Topic: Xabi Alonso

[Qston]

Very interested to see how he gets on.  How long is his contract, and does it line up with the end of Klopp's one here?

I think a few of us are thinking the same thing.  Good testing ground for him there as well. When the boss decides it's time I hope that Xabi has succeeded there and is in the mix.

[Crosby Nick]

Very interested to see how he gets on.  How long is his contract, and does it line up with the end of Klopp's one here?

He’d jump ship to Real at the earliest opportunity again if he had a good season or two with us.

[El Lobo]

Now I really hope he does well, cos he's a good bloke and always had a good footballing brain but....does no-one find the contrast between him and Stevie on here a little odd? Its like people actively want Stevie to fail so he's not linked with us as manager at any point, and yet almost falling over themselves to push forward Xabi despite his career so far being getting Sociedad B promoted to the Spanish Championship and then relegated, and resigning.

[stewy17]

Now I really hope he does well, cos he's a good bloke and always had a good footballing brain but....does no-one find the contrast between him and Stevie on here a little odd? Its like people actively want Stevie to fail so he's not linked with us as manager at any point, and yet almost falling over themselves to push forward Xabi despite his career so far being getting Sociedad B promoted to the Spanish Championship and then relegated, and resigning.

It's the weight of the job thing for me. Steven Gerrard will always be my hero and the best player I ever saw for us, but I want him nowhere near the Liverpool job because it'll weigh so heavy on him. You can see how it weighed on him being captain and manager will be so much worse. One of Klopp's most important achievements at Liverpool was to remove that weight or the backpack of history as he called it. I think Stevie still carries it and is the living embodiment and I don't see how he would take that weight from the team.

Personally not arsed if Alonso or Gerrard become Liverpool manager or not, I want the best man for the job when the time comes. We're not Everton.

Also, some people just don't like Steven Gerrard, and never did!

[tubby]

Now I really hope he does well, cos he's a good bloke and always had a good footballing brain but....does no-one find the contrast between him and Stevie on here a little odd? Its like people actively want Stevie to fail so he's not linked with us as manager at any point, and yet almost falling over themselves to push forward Xabi despite his career so far being getting Sociedad B promoted to the Spanish Championship and then relegated, and resigning.

My comment was a little tongue in cheek, I'm well aware of the folks on here who are desperate for Gerrard to never be Liverpool manager.

[Gerry Attrick]

It’d be great if both were top class. I’ve still got hopes for Gerrard, albeit he’s got to be on thin ice at Villa now. Alonso played under the most of the elite gaffers the game has thrown up so I’m intrigued to see who he’s borrowed most of his tactical decisions from.

[rossipersempre]

Hope Xabi does better than Sami did there.

[sinnermichael]

[Crosby Nick]

Some halo he’s got.

[groove]

4-0 win for his managerial debut. Decent.

[jillcwhomever]

It's great to see him get off to a winning start. Good luck, Xabi.

[ianburns252]

Roughly 10 years on from Sami managing them.

Really excited to see how Xabi gets on - when I've heard him speak and give his views on the game I have found them considered and progressive. Hopefully that translates to his coaching!

[A-Bomb]

Will be keeping a keen eye on Xabi, one of the most intelligent footballers i've watched live....very switched on, calm personality who's had a wealth of opportunity to be educated by some of the very best.

Has all the ingredients to be a fantastic coach and manager.

[Red Beret]

Betcha Real Madrid will be watching how he does.

[lfcred1976]

Will be keeping a keen eye on Xabi, one of the most intelligent footballers i've watched live....very switched on, calm personality who's had a wealth of opportunity to be educated by some of the very best.

Has all the ingredients to be a fantastic coach and manager.

Hopefully doesn’t get his people management skills from Mr Benitez!

[Keith Lard]

Crazy to think Xabi has played under Clemente, Benitez, Pellegrini, Ancelotti, Guardiola, Mourinho and Del Bosque.

That's a proper who's who of football management.

[Dim Glas]

Hopefully doesn’t get his people management skills from Mr Benitez!

yeah, perish the thought eh 

He could do with a few more Benitez traits, his Leverkusen team are disorganiased and a defensive mess, despite having plenty of talent, and so far it’s been a struggle bar the first game. Very early days obviously, not that they show great patience these days. 

[disgraced cake]

This is a big job for him. Looks like he done a respectable job with Sociedad's B team taking them up to the 2nd tier and then going down, but there's only so much you can do with one of those teams, it's very different to how it is here with the second teams competing at such a high level.

Leverkusen are usually always near the top and in Europe so I imagine he can take them back there soon if given the time.

[BarryCrocker]

Semi-final coming up against Mourinho in the Europa League next.

[Barneylfc∗]

Doing a very good job there. If he continues on this trajectory, I'd hope he's in the conversation to take over when Klopp finally has enough of the PL shitshow.

[The G in Gerrard]

Glad he's doing well there. What a player he was.

[Trotterwatch]

Biggest upgrade ever - we got rid of Danny Murphy and replaced him with Xabi Alonso.

[MBL?]

Linked with spurs. If he goes there he will never get the Liverpool job.

[ScouserAtHeart]

Linked with spurs. If he goes there he will never get the Liverpool job.

Why? Spurs are irrelevant

[lionel_messias]

Linked with spurs. If he goes there he will never get the Liverpool job.

why not?

Though he'd be smart not to go there.

They are chronically underfunded.

*Thinks about things*

Oh. 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Linked with spurs. If he goes there he will never get the Liverpool job.

Not sure why managing Spurs would exclude him from the Liverpool job, it's not as if they're really rivals, more of an annoyance.  He'd be off his rocker to even think about it though, that club is only going one way, especially after Kane sods off.

[A-Bomb]

Spurs is not a smart move for any manager right now, they need quite a comprehensive rebuild across the squad. They won't be able to attract the best players, nor will they be able to afford them. So it'll take a whole recruitment strategy to be implemented and a medium term vision for one manager at the very least.

He should remain in the Budesliga for now.

[TALBERT]

The guy is class…

I’m over the stroppy Xabi we saw in the preseason when he wanted out…

I would have wanted a move if I knew I was going to be replaced by Gareth Barry…

Amazing that he took over Bayer Leverkusen in 17th and they’re now 6th and in a Europa League Semi Final with Roma…

He should look at what has happened with Potter and other managers going to quickly to the next level of management…

Stevie

Rangers to Aston Villa

Potter

Brighton to Chelsea

Lampard

Derby to Chelsea to Everton to Chelsea again (fucking mess of that)

Stay where you are Xabi

[Crosby Nick]

Doing a very good job there. If he continues on this trajectory, I'd hope he's in the conversation to take over when Klopp finally has enough of the PL shitshow.

Probably holding out for the Real job the treacherous handsome bastard.

[MBL?]

Why? Spurs are irrelevant

He will fail there because they are failures and we won’t hire a failure. There’s never been a spurs manager that I would take here.

[TALBERT]

Probably holding out for the Real job the treacherous handsome bastard.

It’s Frank Lampards

Or Sam Allardyce

[Razors Razor]

I saw a video short earlier between Xabi and Carra and was shocked to learn that Xabi's 1st ever professional penalty was the Champions League final 05! Absolutely insane from Rafa to do that the mad genius.

[RyanBabel19]

Read a magazine on my way to watch that final and read a story about Xabi taking a big game pen as a kid and missing (iirc). Naturally I shat myself seeing him step up for such a huge pen knowing he wasn't our pen taker and with that story fresh in my mind

[Razors Razor]

Read a magazine on my way to watch that final and read a story about Xabi taking a big game pen as a kid and missing (iirc). Naturally I shat myself seeing him step up for such a huge pen knowing he wasn't our pen taker and with that story fresh in my mind

Aye squeaky bum time for you then seeing him step up. Some balls to do that as a manager.

[Black Bull Nova]

I saw a video short earlier between Xabi and Carra and was shocked to learn that Xabi's 1st ever professional penalty was the Champions League final 05! Absolutely insane from Rafa to do that the mad genius.

Not so much of a genius given he missed the penalty

[Razors Razor]

Not so much of a genius given he missed the penalty

Really? He scores the rebound you nugget.

[Yorkykopite]

Really? He scores the rebound you nugget.

All part of Rafa's genius?

[Kenny's Jacket]

I saw a video short earlier between Xabi and Carra and was shocked to learn that Xabi's 1st ever professional penalty was the Champions League final 05! Absolutely insane from Rafa to do that the mad genius.

but he missed and Gerrard was a great penalty taker

[Razors Razor]

but he missed and Gerrard was a great penalty taker

Yea good point cos we went on to lose the game 3 - 2

[Black Bull Nova]

There is something about Xabi, an emotional intelligence and integrity that people can sense.

An instinct that tells us he could have the ability to do the job here allied with the romantic notion relating to the fact that he is one of those ex-players (like Sami, Firmino, Milner etc) who have nothing but good feelings from nearly all the supporters