Alberto Aquilani

[zigackly]

Christ no mate, I was just saying he wasn't a defensive midfielder as he got forward and did the kinda things I sorta expect Aquilani to do next season.

 

He put in his fair share did Xabi but he still wasn't what I'd class as a defensive midfielder. Lucas currently is and Mascherano, Momo and Didi all have been/are.

 

Sure but more defensive than Aquilani I think. I see him as an attacking midfielder.

[blakey]

him and maxi wouldnt make a spearing or ever have the heart hes got but i guess you will never know

[Mr Mojo]

Looks lke he's actually bulked up his physique since we first signed him, he looked a whole lot stronger when he came on.

[bri]

It was refreshing to see someone in the middle of the park looking forward for once

[PaulMcC]

Gerrard was in the middle but i suppose he didn't even look like he wanted the ball or get involved in anything.

[INTORRESTING]

When Aquilani settles i think the two holders will finally be ditched in the league for most games but we better hope our cb's and masch are on form or it will be a right mess again especially if the full backs are bombing on supporting a front 4 of the likes of gerrard,Torres, Maxi and Yossi!

[The Dude Abides]

When Aquilani settles i think the two holders will finally be ditched in the league for most games but we better hope our cb's and masch are on form or it will be a right mess again especially if the full backs are bombing on supporting a front 4 of the likes of gerrard,Torres, Maxi and Yossi!

 

 

Full backs bombing on only really become a problem when the rest of the team don't push up with them. Top sides really squeeze the space and give the opposition very little room to get their counter attacks off.

 

We don't. Half push up when we attack, the others drop even deeper to "compensate". Doesn't work.

 

But at what other sides does a two man midfield where one goes and one sits, actually work? For me that's a fairly disjointed way of doing things. Any two man mid-field should be truly working alongside each other. Even when Fabregas had Flamini, and now when he's alongside Song, Song or Flamini are/were never really restricted in an attacking sense and did a lot of their donkey work for Fabregas high up the pitch.

 

My fear in a two man mid-field of Aquilani and Masch specially is that it'll be two predictable, it'll be Aquilani trying to attack all on his own, and Masch doing the defending on his own.

 

The reason Alonso and Masch worked so well imo, is that they were a proper partnership. Deeper than we'd like but there was at least balance.

Edited March 10, 2010 by The Dude Abides

[INTORRESTING]

Full backs bombing on only really become a problem when the rest of the team don't push up with them. Top sides really squeeze the space and give the opposition very little room to get their counter attacks off.

 

We don't. Half push up when we attack, the others drop even deeper to "compensate". Doesn't work.

 

But at what other sides does a two man midfield where one goes and one sits, actually work? For me that's a fairly disjointed way of doing things. Any two man mid-field should be truly working alongside each other. Even when Fabregas had Flamini, and now when he's alongside Song, Song or Flamini are/were never really restricted in an attacking sense and did a lot of their donkey work for Fabregas high up the pitch.

 

My fear in a two man mid-field of Aquilani and Masch specially is that it'll be two predictable, it'll be Aquilani trying to attack all on his own, and Masch doing the defending on his own.

 

The reason Alonso and Masch worked so well imo, is that they were a proper partnership. Deeper than we'd like but there was at least balance.

 

I think Gerrard will drop a bit deeper when required to be honest. I am not sure it will work either but i think that is what Rafa is planning. Although I would love to see yossi and maxi on the flanks, i think Kuyt will be doing a lot of donkey work all over the pitch.

 

I think we have a good defensive team but maybe not the best individual defenders especially where pace is concerned. The centrebacks should push up with the full backs but that will be open season for the opposition imo.

 

I think we will end up with masch staying really deep with the centre backs slightly forward but not as much as they probably need to be and kuyt and gerrard filling in the gaps defensively when required.

 

However, if everyone is fully fit we can push up all over the pitch as we are good at closing down when everyone is raring to go.

 

I hope we get the chance to see the best 11 out there as I am keen to see how Rafa will play it and how it will work

[Redshadow]

The Dude Abides - I disagree; I think Aquilani and Mascherano will be a 'proper partnership' just like the one we had in the middle last season; I think once settled in, they'll be EVERY bit as good a partnership as Alonso and Mascherano once were; It was CLEAR on Monday night that this could be the case - once the team had Aquilani on the pitch and on the ball (which he DIDN'T give away all night either in passes OR tackles BTW) in tandem with Masch' we RAN that game - Masch' and Aquilani worked in tandem sometimes with tackles - sometimes breaks forwards from Both of them - but BOTH were on the same wavelength and had TOTAL command of the ball making us look JUST like last season's side that did so well; Also I don't know if you noticed but as soon as the team was set up like that, the movement that was absent for EVERY game with Lucas, Gerrard, Masch' or any combination of them in the middle came back as if by magic and showed along with Aqui's passing just WHAT we've been missing so badly for much of this past season;

 

That movement is what our 4-2-3-1 formation NEEDS to work properly - with Aqua' and Masch' on the ball we had Johnson pinning them down on one side and Babel tearing gaps in them winning corner after free kick on the other, Gerrard was driving through the middle and Torres began to look an utter menace - even Insua drove on to attack as well!!! We looked EXACTLY like the side that did so well in the league last year and saw just WHY Rafa' was prepared to wait for Aquilani as he was THE closest thing I've seen to Alonso since that game with Spurs last May when Xabi last played for us in the Premier League; It's not the PLAYERS that are wrong - it's the way the Team is SET UP; With the correct set-up we're STILL to good for ANY side in this league - we STILL have the talent that got us to within 4 points of the title with a few new additions and old losses - I'm convinced that had Aquilani been integrated in our team from the START of the season after seeing him like that on Monday - then we'd have gone on to start this season as we ended the last one with a seamless transition - it's just this damn injury and Rafa's bloody reluctance to play him that's caused all these problems - On Monday, Aquilani looked like at last he had improved out of ALL recognition from what we've seen before with him - and he's CLEARLY learned Alonso's old trick of stepping back a bit to control play with the ball as he was imperious in possession and had magnets in his boots - he was like a man among boys and Wigan never got the ball off him AT ALL all night.

 

To conclude, I don't think that we've changed THAT much from our Premier League Runners Up side you know? We STILL have mostly the right personnel to go for the title again next season never mind the bloody top 4 - and I'm UTTERLY convinced we'll be BACK with a vengeance and then some next year hell bent on proving this year was but a blip and destroying all within our path in order to do just that and retake our place amongst this country's top clubs. I also happen to think that City, Spurs and Villa won't get within a MILE of us and certainly WON'T have as good seasons as they've all had this season for a good while after this one's finished; I doubt they'll come within even 8 points of us next year as we will be utterly determined to shove it down all their throats and REALLY get our own back next year. I think we will do just that as well; We have the players alright, it's just that until the end of Monday nights game we didn't realise just WHAT formation we should use without Alonso - I think we FINALLY have the answer to that question now - the old formation but with Aquilani in Alonso's place should do JUST fine as we bombarded Wigan with an absolute barrage once that formation was on the pitch and Aquilani directing operations from the middle; It's just a damn shame we didn't start like that from the FIRST whistle.......................

Edited March 11, 2010 by Redshadow

[Jose Jones]

You got all that from 20 minutes of a game we lost against the team that were 16th in the league?

Impressive.

[Redshadow]

I got it from watching Aquilani - I've been waiting for a while now to see him in Alonso's old position in Rafa's favourite formation - He didn't disappoint me although the TEAM did as well as the result - I thought he looked a class above the midfielders on either side and think it's a damn shame we didn't start with him. I also gleaned from it the fact that he can and SHOULD use Alonso's old position as like Xabi, he apparently has the ability to run games with ease IF the team is set up properly around him. I think we owe it to him to at least give him that chance as it's not like we've anything to lose now in the league is it? It's not like we've given Aquilani a PROPER chance in our team either and we SHOULD do, I think the results might pleasantly surprise us......................

[llego]

The Dude Abides - I disagree; I think Aquilani and Mascherano will be a 'proper partnership' just like the one we had in the middle last season; I think once settled in, they'll be EVERY bit as good a partnership as Alonso and Mascherano once were; It was CLEAR on Monday night that this could be the case - once the team had Aquilani on the pitch and on the ball (which he DIDN'T give away all night either in passes OR tackles BTW) in tandem with Masch' we RAN that game - Masch' and Aquilani worked in tandem sometimes with tackles - sometimes breaks forwards from Both of them - but BOTH were on the same wavelength and had TOTAL command of the ball making us look JUST like last season's side that did so well; Also I don't know if you noticed but as soon as the team was set up like that, the movement that was absent for EVERY game with Lucas, Gerrard, Masch' or any combination of them in the middle came back as if by magic and showed along with Aqui's passing just WHAT we've been missing so badly for much of this past season;

 

That movement is what our 4-2-3-1 formation NEEDS to work properly - with Aqua' and Masch' on the ball we had Johnson pinning them down on one side and Babel tearing gaps in them winning corner after free kick on the other, Gerrard was driving through the middle and Torres began to look an utter menace - even Insua drove on to attack as well!!! We looked EXACTLY like the side that did so well in the league last year and saw just WHY Rafa' was prepared to wait for Aquilani as he was THE closest thing I've seen to Alonso since that game with Spurs last May when Xabi last played for us in the Premier League; It's not the PLAYERS that are wrong - it's the way the Team is SET UP; With the correct set-up we're STILL to good for ANY side in this league - we STILL have the talent that got us to within 4 points of the title with a few new additions and old losses - I'm convinced that had Aquilani been integrated in our team from the START of the season after seeing him like that on Monday - then we'd have gone on to start this season as we ended the last one with a seamless transition - it's just this damn injury and Rafa's bloody reluctance to play him that's caused all these problems - On Monday, Aquilani looked like at last he had improved out of ALL recognition from what we've seen before with him - and he's CLEARLY learned Alonso's old trick of stepping back a bit to control play with the ball as he was imperious in possession and had magnets in his boots - he was like a man among boys and Wigan never got the ball off him AT ALL all night.

 

To conclude, I don't think that we've changed THAT much from our Premier League Runners Up side you know? We STILL have mostly the right personnel to go for the title again next season never mind the bloody top 4 - and I'm UTTERLY convinced we'll be BACK with a vengeance and then some next year hell bent on proving this year was but a blip and destroying all within our path in order to do just that and retake our place amongst this country's top clubs. I also happen to think that City, Spurs and Villa won't get within a MILE of us and certainly WON'T have as good seasons as they've all had this season for a good while after this one's finished; I doubt they'll come within even 8 points of us next year as we will be utterly determined to shove it down all their throats and REALLY get our own back next year. I think we will do just that as well; We have the players alright, it's just that until the end of Monday nights game we didn't realise just WHAT formation we should use without Alonso - I think we FINALLY have the answer to that question now - the old formation but with Aquilani in Alonso's place should do JUST fine as we bombarded Wigan with an absolute barrage once that formation was on the pitch and Aquilani directing operations from the middle; It's just a damn shame we didn't start like that from the FIRST whistle.......................

 

I love your optimism, very refreshing. But I can't say I had any of these thoughts when I watched the same game though. Aquilani was good, he did his usual quick one-touch passing to direct play, but we still didn't manage to score or even create a clear-cut chance in the last 20 minutes there.

[Redshadow]

''Didn't create a clear cut chance''? What was it that Torres sidefooted wide of the post in the second half with probably our best chance to score all night? I could have SWORN Aquilani was on the pitch then, contributed to that move and WOULD have scored had Torres not taken it upon himself to try and put it in from there. As to ''his usual quick one-touch passing to direct play'' and few chances being created in a 0 -1 defeat by a North Western club whose midfield on the day/night played VERY ruggedly - hmm, WHERE have I heard that before? Oh yes, think back to the 0 - 1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers in August 2004 when EXACTLY the same thing happened against Fat Sam's Bolton side;

 

Wasn't there another possession loving midfielder who directed play with quick one touch passing, incisive through balls and wide passes who looked VERY out of place back then? Alonso to looked like he couldn't handle our league that day, being practically tackled out of the game with his passing looking like an unecessary luxury as well; And from the relative unknown he was back then? - Just look how HE turned out..........................

 

NB I didn't base my views on optimism - I based them on what I saw and what I saw is that Aquilani Can and WILL get our best formation and system working again IF given time to settle in properly as Alonso once had - Nothing more than that. He's a quality player and the PERFECT replacement for Alonso IF treated properly.

[Anny Road]

Random capitalization is RETARDED. It is akin to text speak in my book.

What's wrong with the English language that you feel you need to bastardize it in this manner.

Negged.

[piscinin]

Random capitalization is RETARDED. It is akin to text speak in my book.

What's wrong with the English language that you feel you need to bastardize it in this manner.

Negged.

 

Not realizing it isn't random is even more retarded. Thinking mechanisms for adding emphasis to a message are a bastardization of a language is retarded too.

[d.k.E.]

So...bearing in mind our manager's explanation that we are not playing well enough to risk Aquilani to play in a game against the 16th position team in the Premier League because we cant risk 4th place...what is the excuse for not playing him in the knock-out rounds of a cup we didnt enter to compete, but rather got relegated to because we were too shit in the Champions League. Or is that also too much of a priority for us to risk the 20 million pound midfielder we got at a bragain and will be "here to stay" and "hasnt been forgotten".

 

Or will he finally come out and say, "I cocked up..."

[Hermes]

So...bearing in mind our manager's explanation that we are not playing well enough to risk Aquilani to play in a game against the 16th position team in the Premier League because we cant risk 4th place...what is the excuse for not playing him in the knock-out rounds of a cup we didnt enter to compete, but rather got relegated to because we were too shit in the Champions League. Or is that also too much of a priority for us to risk the 20 million pound midfielder we got at a bragain and will be "here to stay" and "hasnt been forgotten".

 

Or will he finally come out and say, "I cocked up..."

 

"He was signed for 5 years not 5 months"............or even 5 competitions.

[d.k.E.]

Oh...and to all the bullshitters who say he is not "superhuman" and needs to acclimatise to the pace of the Premiership - surely a European game with its pace and skill (?) would suit his 20 million pound abilities - at least for 20 minutes??? That is the problem with our manager, the more you try to defend him, his tactics and purchases, the more he shoots you (and himself) in the collective feet.

[Crazyhorse7778]

***** ALBERTO AQUILANI - LIVERPOOL FC NO.4 ***** on eBay (end time 21-Mar-10 20:10:50 GMT)

[Code]

Its actually gone past being a joke now.

 

Its just sad.

[RedKnight]

Anyone seen this lad play? Is he any good?

[Crazyhorse7778]

Just read he's played 25 minutes in our last 6 games, 21 of those coming against Wigan the other night.

 

Says it all.

[Red Nick]

Not a dig at Rafa but for the life of me I just cant understand Rafa buying him.

 

Depending on your point of view he is either a poor mans Xavi or a luxury player and never a Rafa controlling player like Alonso was.

 

At least Rafa has admitted his mistake and doesnt play him anymore, however a manager with a more offensive outlook might get a lot from the player.

 

As I said its not a dig at Rafa as Rafa likes to controll games just dont understand why he bought him.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Bet Rafa's sorry Parry isn't still here, he could have easily shifted the blame for Aquilani onto Coco's doorstep and washed his hands of him.

[ODZ]

Bet Rafa's sorry Parry isn't still here, he could have easily shifted the blame for Aquilani onto Coco's doorstep.

 

That was never going to work anyway. Aquilani personally thanked Macia for the deal.