Topic: My Favourite Player #14 - Xabi Alonso

[lfcbob]

Loved it

[sattapaartridge]

Great post!

It wasnt the passes he made, but the way he passed it for me. He knew how everyone wanted the ball, ahead, to feet, floated, dead, fizzed, high, low. Not the most dynamic, physical, fittest of players, but the way he played didnt require that. He beat people with a pass or a red card

He was a joy to watch. Its not a surprise the whole team went to shit when he left. Rafa's later years and Hodgson, we couldnt string simple passes together, being in possession was painful.

I'd love to see Alonso coming back to Liverpool in any capacity, be it ageing player (MacAllister style), or member of backroom staff. You just feel that there is still a connection with him and Liverpool that will see him back here.

[Jason_King]

Great post.

He was that cog in the middle of the team that connected defence and attack, a great player for us.

One of my Man City friends pre the Sheikh money said that Alonso was his favourite player, thought he was fantastic and he was/is right.

If someone is on twitter they should post this so he can see it, he often comments about us I believe as he is still an ex pat scouser. Show how much we appreciate his part in our history

[lamonti]

And he likes Pavement.

[Always_A_Red]

Please come home xabi.....

[Flaccido Dongingo]

What a player, well said OP.

[paulrazor]

"He mightn’t have been the ‘star’ that Torres was, the cult icon of Kuyt or the unabated genius that is Gerrard. "

in a way i think he has all 3

being from Ireland i wouldnt be a regular at Anfield but I had the pleasure of seeing this guy in a 3-2 win over Palace and a 2-1 win over Villa in the 2004-5 season, the 2-0 win which he scored in against west Ham the following season and a 3-0 win over Newcastle in the 2008-9 season (and a brief cameo in 2007-8 when he was a late sub in a 1-0 win over city)

I slowly grew to love Alonso (first time i saw him on tv was against Chelsea when he stuck about 4 free kicks into the crowd) but gradually saw how good he was, by the time i went to the palace game i was telling people just to watch Alonso

he was honestly worth the money alone, i would seriously pay 40 quid any day and just go to watch a game played by alonso, he just always seemed to be in space for a ball, when on the ball he could ping it anywhere , it was a sight to behold, and he didnt back out of anything, his last season i can think of atleast 5 players sent off for fouls on him when he put his body on the line.

overtime ive seen some awesome players in live games, fowler, Owen, hamann, carragher, gerrard, totti, ronaldinho, davids, Christiano ronaldo, figo, van persie, huntellaar, torres, roy keane, duff, puyol but for me Xabi Alonso is the finest player i have ever seen in the flesh

[Severely]

Most effortlessly brilliant passer of the ball I've ever seen in a red shirt. He could really do the whole lot, couldn't he? It says a lot that since he's gone, it's only now that our midfield is looking competent again, and that's with the likes of Lucas, Allen, Sahin and Henderson all contributing to pieces of play that Alonso owned by himself.

[saoirse08]

Love at first sight for me with regards to Xabi. Think it might have been his first home start against WBA. I was instantly mesmerised by the weight and accuracy of his passing. Spent most of the game just
watching him from my lowly pitch level vantage point in the paddock. Thought we'd definitely found ourselves a player after that match. He was also outstanding a couple of months later against Arsenal at Anfield, when Gerrard moved to a number 10 position and Neil Mellor scored THAT last minute goal.

Also remember Fat Frank doing him at Anfield that season, too, when a certain Joe Cole scored a jammy deflected goal to beat us. Until he had his foot (?) broken in that game, he was the outstanding player on the pitch, ran the game and we were unlucky not to be ahead. Perhaps without that long layoff through injury we may have qualified automatically for the Champions League that season, thus depriving Everton the satisfaction of the being knocked out during the qualifying round. Also, that rest may have given him a greater edge during the latter end of the season, especially during those semi-final legs against Fat Frank's Chelsea.

I met him on an aeroplane once. He was with his missus, flying to Barcelona. He was suspended from our domestic match that weekend, but Barca in the Champions league was coming up pretty soon. A queue of kids lined up beside his seat eagerly acquiring autographs and he patiently signed them and got his picture taken with each and everyone. He was calm and pleasant to all who spoke to him. I was in a bit of panic wondering what the fuck he was doing going over to Barca on a Saturday morning, however. I was convinced he was going to sign for Barca...but my missus said he was probably on a bit of a scouting mission for Rafa. I wonder? Anyway, a week or so later we enjoyed that famous victory at the Camp Nou.

Finally, he's won all that is worth winning during his career, Euro Cup, World Cup, Spanish League, all apart from the English league. Perhaps there still time for him to come back here and rectify that situation...

Great read by the way. Thanks.

[Yiannis]

My favourite Liverpool foreign player along Sami.The way he was controlling the tempo of Liverpool's game was incredible.That sweetness in his play was just unforgettable.He was like adding sugar to the bitter coffee.Oh don't you ever forget his 2 assists from this game.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/zB7-toEzu0o" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/zB7-toEzu0o</a>

Finally, he's won all that is worth winning during his career, Euro Cup, World Cup, Spanish League, all apart from the English league. Perhaps there still time for him to come back here and rectify that situation...

Yeah he's won all the major trophies.When you say Euro Cup you mean the Euro with Spain or the Champions League with us?Anyway,he's won both.

[Red number seven]

I absolutely loved Xabi as a player. Exactly the kind of midfielder I love to see. Calm, assured, classy, unspectacular, crucial. Agree with Yorky, I never noticed a dip in form. Always thought he was quality when fit.

The loss of Sami and Xabi at the same time, coupled with Agger's injury problems and the fact Aquilani was never fit, didn't want to be there, whatever, meant that the season after we nearly won the league all, and I mean all, of the composure was taken out of the side. Given that the place was utter chaos off the pitch too, it was no surprise that we fell as far and as quickly as we did.

We are thankfully, finally starting to get a bit of that on field composure back.

[Growl]

Great OP.

Back in 2004 I oversaw the redevelopment of the Fulham FC website and we were given a bunch of hospitality tickets for the Liverpool game. It was my first time at Craven Cottage and, sadly, by half time we were two down thanks to Boa Morte.

Alonso came on after the break and totally changed the game. He even scored!  We won 4-2. It had been such a long time since I'd seen such vision and quality passing from a Liverpool midfielder. It was like being back in the eighties!

I knew straight away that we had a player on our hands but had no idea just how integral to our success he would become. In Rafa's system, he was the most important cog and as we all know we've never recovered from losing him.

He and Mascherano were imperious...I can't help thinking that a similar pairing of Lucas and Sahin could do really well for us in the future.

[Thelma Viaduct]

My tribute, Xabi at 46 secs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEBFH9R3cg4

 

[Corkboy]

Awesome username.

[Phil M]

Awesome username.

A Mansun fan no doubt.

[Corkboy]

A Mansun fan no doubt.

Y'see, I didn't know that and thought the poster had made it up. Now I am disappoint.

[Barneylfc∗]

One of my favourite players of all time. The way he caresses a football makes me a wee bit wet.

[Phil M]

Y'see, I didn't know that and thought the poster had made it up. Now I am disappoint.

On topic, brilliant read. Xabi is still a huge favourite amongst our fanbase it seems. Maybe one day eh.

[Vulmea]

Lucky enough to be at the Lazio game - its was like a testimonial to the man - similar atmosphere to Rafa and Porto - a mixture of anger and pride and you could see Xabi grow two inches taller with the strength it gave him ..........class act

[gray19lfc]

Great post that.  Love watching videos of him and reading about him.  One of my favourite players.  He was like Rafa's brain on the pitch.  I try to base my own game on how Xabi plays it.  World class.

[The 5th Benitle]

Least fav of Spainish amigo's, BBC's lover boy

This is really not what we're looking for on RAWK. Please improve the quality of your posting, or don't post.

[HeWonItFromBrock]

Not seen a better pass than that the one he played on the turn to Garcia at Sunderland away - stunning!

[Red Genius]

I have to confess he's been my favourite player, he see's the game so dynamically and he then can couple that vision with pin point precision short or long. He's always got an out ball, he'll never ever be caught short footed because he knows where the ball is going before he's received it. I can watch him all day long, head up, great first touch, short long, in between, around, shielding the ball.... fantastic footballer, then couple that with the fact he's a fantastic bloke too. I was more gutted when Xabi left than when Fernando went.

[Kevin DalgRush]

Since that Fulham match Xabi was absolutely my favorite player of the side. Class personified.

I remember when I was praisin him to a Basque I know, and upon hearing that he was silent for a few seconds, and then said thoughtfully: Intelligent man. Very intelligent man.

Nuff said.

[GerrardsUnbornSon]

one word describes xabi... class!!


i miss him

[AULD-OLDIE]

Being a Liverpool supporter since our 2nd division days, I have also been a closet Real Madrid supporter since Gento, Di Stefano days also; I watch (or record) all their games on TV and he always stands out with his class of football. He has, to me, added further assets to his game since leaving us, a certain steel in his defensive duties............ hope to see him soon back here where his talents would definitely be a great addition to the team.   What a pairing he would make with Lucas !!!   

[Guz-kop]

At his peak probably the best midfielder in the league in terms of winning the ball. His passing was great etc etc. but his real worth to the team was defensively IMO. Sissoko had a lot of that responsibility in 2005-6 but that was higher up the pitch and his biggest job was to press higher than where Xabi was on the pitch. Once we signed Momo, Xabi didn't have to get up and down the pitch as much and defensively was able to cover a smaller area and we became more solid than in Rafa's first season. His role was slightly different in 08-09 but the axis with him, mascherano and Gerrard was boss.

[Upinsmoke]

Quality that mate.

[Chiliking]

Take the time it takes you to read this sentence, then divide it by 2, and you’ll have roughly the amount of time it took Xabi Alonso to settle in to Liverpool FC.

Bought in the summer of 2004 by Rafael Benitez for a not unsubstantial £10m his class was instantly visible. It was easy to see why Benitez had prioritised his signing, and was happy to part with such a substantial percentage of his budget to secure his signature.

It was Alonso, more than any other player, who would come to define the way Benitez had envisaged his team playing. He might not have been Gerrard or Torres in numerical terms. What he brought to the team was not quantifiable in terms of goals and assists. But it was Alonso who oiled the gears of progress.

His debut season was disrupted by a broken ankle in January, but Alonso had already sewn the seeds of how important he would become to the squad.

Assured and cultured on and off the ball he provided a calming presence throughout a particularly turbulent route to the final. Always being available, always trustworthy. Alonso was the go to out ball for the entire team almost immediately. Alonso made his return from injury in the away leg of the quarter final against Juventus. With Liverpool holding a slender lead from the 1st leg and without their captain, Alonso maturity shone through as the reds played out a 0-0 draw to reach the semi’s. It was a performance filled with the controlled approach which would come to characterise LFC in Europe in the coming years.

Alonso’s growing influence on the team is perhaps best typified by how it was he who stepped up to take the penalty to level things up *that* night. Alonso was trusted with perhaps the most defining moment in recent Liverpool history. Gerrard, on his crusade to deliver the trophy, having won the spot kick and scored a goal already could have been forgiven for backing himself. But he, hardly one for shirking responsibility, was happy to let Alonso be the one to step up to the mark. Gerrard had missed penalties  before, but he was very much ‘on one’ in that game. There was a certain German international on the pitch at that point who could strike a penalty too, and not likely to wilt under the pressure. As he would come to show later on. But it was Xabi that was entrusted with the task. Trusted by his manager and his team mates.

That Alonso missed the penalty is besides the point. For a player in his debut season to be given that job, in that game, it speaks for itself. Alonso exudes a level of competency and fortitude that not many can match. It came to typify his time at the club.

Fatefully Xabi was able to follow up his penalty and fire emphatically in to the roof of the net.

That alone would have allowed him a permanent place in our affections. But he was just warming up.

He hadn’t even grown his beard yet.

***

As the facial hair grew, so did Alonso’s importance to the team.

Over the coming seasons Alonso came to personify the approach that Benitez was attempting to implement. There were dips in his form, so much so that Rafa sought to move him on. But when the system, the set up and the team worked under Rafa and worked well. It was so often Alonso who was  the key.

Those long flat passes in to the front line which allowed the team to so quickly and efficiently transition. The ability to take responsibility for playing from the back. The constant availability. Alonso allowed Gerrard and Torres to shine as brightly as they did in that period. He was the man behind the music. George Martin to their Lennon and McCartney.

Alonso’s influence became most apparent only once he’d left the club. Amid an increasingly distant relationship with his manager Xabi had his head turned by Real Madrid. And so it was in the summer of 2009 that he left Anfield.

It was widely known that his departure would occur. And that the 08/09 season would be his last in a red shirt, well, last to date.

Alonso knew he was leaving, and set about ensuring that 08/09 was to be his swansong.

This was the season that Benitez’s vision came to fruition. Liverpool made a play for the title, outscoring every other team in the league in doing so. The goals were spread out through the team, Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt all netting 15 times or over. 

There was consistency, a driving ambition and a resolve about the team that year. It was a culmination of the 4 years work that had come previously.

It seems strange to be eulogising so much about a team that finished that particular season without silverware, that is after all what we as a club measure ourselves by.

But the sense of momentum that year, the feeling of excitement around a genuine title challenge. It was different. We’d seen the team develop, we’d seen new elements come in to it. Pieces of the puzzle were added, Kuyt, Mascherano, Torres. It was sustained, not hastily assembled. It meant a little more that year because we saw it develop before our eyes.

There were 3 players who had been there from 2004 who were absolutely central to the team’s title challenge coming to fruition. 2 of them are bona fide club legends who’s names will be remembered down the ages as local lads done good.

The other, was Xabi Alonso.

Alonso is part of a proud tradition of foreign imports that just ‘get’ the club. We know when it feels right, and so do they. Molby, Hyypia, Hamman, Agger, Kuyt and others besides. They’re all adopted Scousers. There’s a connection that supasses the club with those players, they identify with the city as much as they do with Anfield. The affection goes beyond the pitch. Alonso is very much in the same vein. He still come’s back during the winter break to watch the club. We saw him keeping tabs on the FA Cup final score last year whilst at training with Madrid. He identifies himself as much with us, as we do with him.

Perhaps I’ve done Xabi a disservice in this piece by not waxing lyrical about his individual greatness as much as I might have. I’ve glossed over the FA Cup win of 2006, and therefore Xabi’s 2 goals against Luton, one from his own half, with his left foot. Until now I neglected to mention that he repeated the feat, against Newcastle. There was a ‘keeper to beat that time.

I could have written endlessly about the man’s ability to read the game, see patterns of player before they occurred. How devastating that was when allied with an innate ability to strike the ball as sweetly as anyone I've seen wear the shirt. Be it shooting, passing short or long. Alonso’s technique was unsurpassed.

But you can watch a youtube video and see those things for yourself.

Alonso, to me, defines a great time in my support of this fine club. He personifies an approach I identify with. The calmness, the assuredness, the quiet confidence. Alonso could be a flash player if he wanted, he could have sat in midfield and ping balls around for 90mins whether it was right to do so or not, posing to admire his work as he went along. He had the talent. But he didn’t.

Alonso is the epitome of a player that makes the team he plays in greater than the sum of its parts.

And that’s why I’ve written about his role at the club over his time here. He was party to a movement. An invaluable part of a team played some incredible football and achieved some astonishing things.

It was fun to support Liverpool in his time here. We had the best midfield in the world. We were the most feared team in Europe. Xabi was there through all of it.

He mightn’t have been the ‘star’ that Torres was, the cult icon of Kuyt or the unabated genius that is Gerrard.

But like all the best things in life, they didn’t half miss him when he was gone.

We all did.

Fantastic. Brought a tear to my eye, that. Thanks!

[liversaint]

Great read, thanks. Xabi is the epitome of the saying" You don't know what you got till its gone"

[Daniel Cabbaggio]

What a player he was for us, a world class talent. A joy to watch him play the game.

great OP

[swell]

great post and a great player

[The 5th Benitle]

Really good one this. Classy for a classy player.
And I'm so pleasantly surprised it didn't spark THE most dull debate (you know the one) for the 1,000,000th time. There is hope

[Phil M]

And I'm so pleasantly surprised it didn't spark THE most dull debate (you know the one) for the 1,000,000th time.

Aww no not the better looking with or without the beard debate again!! Just let it lie people, it's christmas.

[Coolie High]

Another great read, still haven't replaced him.  One of the most technically proficient players i have ever seen, the way he used to ping balls in between the lines to Gerrard was out of this world, still haven't seen many players do that till this very day.