Xabi Alonso

[mattyq]

he was, and is, easily on a par with the likes of Torres and Gerrard.

 

He was one of only 3 or 4 genuine world class players that we had and he basically ran our whole fucking team and the way in which we played.

Without him we're prety much fucking shit. As you can see.

 

He's quite simply one the best players on the whole planet and to say that he's "light years" behind the likes of gerrard and torres is just a massive fucking joke or, as I said; total fucking bollocks.

 

Sorry, Tom, but that's just nonsense.

He was a great player and we miss him lots. He did run our team but he was running it last year when you were bemoaning how shit we were.

You were right; we were shit and that was as much Xabis fault as anyone else.

[Unrighteous]

srsly xabi

[Torvald Utne]

yeah, that type of display would never have happened with xabi in the team....oh wait, it happened loads of times...

[Dirty Parry]

our problem is not down to alonso moving. its due to the FAT SPANISH WAITER and no one else.

[Dougie Do'ins]

He's gone, move on.

Yes he has gone your quite correct. I would dearly love to move on but while at the game today it just reminded me of the almighty fuck up Rafa made in allowing him to leave. Then to replace him with a player who's role seems to be to run a fucking rut into the touch line.

[Little Sammy]

yeah, that type of display would never have happened with xabi in the team....oh wait, it happened loads of times...

 

It happened loads of times but we were never out of the group stages of the CL, out of the League cup, and out of the title race by November with Xabi around. Not to mention Benitez's had another season to continue building.

 

There's no excuse for the predicament we're in. The performances have been pathetic of late, and today only serves to highlight that fact.

[Torvald Utne]

It happened loads of times but we were never out of the group stages of the CL, out of the League cup, and out of the title race by November with Xabi around. Not to mention Benitez's had another season to continue building.

 

There's no excuse for the predicament we're in. The performances have been pathetic of late, and today only serves to highlight that fact.

 

so if you agree it happened loads of times then you must agree that him not being here is not the reason it's happening now? surely!

[James Dean]

He's all about those 40 yard hollywood passes anyway.

 

The showboating cunt.

[Little Sammy]

so if you agree it happened loads of times then you must agree that him not being here is not the reason it's happening now? surely!

 

It's definitely one of the reasons. Anyone who thinks we do not badly miss Xabi is a bit of a lunatic methinks ;) Especially since the unfortunate disappearance of our 20 million replacement.

[Unrighteous]

[navbasi]

Yes he has gone your quite correct. I would dearly love to move on but while at the game today it just reminded me of the almighty fuck up Rafa made in allowing him to leave. Then to replace him with a player who's role seems to be to run a fucking rut into the touch line.

 

????????

[Liverpool lad]

Didn't Rafa try to keep him this summer, but the damage had been done?

[Torvald Utne]

Didn't Rafa try to keep him this summer, but the damage had been done?

 

Damage? you mean RM offering him shit loads of money to come home?

[zigackly]

[Red Nick]

A question posed to me last night

 

Where would we have finished last Season if Rafa had gotten his wish and replaced Xabi with Barry?

 

The reason being is I think we would have finished 3rd but no way be near as bad as we have been this season

 

So what do people think?

[Torvald Utne]

won it

[hamstrung]

[coop]

A question posed to me last night

 

Where would we have finished last Season if Rafa had gotten his wish and replaced Xabi with Barry?

 

The reason being is I think we would have finished 3rd but no way be near as bad as we have been this season

 

So what do people think?

 

We played shite for the majority of last season with Alonso been in the team.

 

The performances only improved when Gerrard and Torres were playing alongside each other every game.

[Red Nick]

We played shite for the majority of last season with Alonso been in the team.

 

The performances only improved when Gerrard and Torres were playing alongside each other every game.

 

So would you agree with me that it wouldnt have made a major difference?

 

I think he did make a difference in certain games especially the opener at Sunderland

 

I think we might have slipped to third behind Chelsea but that is all.

[coop]

We have scored a lot more goals this season then at the same point as last season.

 

The only problem is we have conceded a lot more during the same time.

 

Alonso's passing is often praised but it may well be his defensive duties are often over looked.

 

Impossible to say whether or not we would have performed better or worse with Barry as who knows how the team would have adjusted.

[stringvest]

We have scored a lot more goals this season then at the same point as last season.

 

The only problem is we have conceded a lot more during the same time.

 

Alonso's passing is often praised but it may well be his defensive duties are often over looked.

.

 

I think a lot of our problems are down to us giving possession away very cheaply. Not having the 'out' ball via Alonso means our defence gets nervous and invariably hoofs the ball to the opposition. Alonso's greatest attribute was getting in a position to accept the ball, and using it intelligently and constructively. We don't have anything like the same composure in the middle of the park, and as a result, our defence is under much more pressure than has previously been the case. Pressure leads to mistakes, and mistakes lead to goals conceded.

[Red-Ed]

Any team would miss Alonso, but money talks.

 

Can we agree some sort of amnesty or just decide not to post in this or any other thread regarding Xabi Alonso.

 

It's so boring.

[Catch22]

If you have the ball the opposition cant score

 

Xabi kept the ball so well it helped our defense immeasurably.

 

It isn't all Xabi though:

Arbeloa is better than Johnson at the back (& possibly overall,IMO) whilst Hypia is better than the Greek.

 

Moreover the cracks were already appearing last season which is why the run-in last year shouldn't be bigged up too much.

Successful sides do not ship 3 goals at home in the 1st leg of the CL QF nor 4 at home in a crucial League game.

Xabi played in both those games.....

[piscinin]

Questions are starting to be asked about whether Diarra and Xabi as a pairing makes any sense.

[Redshadow]

Xabi did well for us - Very well and we did Very well with Him in the team BUT;

 

I think the loss of Hyppia and Arbeloa to be replaced by Johnson (replaced Arbeloa and Johnson is Far more of an attacking player than him but he's NOT a bad defender in a good defence which we clearly don't have at present; Johnson was part of the Chelsea side that set defensive records back in 2004/2005 and played a good number of the games this was done in so he Can do it in the right environment quite clearly - he also has a League Title medal unlike most others in our squad) and Kyrgiakos (replaced Hyppia - No type of replacement whatsoever and don't we bloody well know it?) is Far more crucial than I see anyone on here mentioning for a couple of reasons;

 

1:) Even Without Alonso we could (and did) still used to keep Loads of clean sheets with Hyppia in the team - Remember Houlliers famously tight defences?

 

2:) Without Hyppia and Arbeloa who are 2 Very tall players we don't defend set pieces nearly as well and THEY were our weakness anyway - It's no wonder we've gotten worse at defending them when 2 of our 6 foot plus players integral to making the Zonal Marking system work well at everything including marking properly at set pieces has gone and that has Nothing at all to do with Xabi or anyone else holding the ball.

 

On the other hand what we DO miss is Xabi's ability to hold the ball in the middle and start constructive manouvres which basically meant that whenever we got the ball it was almost instantly 'recycled' back into attack and put the opposition under More pressure from us even when They had been attacking; No wonder so many teams crumbled against us with that sort of pressure on them last season and without him it doesn't work like that as Lucas is NO sort of replacement for him is he? Anyway - I think the solution to this may already exist and it Isn't Aquilani - because don't think he's been bought to replace Alonso at all. No, what I think Rafa' Will do is what we did in September once he's Finally fit Alberto into the team and that is he will play Gerrard not Aquilani where Xabi used to be as Gerrard is probably the one player we have left who can replicate Xabi's passing to some degree (not so sure about his ability to control the tempo though - I DO think we look far more threatening going forwards with Gerrard in that position than we did even With Xabi by contrast) and that is because I think given the type of player he's Meant to be, it's clear now that Aquilani was bought to replace Gerrard (whose not getting any younger) in his position behind Torres whilst Gerrard goes back to compensate for Xabi's loss.

 

I think THAT team is what Rafa' eventually has in mind for shoehorning Gerrard And Aquilani into the middle and the closest thing that Alberto May give us that Xabi had and which Gerrrard does Not (and won't get now as he's to old) is the ability to conduct the tempo as Xabi did - like a forward thinking combination of Xabi and Stevie placed further forward than the Spaniard ever was whilst Stevie further back opens up defences from behind him - HE will conduct our tempo with the ball and also do his own damage to defences and they'll Both have Masch'/Lucas to tackle and cover their backs in the middle of the park. That is what I think Rafa' has in mind for the team to eventually develop into now. I for one can't wait to see That team as it's Got to be better than the turgid dross we've seen since August but we'll just have to wait and see if Alberto adapts won't we? Who knows where he'll be with us in 3/4 years time? Don't forget Xabi didn't start lots of games until well into 2004/2005 and was used off the bench sparingly by Rafa' when he first came back in 2004 (sound familiar yet?) And he used to have his fair share of terrible games as well (particularly one at Chelsea in October 2004 and he didn't do to well at Bolton on his debut either as I remember it - they kicked him out of the game or at least rendered him ineffectual by their physical tactics under Allardyce - Did it on more than one occasion as well)

 

So like we did for Xabi, we should give Alberto at least 2 years to see how he properly fits into the team I think we won't see his Full effect until at least that time has passed - having an injury just puts that settling in period back by months and with the team missing Xabi already no wonder we're struggling Without Aquilani as well. However If Alberto Aquilani turns out to be worth half the double the 10 million fee that we paid out for Xabi Alonso all those years ago that we paid THIS year then I think we may yet have some player on our hands in midfield - will he though? Can he match such exacting standards? As I think in view of this thread title AND in the general situation of the team it's Clear indeed that we really miss the calming balance that Alonso eventually (and that is a key word - eventually) came to give us in the middle of the park - The question now is can the Gerrard/Aquilani/Lucas-Masch' axis that we will eventually see repeat/recreate that balance or anything even close to it for us? The only answer at present is We shall see as I think this road has quite a while to run yet and there may yet be more than a few surprises on the way to it's end...............................................

 

NB: Oh and as to Why Xabi wasn't more influential at the Euro's? It didn't have anything to do with the fact that in Iniesta and Xavi - Spain have probably the only 2 players in the world who are Better than him at holding the ball in midfield? And that Xavi plays in Xabi's position does it? Just a thought like.