Xabi Alonso and our lack of goals

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

Can you see the sun from where you are at, up SGs arse then fella?

Up SGs arse!? who can't?

[CAD]

Can you see the sun from where you are at, up SGs arse then fella?

Why do you think I'm up there, mate?

But if SG can't hit the highnote then the team is not going to win anything.

There's a reason why he earns almost double compared to Alonso

[tomasjj]

There's a reason why he earns almost double compared to Alonso

And it does not correlate with the difference in their footballing abilities, that's for sure.
But it was not my intention to use bash SG using XA.

[carheex]

Alonso is lucky that his injury has kept him out of the team recently otherwise people wouldn't have forgotten how mediocre he has been for us. I'm truly amazed at how many people think his return is all that's needed - I'm even more amazed that Gerrard has a few off games and all of a sudden we should be sticking him out on the wing!! People have such short memories. He is by far our most important player - no one else comes even close, although Torres could soon be heading that way.

[CAD]

Alonso is lucky that his injury has kept him out of the team recently otherwise people wouldn't have forgotten how mediocre he has been for us. I'm truly amazed at how many people think his return is all that's needed - I'm even more amazed that Gerrard has a few off games and all of a sudden we should be sticking him out on the wing!! People have such short memories. He is by far our most important player - no one else comes even close, although Torres could soon be heading that way.

That's what I'm saying.

[tomasjj]

To be fair, it is more than a few games since SG was performing at levels that should be expected of such a talented player. He did well the first couple of games this season, but if you exclude those, we haven't seen the real SG for a long time. Sadly.

[Pacman]

Alonso coming back isn't the be all and end all however how anyone can say we haven't missed him is unbelievable IMO. Against Marseille it was crying out for an Alonso type player to put his football on the ball and control the game. Stevie isn't disciplined enough as a player to do that, Momo just can't and Mascher doesn't have the passing range. Alonso does the donkey work for Stevie he wins the ball in midfield and makes a simple pass. I would compare Alonso to someone like Paul Collingwood in the England one day team. Nothing flamboyant he just keeps the score ticking over and that's exactly what Alonso does he just keeps the ball moving with either little 2 yard passes or 30 yard cross field passes.

[CAD]

To be fair, it is more than a few games since SG was performing at levels that should be expected of such a talented player. He did well the first couple of games this season, but if you exclude those, we haven't seen the real SG for a long time. Sadly.

I agree, just as sadly. Under par for a long long time.

All I'm saying is that getting Gerrard up to his old standard is more important than any other issue regarding the team. Including Alonso.

[Dhav]

Alonso coming back isn't the be all and end all however how anyone can say we haven't missed him is unbelievable IMO. Against Marseille it was crying out for an Alonso type player to put his football on the ball and control the game. Stevie isn't disciplined enough as a player to do that, Momo just can't and Mascher doesn't have the passing range. Alonso does the donkey work for Stevie he wins the ball in midfield and makes a simple pass. I would compare Alonso to someone like Paul Collingwood in the England one day team. Nothing flamboyant he just keeps the score ticking over and that's exactly what Alonso does he just keeps the ball moving with either little 2 yard passes or 30 yard cross field passes.

My beef with people like CAD and Carheex is they're so busy extolling the virtues of SG that they're blinded to the value of XA and what he adds to the team. For me what Xabi adds is clear to anyone who watches the matches or goes to the games, or someone who has even a psssing knowledge of football. What he does no other player in our squad can replicate, including SG.

No one is saying that XA is the messiah who will return to the team and rescue our season - what we are saying is he has the qualities, attributes and has the role and influance within the team (when he plays) to be able to significantly improve the way the team is playing. Anyone who thinks otherwise is IMO blind.

[Saveloy]

When Alonso plays he drops off picks up the ball off the back four and starts building attacks

When Agger plays he has the ability to bring out the ball from the back four

Take one of them out of the team and it makes the oppositions job easier as they only have one player to close down, take both of them out and not only dont they have to close down any playmaker but they also have the luxury of knowing the other players along our back four will more than likely look to launch it rather than carry it out or play short passes out to build attacks

We have missed both players BUT I believe Alonso's influence is far greater than Aggers

Amen Brother.

[Sarb]

Alonso is lucky that his injury has kept him out of the team recently otherwise people wouldn't have forgotten how mediocre he has been for us. I'm truly amazed at how many people think his return is all that's needed - I'm even more amazed that Gerrard has a few off games and all of a sudden we should be sticking him out on the wing!! People have such short memories. He is by far our most important player - no one else comes even close, although Torres could soon be heading that way.

If you're going to slate Xabi and hold Gerrard up to be the best then you're going to leave yourself open to criticism. Now I love Gerrard...fantastic player, can play anywhere on the pitch and do a job (probably not as Goalkeeper though). However, in a lot of the big games he fails to turn up. People may disagree but that criticism has been levelled at him on a few occasions. He's going through a proper wank patch at the moment yet you're sticking up for him at the same time having a go at Xabi for being out of form

I'm not going to say that when Xabi comes back we'll start winning again (people are aware of my views on rotation being the problem), but he'll make a difference. When he first came here he was class. Some of his passing in his first season was unreal. The guy is still young and has struggled of late, but I'm in no doubt that he's one of the best we have in the role he plays

[Nic83]

I also think Crouch missing is a major factor in our lack of goals recently. And I mean mainly for chances he creates for others, not just his goals.

Kuyt and Voronin are not the type of players to carve out multiple chances for us whereas Crouchy will get some lovely flick ons to create openings as well as cause mayhem in defenses leading to mistakes and chances for us.

[carheex]

If you're going to slate Xabi and hold Gerrard up to be the best then you're going to leave yourself open to criticism. Now I love Gerrard...fantastic player, can play anywhere on the pitch and do a job (probably not as Goalkeeper though). However, in a lot of the big games he fails to turn up. People may disagree but that criticism has been levelled at him on a few occasions. He's going through a proper wank patch at the moment yet you're sticking up for him at the same time having a go at Xabi for being out of form

I'm not going to say that when Xabi comes back we'll start winning again (people are aware of my views on rotation being the problem), but he'll make a difference. When he first came here he was class. Some of his passing in his first season was unreal. The guy is still young and has struggled of late, but I'm in no doubt that he's one of the best we have in the role he plays

This must be where the confusion lies: if you read through my posts I'm usually very unbiased. I'm only sticking up for gerrard because everyone seems to be laying the blame at his feet whilst saying that Alonso is so much better. In my opinion, Gerrard is well out of form and has been for a few months. However, Alonso has been out of form for much much longer. I've said time and time again that I think Xabi is a great player but hasn't done it for a long time. I'm not anti-alonso, I'm pro LFC. I don;t know why people have such a problem with my belief that our best centre midfield pairing is gerrard and mascherano. It's an opinion, that is all. It doesn't mean i don't appreciate midfielders/good players/rafa's teams at all, despite what that irritating prick Dhavlos keeps saying.

And with regards to SG not turning up in the big games, you could say that about most of our squad which is why we've got such a piss poor record against utd, chelsea and the arse. To blame gerrard for us being poor in these games means he must have more influence in the team than anyone else, otherwise it wouldn;t be such an issue. Maybe someone "knowledgeable" like dhavlos could tell me how dropping an out of form attacking midfielder and bringing in an out of form, unfit defensive midfielder is going to help things............

My feeling is that we;ve got so used to gerrard saving us that when he's off form people start blaming him for the whole teams' shortcomings - a victim of his own high standards!? Worse still, is people saying to stick him on the wing or drop him...in favour of playing 2 defensive midfielders - lunacy i tells ya!

[carheex]

I also think Crouch missing is a major factor in our lack of goals recently. And I mean mainly for chances he creates for others, not just his goals.

Kuyt and Voronin are not the type of players to carve out multiple chances for us whereas Crouchy will get some lovely flick ons to create openings as well as cause mayhem in defenses leading to mistakes and chances for us.

It's not easy to create chances when you're sat on your arse watching from the bench! Poor Crouchy - even when he doesn't play he gets blamed!!

[Nic83]

It's not easy to create chances when you're sat on your arse watching from the bench! Poor Crouchy - even when he doesn't play he gets blamed!!

Blamed? WTF?

I'm not surprised you've totally misread my post.