My mind was made up: Alonso

[RedKnight]

Why? For failing to kneel at the altar of St Xabi? He was a good Liverpool player, he chose to leave, he left, end of.

 

I gotta be honest, mate. I would've thought that 'St Xabi' bollocks would've been beneath you.

[Guest LFD]

*Intentionally ignoring the thread*

[SpeedyG]

This is a simple question really.

 

Why did Rafa stop taking Alonso to the side and give him instructions about how he wanted us to play when he had the chance during stops in the game?

 

Ask yourself who he took to the sideline instead. Ask yourself why he twice tried to replace Xabi with a player who didn't need a GPS to get around the final 3rd and the answer will become clear.

[Red Mist]

I love Xabi and don't hold any grudges against him. Personally I think he would have gone even if Rafa didn't try to sell him, and he would have wanted to go to Real if him and Rafa were best mates.

Xabi was here for 5 years and when the biggest club in his country come calling, with the amazing project they're undertaking, who can blame him for wanting to be a part of it?

We got good money on him, made a profit and have hopefully bought a good replacement in Aquilani. So good luck to the bearded beauty in Madrid.

[Heinze]

what happened to rashid anyway?

[G Richards]

This one can eaily run and run. Xabi has also been quoted about the financial side of things being a factor. Then, without any solid quote, we can also safely surmise that returning to his native land and enjoying the food and weather and culture he grew up with must have been a pull, as well as the opportunity to join Real Madrid at the start of another one of their big cycles.

 

It cannot be denied though. When we tried to sell him something broke that day and it was just a matter of time.

 

Good luck Xabi. But we all move on.

[GJM]

Benitez certainly handled the situation badly in 08, and also into last season - the press conference where he favorably compared Barry to Alonso, one of his key players at that point, was undignified, even if it was prompted by the journalists who were clearly trying to niggle him.

 

I don't, however, think that Alonso was necessarily 'gone' from LFC from that moment onwards. It needed the right club to offer the right deal to convince him to leave - imagine if he had the kind of season last year that he had in 07/08 and 06/07 (i.e. not bad, but not great either, and certainly not as good as he was last season) and a club like Juventus or Roma or Seville had come in for him this summer. Would he have gone at that point if the club no longer wanted him to? I really don't think so.

 

He went because he got a great offer - both financially and in terms of the opportunity to win things - and the fact that he had been treated a little shoddily by his manager made that choice an easier one than it might have been. I think that, even if last summer had not had happened, Alonso would have taken the Madrid offer. And who could blame him?

 

That's nothing against him at all, and I don't have any problems with anything that he has said either when he was our player or since, but he is fortunate in some ways that last summer did happen, as it has allowed him to leave the club with the guaranteed respect of almost all of the supporters.

[KopOut]

Sky Sports | Football | News | Alonso - My mind was made up

 

 

 

"After five years I have experienced wonderful nights at Anfield, to have experienced the support of probably the best fans in the world.

 

"That's why I have always been very grateful and I will always have them in my mind and it has been a pleasure.

 

 

Yes Xabi, we loved you, and we'll miss you.

 

Tough, the modern game. Not sure how much pressure was put on Benitez to sell him at that time when he was obviously struggling for form. It's hard to know who poked their nose in - particularly with ownership in so much debt; however it's also a sign of the moden game - you're as good, and as wanted, as your last great game.

[The Dude Abides]

Some right fucking fannies on these here forums.

[Thants]

I don't even blame either of them. They didn't have a great relationship. Some people get benefit from Rafas slightly distant style, others don't. Same as any company. I just don't see why either of them have to be cunts.

 

And so we have the post of the thread.

 

It's a shame half the forum tries to be so hard-nosed with faux-angst.

[TommyW]

some really fresh, exciting and never before heard opinions on this thread... keep it up people

[TheBajan]

I was especially sad to see Xabi leave this summer, because of how well he played last season.

 

The previous summer, I was ambivalent about selling him. I liked him as a player but I was of the opinion, rightly or wrongly, that he had been below par for 2 seasons. So, if we thought we could improve by replacing him, I would have gone along with it.

 

The way I interpret the comments today, I can't help but think, if Rafa hadn't attempted to sell him last summer, would Xabi have played as well last season? There is strong evidence across a number of sports that players angling for a trade or a new contract, raise their game.

 

But then again, Xabi has always appeared to be the model professional, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

[silverlining]

I was especially sad to see Xabi leave this summer, because of how well he played last season.

 

The previous summer, I was ambivalent about selling him. I liked him as a player but I was of the opinion, rightly or wrongly, that he had been below par for 2 seasons. So, if we thought we could improve by replacing him, I would have gone along with it.

 

The way I interpret the comments today, I can't help but think, if Rafa hadn't attempted to sell him last summer, would Xabi have played as well last season? There is strong evidence across a number of sports that players angling for a trade or a new contract, raise their game.

 

But then again, Xabi has always appeared to be the model professional, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

What a lovely, well-balanced and thoughtful post. Some decent points.

 

Fact is, Xabi deffo got the arse when Benitez wanted to sell him and buy Barry. Who wouldn't?

 

Fact is, Benitez also got the arse when Xabi bailed on the Inter game to be at the birth of his first child. Was he wrong to do so? I don't think so, some things are more important than football

 

Fact is, Xabi Alonso - while most certainly not "shite" for two seasons - was most certainly not at his best in every game, and last season's performances were of a much better standard.

 

Why was that? A combination of determination to prove Benitez wrong, his own pride, injury-free, and putting himself in the shop window.

 

I too was slightly ambivalent about selling Alonso to bring in Barry, because I am a very big fan of Barry, and it seemed a good opportunity to "tweak" the midfield and try something a bit different. But neither was I disappointed that Xabi stayed.

 

But he's gone now, and while I still like and respect him as a player and person, he doesn't play for us anymore, so let's just leave it there and not use it as a stick to beat Benitez with.

 

That stick, should it be required, will be how well the team does this season, because if we don't compete for the title and/or win one trophy, then he will be under extreme pressure the season after, which could well be his last

[sh#t waffle]

What a lovely, well-balanced and thoughtful post. Some decent points.

 

Fact is, Xabi deffo got the arse when Benitez wanted to sell him and buy Barry. Who wouldn't?

 

Fact is, Benitez also got the arse when Xabi bailed on the Inter game to be at the birth of his first child. Was he wrong to do so? I don't think so, some things are more important than football

 

Fact is, Xabi Alonso - while most certainly not "shite" for two seasons - was most certainly not at his best in every game, and last season's performances were of a much better standard.

 

Why was that? A combination of determination to prove Benitez wrong, his own pride, injury-free, and putting himself in the shop window.

 

I too was slightly ambivalent about selling Alonso to bring in Barry, because I am a very big fan of Barry, and it seemed a good opportunity to "tweak" the midfield and try something a bit different. But neither was I disappointed that Xabi stayed.

 

But he's gone now, and while I still like and respect him as a player and person, he doesn't play for us anymore, so let's just leave it there and not use it as a stick to beat Benitez with.

 

That stick, should it be required, will be how well the team does this season, because if we don't compete for the title and/or win one trophy, then he will be under extreme pressure the season after, which could well be his last

 

Man, you've changed. Where's the liberal sprinkling of insults? Top avatar by the way..

[silverlining]

Man, you've changed. Where's the liberal sprinkling of insults? Top avatar by the way..

 

Don't worry, I'm still more than capable of liberal insult sprinkling.

[Lario]

If nothing else, hopefully this'll stop the media harping onto Rafa with their "do you think you missed Alsonso today?" shite.

 

The lad wanted to leave, whether it was down to Rafa/weather/money/food/fanny/whatever. He did us proud while here, but he's now at pastures new.

 

Onwards and upwards.

[stringvest]

I think it's hilarious that people can come to the conclusion that this is a, 'Rafa is a cunt', thread when nothing of the sort has been said!

 

People express their disappointment in an act that has lead to the team being weakened and it automatically means that they think he's a cunt? How does that work?

 

I think the team is weaker because of this and I think it's Benitez's fault. And that's it! I don't want him sacked for it or anything, it just frustrates me that the team has been weakened.

 

C'mon Brownie, you know that if it's not white then it must be black. Them's the rules.

[NelCarra]

He's shit, he's slow, he loves to score own goals, Lucas Leiva, Lucas Leiva

[Salte]

This is a simple question really.

 

Why did Rafa stop taking Alonso to the side and give him instructions about how he wanted us to play when he had the chance during stops in the game?

Because Alonso had at last grasped Rafa's tactics. (And that's why he performed so well last season).

 

Tongue in cheek of course.

 

I don't get all the fuss about this.

* Rafa wanted to sell slightly underperforming player to bring in funds and fill english quota (Barry)

* Alonso didn't like it

* Alonso chose to leave when a great opportunity came along

 

Really not that much of a story.

Rafa acted with (what he thought was) the best interest of the club at heart.

Alonso acted like a human being.

No cunts.

[Hermes]

Alonso had been going through the motions for two seasons prior to getting his arse kicked by Rafa, so he decided to sell him - I'd have made the same decision.

 

Alonso returns to form and decides to leave when the biggest club in his home country show an interest after buying two of the best players in the world to re-build and knowing his current manager was previously trying to sell him - If I was Spanish I'd have made the same decision.

 

What's all the fuss about?

[Red House]

Alonso had been going through the motions for two seasons prior to getting his arse kicked by Rafa, so he decided to sell him - I'd have made the same decision.

 

Alonso returns to form and decides to leave when the biggest club in his home country show an interest after buying two of the best players in the world to re-build and knowing his current manager was previously trying to sell him - If I was Spanish I'd have made the same decision.

 

What's all the fuss about?

 

True, but what's common sense on an internet forum?

[Thants]

V5gFAiPJhvI

[Roy Hobbs]

You're all carrying on like you actually believe Benitez wanted him to stay.

 

Exactly.

[hamstrung]

I prefer

 

[YOUTUBE]5JQbPsYkcgY[/YOUTUBE]

 

Whatever happened to Jimmy Nail?

[05 Milan]

Very well put, Hermes.