Will Aquilani make a difference?

[seat183]

Hopefully he can be a bit of spark for us and be that bit of fresh imagination thats so needed .

[red g]

EXCLUSIVE Aquilani: I am nothing like Xabi

New Liverpool signing Alberto Aquilani insists he is not a ready-made replacement for Xabi Alonso at Anfield, revealing the pair could have formed a lethal central midfield partnership had the Spaniard not departed for Real Madrid.

The Italian international arrived for €20 million from Roma earlier this summer in the aftermath of Alonso's sale to the big-spending Bernabeu giants.

And while the 25-year-old continues to sit on the sidelines for his new side nursing an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out of action for a month, his new team-mates have made a stuttering start to the new campaign.


Fans and former players of the club have already begun attributing the Reds' early-season form to the absence of Alonso's defensive qualities in the heart of the pitch.

But anyone expecting Aquilani to come in and fill the void left by the Spaniard should think again, according to the player himself.

"Alonso is for sure one of the best midfielders in the world, and so I am more than honoured to be compared to him," he says in the October issue of FourFourTwo, out now.

"We are not the same kind of player: I think I’m more attacking than him but he has a terrific long pass and a unique vision for the game. I guess we could even have played in the same team."

Aquilani made more than 100 league appearances for the Giallorossi after breaking onto the first-team scene in the Eternal City in 2002, netting nine goals.

And the Italian international, who has represented his country at every level from U16 upwards and made 11 outings for the Azzurri, says goal-scoring is one area of his game he is determined to improve during his time on Merseyside.

"I’m a midfielder who can attack but also plays deep. My favourite position is behind the strikers because I like building the game, making the final pass," he says.


"I don’t score many goals and this is what I want to improve. I consider myself a team player and I always give everything on the pitch."

Read the full interview with Aquilani in the new issue of FourFourTwo magazine, out now, which also includes a 14-page special on Barcelona and Real Madrid with interviews from Perez, Kaka, Iniesta, Laporta, Raul, Puyol, Hierro, Stoichkov and Laudrup.

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/36255/default.aspx

really, really looking forward to seeing this lad play.

[PTP]

I feel sorry for this lad, he has a lot of pressure on him not only is he a expensive new signing moving to a new country and tough league, at a top club, coming back from a lengthy injury and operation, having missed pre-season(every player always says they struggle if they miss pre-season) and looking to fill the boots of Champions League and European Championship Winner...................................He is also it appears are one beacon of hope to ignite this season - the club on a whole looks flat, the fans are flat, the players are deflated, the performances below par, the manager frustrated, and the tea lady's milk is sour!!! - We are all hoping that Aquilani comes in, settles quickly and is good enough to give everyone a boost, the worry is, as per the first part of my post a lot is against him.

I hope to god he comes straight into the team, all guns blazing, settles in and gets the team ticking and everything is rosy - The worry is it will more than likely take him at least 10 games to get fit, settled, confident - by which time knowing our fans (or i should say 90% of the fans on all lfc forums) he would have been wrote of as not good enough, the doom merchants will be in full flow as the league is gone, rafa will take the blame and we will see new threads everyday "aquilani......not fit to lace xabi's drinks" etc etc etc

I hope he succeeds - not just because i want to see good players do well here, but because i really believe this is as much riding on aquilani's first few performances than probably any other new signing i can remember - most new signings come into a new team, fit, settled, had a bit of a pre season, given a few games grace by the fans/media to settle in before being talked about as flop/great etc - this poor lad is being expected to perform from the first minute!

[barnes10]

We'll put some results together, be in the top 4 and confidence will be back after beating one or two of the top sides over the coming weeks.

then alberto will join in after having time to study the tactical side of both our setup, the way the teams play in the prem and also to acclimatise to the country/weather/club etc etc.

i think it'll work out just fine

[Redspin]

It won't take a lot for Aquilani to offer us more than Alonso did. He was a fine player, but everyone seems to forget that he was a defensive midfield player and rarely made a difference in the attacking third.

Despite what pundits and journalists would have everyone believe in re-inventing Alonso as a Kaka-type figure, it's interesting to see that last season Alonso scored just 3 goals and contributed, depending on the source of stats you use, just 3 or a maximum of 4, assists. So basically 70 of our league goals (or more than the entire Man Utd team managed last season) were scored without Alonso's direct contribution.

So if Aquilani gets more than 4 assists and scores more than 3 goals - not too exacting a target - he will have provided more in those tight home games (Alonso played in at least 2 of the 0-0 home draws from my recollection) than Alonso did and so could make the difference

[Roboklopp]

It won't take a lot for Aquilani to offer us more than Alonso did. He was a fine player, but everyone seems to forget that he was a defensive midfield player and rarely made a difference in the attacking third.

Despite what pundits and journalists would have everyone believe in re-inventing Alonso as a Kaka-type figure, it's interesting to see that last season Alonso scored just 3 goals and contributed, depending on the source of stats you use, just 3 or a maximum of 4, assists. So basically 70 of our league goals (or more than the entire Man Utd team managed last season) were scored without Alonso's direct contribution.

So if Aquilani gets more than 4 assists and scores more than 3 goals - not too exacting a target - he will have provided more in those tight home games (Alonso played in at least 2 of the 0-0 home draws from my recollection) than Alonso did and so could make the difference

Very simplistic that TBH. Alonso allowed us to convert attack into defence & dominate games, hence creating chances- something our team really struggles with at the mo.

[red g]

It won't take a lot for Aquilani to offer us more than Alonso did. He was a fine player, but everyone seems to forget that he was a defensive midfield player and rarely made a difference in the attacking third.

Despite what pundits and journalists would have everyone believe in re-inventing Alonso as a Kaka-type figure, it's interesting to see that last season Alonso scored just 3 goals and contributed, depending on the source of stats you use, just 3 or a maximum of 4, assists. So basically 70 of our league goals (or more than the entire Man Utd team managed last season) were scored without Alonso's direct contribution.

So if Aquilani gets more than 4 assists and scores more than 3 goals - not too exacting a target - he will have provided more in those tight home games (Alonso played in at least 2 of the 0-0 home draws from my recollection) than Alonso did and so could make the difference

poppycock

if a player in its simplest terms is brought down to assists and goals? what about the attacks he started the through balls he passed to gerrard who then went to torres. The balls he picked out for Kuyt who then crossed and got his assist.

I do think Aquiliani will be more effevtive than Alonso and i do think Rafa wanted alonso out for this reason.

But lets not forget Alonso when he was playing well was a beautiful site

[Roboklopp]

poppycock

[Icon]

Would like to hear commentators trying to keep up with fast passing...

Aquilani - Mascherano - Aurelio -Aquilani - Aurelio -Aquilani - Mascherano - Kyrgiakos!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!

We are Liverpool right?

[Redspin]

poppycock

if a player in its simplest terms is brought down to assists and goals? what about the attacks he started the through balls he passed to gerrard who then went to torres. The balls he picked out for Kuyt who then crossed and got his assist.

I do think Aquiliani will be more effevtive than Alonso and i do think Rafa wanted alonso out for this reason.

But lets not forget Alonso when he was playing well was a beautiful site

That's as much bollocks as saying we'll miss Aurelio because how many times did he pass to Alonso, who passed to Kuyt, who passed to Gerrard, who passed to Torres who scored.

Apart from breaking up attacks and giving the ball to someone else, it is a fact - not my opinion - that he did not do much himself in the attacking third of the pitch. He was a good player, but he played in a number of those home draws when his presence made not a jot of difference and did not give us the ability to break open stubborn defences. He also missed games like Man U away when we won comfortably without him.

No-one's arguing that he wasn't a good player; just that he seems to have been re-invented in popular mythology as someone whose absence will make us less likely to pose an attacking threat. The facts are that he played in many of those games we were criticised for not winning and missed key games we did win comfortably. He scored just 3 and made just 3 or 4 assists, only a third as many as the likes of Kuyt, who also weighed in with 12 goals.

One of the Sunday papers even said that Defoe was now a better bet for the Golden Boot because Torres no longer has the benefit of Alonso's passes to him. In fact, given that he only made 3 or 4 assists in total, his passes to Torres leading directly to goals were quite possibly non-existent. I certainly can't remember one - Sunderland away is a possibility, but that would be stretching things a bit. He passed to Torres about 30 yards from goals, who had still to take the ball on nearly another 10 yards before scoring from outside the box. It's not like he ran on to a through ball and slotted it home from well inside the box

The point is that the journalist in question used the bogus point of Alonso's passes to Torres - not to someone else who provided an assist - as being the reason why Torres would not end up this season as top scorer, since Torres would not get this assistance any longer. The reality was that Alonso was a defensive player who played alongside Mascherano and both had the job of breaking up attacks and laying the ball off to more attack-minded players. Current mythology is that he created lots of goals, when in fact he did not. Aquilani, as an actual rather than theoretical attacking midfielder, has a good chance of being "the answer" in helping us break down defences, more than the normally deep-lying Alonso. It remains to be seen when he's fit if that is the case

[Redspin]

Very simplistic that TBH. Alonso allowed us to convert attack into defence & dominate games, hence creating chances- something our team really struggles with at the mo.

Good theory, but the fact is that he played in numerous games where he singularly failed to do exactly what you say he provided. The dreadful 0-0 draw at Aston Villa and the home 0-0 draw against Stoke are two that spring to mind, without even thinking too hard about it - there were numerous others too. His presence against Middlesbrough away in possibly our worst performance of the season (leaving aside his unfortunate own goal) also did little to support your theory. This is typical of the mythology that has sprung up since he left.

[dizzycat]

Would like to hear commentators trying to keep up with fast passing...

Aquilani - Mascherano - Aurelio -Aquilani - Aurelio -Aquilani - Mascherano - Kyrgiakos!

GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!

We are Liverpool right?

You missed the last line..... THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAA

This is an important point (fast passing). I think that if Aquilani can keep the ball moving quickly and successfully switch play across the forward line he will be a success. Even more so if he can drive forward carrying the ball. He's got the big responsibility of oiling the machine and I hope he's up to it.

[PTP]

That's as much bollocks as saying we'll miss Aurelio because how many times did he pass to Alonso, who passed to Kuyt, who passed to Gerrard, who passed to Torres who scored.

Apart from breaking up attacks and giving the ball to someone else, it is a fact - not my opinion - that he did not do much himself in the attacking third of the pitch. He was a good player, but he played in a number of those home draws when his presence made not a jot of difference and did not give us the ability to break open stubborn defences. He also missed games like Man U away when we won comfortably without him.

No-one's arguing that he wasn't a good player; just that he seems to have been re-invented in popular mythology as someone whose absence will make us less likely to pose an attacking threat. The facts are that he played in many of those games we were criticised for not winning and missed key games we did win comfortably. He scored just 3 and made just 3 or 4 assists, only a third as many as the likes of Kuyt, who also weighed in with 12 goals.
One of the Sunday papers even said that Defoe was now a better bet for the Golden Boot because Torres no longer has the benefit of Alonso's passes to him. In fact, given that he only made 3 or 4 assists in total, his passes to Torres leading directly to goals were quite possibly non-existent. I certainly can't remember one - Sunderland away is a possibility, but that would be stretching things a bit. He passed to Torres about 30 yards from goals, who had still to take the ball on nearly another 10 yards before scoring from outside the box. It's not like he ran on to a through ball and slotted it home from well inside the box

The point is that the journalist in question used the bogus point of Alonso's passes to Torres - not to someone else who provided an assist - as being the reason why Torres would not end up this season as top scorer, since Torres would not get this assistance any longer. The reality was that Alonso was a defensive player who played alongside Mascherano and both had the job of breaking up attacks and laying the ball off to more attack-minded players. Current mythology is that he created lots of goals, when in fact he did not. Aquilani, as an actual rather than theoretical attacking midfielder, has a good chance of being "the answer" in helping us break down defences, more than the normally deep-lying Alonso. It remains to be seen when he's fit if that is the case

i've highlighted the bit bold - it's similar to something i pointed out many times last season(and previous) whilst at the games during many of dreary draws but has rarely been pointed out

No critiscim of alonso here (class player no doubt) - but what really pissed me off about our tactics/play during these games was alonso's positioning. Now you could argue that there could be a number of different reasons for it(which i will point out), but for me he was always far toooooo deeeeepppppp when playing at home against 10 men behind the ball.

At many times at home, Alonso was as deep as our centre halves!!!! when we had pushed forward and pressed them, and the opposition were choosing to sit deeper and make it tight, Xabi regulary dropped back to practically in the back 4, menaing me sometimes had five men back -

Now it was either because he was told too to stay back by rafa in case of a break (which i would doubt considering we would use mascher for that role) or it may have been because, well without agger we can be poor at playing football from the back and xabi would drop deep to collect it -

whatver the reasons it ****ing annoyed me - i didn't mind him doing it, but when it happeneded we needed to be thinking about changing something else to help the movement up front - it got to the stage where i really thought that rafa should have said **** it, 0-0 10 mins to go, these are hanging on, right xabi if you want to sit deep to get the ball fair enough, but i am taking carra/skrtel off and bringing on another attacker - we play 3 at the back(who by this stage are just hanging round by the half way line anyway) and xabi can act as the other centre back though a bit more forward than the rest.

Anyway - who knows what the reasons where, maybe thats what rafa 'disliked' in xabi, maybe xabi feels more comfortably being deeper, or maybe gerrard was on the pitch telling him to go back and get the ball cause we keep hoofing it to no-one? The reasons for it don't really bother me - what did bother me was we struggled to break teams down as we had limited options in the attacking third - when at home playing against ten men sitting deep a defence consisitng of say carra/skrtel/mascher in front should be good enough to cope with the odd break from a hoofed clearence that might come our way. We have already seen the benefits from adding an attacking right back ti the side with Johnson, I remember last season saying when you watch utd or chelsea you regularly see the likes of Cole or Evra get in the box but you never see our fullbacks - that has changed anyway kinda lost my point now and rambled on a bit - it's what happens when you are typing in work whilst on the phone to a client and lose your way, maybe it makes a sense and is interesting, maybe its a load of bollocks but thanks for reading

[Roboklopp]

Good theory, but the fact is that he played in numerous games where he singularly failed to do exactly what you say he provided. The dreadful 0-0 draw at Aston Villa and the home 0-0 draw against Stoke are two that spring to mind, without even thinking too hard about it - there were numerous others too. His presence against Middlesbrough away in possibly our worst performance of the season (leaving aside his unfortunate own goal) also did little to support your theory. This is typical of the mythology that has sprung up since he left.

Pretty easy to point to games where people failed to do what they are best at to be honest. Plenty of games over the past few years where Stevie & Nando didnt score. Doesnt mean they arent exceptional goal scorers though.

Hardly revisionist theories either- I ahve always maintained his importance for us. Dont tar me with the over-the-top red top inanities.

Whether you think Aqualani will prove a better player or not, you devalue Alonso's contribution whilst he was here.

[Craig_H]

Redspin would question the effectiveness of Torres and Gerrard too, if we sold them.