The official 'Say no to Daniel Alves' Petition.

[Robster007]

About time, and rightly so, and made public to show personal abuse will not be tolerated.

Yeah, lets hang him in the town square......

[Taffy]

Personally, I think we missed the boat with Alves when we failed to get him last summer.

His price will have increased dramatically again and many other of the top sides will be after him if he does leave Sevilla. Although it wouldn't surprise me if he stayed where he is again especially as he'll be playing CL footie with them next season and possibly as champions of Spain too!

My take though is that it doesn't matter, even if he has been superb this season, as I'm still not convinced he'd have the same impact from further up the pitch, as he does from defence for Sevilla, if Rafa wants to play him at right midfield. His game is well suited to the wingback role but playing as a wide mdfielder might not see him produce the same displays, as he won't have the same amount of room to 'come from deep' if he's already in an advanced role.

Playing wing back allows him to see all that's ahead of him, and make his runs from deep, with an attacking wide player also there to take a player away from that side allowing him more freedom to attack at pace. A starting position from further up the field won't allow him the same freedom and his skills will be tested to the limit from midfield as Rafa wants to play him, apparently.

I must admit I haven't seen that much of his play this season, only brief highights here and there, so I'm only going on what I've seen last season and the odd clip this season.

[Kopite_Colin]

I think that's what Rafa wants him for: RWB. Add JAR at LWB and it means he can play SG in CM ahead of 2 of Momo, Alonso and Masher. Add a goalscoring striker to Kuyt and the goal threat will be greratly enhanced. Alves's quality crosses from the right, SG bursting into the box, and a real sniffer to put the ball away.

[badpiggy]

how is he at taking on defenders and beating them? is he all pace or is there trickery there as well?

[Red_Polo]

how is he at taking on defenders and beating them? is he all pace or is there trickery there as well?

He's got that combination of pace and skill. Has quick feet and good close control. Wouldn't hesitate to buy him to play RM for us.

[John_Gotti]

He is an excellent player and probably the best striker in La Liga but he isn't better or more important for his team than Alves.

My guess is that we will need to pay around £25m if we want to sign Alves. Sevilla doesn't need to sell and he is their most important player.

alves is more important to his team because of the quality that they have which is not as good as Valencia's.

[dirty_sanchez]

Name one better player in La Liga this season

Also, say what you like about Van Nistelrooy, he's been consistently excellent in basically what is an underperforming side. Kanoute and Milito have both been excellent too.

Ronaldinho is still the best player in the world.

I don't know how you can possibly watch as much football as you claim to or you'd be a couch ridden fatty with no friends.

[Taffy]

I think that's what Rafa wants him for: RWB. Add JAR at LWB and it means he can play SG in CM ahead of 2 of Momo, Alonso and Masher. Add a goalscoring striker to Kuyt and the goal threat will be greratly enhanced. Alves's quality crosses from the right, SG bursting into the box, and a real sniffer to put the ball away.

If Rafa wants Alves for right wing back does this mean we'll adapt a three at the back system more often then?!

He could play the Finnan right back role I suppose but it would leave us exposed at times if we carry on with a back four, especially if we want Alves to attack the flank more. We've played with three at the back on occasions so I suppose we can switch formations for each game - as Rafa has done in the past depending on the oppisition.

Riise and Alves would suit the wing backs roles if we chose to play more with that formation but there will be times when we'll need the stability of a back four against the 'better' sides - I suppose we could play Finnan at right back then and Alves further forward to see how he does (but I'm not convinced he'd be as 'useful' in a more advanced role.

Anyway, as I said in my earlier post, I've a feeling our time has gone with signing Alves, but I'd be more than happy if we bagged him in the summer.

[Armchairkopite]

I wouls be very surprised if Alves doesn't end up at Barca in the summer for these reasons:
1. Hes gonna cost a fortune now.
2. He wants to go there and has stated this publicly.
3. Barca need a quality right back and he's the best in the league.

I agree Taffy, we've missed the boat on this one...................again.

[AFII]

Alves have said many times that he want to play for us.

[Armchairkopite]

I think he wouls play for us but i think if he has a choice and it looks like he will have, hes gonna pick Barca.

Lets face it hes settled in Spain and knows La liga well now plus he will be playing for one of the top teams in Europe anyway so why would he come to us unless Barca don't make an offer.

[Johnny]

I think he wouls play for us but i think if he has a choice and it looks like he will have, hes gonna pick Barca.

Lets face it hes settled in Spain and knows La liga well now plus he will be playing for one of the top teams in Europe anyway so why would he come to us unless Barca don't make an offer.

Rafa?

[AFII]

Barcelona have option for £15M Sevilla star Daniel Alves
tribalfooball.com - March 05, 2007

Sevilla won't consider selling Barcelona target Daniel Alves for less than £15 million.

The Brazilian fullback admitted over the weekend an ambition to move to "a bigger club like Barcelona" and the defending Primera champs know the price Sevilla are asking.

Barca have an informal option on Daniel Alves, which was negotiated during Javier Saviola's spell on-loan with Sevilla last season. It gives Nou Camp chiefs first refusal on the right-back.

Sevilla's board expect to sell Daniel Alves at the end of this season following an agreement between the player and president Jose Maria del Nido last summer. The wing-back agreed to extend his contract to 2012 and stay with the club for one more season in exchange for a commitment from Del Nido that he would be sold this summer.

[zimbo]

Interesting write-up on Guardian site:

Hats off to awesome Alves as Sevilla blow title race wide open

Sevilla's Dani Alves is no ordinary right-back, something Barça found out to their cost in a thrilling showdown at the weekend.

Sid Lowe March 5, 2007 02:46 PM

He wears red-and-white braces on his teeth and a cheeky grin on his face, has a haircut that's only half-finished and loves nothing more than sneaking Santa hats down his pants - even if they do get covered in curly black hairs. He comes from Juazeiro in Brazil but is so perfectly integrated into Spanish life that on the way home from games he sits at the back of the plane munching jamón with fans, never ever misses an episode of gossip-fest Aquí Hay Tomate, and wears a bullfighter's get-up to Seville's April fair. He joined Sevilla for €1m in 2003, could have gone to Liverpool for €16m last summer and might yet join Barcelona for over €20m.

He is 23 years old, his name is Daniel Alves da Silva and right now he's the best player in Spain. He could also be about to win the league title after an unbelievably good performance helped take his side top with Saturday night's rip-roaring 2-1 victory over FC Barcelona at the Sanchez Pizjuán. Which isn't bad for a club whose budget is €30m, compared to Real Madrid's €346m, Barcelona's €242m and Valencia's €133m. And which certainly isn't bad for a kid who arrived as a complete unknown four seasons ago.

Nowadays, Alves is a hero at Sevilla - loved for his personality and his play, his commitment and his comedy in a city that endlessly boasts of its guasa. He is, after all, the man who attended a formal, town hall reception dressed in the traditional off-duty suit of the sevillano bullfighter, was attacked by uptight Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera as a "clown" for doing so, and sought revenge by taking the suit to the city derby ready to wear on the triumphant journey home - only for his side to lose. The man who had rather more success with his celebratory Father Christmas hat, finally scoring the goal that ended his itchy-goolie hell. And the man who got his Spanish passport and seemed to be tipping the wink to Luis Aragonés by dying his hair red and yellow - only to gigglingly admit it was supposed to be red-and-white but he's not much cop with the dye.

Luckily, out on the pitch Alves, like Chief Wiggum, is a whole lotta cop. A former Under-20 World Cup winner with Brazil, he has been in Spain's top 20 players for the last two years according to Don Balón - outranking David Villa and every single Madrid player. This season, he currently lies fifth (just behind Andres Iniesta, Freddie Kanouté, Santi Cazorla, and Nicola Zigic), boasts more assists than any other player in the league, and is involved in more moves than anyone else in Spain. Which is pretty good for a right-back.

But then Dani Alves is no ordinary right-back. He has played at right-back, right-midfield, left-back, left-midfield, central midfield and in St Petersburg last season even played up front - winning a penalty and providing an assist. He plays everywhere - and in the same game, too. He is, says this morning's AS: "Three players in one: a central midfield playmaker with a winger's soul who plays at full-back." He is a one-man band, a phenomenal athlete who screams and tears round the pitch like a hyperactive child, a Roberto Carlos for the right. Only Alves can defend. In fact, he can be a right horrible little ******* when he wants to, diving and kicking and tugging to his heart's content. It's no coincidence that as well as topping the assists charts, he leads the way in yellow cards and fouls. In short, Alves can do everything.

Just ask Barcelona.

Alves turned up for Saturday's clash between first and second with half his hair missing, leaving a kind of big-type Mohican for the reading impaired. There was a simple explanation - superstition dictates he cut his hair before big games and, as there are so many big games coming up, he reasons that they only way he'll be able to continue doing so is by cutting it in stages - and, besides, while there was something missing from his head, there was nothing missing from his performance. Because Alves was simply sensational.

At 10.28, Barça were on the verge of taking a giant leap towards being champions: 1-0 up, they had a penalty and Sevilla were down to 10 men. At 2-0 the game, and possibly the title race, was over (especially with Madrid, though much improved, subsequently dropping two more points at the Bernabéu). Barça would have climbed five clear of Sevilla, six above Valencia, and eight ahead of Madrid. But Andrés Palop saved Ronaldinho's penalty and, with 10 men, Sevilla raced back into the game, led by Alves.

The Brazilian was not alone of course - Palop's penalty save was his fourth of the season, Christian Poulsen was outstanding as an emergency centre-back, José Luis Martí controlled the midfield brilliantly and Kanouté was, as ever, superb - but he it was who sparked Sevilla's equaliser, sprinting in from the right and finding Kerzhakov, who finished brilliantly; he it was who scored the free-kick which put them 2-1 up; he it was who was involved when Ludovic Giuly was sent off with half an hour to go, killing Barça's resistance; and he it was who was somehow still running and twice very nearly added a third in the dying minutes, just failing to finish a fantastic move in the 93rd minute and then smashing a shot off the bar in the 94th minute after another unstoppable run.

It would have been a superb goal. It would also have been an important one. By winning 2-1, Sevilla climbed a point clear of Barça; by winning 3-1, they would also have levelled the head-to-head goal difference, which could prove decisive at the end of the season. That was why Alves left the Pizjuán a disappointed man. The fans, meanwhile, left in the mood for a party. Sevilla are top, Alves has blown the title race wide open

[Shaggy]

Haha, "the best player in Spain at the moment"

I don't watch a great deal of it, just a game or two at the weekends and some highlights, but on current form he does appear to be, by some distance, the best player in the league.