Reds agree Aquilani deal

[DannyMan2006]

And the Hokey Cokey.........

He puts a left footer in,
A right footer in,
A header in,
A volley in,
And sprays the passes about
Alberto Aquilani's gonna score a goal,
And that's what he's all about,
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Alberto Aquilani!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Alberto Aquilani!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Alberto Aquilani!
That's what he's all about!

[BrooklynRed]

(To the tune of AQUALUNG)

Better than a Darren Bent/ Eye for goal, tackles with intent
Hey Aquilani
Crosses to Fernando/ Sits in front of Mascheranoooo
Hey Aquilani
Your side is gonna lose son/ Already one nil and we've just begun
Hey Aquilani

(ok I tried... *ha*)

[JohnDoe]

RAFA: AQUILANI SHOULD EXCITE FANS
Jimmy Rice 05 August 2009

Rafa Benitez believes Alberto Aquilani would be an exciting addition to his title-chasing squad.
Roma have given permission for Liverpool to discuss terms with the 25-year-old, who has yet to take a medical at Melwood.

In an exclusive interview with Liverpoolfc.tv, the boss revealed how Aquilani could fit into his side.

"Roma have allowed us to talk with him, so that's good and positive. He is a player with the quality we are looking for," said Benitez.

"He can play a little bit higher than Javier Mascherano - maybe between him and Steven Gerrard.

"He has good passing - the final ball is good - and he also works. If he can settle down properly in England he can be a very good addition.

"I think the signing should excite the fans. He won the U19 European Championship with his country, and U21 too. He has some trophies - including the Italian Cup.

"I always remember one game - England versus Italy U21s at Wembley, and he was man of the match in a 3-0 win."

The Reds concluded their discussions with Roma over permission to talk to the player once the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid was agreed.

[Scratch]

[B][U]How long Aquilani, whose girlfriend is TV actress Michela Quattrociocche,

[Scratch]

Did this really need a new thread?

Dunno, some posters like to make their point over and over again, whether it's valid or not, so i assume the more threads they have to do so in, the better for them, so they'll appreciate this.

[Red Wino]

Did this really need a new thread?

Al says yes!

[ntto]

have to be honest to feeling a little underwhelmed and worried at his signing.

another harry kewell situation where somebody is injured a significant amunt of time wont help and we all know the prem is much tougher than any other league.

the other factor is the price - either ranging from 15 to 20m seems a lot of money for somebody who is a risk. And considering we wouldnt spend 18 to get barry who is prem proven, international etc etc. Plus if rafa knew since may then why was he not working on signing barry again.

but hes a red, and he'll get my support

[red g]

this guy is about as negative as it comes .........

http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/08/great-rafa-benitez-is-about-to-waste.html

Great – Rafa Benitez is about to waste another £20m of Liverpool FC’s money


Of all the players in all the world, why does Rafa Benitez seem intent on gambling a reputed £20m of the club's money on an injury prone midfielder who has barely managed 27 league starts in the last 3 years?

Liverpool released an official statement today earlier today confirming the club’s interest in Alberto Aquilani, and Rafa Benitez was very complimentary indeed:

“Alberto is a very good player who has a winning mentality and great experience... He has long been recognised as a top class talent in Italy, captaining his country at both under 19 and under 21 levels before establishing himself in the senior national side."

Despite Benitez’s (exaggerated) claims, I really do not get the logic behind this purchase. When Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid was confirmed, Benitez revealed that he would try and find the “best replacement” available and do the “best deal for the club".

Considering Aquilani’s horrendous injury record and intermittent appearance record, how is he the “best replacement” for Alonso?

Aquilani’s recent injury record

* 4 Oct 2007 – 1 Jan 2008: Calf injury
* 24 Oct 2008 – 21 Nov 2008: Thigh injury
* 28 Nov 2008 – 2 Jan 2009: Thigh injury
* 13 Feb 2009 – 10 Mar 2009: Ankle
* 12 Mar 2009 – Present: Ankle (recent surgery)

Add up the months spent on the sidelines! These are just recent injury figures and do not include injuries from earlier in his career.

Appearance stats

* Last 3 years: Started 27 league games out of a possible 114 (23% of games)
* Last 5 years: Started 61 league games out of a possible 190 (32% of games)

With the above figures in mind, how can Aquilani be considered “the best deal for the club”?! It’s utterly ludicrous that Benitez is even considering replacing someone as important as Alonso with a player with this kind of injury/appearance record.

To make matters worse, Aquilani is injured *at this very moment*, which means the chances of him being properly fit for the first stage of the season are practically nil, which will decrease the overall strength of the squad.

And let’s get real here – Aquilani’s ongoing injury curse is not just going to magically disappear just because he moves from Italy to England, is it?! Indeed, the Premiership is far more physical than Serie A, so the probability of him getting injured again at some point has to be very high.

With the lack of a proper pre-season and recovering from his latest injury, it’s going to be at least a season before Aquilani adapts to the Premiership and starts to play at a decent level, all of which begs the question, what's the point in signing him in the first place?

We’ve been here before of course; Benitez displayed his acute injury blindness last year with the signing of Philip Degen, who has since pocketed hundreds of thousands of pounds sitting on the sidelines.

Degen only played 10 games for Borussia Dortmund in the 2007-08 season, but Benitez ignored this, just like he is seemingly ignoring Aquilani’s infinitely worse record. Degen was (thankfully) a free transfer but Aquilani will cost a significant amount of money.

I do not doubt that Aquilani is a decent player, but Liverpool need someone to come in and do the job NOW, not in three months. The club should be looking for a reliable player who can *consistently* contribute, not someone who, in all probability, will spend more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

It really is beyond belief that of all the players Liverpool could sign, Aquilani is the best Benitez can come up with. Even if he passes the medical, the probability that he will get injured again is extremely high.

Roma is the only club getting the 'best deal' here; I imagine its Board members are rubbing their hands together right about now, gleefully toasting their good fortune.

Let's just hope that Liverpool don't suffer the consequences of what could turn out to be a very expensive mistake.

[gparr]

I think the duration of the injurys, rather than the actual injurys is the issue.
We wouldnt say Torres is injury prone after the season he had. He from the above list, he has had many major injurys, just seems to take a while to regain match fitness. Just makes you wonder how much of this is down to the training/fitness at Roma for injured players.

[Scratch]

Aquilani’s recent injury record

* 4 Oct 2007 – 1 Jan 2008: Calf injury
* 24 Oct 2008 – 21 Nov 2008: Thigh injury
* 28 Nov 2008 – 2 Jan 2009: Thigh injury
* 13 Feb 2009 – 10 Mar 2009: Ankle
* 12 Mar 2009 – Present: Ankle (recent surgery)

Looks like they brough him back early on two occasions then...maybe that's what is inferred when people claim Roma have mismanaged his injury?

And the thigh and ankle injury could be linked, as he may have slightly altered his running style to compensate for the fact that his thigh injury was not 100%...i do the same cos of an ankle injury, and it affects my knee.

[Guest]

And besides, Degen seems to have recovered well from his freak season last year. He's had a good pre season without any injuries. We'd rather leave matters beyond our control down to the hands of professionals. I myself am not really sold on the idea of buying Aquilani. Whilst he seems to be a very good player, I'm not sure Italians (with all their eagerness to dramatize over tackles) are fit to play in the premier league. Only time will tell.

[Mono]

I bet Roma owe a lot of money from the Riise fee

[MrsB]

Al says yes!

MrsB says no!

[Scratch]

And besides, Degen seems to have recovered well from his freak season last year. He's had a good pre season without any injuries. We'd rather leave matters beyond our control down to the hands of professionals. I myself am not really sold on the idea of buying Aquilani. Whilst he seems to be a very good player, I'm not sure Italians (with all their eagerness to dramatize over tackles) are fit to play in the premier league. Only time will tell.

How many Italians have moved to the Premier League and failed? I can think of Vialli, Zola, Ravenelli, Di Canio...none of them failed...there must be other Italians who have made the move tho?

[cadmium]

How many Italians have moved to the Premier League and failed? I can think of Vialli, Zola, Ravenelli, Di Canio...none of them failed...there must be other Italians who have made the move tho?

What about Dossena?