A thread about a man named Xabi

[Ted]

Balague using Skrtel as a yardstick for the manager's transfer judgement. Let's just conveniently forget last summer eh?

[Red Nick]

Balague using Skrtel as a yardstick for the manager's transfer judgement. Let's just conveniently forget last summer eh?

 

Agreed but thats opening up another can of worms alltogether.

 

Caveliri, Riera and Keane or David Villa

Babel and Benayoun or Quaresma/Mancini

Bellamy and Pennant or Alves

[Jose Jones]

Agreed but thats opening up another can of worms alltogether.

 

Caveliri, Riera and Keane or David Villa

Babel and Benayoun or Quaresma/Mancini

Bellamy and Pennant or Alves

 

Benny by himself is better than both of those put together, so that one worked out alright.

[Ponz]

Bellamy and Pennant or Alves

 

Daniel Alves cost Barca £25 million. Bellamy and Pennant cost less than £15 million combined.

[G Richards]

I think Rafa is playing this one correctly.

 

1. Transfer request needed

2. £35M (though I suspect £30M would do it after haggling)

 

This takes the heat off the manager as it will be the player who wants to leave (and fans would grudgingly accept that - 5 years of top service, quality player, quality man, who now wants to return to his home country - fair enough and good luck).

 

It also gives Rafa the cash to do something useful in the market should Xabi leave.

[cmuller]

I'd be very suprised if we got £25m for Alonso. Nevermind £35m.

[Dirk]

Balague using Skrtel as a yardstick for the manager's transfer judgement. Let's just conveniently forget last summer eh?

 

What about Alonso or is the fact that Rafa bought him conveniently forgotten?

[hamstrung]

i would love some ITK feedback to find out what has been going on behind the scenes.

 

Statement from xabi required. Rafa is one hell of a politician

 

Sorry, but I did issue a warning.

[Jose Jones]

Sorry, but I did issue a warning.

 

At first I figured we just had a lot of brummies in here interested in more inside knowledge from everyone’s favourite golfing organiser. Alas no.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Balague using Skrtel as a yardstick for the manager's transfer judgement. Let's just conveniently forget last summer eh?

 

And your conveniently turning up to hit him with that yardstick eh?

[jackofdk]

Where the fuck were these guys when we were scouring the globe for investment

I hope you get AIDS you fat twat Moores

 

I thought the exact same thing yesterday. Six years of whoring the club around and somehow Parry failed to get the Arabs currently at City in. Maybe they were reluctant to let him keep his job?

[jackofdk]

Real Madrid paying 35m for Xabi can't be ruled out in my opinion. They bought Sneijder for 25m, I think, and he was only a very promising player. And that was before Florentino Perez came back.

[coop]

The owners of Man City were approached to buy Liverpool but we were deemed too expensive.

[Royal Family]

The owners of Man City were approached to buy Liverpool but we were deemed too expensive.

 

Yes, i can coonfirm that is true. What is bizarre about that though is that they'll have to spend far more at Man City building up a squad than they would taking a team like Liverpool or Arsenal to the next level. In terms of 'brand' it also makes no sense as a financial judgement. I guess, however, that City have a nice shiny stadium (although even that is only leased, is it not?)

 

All very odd.

[jackofdk]

The owners of Man City were approached to buy Liverpool but we were deemed too expensive.

 

Cheers. By the yanks or Moores/Parry?

[Whelan]

Can we finally accept that Rafa doesn't want to sell Alonso?

 

I would have accepted 25, and still believe Barry would have been more ideal for us, certainly in certain games, but the whole basis for most of these Alonso/Rafa threads have come from the beleif that Rafa wanted to sell him and replace him with Barry!

Since then Rafa has repeatedly said he doesn't want to sell and now he has not showed any interest in Barry at all! Hence the city move.

 

The ball is in Xabi's court now, I personally wouldn't blame him for wanting to move to Madrid, but it will be his decision.

 

Personally I think he will stay, Kaka and Ronaldo will end up signing for them, with some shite nomark like Arteta being there midfield signing.

[Durango]

Can we finally accept that Rafa doesn't want to sell Alonso?

 

Look, your not part of the Thursday Night Footie Posse, in order to bash Rafa you have to be in the posse.

 

When you get your Trainee's and Bib as well as paying for the pitch, YOU HAVE TO BASH RAFA, or you can't play.

 

Sorry them the Rules!

 

 

 

How long will it take for Fredo/Norris to wade in?

[Carra_is_legend]

I have no idea if Xabi will stay or go but it is going to be one long fucking transfer window.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Guillem Balague Football Website | On Xabi Alonso

On Xabi Alonso

 

Following an article I published on the site yesterday, related to Florentino Perez` summer transfer plans at Real Madrid, I sense there are a few areas that may need clarifying when it comes to Xabi Alonso`s situation at Liverpool...

 

The future of Xabi Alonso is all over the back pages again today and this story seems to be changing by the day - it is no surprise: with the new president of Real Madrid aiming to get his summer spending spree underway as quickly as possible and with Xabi Alonso high on his list of priorities that the situation is so fluid.

 

I have been under the impression that, if a deal is struck, then things will move very quickly. After all, that would suit all parties concerned: Liverpool needs the money early to allow them to go on and sign other players; Xabi will be looking for a new challenge after 5 years at the club and will have his situation sorted early on in the summer; Real will get the midfielder they want and can move on to other targets. And now that it is out in the open that Gareth Barry is in talks with Manchester City, it made sense that Liverpool would want to know where they stand as quickly as possible to avoid missing out on someone who we know was a target.

 

 

However, the situation is becoming complicated – which is why I stressed yesterday that there is much work to be done and things will be resolved swiftly only if and when a deal is agreed.

 

Partly because of how unpopular the transfer would be in Liverpool, it is all getting very political. I suspect that before Liverpool will let Xabi go, the club wants him to come out and publicly express a desire to move.

 

You`ve all been emailing me telling me that you don`t want Xabi to leave and asking why would Rafa want to sell him – but it`s a very different story if Xabi says he wants to go isn`t it - and even the most ardent Liverpool fan might accept that, after 5 years excellent service to the club and life in England - Xabi could be tempted by an opportunity to return home and play for the biggest club in his native country. Xabi is certainly not being driven out of the club as some emails and on site comments seem to suggest.

 

There is a second condition for the transfer to take place. Real Madrid will have to place a huge €40 - €50 million offer on the table in a very high profile way: but that`s highly unlikely and we are far more likely to see a game of cat and mouse as Real Madrid try and negotiate the best possible deal for themselves; it has been reported that the Madrid offer could be a player plus cash deal; but no contact has taken place and Liverpool don`t want either of the players mentioned, Negredo or Heinze, at this stage.

 

So perhaps, if the parties involved had played this transfer in a different way, it may have taken place already. But now nobody can predict what might happen

I believe that if Xabi Alonso is sold it will be for cash: as Rafa Benitez will want as much money as possible to bolster his transfer kitty, enabling him to sign the players that he has identified as a priority – and not just those who are offered on a plate.

 

Which bring us onto another topic that we have been getting lots if emails about: criticisms of Rafa`s potential targets should Alonso be sold. I will say this – have faith in the manager and trust his judgment. Remember the criticism when Liverpool signed the unknown Skrtel? And how many people complained that Benitez didn`t need Agger because he already had Hyppia…

 

I think we just need to look at Rafa`s reaction to questions about Xabi`s future to know that, if Real Madrid want to sign Alonso, it is going to take an awful lot of money and a great deal of persuasion – and a plea from the player as well. Madrid will be working hard from now on to try and get things moving quickly – which may still happen – but we may find that no agreement is reached: in which case, Xabi stays. And if he does, well look at what happened with Gerrard a couple of years ago: it looked as if he might be going…and look at him now…

 

 

 

So he's clarifying the situation is he ??, because all I read are some completely innaccurate statements. Why is he trying to bull shit us with the whole Xabi is leaving for a new challenge rubbish ??. It's quite apparent that the reasons Alonso is leaving have NOTHING to do with a new challenge or returning to his home country, they are words cleverley spun to fit his pro Rafa Agenda. He comments that Xabi is not being driiven out the club, well maybe not now, but touting him round to other clubs previously, the damage is already done. Comparing this situation to the Gerrard one is rediculous, Xabi is leaving because of his relationship with the manager, Gerrard was thinking of leaving for completely different ones. As for people complaining about Agger signing ! er I don't remmeber anything of the sort, is he just making thing's up now. Maybe there were one or two vociing that opinion but by and large he was welcome addition from what I remember. As far as the fee and making Alonso make public his desire to leave, well I think that's all proably true.

[Whelan]

So he's clarifying the situation is he ??, because all I read are some completely innaccurate statements. Why is he trying to bull shit us with the whole Xabi is leaving for a new challenge rubbish ??. It's quite apparent that the reasons Alonso is leaving have NOTHING to do with a new challenge or returning to his home country, they are words cleverley spun to fit his pro Rafa Agenda. He comments that Xabi is not being driiven out the club, well maybe not now, but touting him round to other clubs previously, the damage is already done. Comparing this situation to the Gerrard one is rediculous, Xabi is leaving because of his relationship with the manager, Gerrard was thinking of leaving for completely different ones. As for people complaining about Agger signing ! er I don't remmeber anything of the sort, is he just making thing's up now. Maybe there were one or two vociing that opinion but by and large he was welcome addition from what I remember. As far as the fee and making Alonso make public his desire to leave, well I think that's all proably true.

 

I am not going to get into whether or not Xabi will leave, nor whether he is wrong to, but people were very quick to criticise Rafa for STILL wanting to sell Xabi and replace him with Barry, very quick to insinuate that Rafa was still holding a grudge, hadn't forgiven Xabi for staying at home with his wife etc. Now that it doesn't seem that Rafa does want Xabi to leave and it does seem to be Xabi's decision, suddenly it is because of how Xabi was treated last year!

So Rafa is bad for holding a grudge that damages the team, but Xabi is within his rights to hold a grudge! I don't get it, seriously?

It was not as clear cut last year as people NOW make it to be, Xabi was not treated outrageously, he had not performed as well as he can for two seasons (Code don't bother I know your opinion, which is fair enough), Rafa felt he could get 18 mill for Xabi and buy Barry for 12, it didn't work out, there wasn't exactly a queue of clubs willing to pay for Xabi at the time!

As I say I don't blame Xabi, Madrid would be hard to turn down for a Spaniard, but I think it is a bit hypocritical for people to suddenly start saying that Xabi is leaving because how he was treated last year!

[Royal Family]

It's quite apparent that the reasons Alonso is leaving have NOTHING to do with a new challenge or returning to his home country, they are words cleverley spun to fit his pro Rafa Agenda.

 

:wallbutt::wallbutt::wallbutt:

someone, please, make this stop.

 

Time to stick to FACTS.

1/ Alonso is NOT definitely "leaving". It's clearly up in the air, and until he comes out and says he is happy here, it will continue to be so. But nothing is definite.

2/ Rafa wanted to sell Alonso last year. FACT. This year he doesn't. FACT. All it shows he only sees things in footballing terms and not personal or emotive terms. Is that so difficult to understand? For all we know, Xabi sees things in the same light.

[Red Nick]

Daniel Alves cost Barca £25 million. Bellamy and Pennant cost less than £15 million combined.

 

We could have bought him for 20m euros when it was 1.45 to the pound

[Royal Family]

I am not going to get into whether or not Xabi will leave, nor whether he is wrong to, but people were very quick to criticise Rafa for STILL wanting to sell Xabi and replace him with Barry, very quick to insinuate that Rafa was still holding a grudge, hadn't forgiven Xabi for staying at home with his wife etc. Now that it doesn't seem that Rafa does want Xabi to leave and it does seem to be Xabi's decision, suddenly it is because of how Xabi was treated last year!

So Rafa is bad for holding a grudge that damages the team, but Xabi is within his rights to hold a grudge! I don't get it, seriously?

It was not as clear cut last year as people NOW make it to be, Xabi was not treated outrageously, he had not performed as well as he can for two seasons (Code don't bother I know your opinion, which is fair enough), Rafa felt he could get 18 mill for Xabi and buy Barry for 12, it didn't work out, there wasn't exactly a queue of clubs willing to pay for Xabi at the time!

As I say I don't blame Xabi, Madrid would be hard to turn down for a Spaniard, but I think it is a bit hypocritical for people to suddenly start saying that Xabi is leaving because how he was treated last year!

 

What he said. Thank f*ck for some common sense and logic on here. Honestly, the hysteria and speculative opinion dressed up as truth is mind-blowingly infuriating!

[Durango]

:wallbutt::wallbutt::wallbutt:

someone, please, make this stop.

 

Time to stick to FACTS.

1/ Alonso is NOT definitely "leaving". It's clearly up in the air, and until he comes out and says he is happy here, it will continue to be so. But nothing is definite.

2/ Rafa wanted to sell Alonso last year. FACT. This year he doesn't. FACT. All it shows he only sees things in footballing terms and not personal or emotive terms. Is that so difficult to understand? For all we know, Xabi sees things in the same light.

Last year Benitez wanted to sign Gareth Barry, this year he doesn't, time and events change

[Carra_is_legend]

For fucks sake! Can we stop talking about Dani fucking Alves? The way we are going on about him is as if he won the world player of the year 3 times in a row.

 

We were linked with him but he didn't come and went elsewhere. End of story.