A thread about a man named Xabi

[Juan Galonso]

Why wouldn't they? We're one of the best teams in Europe with a realistic chance of winning things domestically and abroad.

 

Am surprised you've said something like that John.

 

Would we pay the wages they want for a start?

 

I wish we would go for Ashley Young if we are going for genuine quality out wide. English, young, talented, hungry. I just remain to be convinced David Silva would turn up on a wet Wednesday at Turf Moor say?

 

Maybe Sneijder at a push would come here but I just think Silva would want to stay in Spain if he could and Ruud would never come here as back up would he be honest. Robben would be on huge 90 plus grand a week wages and I think he will want that at least if not more to come here.

Edited July 18, 2009 by Juan Galonso

[Guest LFD]

Babel can still be a very good option from the bench .. :whistle:

 

Only if we are winning and he can hit teams on the counter attack.

 

He can't hold up the ball.

[drewy]

Would we pay the wages they want for a start?

 

I wish we would go for Ashley Young if we are going for genuine quality out wide. English, young, talented, hungry. I just remain to be convinced David Silva would turn up on a wet Wednesday at Turf Moor say?

 

Maybe Sneijder at a push would come here but I just think Silva would want to stay in Spain if he could and Ruud would never come here as back up would he be honest. Robben would be on huge 90 plus grand a week wages and I think he will want that at least if not more to come here.

 

Wait and see John, you may be surprised.

[Guest LFD]

I wish we would go for Ashley Young if we are going for genuine quality out wide. English, young, talented, hungry. I just remain to be convinced David Silva would turn up on a wet Wednesday at Turf Moor say?

 

I like Young, but I would be happy with Silva.

 

Here is a good article on Silva by Sid Lowe:

 

Sparkling Silva, Valencia's gem, leaves Atlético in the shade

 

Valencia's David Silva may be short in stature but he made up for it with a big performance at the weekend

 

He stands three little days short of his 23rd birthday and six inches short of six foot. He's a millionaire and champion of Europe yet still lives with his parents. Not just lives with them, in fact, works with one of them too: his dad, a former Canary Islands copper, is a security guard at Paterna, the training ground where he rolls up every morning behind the wheel of a shiny black motor. Mic-wielding mentalist Pepe Reina called him "that guy there, the very little one" and waved his hand by his knee like a patronising passer-by ruffling a toddler's hair just in case anyone didn't get the message. Almost everyone else, meanwhile, calls him el chino.

 

In fact, he was born in Arguineguín – the same Canary Islands town as Juan Carlos Valerón – and his name is David Jiménez Silva. As Reina recognised, "he might barely measure 1.50m but he has talent to die for". Former Liverpool winger Antonio Núñez declares him "among the most impressive footballers I've played with" – and Núñez played with the galácticos. El País says he has "a mine in his left foot", which might sound dangerous – especially for his left leg – but is a reflection of his talent, and there's temperament too: Silva is a tough, feisty little sod, Luis Aragonés insisting he has the "most balls" in the Spain squad, a former team-mate recalling the repeated kickings he took by cooing: "he just took it – he must have horchata [Valencia's cold milk drink] for blood." He certainly has mala leche, the bad milk Spaniards equate with fight.

 

This summer, Barcelona tried to sign him. And this weekend, he showed why, scoring one goal that was not allowed and two that were as Valencia climbed into second by inflicting Atlético Madrid's first defeat in 15 with an impressive 3-1 victory. This weekend, ran the headline in AS, "David Silva danced on Atlético's grave"; this weekend, Sport found space amid the huge adverts for its unique reversible Barcelona coat – the only jacket that's equally rubbish both ways round – to admit that someone who doesn't play for Barça was quite good. According to Marca, he was the best present you could wish the three wise men to bring you. (Certainly better than myrrh. Well I really wanted a Scalextric set but this red resin stuff is brilliant!!) According to El Mundo Deportivo, he was the "motor of the week", sponsored by Opel (the car, not the fruits). And, according to AS, he was worthy of the jornada's Gold Award.

 

Which is pretty good for anyone who doesn't play for Madrid. Better still on a weekend in which Andrés Iniesta came back from injury to score a quite-possibly-offside goal as Barcelona beat Mallorca 3–1, prompting Lionel Scaloni – who has clearly had a very, very easy life – to declare it "the worst thing that's ever happened to me"; a weekend in which Hugo Sánchez made his debut as Almería manager and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and, ahem, "Lass" made theirs for Madrid; in which Arjen Robben, Andoni Iraola, Yaya Touré, and Aritz Aduriz scored blinders and Asier Riesgo saved penalties; and in which Juande Ramos carefully clipped his nails on the Bernabéu bench. Hell, even in his own match there was competition from comically incompetent referee Rodríguez Santiago. But still Silva was the star.

 

Not bad for a footballer rejected by Madrid, who joined Valencia at 14 and was singled out as a special talent at 15 only to be dismissed as a "fútbol sala player" and a "myth" by one dressing-room heavyweight when he was promoted to the first-team squad. Not bad, above all, for a player starting his first match for four months on Saturday night; his first since the opening day; his first since overcoming the ankle injury that forced him into injections before every Euro 2008 game and an operation in September. It was, said Marca, "a blessed return". Silva had "arrived and kissed the saint", which might not have pleased Roger Moore but delighted Valencia's fans. The ones that bothered to turn up, anyway. "Silva," Marca insisted, "has changed Valencia's face". Victory, El País added, was "all thanks to Silva".

 

That's probably pushing it but you could see their point. David Villa, Joaquín Sánchez and Juan Mata were impressive too. And if Silva has changed Valencia's face, they haven't exactly gone from Rosy de Palma to Elsa Pataky. Even without him (and any money), coach Unai Emery – the man who performed a miracle with Almería – had recovered the squad that was a laughing stock last season, the team that was humiliated by Madrid and Barcelona, ended up with the captain facing the president across a courtroom, the coach Quique Sánchez Flores sacked because they weren't top and Ronald Koeman sacked to make sure they weren't bottom. Without Silva, Emery even took Valencia top in week five. "They're not missing me," the midfielder insisted.

 

He was wrong. Despite Valencia's undoubted improvements, without him the feeling remained that something was missing, even with Mata and Villa in the side. A little more creativity, a little vision, a little spirit, a little spark. A little something special.

 

And that's the point: it's not just that Valencia won with Silva back in the side – after all, they had won eight times without him – or even that he scored two great goals. It was that they played their best football at last; that with a defensive midfielder less and a visionary more, there was something more convincing about them; that they scored three but could have got five.

 

It was that however much Atlético showed that they may not be good enough to challenge the big boys and certainly aren't good enough when they haven't got everyone available – they've collected just one point in the eight games they've played without Simao, Maxi, Forlán or Agüero and just one in five against Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal and Sevilla – Valencia were truly impressive; that, even allowing for Atlético's "defence", that the side that failed to score against Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla got three the day that Silva rode back into town. It was that as La Liga started up again and a disastrous 2008 was left behind, Valencia climbed back to second – and that this time you get the feeling they might even stay there.

 

La Liga: Imperious David Silva leaves Atlético Madrid reeling, writes Sid Lowe | Sport | guardian.co.uk

[WaltonRed]

I just remain to be convinced David Silva would turn up on a wet Wednesday at Turf Moor say?

QUOTE]

 

Come on John, thats a tad out-dated view on foreign players. Who's to say the Kid would of turned up?

 

We took at chance and he flourished, Silva will be exactly the same.

 

I fully expect him to be a Liverpool player by the end of the next week so he's coming anyway!

[23_Carra_Gold]

I just remain to be convinced David Silva would turn up on a wet Wednesday at Turf Moor say?

 

Come on John, thats a tad out-dated view on foreign players. Who's to say the Kid would of turned up?

 

We took at chance and he flourished, Silva will be exactly the same.

 

I fully expect him to be a Liverpool player by the end of the next week so he's coming anyway!

 

Torres, Mascherano, Alonso, Pepe etc. have ten times more bottle then the great big British Emile Heskey.

[magneto]

hmmm...

 

by Chris Bascombe, News of the World

 

 

Rafa Benitez and Martin O'Neill will go head-to-head again in a £20million battle for Ashley Young.

 

Aston Villa are bracing themselves for Liverpool's offer for England winger Young, although O'Neill has warned potential bidders to expect 'short shrift'.

 

That will not deter Kop boss Benitez, who is also on the verge of winning his fight to keep midfielder Xabi Alonso.

 

The lure of a Premier League title challenge and Champions League action at Anfield will be tough for Young to resist, especially in a World Cup season.

 

Benitez and O'Neill fought a bitter transfer war over Gareth Barry 12 months ago. The Villa boss frustrated Benitez on that occasion, when the Anfield board refused to meet the midfielder's £18m valuation.

 

This time Benitez can expect the funds to get his man, although Villa recently slapped a £30m price tag on the 24-year-old.

 

In another massive boost to Liverpool's title hopes, Alonso is ready to commit himself for another season.

 

Alonso WILL be part of the club's Far East tour having rejoined the squad ahead of a friendly in Vienna tonight.

 

Real Madrid had set a deadline of this weekend for a £27m transfer, but that will pass without a deal and they will not be encouraged to bid again.

[shanks59]

Only if we are winning and he can hit teams on the counter attack.

 

He can't hold up the ball.

 

Good points, but nobody is perfect; he's a hell of a finisher; he will start to mature .. :whistle:

[Guest RafaIsRafa]

Bascombe changes his mind every week

[hamstrung]

So.

 

The Bascombe thing isn't entirely bad news.

 

That means we believe it, right?

[Guest LFD]

Good points, but nobody is perfect; he's a hell of a finisher; he will start to mature .. :whistle:

 

How old is he now? Surely he should have matured by now.

 

Re: Bascombe. I'd be delighted with Young. Think he'd solve our left hand side for years.

 

English, quick, versitile, good set play delivery and direct which is what we need someone who can beat players and supply Gerrard and Torres.

 

I don't want Young to go to United. Give O'Neill Voronin and Babel to make him happy in the deal.

[Juan Galonso]

Good positive stuff from Chris there. Like it.

[hamstrung]

Give O'Neill Voronin and Babel to make him happy in the deal.

 

Yeah. That'll work.

[Guest LFD]

Didn't Benitez try and get Young before he went to Villa? He clearly rates him.

[Guest LFD]

Yeah. That'll work.

 

Plus money.

 

I think Babel might thrive at a club like Villa, with more games, less pressure and on a big pitch like Villa Park he should use his pace to best use.

[Code]

Who cares about Young, the bit about Xabi on the other hand.

 

[coop]

Barry wanted to join last summer but never did so whats to say O'Neil is suddenly going to allow Young to join.

 

No chance of getting him for £20m and Villa have already in the past stuck a £30m valuation on his head which im sure they will ask for.

[Juan Galonso]

Reading between the lines although I could be wrong it translates as something like Xabi will stay if Madrid don't cough up the cash even if it is for another season. If they bid 35m then it is down to Rafa but Xabi isn't or doesn't seem to be actively looking to leave for whatever reason. Maybe the upheaval in a World Cup year has made him think twice or maybe the senior players at the club have had a word and asked him to reconsider.

 

Whatever it is I would be delighted if he stays and we keep what we have and if we somehow have the funds for Ashley Young then even better.

[hamstrung]

 

[Ted]

Buy Young? Keep Xabi?

 

This may turn out to be quite a fucking good summer! Eh, fungi?

[Code]

 

;)

[hamstrung]

We both know the truth. That's enough for me.

[Guest LFD]

Barry wanted to join last summer but never did so whats to say O'Neil is suddenly going to allow Young to join.

 

No chance of getting him for £20m and Villa have already in the past stuck a £30m valuation on his head which im sure they will ask for.

 

O'Neill won't want to sell him, but money talks.

 

IF we give them twenty million plus Babel (assuming we have that money) then it will be tough to turn down.

 

But we'd get a player who can play in our team for 5+ years then it could turn out to be a great inbestment.

 

If we get Young plus keep Alonso I think our fans will be delighted.

[shanks59]

How old is he now? Surely he should have matured by now.

 

Re: Bascombe. I'd be delighted with Young. Think he'd solve our left hand side for years.

 

English, quick, versitile, good set play delivery and direct which is what we need someone who can beat players and supply Gerrard and Torres.

 

I don't want Young to go to United. Give O'Neill Voronin and Babel to make him happy in the deal.

 

I'd give Babel another season.

 

Young .. English so over priced; doesn't score goals (so he'll fit in perfectly with our midfield); shite against quality; always comes inside. We'll have to listen to O'Neil moan; other than that, he's ace .. :whistle:

[Guest Kenny]

Drewy keeps telling us about silva coming as if he knows something, spill the beans lad.