Rafa explains why he is open to the idea of selling Alonso

[el matador]

BTW It's Barry that is being brought in to replace Xabi. Barry isn't slow and lightweight.

You can only live on past performances for so long, especially European ones, when it's obvious that performance in the EPL are what matter most now.


Mate, Lucas already outperformed Xabi last year in the EPL, so get off telling me I'm ludicrous and insulting Xabi. Try looking at it from another perspective.

I wont deny that im a huge fan of his and he is a massive player for us. I think he is lacking a bit of confidence and that the 'henry' effect at arsenal is becoming the gerrard effect at liverpool, in that anytime stevie's near any player who has the ball they always give it to him. Gerrard is a huge player and maybe his aura has affected xabi.

Xabi always plays for the team and doesnt think about his personal glory and i think that's his problem because other players might be more selfish. He needs to step out of gerrards shadow and become his own player.

He can do it but i dont think rafa will let him. Barry is a different type of player and im not sure if he will be as successful at liverpool as he is at villa because at villa he was their gerrard and used to make most of the play.

He wont have as much of the ball at liverpool as he does at villa and that's something he will have to deal with and still show enough to suggest why we were happy to pay all that money for him.

[El Jefecito]

I wont deny that im a huge fan of his and he is a massive player for us. I think he is lacking a bit of confidence and that the 'henry' effect at arsenal is becoming the gerrard effect at liverpool, in that anytime stevie's near any player who has the ball they always give it to him. Gerrard is a huge player and maybe his aura has affected xabi.

Xabi always plays for the team and doesnt think about his personal glory and i think that's his problem because other players might be more selfish. He needs to step out of gerrards shadow and become his own player.

He can do it but i dont think rafa will let him. Barry is a different type of player and im not sure if he will be as successful at liverpool as he is at villa because at villa he was their gerrard and used to make most of the play.

He wont have as much of the ball at liverpool as he does at villa and that's something he will have to deal with and still show enough to suggest why we were happy to pay all that money for him.

I'm a massive fan of Xabi too. I just don't think he will be able to perform when put under pressure. His performances of the last 18 months back that up and the fact that Lucas kept him out of the team towards the end of the season says something.

Rafa is making a bet. What's more likely to happen a) Barry to perform in the EPL for us as he has consistently done for the last year or so, or, b) Xabi will return to the level of his first year?

You are betting on b), me a).

[JPK]

Some people just can't get over the fact that Rafa has decided to ship off Xabi.

As if he was bigger than the club.

Xabi is still here and was a major part of the reason we won the other day:bird: Nice to hear the fans singing Alonso's name at the game too.
Are they singing Rafa's much lately?

[badpiggy]

what possible non-footballing reasons are there for rafa wanting to ship out xabi?

[Sarb]

Xabi is still here and was a major part of the reason we won the other day:bird: Nice to hear the fans singing Alonso's name at the game too.
Are they singing Rafa's much lately?

Wouldn't bother trying to make a point to Fredo. The guys attacking people full frontal apparently

[dww]

what possible non-footballing reasons are there for rafa wanting to ship out xabi?

According to the rumour mill Rafa lost faith in him because he had something to do with the job offer to Pako that led to his leaving and didn't tell Rafa. This led to a loss of trust between the two.

Also there has been talk of him angling for a move to Barca/Madrid.

Then there was talk of Rafa being angry he wanted to miss that match to be at the birth of his child.

So really if you believe what you read you get to take your pick of exciting stories.

[Tatterdemalion]

I'm a bit worried that Rafa thinks we need 8 British players when that law hasn't yet come into force, and in all likelihood if and when it does it will be challenged in the courts as a restraint of trade.

And I don't like the way we are buying expensive English players when there are better foreign alternatives, so that we can field them in the champions league when the boss keeps telling us that the premier league is the number one priority.

it doesn't make sense.

[El Jefecito]

I'm a bit worried that Rafa thinks we need 8 British players when that law hasn't yet come into force, and in all likelihood if and when it does it will be challenged in the courts as a restraint of trade.

And I don't like the way we are buying expensive English players when there are better foreign alternatives, so that we can field them in the champions league when the boss keeps telling us that the premier league is the number one priority.

it doesn't make sense.

I thought we did need 8 for the CL starting this year.

[Tatterdemalion]

I thought we did need 8 for the CL starting this year.

perhaps I'm consufed...


wouldn't be the first time.

[tomasjj]

Some people just can't get over the fact that EST has decided to ship off Fredo.

As if he was bigger than the site.

people should just let him go.
he has done his fair share

[El Jefecito]

perhaps I'm consufed...


wouldn't be the first time.

Conditions for Registration: List A

17.08 No club may have more than 25 players on List A during the season.

As a
minimum, places 18 to 25 on List A (eight places) are reserved exclusively
for “locally trained players” and no club may have more than four
“association-trained players” listed in places 18 to 25 on List A. List A must
specify the eight players who qualify as being “locally trained”, as well as
whether they are “club-trained” or “association-trained”. The possible
combinations that enable clubs to comply with the List A requirements are
set out in Annex VIII.

17.09 A “locally trained player” is either a “club-trained player” or an “associationtrained
player”.

17.10 A “club-trained player” is a player who, between the age of 15 (or the start of
the season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during
which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been
registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire
seasons (i.e. a period starting with the first official match of the relevant
national championship and ending with the last official match of that relevant
national championship) or of 36 months.

17.11 An “association-trained player” is a player who, between the age of 15 (or the
start of the season during which the player turns 15) and 21 (or the end of
the season during which the player turns 21), and irrespective of his
nationality and age, has been registered with a club or with other clubs
affiliated to the same national association as that of his current club for a
period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or of 36 months.

From the CL regulations

http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/regulations/uefa/others/70/22/60/702260_download.pdf

[Bari]

Xabi is still here and was a major part of the reason we won the other day:bird: Nice to hear the fans singing Alonso's name at the game too.
Are they singing Rafa's much lately?

Getting rid of Xabi & bying barry seems to be a weird internet forum thing

[Nicey]

he's playing as a defensive midfielder for brazil at the olympics and has done ok for them.

He looks lightweight and too slow for the premierhsip. Why buy another defensive midfield player when we already have an abundance of talent in that area.

Why not use that 5 or £6m towards a wide player instead ?

What's the point in telling xabi he has to go because we have too many midfield players at the club when rafa went out and bought them.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IiYnMJRhcfQ

[Guest]

people should just let him go.
he has done his fair share

That would be a great idea.

[Rashid]

Rumour or fact I don't know but this comes from a player at the club: Rafa was pissed off cos Xabi refused to travel to Milan on the week his wife was to give birth despite reassurances from Rafa that he could travel back if she went into Labour. (This is a digrace on Rafa's part). Secondly, Xabi put out an article on the official site praising Pako and said all the players will miss him. Rafa hated this and reprimanded him.

Latest Rumour also from a player: Some players pissed off at the treatment of Xabi.