The little things that managers love that miss the highlights

[slimbimjim]

Which means **** all defensively when an opposition uses a bit of pace or a sharp turn to skip past Xabi as though he's not there.

Well that's balls as players like Baresi has jack **** pace and still managed to stop a lot of fast strikers.

Sorry if that sounds very simplistic but pace and speed aren't everything... Just ask Cisse!

[AFII]

Alonso is our best tackler if you look at the statistics.

[anfieldanfield]

No it doesn't mean "**** all defensively" at all. You've cited one out of about 100 possible examples.

The amount of times Alonso gets bypassed through the midfield, when the opposition have the ball is ridiculous. It's at least three or four times a game.

That doesn't happen when Momo and/or Mascherano are playing.

[Nic83]

The amount of times Alonso gets bypassed through the midfield, when the opposition have the ball is ridiculous. It's at least three or four times a game.
That doesn't happen when Momo and/or Mascherano are playing.

Bench him!!!

[anfieldanfield]

Bench him!!!

If Gerrard is fit, that's where he'll be on Saturday.

[tomasjj]

The amount of times Alonso gets bypassed through the midfield, when the opposition have the ball is ridiculous. It's at least three or four times a game.

That doesn't happen when Momo and/or Mascherano are playing.

Sigh.... Can't you just go and play with Carhex in the Alonso bashing thread?
Not that I can't stand an argument, but you talk ****.

[Nic83]

If Gerrard is fit, that's where he'll be on Saturday.

What makes you say that? Gerrard and Alonso started against Villa and Chelsea, both were rested/out midweek and Derby are ****e so the less defensive players that are needed...

[CAD]

Mascher is much more mobile than Alonso as a HM. With Mascher/Gerrard we are better balanced. Alonso is in many ways a one trick pony on the ball and he has a tendency to take some of the pace out of our game.

The biggest problem with Alonso, since he was shoehorned into a HM, is that he seems to have regressed as a footballer on the ball. Probably why he is not on the Spanish national side starting XI anymore as well.

I understand what you're saying about the "invisible" work off the ball but let's not go overboard. Alonso is nowhere near as good as Mascher in the HM position. Neither is he anywhere near Gerrard as a offensive CM.

That's how I see it anyway.

[anfieldanfield]

What makes you say that? Gerrard and Alonso started against Villa and Chelsea, both were rested/out midweek and Derby are ****e so the less defensive players that are needed...

I think if you really pushed Rafa for a decision he would say Masher/Gerrard is our best central midfield partnership, as was evident in the team that played Chelsea at Anfield in May.

[Shaggy]

The amount of times Alonso gets bypassed through the midfield, when the opposition have the ball is ridiculous. It's at least three or four times a game.

That doesn't happen when Momo and/or Mascherano are playing.

I don't think that's true. Was he not top of the tackling stats last season? He certainly wins his fair share of possession.

[Pablo]

We have the best midfield in the world and we are still arguing about it

[anfieldanfield]

We have the best midfield in the world and we are still arguing about it

Heh, dunno...



"We've got the best midfield in the weerrrrrlllldddd...

[Nic83]

I think if you really pushed Rafa for a decision he would say Masher/Gerrard is our best central midfield partnership, as was evident in the team that played Chelsea at Anfield in May.

What about the final which was Xabi/Stevie?

I thik he rates both extremely highly but I think he thinks Alonso is a superstar.

[KK07]

We have the best midfield in the world and we are still arguing about it

Heh, dunno...



"We've got the best midfield in the weerrrrrlllldddd...

God I hate that ****ing song!

I'm half dreading going to the match on Saturday and being forced to listen to it again!

My hatred steems from getting off at the wrong stop on the train in Athens and having to walk behind 3 drunken idiots who sang it constantly for about 2 miles!!

[badpiggy]

Mascher is much more mobile than Alonso as a HM. With Mascher/Gerrard we are better balanced. Alonso is in many ways a one trick pony on the ball and he has a tendency to take some of the pace out of our game.

The biggest problem with Alonso, since he was shoehorned into a HM, is that he seems to have regressed as a footballer on the ball. Probably why he is not on the Spanish national side starting XI anymore as well.

I understand what you're saying about the "invisible" work off the ball but let's not go overboard. Alonso is nowhere near as good as Mascher in the HM position. Neither is he anywhere near Gerrard as a offensive CM.

That's how I see it anyway.

not too sure about this. i think i agree with tomas et al. any time i've seen xabi since his supposed dip in form - which apparently has gone on for 2 years now - he seems class but different than what he was in his first year.

1. in his first year it seemed he only collected the ball from the back 4 and sprayed passes forward. i say seemed because he put in a load of tackles as well.

2. since then i think play/personnel has changed so xabi isn't as obviously close to the back 4. instead he is doing the classic central midfielder's job - closing off, tackling, always been available for a pass, picking up the ball, moving it quickly and moving himself.

3. if the players out wide move for him he still pings the big passes. of all people i thought zenden used to bring this aspect of xabi's game out. for all his faults, zenden was brilliant at getting into great advanced positions to take a pass. xabi sought him out all the time. granted he tended to make a bollox of things once he got the ball but...

4. masher is a monster but i think more often than not his passes are sideways and/or back - xabi is different. he constantly knits the play together. simple passes and always to a teammate and generally moves us up the pitch. when you have a shape as compact as ours i don't think you'll see as many glory 40 yard passes. rafa doesn't seem to be about one person's movement - i keep thinking about carra's remark about 6 boring months moving up and down the training pitch as a block.

5. as for the idea of opposition play passing through him 3 or 4 times in one match - i think if you watch any player on any team however good there is no way for them to intercept and cut off every player or every pass every time.