Topic: Xabi Alonso

[jckliew]

Wont fit into BR's player type/profile....to olde, too, slow, too hollywoody, and too EXPENsive! 

[LFC when it suits]

Xabi was such an important player for us. Most people didn't realise it until he left. Losing Xabi pretty much took us from being one of the best teams in Europe to being the mid table club that we currently are.

Can't blame him for leaving when he did after the way Rafa tried to replace him with Gareth Barry. I hold no grudges and despite the fact he is in that bracket of top midfielders in the world right now alongside the likes of Pirlo, Xavi and Iniesta, I still wouldn't want him back. It's time to move on from that era and look to the future.

[Hij]

Rafa didn't want to get rid of him but had to do some juggling coz of Hicks and Gillett

[Max_powers]

Wont fit into BR's player type/profile....to olde, too, slow, too hollywoody, and too EXPENsive!

Plays for spain

[Il Capitano]

Stick it up your arse, Alonso, you c*nt.

Yeah, how dare he let the club drive him out, the complete shithouse...

[RojoLeón]

Yeah, how dare he let the club drive him out, the complete shithouse...

I know. The club made him put in a transfer request, against his own will. The Swines!

Xabi Alonso FC forever!

[pathetic]

Rafa didn't want to get rid of him but had to do some juggling coz of Hicks and Gillett

I'm sorry but you don't juggle the books with Xabi Alonso. I think selling Xabi was the mistake which finally led to Rafa getting the sack

[Fluke]

I'm sorry but you don't juggle the books with Xabi Alonso. I think selling Xabi was the mistake which finally led to Rafa getting the sack

Rafas hands were tied with both xabi and Javier. How short are peoples memories, seriously?

[RojoLeón]

I'm sorry but you don't juggle the books with Xabi Alonso. I think selling Xabi was the mistake which finally led to Rafa getting the sack

Please - this is why these threads are so tedious. He said/Xabi said. Xabi chose to leave us. He handed in a transfer request. He wanted to go. Face facts.

Xabi is just another footballer who fucked us off for more money. It happens. He's the basque, Peter Crouch - But with better PR.

This is not healthy, and Xabi is a cock tease for flashing his petticoats at us time and time again. He should move the fuck on too.

[Senior Cutinhio]

Another 5 year old kids thread, Xabi still loves us !! Loyal are kids who were abused by their own fans and are still here now leading this team to their future.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Please - this is why these threads are so tedious. He said/Xabi said. Xabi chose to leave us. He handed in a transfer request. He wanted to go. Face facts.

Xabi is just another footballer who fucked us off for more money. It happens. He's the basque, Peter Crouch - But with better PR.

This is not healthy, and Xabi is a cock tease for flashing his petticoats at us time and time again. He should move the fuck on too.

Totally agree mate. Fed up to the back teeth with him talking about us every 5 bloody minutes. Great first and last season, inury hampered others. His liverpool career ended quite some time ago and this thread should be in the general sport section.

[andspecks]

Please - this is why these threads are so tedious. He said/Xabi said. Xabi chose to leave us. He handed in a transfer request. He wanted to go. Face facts.

Xabi is just another footballer who fucked us off for more money. It happens. He's the basque, Peter Crouch - But with better PR.

This is not healthy, and Xabi is a cock tease for flashing his petticoats at us time and time again. He should move the fuck on too.

Exactly this. If he loves us as much as he constantly says he would have stuck around. He's a PR machine when it comes to Liverpool and everyone seems to buy it every time. 

[Senior Cutinhio]

Totally agree mate. Fed up to the back teeth with him talking about us every 5 bloody minutes. Great first and last season, inury hampered others. His liverpool career ended quite some time ago and this thread should be in the general sport section.

! his good guy gary act is just to make some easy retirement money at Liverpool. Making bucks in Madrid and oh I care so much about Liverpool ! da fuck you do

[Xabinator]

Please - this is why these threads are so tedious. He said/Xabi said. Xabi chose to leave us. He handed in a transfer request. He wanted to go. Face facts.

Xabi is just another footballer who fucked us off for more money. It happens. He's the basque, Peter Crouch - But with better PR.

This is not healthy, and Xabi is a cock tease for flashing his petticoats at us time and time again. He should move the fuck on too.

I think people also need to stop over-analysing certain things. If journos stop asking Xabi LFC-related questions, he'll stop giving LFC-related answers.

[Kopite B205]

Zzzzzzzzz.

This thread is going over old boring ground.

[kapil08]

He needs to shut his gob. Where was his 'I'm a fan' when he handed in the transfer request?

Agree though, and most sane folks here do too, that Rodgers is building something here, and needs time.

So f*cking what if Xabi Alonso says so?

[tjtaylor182]

Please - this is why these threads are so tedious. He said/Xabi said. Xabi chose to leave us. He handed in a transfer request. He wanted to go. Face facts.

Xabi is just another footballer who fucked us off for more money. It happens. He's the basque, Peter Crouch - But with better PR.

This is not healthy, and Xabi is a cock tease for flashing his petticoats at us time and time again. He should move the fuck on too.

This just isn't true at all. You can't call someone a mony grabber when they are going to Real Madrid when they are Spanish. Its who they all dream of playing for. If he had gone to a Man City then maybe you you could say that about him. Also, don't forget what happened to him the season beforem, loyalty is a two way street.

[professorj]

Wow, I know a 'love-in' is usually a bit one sided and rose tinted but some of the muppets on here since about page 4 are a bit of a disgrace to the label 'Liverpool supporter'.  Perhaps they were just in nappies while Xabi conducted himself with class both on and off the pitch before being sold. All are entitled to their opinion, but some opinions show you up a bit folks...

He would be welcomed back by both the sane and insane folks here at Anfield, certainly all true supporters.

YNWA Xabi lad

[spider-neil]

I don't have a problem with how he left and would have no problem with him coming back. It's not as if he has any pace to lose.

[Paul JH]

"Spanish player gets chance to go back to Real Madrid, biggest club in the world, and takes it after previous manager says he's getting Gareth Barry to replace him." shock.

Some serious revisionism goes on regarding Xabi. Fact is, when it looked like we were going to sell him, we as fans showed our backing to him in pre-season friendlies by singing his name. Long and loud (although the Gareth Barry chants were ridiculous). If he was so shit the previous two seasons, why would the fans be so aghast at him being replaced by Gareth Barry?

Now he retrospectively gets called a 'cock tease' and this that and the other because he left. I still think he's one of the best central midfielders to ever play for us.

[spider-neil]

"Spanish player gets chance to go back to Real Madrid, biggest club in the world, and takes it after previous manager says he's getting Gareth Barry to replace him." shock.

Some serious revisionism goes on regarding Xabi. Fact is, when it looked like we were going to sell him, we as fans showed our backing to him in pre-season friendlies by singing his name. Long and loud (although the Gareth Barry chants were ridiculous). If he was so shit the previous two seasons, why would the fans be so aghast at him being replaced by Gareth Barry?

Now he retrospectively gets called a 'cock tease' and this that and the other because he left. I still think he's one of the best central midfielders to ever play for us.

Xabi's form did dip but it was a 'relative' dip for him. A sub par Alonso is still better than the vast majority of midfielders that play in the prem.

[Yorkykopite]

"Spanish player gets chance to go back to Real Madrid, biggest club in the world, and takes it after previous manager says he's getting Gareth Barry to replace him." shock.

Some serious revisionism goes on regarding Xabi. Fact is, when it looked like we were going to sell him, we as fans showed our backing to him in pre-season friendlies by singing his name. Long and loud (although the Gareth Barry chants were ridiculous). If he was so shit the previous two seasons, why would the fans be so aghast at him being replaced by Gareth Barry?

Now he retrospectively gets called a 'cock tease' and this that and the other because he left. I still think he's one of the best central midfielders to ever play for us.

Correct.

Rafa got a lot of things right - some things spectacularly so. But he also got some things wrong. The decision to try and offload Alonso was by far his worst. In the long run it killed him.

Mind you I know Arsenal fans who think that Wenger's worst decision was his refusal to cough up the 17 million that would have taken Xabi to North London a year before 30 mill took him to Madrid. 

[GBF]

if I win the lottery, Ill buy Alonso for Liverpool....



....and also to have a kick about in the park with us

[Paul JH]

Rafa got a lot of things right - some things spectacularly so. But he also got some things wrong. The decision to try and offload Alonso was by far his worst. In the long run it killed him.

This is why I don't understand people saying 'he WANTED to leave, Xabi put in a transfer request, and since then you all fall for the PR routine' etc etc.
He wanted to leave, absolutely. AFTER Rafa basically told him he was being replaced by Gareth Barry. Or he was looking to bring him in. Thats not PR from Xabi, it's the truth.

[rob1408]

Alonso seems like a top bloke, I don't doubt his love for the club, but people should really get over it.

The whole Barry thing obviously fucked him off, but he left because the biggest club in the world come calling.  He left to further his career, that simple.

That doesn't make him a prick, nearly every player would do the same, people need to move on.

[fowlermagic]

He became Rafa's Souness in a way as once he left we could not replace the hole that was left behind until this season where SG is now filling it quite well. Of course that leaves another hole in attack where SG could be......Alonso is one of the greatest artists on the pitch as he draws some of the most wonderful passes.

[Paul JH]

That doesn't make him a prick, nearly every player would do the same, people need to move on.

Pretty much sums it up.

[kcbworth]

Was unhappy with him handing in transfer request (although understood it, purely because he earned his call up to the "Spanish national club").

Still up there with Sami in my eyes and deserves all of the love he gets on here imho. Sami, Xabi, Didi, Kuyt, Lucas... potentially Agger. For me these are the international players to have played for us in the past 10 years or so that for me completely invalidate the Liverpool are too foreign enough argument of a few years ago. These guys were/are classy, passionate, great ambassadors for the club, and have represented LFC wherever they have gone (for club or country).

[Senior Cutinhio]

"Spanish player gets chance to go back to Real Madrid, biggest club in the world, and takes it after previous manager says he's getting Gareth Barry to replace him." shock.

Some serious revisionism goes on regarding Xabi. Fact is, when it looked like we were going to sell him, we as fans showed our backing to him in pre-season friendlies by singing his name. Long and loud (although the Gareth Barry chants were ridiculous). If he was so shit the previous two seasons, why would the fans be so aghast at him being replaced by Gareth Barry?

Now he retrospectively gets called a 'cock tease' and this that and the other because he left. I still think he's one of the best central midfielders to ever play for us.

Bollocks ! The same fans sang songs for Lucas to fuck off, so if fans are the todays judges of players quality - clubs would be fucked upside down and Germans would rule this footballing world(though most probably they will)

[Paul JH]

Bollocks ! The same fans sang songs for Lucas to fuck off, so if fans are the todays judges of players quality - clubs would be fucked upside down and Germans would rule this footballing world(though most probably they will)

Great post, well done.

[fowler9_god]

Like he'd have stayed when Madrid came calling even if we wanted him to sell the previous season.

We could have treated him like a prince and he'd still have left IMO.

[El Lobo]

'Rafa wanted to get rid of Alonso to bring in Gareth Barry, and thats why he left. Blame Rafa for it.'

Is the absolute laziest, bullshit opinion around. And has been going around for years.

Xabi wanted to go back to Spain, and the biggest club in the world made an offer which wouldnt be turned down by the cowboys. The previous season, when Rafa should have had plenty to spend without selling, he didnt. So he had to try and find a way to afford someone he felt would be important, and saw an opportunity to get good money for a player who hadn't been at his best for a couple of seasons.

The cowboys are the ones to blame, not Xabi and not Rafa.

[LFC when it suits]

He became Rafa's Souness in a way as once he left we could not replace the hole that was left behind until this season where SG is now filling it quite well. Of course that leaves another hole in attack where SG could be......Alonso is one of the greatest artists on the pitch as he draws some of the most wonderful passes.

Alosno leaving turned us into a midtable team over night. Thats how imporatnt he was. I would have rather lost anyone else apart from him.

[Paul JH]

'Rafa wanted to get rid of Alonso to bring in Gareth Barry, and thats why he left. Blame Rafa for it.'

Who says 'BLAME Rafa for it'? There is no blame. Rafa wanted Barry because Xabi's form had been off, AND we could sell him for decent money when the Cowboys were here. Simple. Nothing wrong with a manager wanting another midfielder. No BLAME attached. No-one is even having a go at Rafa.

"At the end of that [2008] season, speaking to Rafa, he told me the situation and that he wanted to sign other players and I could be one of the replacements," said the Real midfielder. "If an offer would have come, probably I would have been sold. That's when I told myself that the situation had changed - from being a very important player to being one of those who can be sold to get funds to sign other players".

If Madrid wanted him that season, why did he not leave? THAT summer, when he was told we were after Barry, if he had wanted to leave and Real wanted him, why did he stay another season?
There is no blame on anyone, Rafa or Xabi. The cowboys had a big part to play, 100%. But saying the Barry thing had nothing to do with anything?

[LFC when it suits]

Who says 'BLAME Rafa for it'? There is no blame. Rafa wanted Barry because Xabi's form had been off, AND we could sell him for decent money when the Cowboys were here. Simple. Nothing wrong with a manager wanting another midfielder. No BLAME attached. No-one is even having a go at Rafa.

"At the end of that [2008] season, speaking to Rafa, he told me the situation and that he wanted to sign other players and I could be one of the replacements," said the Real midfielder. "If an offer would have come, probably I would have been sold. That's when I told myself that the situation had changed - from being a very important player to being one of those who can be sold to get funds to sign other players".

If Madrid wanted him that season, why did he not leave? THAT summer, when he was told we were after Barry, if he had wanted to leave and Real wanted him, why did he stay another season?
There is no blame on anyone, Rafa or Xabi. The cowboys had a big part to play, 100%. But saying the Barry thing had nothing to do with anything?

Rafa was the cause of making Xabi feel unwanted by telling him that if the right price came, he would sell him. So unless Xabi is lying, we have to take his word for it and accept that Rafa has some part in Xabi leaving eventually.

At the end of the day, the manager thought he could do better than Xabi. He is compeltely entitled to have that opinion and should be free to do his job as he see fit. So "blame" might have some negative connatations, but Rafa was the cause for Xabi to decide that maybe he should consider moving on.

Either wasy, it was a fatal mistake. It's clear that Alonso was the difference between us being a top team and a mid table team. But whats that they say about hindsight being 20/20?

[El Lobo]

Who says 'BLAME Rafa for it'? There is no blame. Rafa wanted Barry because Xabi's form had been off, AND we could sell him for decent money when the Cowboys were here. Simple. Nothing wrong with a manager wanting another midfielder. No BLAME attached. No-one is even having a go at Rafa.

"At the end of that [2008] season, speaking to Rafa, he told me the situation and that he wanted to sign other players and I could be one of the replacements," said the Real midfielder. "If an offer would have come, probably I would have been sold. That's when I told myself that the situation had changed - from being a very important player to being one of those who can be sold to get funds to sign other players".

If Madrid wanted him that season, why did he not leave? THAT summer, when he was told we were after Barry, if he had wanted to leave and Real wanted him, why did he stay another season?
There is no blame on anyone, Rafa or Xabi. The cowboys had a big part to play, 100%. But saying the Barry thing had nothing to do with anything?

Do you take everything personally Paul....?

Plenty of people have blamed Rafa for Alonso leaving. Plenty. A lot. A large amount.

He was in a position where he had to sell to buy a player he felt would be more important. Finished.

Who said the Barry thing had nothing to do with it....?

And who said Madrid were in for him the season before? I don't remember that.

[Senior Cutinhio]

Rafa was the cause of making Xabi feel unwanted by telling him that if the right price came, he would sell him. So unless Xabi is lying, we have to take his word for it and accept that Rafa has some part in Xabi leaving eventually.

At the end of the day, the manager thought he could do better than Xabi. He is compeltely entitled to have that opinion and should be free to do his job as he see fit. So "blame" might have some negative connatations, but Rafa was the cause for Xabi to decide that maybe he should consider moving on.

Either wasy, it was a fatal mistake. It's clear that Alonso was the difference between us being a top team and a mid table team. But whats that they say about hindsight being 20/20?

yeah like he turned Real Madrid into world beaters they are today even with the billion dollar babies around himself ? Being a fan boy is good as long as it is justified, we overachieved under Rafa was not a single player and if Alonso was such a big daddy where was he for the other 4 season or so while he was here ?

[El Lobo]

Either wasy, it was a fatal mistake. It's clear that Alonso was the difference between us being a top team and a mid table team. But whats that they say about hindsight being 20/20?

What rubbish.

Didn't Sami leave the summer that Xabi went? Arbeloa and Benayoun too?

Xabi was an important part of the side, clearly. Thats why we got £30 million for him. But to say he was the difference between us being a top team and a mid table team? Nah, not having that. Too much happened between the end of the 08/09 season and us becoming a mid table team to lay all of that at one single player leaving. What about Torres drop in form and eventual departure? Gerrard too, and Kuyt. Fact is, that season was almost perfect. All of our important players were immense, and our squad players too.

We lost Xabi, Masch, Torres, Sami, Arbeloa, Babel, Riera and Yossi in the space of 18 months and I think only Arbeloa was adequately replaced. We replaced probably our best CB with a greek journeyman, we replaced Masch with a Danish journeyman, we replaced Torres with a Geordie lump, we replaced Xabi with an injury prone luxury player, we got rid of a winger in Riera and replaced him with Joe Cole, Yossi for Maxi I guess is like for like. But on the whole, we downgraded a huge portion of the team. Not just Xabi.

[fowler9_god]

What rubbish.

Didn't Sami leave the summer that Xabi went? Arbeloa and Benayoun too?

Xabi was an important part of the side, clearly. Thats why we got £30 million for him. But to say he was the difference between us being a top team and a mid table team? Nah, not having that. Too much happened between the end of the 08/09 season and us becoming a mid table team to lay all of that at one single player leaving. What about Torres drop in form and eventual departure? Gerrard too, and Kuyt. Fact is, that season was almost perfect. All of our important players were immense, and our squad players too.

We lost Xabi, Masch, Torres, Sami, Arbeloa, Babel, Riera and Yossi in the space of 18 months and I think only Arbeloa was adequately replaced. We replaced probably our best CB with a greek journeyman, we replaced Masch with a Danish journeyman, we replaced Torres with a Geordie lump, we replaced Xabi with an injury prone luxury player, we got rid of a winger in Riera and replaced him with Joe Cole, Yossi for Maxi I guess is like for like. But on the whole, we downgraded a huge portion of the team. Not just Xabi.

This is such a hypothetical argument. What would have happened to us if he was allowed to bring in Barry? League title winners?

[El Lobo]

This is such a hypothetical argument. What would have happened to us if he was allowed to bring in Barry? League title winners?

Maybe, maybe not.

It was another sign of the manager being told one thing and getting another. Would we have won the league if Rafa had been able to sign Barry and keep Xabi? Possibly, possibly not. What about if we'd signed Jovetic when we thought the deal was done?