Alonso

[paulcooper4]

This may sound ironic coming frome me of all poeple, but sometimes people are just too damn picky and overcritical.

[singlerider]

His frustration showed last night when he was going to **** the Haifa player ner the half way line.

Not his best performance last night but no reason to even think of panicking or slating him.

Was that that Broccoli bloke?

Anybody else notice him take a swing at Xabi following a tackle in the first half?

Can't believe he wasn't booked the way he carried on tbh.

[mark1975]

This may sound ironic coming frome me of all poeple, but sometimes people are just too damn picky and overcritical.

Picking out flaws in Alonso's games is nonsensical. He's one of the best midfielders in Europe, and would more than likely walk into the starting eleven of every other side in the Premier League.

He's the best passer of the ball in the country, and going with stats from last season, the best tackler too by all accounts. He's absolutely instrumental to the way we play as a team.

Maybe his diminishing imfluence or negative factors are more down to the way our manager is failing to mould our midfield, than anything Chabby, Momo or Stevie are doing wrong.

As shaggy said in another thread, he sets such high standards for himself. He still did all the things he was there to do. I doubt Pennant would have got on the ball as much without Alonso's sprayed passes..

I think the only mild criticism I have of him is that he doesnt dominate the midfield enough, he doesnt take the game by the scruff of the neck, even though he clearly has the ability to do so. Another issue is pace, he's wonderful on the ball, has such great technique, but he doesnt have the drive of a Gerrard. Do we really need that from him though? We already have it in Stevie and to a lesser extent, Momo..

There's certainly room for improvement, but again, he's only young and can hopefully improve with us.

[Nic83]

As shaggy said in another thread, he sets such high standards for himself. He still did all the things he was there to do. I doubt Pennant would have got on the ball as much without Alonso's sprayed passes..

I think the only mild criticism I have of him is that he doesnt dominate the midfield enough, he doesnt take the game by the scruff of the neck, even though he clearly has the ability to do so. Another issue is pace, he's wonderful on the ball, has such great technique, but he doesnt have the drive of a Gerrard. Do we really need that from him though? We already have it in Stevie and to a lesser extent, Momo..

There's certainly room for improvement, but again, he's only young and can hopefully improve with us.

He's top class as it is but you're right Mark, people seem to forget that he is still only young.

Obviously a sign of his maturity on the pitch and his football brain.

[JRG]

Was that that Broccoli bloke?

Anybody else notice him take a swing at Xabi following a tackle in the first half?

Can't believe he wasn't booked the way he carried on tbh.

I thought it was Boccoli but I couldn't see, I thought a few of them should have been booked

[Kiwi]

Plus hadn't Xabi just got over a knock.

[bazza76]

I read the first line and stopped.

Nonsense.

Xabi is one of the top midfielders in the world.

END.OF.STORY.

I was just about to say that.
Also he is still very young, and has plenty of room for improvement. I think people are getting very carried away after one competitive game. Alonso's job is to pull strings for the rest of the team(long and short passing), try and make himself available for a pass, not for him to be bombing around the pitch like Stevie or Momo, people have to accept this. He has also improved defensively since arriving here.

[archimede]

I read the first line and stopped.

Nonsense.

Xabi is one of the top midfielders in the world.

END.OF.STORY.

I dont deny Xabi's qualities for one minute. All I am asking is are they the right qualities and secondly as questioned by others in this post - are they being being properly utilised?

[bazza76]

I dont deny Xabi's qualities for one minute. All I am asking is are they the right qualities and secondly as questioned by others in this post - are they being being properly utilised?

Rafa is the manager, If he think he needs a player of Xabi's qualities for his system or football psychology to work, then yes when need a player of xabi's qualities. Rafa wants someone who can pass long and short to control the central midfield region, someone who can defend aswell and has good positioning. Good alround player, he is not meant to be a surging player like Gerrard or sissoko, that is why he is more stationary. If he wasto do such things at will, it would only cause confusion, people need to know their jobs and xabie knows his.
It seem he is still very underestimated still.

[archimede]

3 into 2 won't go for me. Alonso has immense quality but possibly he's a luxury at times. Gerrard played anywhere but in centre midfield is a waste. Momo runs like a dog on heat, he's fast becoming the engine room. Not sure what the answer is, but playing all 3 & leaving one upfront will lead only to frustration week in week out. Even if the midfield get forward to support they'll never be as clinical as a bonified striker. Its a royal dilema is that.

This expresses my feelings more adequetly.

1) i dont doubt his qulity
2) I think we are unbalanced with 3 central midfielders
3) Ialways come back to Gerrard and Momo as my 2out of 3

I think what Rafa would like to do is have sold Gerrard to Chelsea last summer and had Xabi and Momo as his centre pair.

This leads to the other arguement that rather that Xabi not being the man for the job, but the connundrum of Gerrard staying and Rafa not knowing how best to deply him (CM, RM, LM, free role etc..), and with Gerrard having to be accomodated as his as undropable as any liverpool player could be is not in the team or the players best interest.

[dww]

I think we are unbalanced when there is nobody in the box. Bellamy came out wide too often and Gerrard drops too deep and covers too much gound. The formation we played yesterday was a failed experiment, however with the slight tweak of have a forward who was always looking to get into the area I think 3 CM's could be a viable formation.

I'm willing to say that some people were too eager to please and that the more 4-5-1 formation will take it's place of one of two or three we play regularly.

[blacky]

The modern game needs more than "workhorse box to box midfielders". He is an intelligent footballer who uses his brain, has vision and looks at the pitch almost as if it were a chessboard. He is an essential element in the team and is still a young player who will improve.

[carrsim]

its all about options for rafa

there are some games- esp at home- that will need the refined passing and excellent positional sense that xabi brings to the team more than we will need the awesome but at times headless chicken running power of momo.

at times we will need all 3 to stiffen it in there to dominate (maccabi return leg sounds like one such occassion)

there are times when stevie will need a rest and momo and xabi will get the nod with pennant on the right.

stevie's style means he catches the eye more than xabi, who in turn does a lot of things in such a way that its not always noticable. which is probably why xabi's skills are more appreciated when stevie doesn't play.

imo, xabi was born to play for liverpool as he oozes class at one the most important thing in the game- keeping possession

[Red_Polo]

However - I am beginning to have doubts about our Xabi.

Jesus wept

I suppose you didn't think much of Molby? Xabi's positioning is brilliant, he puts in more tackles than anyone, and manages to be our finest passer of the ball at the same time. He is great at helping the team keep possession, always available for a short pass and always sidestepping challenges to find a simple ball to someone in a better position or a nice diagonal pass /through ball.

[cobain]

Xabi is class! OK, he does something stupid once in a while and gives the ball to an opponent, BUT his passing ability is just incredible! We have probably the best passer in the world!

Sometimes Xabi seems a bit lost in the game, but when he has the ball he can provide a killer pass in no time and that's why he is so important to us! And like someone said before, when he gets used to the holding role, he'll be a real menace! Defence splitter even