the 07/08 season, Rafa wouldnt have felt the need to move on the player.

 

You're boring now code. Rafa feels let down, Xabi feels let down, they are grown men they will move on. get over yourself.

 

Wtf?

 

Suddenly you find a post from me which I posted yesterday a couple of pages back, after you have discussed posts with people in the same thread today? :wow:

 

And by the way, Alonso was our third best player in 07/08, in 06/07 he was player of the season for me, same as this year.

[zigackly]

Im not wearing that mate.

 

Rafa is far from blameless but there is no way he has done as much as Gillett and Hicks to destabilise Liverpool season.

 

The contract issue which was finally resolved needed sorting when it did as the last thing we wanted was to go into the end of the season with the future of the manager unclear.

 

Now we have everything in place going into pre-season with Rafa and his coaching staff sorted all we need to do now is sort out Alonso one way of another and really build on last seasons performance.

 

I have a lot of time for some ex Liverpool players and they don't come any bigger a legend for me then Kenny Dalglish and when you have him saying that the contract needed sorting when it did then i tend to listen to him.

 

I vouch for instead of a picture of Alonso at the top of the forum we stick a picture of Rafa with a big target on his head.

 

Repped.

 

Stepping aside from the Xabi question. Why do you big up Xabi, who is clearly wanting to move, stating he's been unreasonably treated and yet the manager of the club, had to contend with far more shite and underhand activity (remember Klinsman) and yet inspite of signing a new contract and commiting to us, being a consumate pro and agreeing to work with the board who tried to get rid and yet he's sill some kind of Cnut ?

 

It seems to be lost on some, but Rafa could easily have been manager at Madrid, having 200 odd million to spend (How Xabi would laugh if Rafa ended up there whilst he is!) buying up the best talent in europe with his boyhood club, the dream managers job ? But he stays, signs a new contract with us and some silly billies constanlty round on him to slag him off using Xabi, Fin, Alonos as the example of why Rafa is bad !

 

Xabi and Rafa are both good men, both have had run ins with their management. Rafa decided to stay and finish off his job here, inspite of being offered more money and a bigger transfer budget at Madrid, but is frowned on, indeed, accused of 'only being in it for the money' when he hadn't resigned his new contract. Yet Xabi falls out with his boss and then looks for pastures new, yet 'he's not looking for money' its all nasty Rafas fault.

 

The mind boggles.

 

Good luck Xabi, you've been good. Thanks but you're going to miss out on the title with us, silly boy. But lets be clear Rash, the Consumate pro is not Xabi, for leaving, the consumate pro is Rafa for staying and finishing off what he started, inspite of being offered more money, more transfer budget and the opportunity to head up the Real revolution which happens to be the club he grew up supporting and who he has always loved.

 

And repped.

 

It's clear that some people need to take the beam out of their own eye with regard to Rafa.

[Best Believe It]

some of the cocks on here make me laugh. they hang on every word the count says, until he says something they don't like. funny as fuck.

 

The Count ruling has very little to do with any inside information he has. The Count would rule extraordinarily hard if he had no inside info at all, because he's The Count.

[SaussyBenayoun]

The Count really needs to grow up.