Xabi Alonso.......Respect

[Sarb]

xabi has just been on sky sports soccer am. teammates thingy

best dancer pennant

Least he's good at something. Maybe an alternative career path?

[DannyMan2006]

Least he's good at something. Maybe an alternative career path?

[blacky]

The guy is class on the pitch and the ultimate professional off it. Never came out and had a moan even when he was being touted around (for whatever reason....that's not a dig at Rafa before anyone starts).

The few posters on here who wanted him to stay ahead of getting Barry are starting to be vindicated in their views.

Most people cited Xabi's poor form over the last 2 seasons and said that over the same period Barry was a better player. I for one never said Xabi was a poor player but said his form needed to vastly improve which it has. He has upped his game this season possibly due to the fear of being sold!! Xabi is a class act and I am chuffed that he is playing so well. There is no need to bring Barry into the thread.

[Dhav]

I'm not so sure about that. I think a combination of added movement from the rest of the team and an added enthusiasm compared to last season when injury seemed to take it's toll have helped him. I still think that against good teams we will struggle to accommodate him along with Gerrard and Kuyt in the same team to some degree.

I really love Xabi and I'm delighted that he is performing so well.

Just for Dhav: I still think that the swap for Barry would have been the right move. I do concede though that Alonso has exceeded my expectations for him this season.

We're about to have a massive fallin out now. Next time I'm in the Bloomsbury area I think I may just pay a quick visit to the Christopher Ingold Labs

[Dhav]

The few posters on here who wanted him to stay ahead of getting Barry are starting to be vindicated in their views.

Yes, yes we are

dww take note

[Reacher]

I bumped into Xabi a couple of days after the Stoke game in baby Gap at Liverpool One shopping centre. just shook his hand and had a quick chat about the game. Top fella, he was on his own with his little 'un so i didnt want to bother him for a photo or an autograph. very down to earth guy and a great footballer.

in retrospect im glad we didnt sign Barry, because we now have Alonso coming back to his very best

[marcus50bucks]

The guy is class on the pitch and the ultimate professional off it. Never came out and had a moan even when he was being touted around (for whatever reason....that's not a dig at Rafa before anyone starts).

The few posters on here who wanted him to stay ahead of getting Barry are starting to be vindicated in their views.

Yes, yes we are

dww take note

[Parm]

Xabi

exactly, cant sum it up any better, thank god we kept him.

[rage]

Where's Rage and Rashid by the way? I bet they must be waiting to pounce.

some of us recognise class when we see it. we defended alonso inspite of the fickle nature of some on here. i did not doubt that barry was a good player BUT he was never worth another 6 million or so more than alonso.

the board did well there and xabi did even better. complete professional.

[Dhav]

some of us recognise class when we see it. we defended alonso inspite of the fickle nature of some on here. i did not doubt that barry was a good player BUT he was never worth another 6 million or so more than alonso.

the board did well there and xabi did even better. complete professional.

No they didn't. While I completely disagreed with Rafa's decision to sell Xabi and replace him with Barry and wanted Xabi to stay at all costs, I also vehemently disagree with the board interfering in and making decisions on footballing matters. You have a manager to make footballing decisions, taking those decisions out of his hands and trusting those decisions to people who don't have a fraction of his knowledge of football matters is plainly ridiculous.

[Shaggy]

Excellent again today, I thought. All of a sudden, and almost inexplicably, it is Mascherano who can be most worried about his place in the side.

Brilliant, isn't it.

[JohnDoe]

Alonso should be in the team ahead of Mascherano, based on merit.

Should start against Wigan, definitely.

Seems like Alonso-Gerrard is working very well so far. I've always thought it was an underrated partnership, and better than Gerrard-Masch.

[lfc1394]

Excellent again today, I thought. All of a sudden, and almost inexplicably, it is Mascherano who can be most worried about his place in the side.

Brilliant, isn't it.

that's what having a good squad is all about

[anfieldanfield]

Xabi deserves to keep his place against Wigan.

He has been superb this season.

[Reece]

All I can say is