Aquilani

[Scratch]

Fit:- Fit enough to make the bench and play some part if called upon in the right circumstances

Fully fit:- match fit, ready to start a match, complete the 90 minutes and still be ready to run some more when the final whistle blows.

It ain't ****ing rocket science is it?

[Pablo]

Well that's a ****ing stereotype that is grossly unfair and pisses me off each time I read it. **** off mate.

My point was well made since the beginning but you chose to adopt the point of view that I am part of your silly RCNW argument brigade.

I didn't understand why a minority of you would pinpoint the fact that Aquilani wasn't getting match time to improve his fitness when the team ethic should predominate above all else. How is this blinkered?

**** off. **** right off.

nice rant mate

[Chrono]

Thing is if Aquilani was a horse they would have put him down a long time ago. His fitness and recovery I think are quite unique in that he has been more crocked that Kewell in the past and was hardly ever fit enough to play in Italy.

I think that two things are happening here. Firstly Rafa is rightly being super cautious as a mistake in his rehabilitation can result in us not having him for maybe 6 months+ and secondly I think he is being bulked up and strengthened at the same time so that he is premiership ready.

Our squad is piss weak so when he is on the bench I think it's more a case of in the offchance that we batter someone he can come on, get a bit of confidence and step up his fitness. Fixtures and results haven't worked to this effect.

I can't see anything wrong in what Rafa is doing but had he got better results this year the entire process would have been a hell of a lot easier.

[the rev leeroy brown]

Fit:- Fit enough to make the bench and play some part if called upon in the right circumstances

Fully fit:- match fit, ready to start a match, complete the 90 minutes and still be ready to run some more when the final whistle blows.

It ain't ****ing rocket science is it?

you missed out one...... Super fit :- Dirk Kyut - to run like **** all over the pitch for 90 mins then pass up the bus journey home as you feel like runing it instead.

[dizzycat]

I think he'll play against Fiorentina. It's the ideal game to give him a start and some minutes on the pitch.

[Scratch]

you missed out one...... Super fit :- Dirk Kyut - to run like **** all over the pitch for 90 mins then pass up the bus journey home as you feel like runing it instead.

(and the same applied to JAR too)

[wiw]

The Debrecen game was odd only in the fact he did get on the pitch even if only for a very short period of time. I'm not sure there is much reason for ever doing that but managers seem to do it all the time.

Is it not to do with the adrenalin etc you experience coming on as a sub? You're more likely to get injured I think. Something like that anyway

Knowing our luck, having mollycoddled him for weeks and weeks, he will start a game and get snapped within the first 5 minutes and be out again. I can just see it happening

[The Erectile Banana]

Maybe we'll see Aquilani against Fiorentina as mascot.

For all those saying that games are too tight, too risky to throw Aquilani on in - we're not playing well. We won our last two games but didn't play anywhere near our full capacity. Before that we have won 3 out of 12. By your logic if we continue to play like this Aquilani will never get a game as there is too much risk involved.

There is always going to be a risk in any player coming back from long term injury but there comes a stage where you need to start giving them game time. Having a supposedly world class midfielder sitting on the bench week in week out is of no benefit to the player or the club. There is no such thing as 'a right time' to bring a player back. Circumstances are never ideal, you can't be winning every match 3-0 after an hour and we certainly aren't at the moment. If he's fit enough to play 20/30 mins then he should be able to come on in any circumstances. Yes, it's going to take him time to adopt and yes, he might not be very good in his first few games but the sooner we get him on the pitch the sooner we will see results. There is nothing to be gained by continually delaying his entrance.

[Jas]

Is it not to do with the adrenalin etc you experience coming on as a sub? You're more likely to get injured I think. Something like that anyway

Knowing our luck, having mollycoddled him for weeks and weeks, he will start a game and get snapped within the first 5 minutes and be out again. I can just see it happening

From Rafa himself...............
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...52-25292400/2/

Liverpool FC boss Rafa Benitez assures Alberto Aquilani over lack of action
Dec 1 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
RAFA BENITEZ today moved to defuse the mystery surrounding Alberto Aquilani’s prolonged absence from Liverpool’s starting line-up – saying he won’t risk players who are not fully fit.

The Italian midfielder has been limited to just 21 minutes of action since joining the Reds in a £17m deal from Roma in August due to a major ankle problem.

Aquilani, though, has been a constant figure on the bench in the past month yet, much to the curiosity of supporters, Benitez has not given him any significant time on the pitch.

It has left many wondering if Aquilani will get his first start this side of Christmas but Benitez insists there is nothing sinister behind his lack of involvement.

Quite simply, the manager has explained that, so tight have some recent games been, it would have been a gamble to pitch an unfit player into battle with the stakes so high.

“It’s more simple than people think,” said Benitez. “He has been out for longer than we expected and, because he has been injured during the summer, he couldn’t train properly.

“Now it is much better and it is a case of improving his match fitness. We want to play him and we thought we might have been able to do that with the reserves at Wigan.

“That was called off (last week) but we had some games at Melwood and he played 45 minutes against our reserves last week. We are trying to improve him as quick as we can.

“But when you have a player who is not fit, he is always going to need time to settle in to a game; if the game is tight and he makes mistakes, then you have a problem.

“We want to protect the player but, at the same time, we want to keep winning games; he understands that he needs to be a little bit fitter before he can play.”

While sightings of him in a Red shirt have been few and far between, Aquilani is clearly a player of ability and, when he is introduced, he will give Liverpool an extra dimension.

Benitez, like supporters, is anxious for that time to arrive as quickly as possible but until he is certain that the 25-year-old can cope with the intensity of the Premier League, he will continue to do a fine balancing act.

“It has not been easy (to not play him) but we are giving him more encouragement in training sessions and he is getting much, much better,” said Benitez.

“We know he is a top class player and we want to do the best for him and the team; but the best for the player and the team sometimes means he cannot play.

“Think about this example. We were winning 1-0 (against Debrecen) the other day and me and Sammy (Lee) were talking about playing him.

“But if we played him for the last 20 minutes, when they were attacking a little bit more and he is not settled, maybe it will be the situation will become worse. It is not easy finding the balance but he is getting better all the time.”

[MrMichael]

Christ almighty it's this sort of pedantic small minded tripe that ruins football discussions the world over.

It is completely reasonable to define fit as quite capable to play football and fully fit to mean that not only is he capable of playing football but also ready to play in an exceptionally physical game, contribute well and not risk injury. The phrase 'match fit' is used regularly by almost all people who discuss football - is it completely redundant as it is a phase including the word fit? I'd suggest not.

I really object to this petty minded examination of every utterance as if managers and players don't already feel the need to talk in clichés and platitudes enough as it is. It genuinely is a wonder anyone is willing to talk to the press given how people seem to want to pick over every minute detail to find fault.

I think the argument in this thread is a bit silly really.

Yes - it is a bit strange that Aquilani has not been given more run outs in the last month. Having come on for 20 minutes some 5 games ago and been on the bench ever since it would seem to most people like there have been opportunities to introduce him and help improve his understanding with the other players if nothing else.

However, it also probably makes sense that he hasn't featured massively in the last couple of games, especially the derby. Rafa is taking the long term view with the lad (he's more or less had to with the injury), and although our current form has most fans reaching around for something positive to grab on to in hope we'll improve, its unlikely we'll actually see the best of Aquilani until next season imo.

[The Erectile Banana]

I think the argument in this thread is a bit silly really.

Yes - it is a bit strange that Aquilani has not been given more run outs in the last month. Having come on for 20 minutes some 5 games ago and been on the bench ever since it would seem to most people like there have been opportunities to introduce him and help improve his understanding with the other players if nothing else.

However, it also probably makes sense that he hasn't featured massively in the last couple of games, especially the derby. Rafa is taking the long term view with the lad (he's more or less had to with the injury), and although our current form has most fans reaching around for something positive to grab on to in hope we'll improve, its unlikely we'll actually see the best of Aquilani until next season imo.

I think a lot of posters, perhaps myself included are distilling their frustrations about our recent inadequacies into the Aquilani issue.

I can see sense in easing him back into the team. What frustrates me in that in his first game back he played 15 minutes against Arse in the Carling Cup, yet in the five games he has been on the bench for since he has only come on twice for a combined total of less than five minutes. There's not rushing a player back and then there's this, the most glacial comeback of all time. Personally I think our management is being over cautious with Aquilani. He was able to play 15 mins at the end of October but barely got on the pitch throughout Novemeber. This is extra frustrating considering the complete lack of creativity the Mucas (Mascherano/Lucas) midfield axis gives us. If we'd been enjoying better results this wouldn't be as much of an issue but given the way our season has gone questions are being asked and rightly so.

[Tee]

I think a lot of posters, perhaps myself included are distilling their frustrations about our recent inadequacies into the Aquilani issue.

I can see sense in easing him back into the team. What frustrates me in that in his first game back he played 15 minutes against Arse in the Carling Cup, yet in the five games he has been on the bench for since he has only come on twice for a combined total of less than five minutes. There's not rushing a player back and then there's this, the most glacial comeback of all time. Personally I think our management is being over cautious with Aquilani. He was able to play 15 mins at the end of October but barely got on the pitch throughout Novemeber. This is extra frustrating considering the complete lack of creativity the Mucas (Mascherano/Lucas) midfield axis gives us. If we'd been enjoying better results this wouldn't be as much of an issue but given the way our season has gone questions are being asked and rightly so.

[MrMichael]

Indeed, I think there's very rational grounds for raising an eyebrow or two at it.... if he doesn't start getting pitch time soon it will start to seem very strange. Its really unfortunate the team have been performing as they have, the level of expectation simply in replacing Alonso was going to be high enough already without the extra limelight brought on by events on the pitch.

[dww]

I think a lot of posters, perhaps myself included are distilling their frustrations about our recent inadequacies into the Aquilani issue.

I can see sense in easing him back into the team. What frustrates me in that in his first game back he played 15 minutes against Arse in the Carling Cup, yet in the five games he has been on the bench for since he has only come on twice for a combined total of less than five minutes. There's not rushing a player back and then there's this, the most glacial comeback of all time. Personally I think our management is being over cautious with Aquilani. He was able to play 15 mins at the end of October but barely got on the pitch throughout Novemeber. This is extra frustrating considering the complete lack of creativity the Mucas (Mascherano/Lucas) midfield axis gives us. If we'd been enjoying better results this wouldn't be as much of an issue but given the way our season has gone questions are being asked and rightly so.

The thing is for all we know he may have suffered a reaction to the run out against Arsenal which has led to a decision to be more cautious with him. I don't object to anyone asking questions or doubting Rafa it is more the fact that people want to act as judge, jury and executioner and search around trying to deconstruct any utterance from Rafa to back up their pre-existing position that I find hard to take.

[saj]

The thing is for all we know he may have suffered a reaction to the run out against Arsenal which has led to a decision to be more cautious with him. I don't object to anyone asking questions or doubting Rafa it is more the fact that people want to act as judge, jury and executioner and search around trying to deconstruct any utterance from Rafa to back up their pre-existing position that I find hard to take.

If that was the case, he wouldn't have come off the bench against Birmingham and he wouldn't have been on the bench in every game since. Also remember that he played 20 mins in a reserve game just before he played against injury.