Rafa: Aquilani Close to First Team Debut!

[Carra_is_legend]

Is Gerrard still playing with injections? The way it has been presented on here you would think he would have to keep playing with injections until Rafa says it's ok for him to have his operation.

 

If Gerrard really was as fragile and playing with pain, would Rafa really start him against Firorentina? Because that could mean two things: either that Rafa is a vindictive cunt who is trying to ruin Gerrard's world cup dreams before taking his huge payoff and run off to Real Madrid, or that the management of his injury isn't that bad after all, since he now only needs to regain match fitness to find his form again. Which one is it?

 

I don't think he is playing with injections. I remember him saying the 2nd injection he had a while ago did the trick.

 

I also remember him saying he lacked match fitness (as opposed to playing with an injury/injection) - may be after the Everton game.

[coop]

If the midfield is Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard then that is i would imagine thats the lineup Rafa envisaged when he signed the Italian.

 

Shame Torres is not fit to start as it would have been great to see him getting fed the passes from both Aquilani and Gerrard.

 

When Rafa signed Aquilani he said his idea was to play the lad between Mascherano and Gerrard therefore a more attacking formation then we have seen when Lucas has played there.

[Delmar]

It also wilfully ignores the fact that the entire base amount (£17m) is deducted from the club's budget for this year. The club has, effectively, come to terms with the fact that that amount has been paid.

 

Why would this be the case? Wouldn't the coming payments just go to the balance sheet as liabilities (short or long term) thus affecting the future budgets? It's a long time since I dealt with bookkeeping, so I could be totally wrong here.

[05 Milan]

OK.

 

The thing that worries me is that in the past, Stevie has hardly needed more than one game to regain his aceness after an injuty-layoff. I can't remember seeing him having so many poor games in a row as he has had lately. At first I feared he was trying to demonstrate to Rafa that he wansn't fit, as he hardly tried long-range shots and didn't try anything fancy. But he seemed to find some more rhytm towards the end of the Blackburn-game. Let's hope he has a "good feeling" tonight.

[Barrington Womble]

Is Gerrard still playing with injections? The way it has been presented on here you would think he would have to keep playing with injections until Rafa says it's ok for him to have his operation.

 

If Gerrard really was as fragile and playing with pain, would Rafa really start him against Firorentina? Because that could mean two things: either that Rafa is a vindictive cunt who is trying to ruin Gerrard's world cup dreams before taking his huge payoff and run off to Real Madrid, or that the management of his injury isn't that bad after all, since he now only needs to regain match fitness to find his form again. Which one is it?

 

I understood it he wasn't playing with injections (they're not allowed to do that more than a couple of times a season i think), i understood it's the type of injection they have between games that relaxes the damaged areas and speeds recvoery he's been having and that was only a couple of times.

[Barrington Womble]

Dossena on the left wing? Oh shit!

 

got to be a shop window job hasn't it? hoping he chucks in a few decent crosses which will be seen in his homeland and pray someone is stupid enough to buy him on the basis of a glorified friendly.

[piscinin]

Why would this be the case? Wouldn't the coming payments just go to the balance sheet as liabilities (short or long term) thus affecting the future budgets? It's a long time since I dealt with bookkeeping, so I could be totally wrong here.

 

No you are correct that's accrual accounting in one. Budgets are usually based off of cash flow rather than balance sheets though (not that that invalidates your point, just FYI).

[piscinin]

I understood it he wasn't playing with injections (they're not allowed to do that more than a couple of times a season i think), i understood it's the type of injection they have between games that relaxes the damaged areas and speeds recvoery he's been having and that was only a couple of times.

 

Along the same lines I read somewhere that the 2nd most common type of injection was one used to dissolve damaged tissue!

[Carra_is_legend]

If the midfield is Mascherano, Aquilani and Gerrard then that is i would imagine thats the lineup Rafa envisaged when he signed the Italian.

 

Shame Torres is not fit to start as it would have been great to see him getting fed the passes from both Aquilani and Gerrard.

 

When Rafa signed Aquilani he said his idea was to play the lad between Mascherano and Gerrard therefore a more attacking formation then we have seen when Lucas has played there.

 

Aye, it is a shame Torres is not fit to start tonight.

 

I think it will take a while for Gerrard to adjust as well. I can see him dropping back a little and occupying Aquilani's space and Aquilani moving out of his position to find more space - at least in the first few games.

 

I can't wait for the game tonight personally. Just want to see him in action.

[WaltonRed]

I saw the Fiorentina players stuff being loaded in to a rental truck outside the Hilton before.

[piscinin]

Aye, it is a shame Torres is not fit to start tonight.

 

I think it will take a while for Gerrard to adjust as well. I can see him dropping back a little and occupying Aquilani's space and Aquilani moving out of his position to find more space - at least in the first few games.

 

I can't wait for the game tonight personally. Just want to see him in action.

 

Gerrard needs to stick much closer to N'Gog especially if Aquilani takes over ball playing responsibilities from Mascherano who could then sit more. It'll be interesting to see how responsibilities are split between the 3.

 

Hopefully the performance will be coherent enough to get some insight into where we are going with this setup.

[Carra_is_legend]

Gerrard needs to stick much closer to N'Gog especially if Aquilani takes over ball playing responsibilities from Mascherano who could then sit more. It'll be interesting to see how responsibilities are split between the 3.

 

Hopefully the performance will be coherent enough to get some insight into where we are going with this setup.

 

I don't think today's game will answer our questions. It will take at least 2-3 months I reckon. Hopefully less but I won't be surprised if it took that sort of time.

 

Aquilani is not an Alonso type player and until now, we have been playing with Lucas/Mascherano who are not renowned for getting forward. I'm sure Aquilani will stay and play in a more forward role compared to Lucas and this will mean Gerrard and the two "wingers" have to adjust as well. Not to mention Mascherano who has to be more disciplined in staying back to break up play.

[Stefan]

Dossena? Shop window? His value decreases for every game he plays, much like Scott Carsons did.

[dennis tooth]

Looking forward to seeing the interchanges going forward between Aquilani and Gerrard, they both think the same even if their choice of execution differs. Gerrard the driver and Aqua the passer but both mobile and proper midfeild ballers. I don't want to see Gerrard pushing up next to Ngo it's better if they drive from deep and find the space as well as making it.

[piscinin]

Looking forward to seeing the interchanges going forward between Aquilani and Gerrard, they both think the same even if their choice of execution differs. Gerrard the driver and Aqua the passer but both mobile and proper midfeild ballers. I don't want to see Gerrard pushing up next to Ngo it's better if they drive from deep and find the space as well as making it.

 

Well if we play as direct as we have recently N'Gog will struggle again.

[Torvald Utne]

uggh should have stayed in bed.

[Red Nick]

Id like to see a midfield of Lucas, Aquaman & Gerrard as Lucas willl be here long after Mascher has gone.

[WhiskeyJar]

Id like to see a midfield of Lucas, Aquaman & Gerrard as Lucas willl be here long after Mascher has gone.

 

I thought he played well.

[coop]

Alberto Aquilani says Liverpool gloom makes it 'difficult' to shine | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

Alberto Aquilani says Liverpool gloom makes it 'difficult' to shine

 

• Aquilani feels it is hard to fit into a struggling new side

• Italian midfielder wants to face Arsenal on Sunday

 

Following defeat to Fiorentina on Wednesday, Liverpool's supporters could at least take heart from the performance of Alberto Aquilani in what was his first start for the club. But the player himself has expressed worry about how smoothly he will integrate into the team, claiming their current malaise has made it "difficult" for him to impress immediately.

 

The midfielder completed 76 minutes of the 2-1 loss to La Viola – a result that saw Liverpool complete an abrupt and abysmal Champions League campaign with just seven points – and showed with his passing in particular that he could well be a worthy replacement for Xabi Alonso.

 

The ankle injury that has delayed the 25-year-old's progress since arriving from Roma in August for £20m has now all but cleared, but Aquilani believes a lack of confidence and momentum among his new team-mates means it will still be some time before he is performing at his very best.

 

"It is a difficult time for me because we are in a difficult place at the moment," said Aquilani. "That makes it harder for any player to start with a new side."

 

Those are hardly the words Anfield regulars will want to hear. They have placed great hope in Aquilani's arrival into the first-team rescuing Liverpool's season, starting with the visit of Arsenal on Sunday.

 

Such has been Rafael Benítez's cautious use of the Italy international that he may not even start the weekend fixture – prior to Wednesday, he had been restricted to three substitute appearances – but Aquilani is confident that he will eventually maintain a regular role in Liverpool's midfield and that the team can get out of their current rut.

 

The loss to Fiorentina, which was secured through an injury time goal from Alberto Gilardino, means Benítez's side has now won just two of their past seven fixtures in all competitions.

 

"This is not the season I was expecting when I signed for the club, that's true" Aquilani said. "I was expecting to play in the Champions League and to find ourselves competing for trophies. But it is a long season and I'm really happy to have come through my first game. It's great to have finally got on to the pitch with players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and there's no fear that it [his ankle] will flare up again. I know it's better, so I'm not worried at all about that.

 

"I have plenty of reasons then to be positive about where the team is going. We have a lot of things to improve on but we also have all the ability we need to get better. With the players we have available to us, we can only get better. I don't have any doubts about that at all.

 

The Italian added: "Personally, I hope I can play against Arsenal. I feel now that I need to play, play, play because I'm in a new team. The more I play, the better I'll get and the fitter I'll be. That is for sure. I am here at Liverpool to make a difference and that is what I want to do, to help them at this difficult time."

 

Should Aquilani start on Sunday he will almost certainly play alongside Javier Mascherano. After a slow start to the season, the Argentina captain is once again showing the form that has seen him established as one of the finest holding midfielders in the world.

 

As such, it is hardly a surprise that Benítez last week indicated Liverpool's desire to extend the 25-year-old contract at Anfield, which has two years to run.

 

It will be a further worry for Benítez, then, that the player yesterday refused to commit his future to the club he joined from West Ham two years ago.

 

"I just talk about football – not about contracts or money. I want to play," said Mascherano. "I am playing for Liverpool, I am a Liverpool player and, like the manager says, I have two more years on my contract, so I think I don't have to say anything else. I will continue playing and trying to give my best for Liverpool."

 

Barcelona are known to be admirers of the San Lorenzo-born player and made tentative inquires into his availability last summer only for Benítez to dismiss them immediately.

 

Mascherano, it is believed, was keen on a move to Camp Nou then and following a thus far disappointing campaign for Liverpool, who currently sit seventh in the Premier League, may decide to move on should the Spanish club come in for him again. While a switch during the January transfer window is thought to be unlikely, Mascherano could well depart from Liverpool in the summer.