Xabi Alonso reveals reason for leaving

[dww]

Having a player like Xabi sitting in front of the back 4 also masked the fact that apart from Agger we didn't have a CB who could bring the ball out with any kind of style or panache. This deficiancy is now obvious when Agger is not playing and its painful to see how much possension we squander purely down to the ball being hoofed out of defence.

I think this is part of the problem but it is compounded by two factors in the current set up.

The whole midfield plays too deep. Therefore short balls out of defense are easily read and intercepted by the opposition and also we lack the option of longer balls to players high up on the flanks. The latter type of ball are easier to execute for defenders and both Hyypia and to a lesser extent Carragher are actually good at playing them. The second factor is connected and is the lack of width which means that long balls are generally concentrated centrally - consequently having to be higher and being met by more players reducing the odds of a useful long ball. Nonetheless because the midfield is too deep long balls still look like a good option to defenders as deep midfielders get tackled close to the defense and as I said when there is little space passes here are easily intercepted. All of this means that despite having less good odds than when we play well long balls still seem to defenders to offer benefits in terms of safety.

It is to my mind another example of how you have to look holistically at the game.

Agger is a real boon as much for his ability to run with the ball and provoke movement in front of him as for his passing ability.

I think the only team that really picked up on how reliant we were on Alonso was Chelsea under Gus Hiddink - the game last season where they gave us a sound beating, they basically had Lampard sitting on Xabi and harrassing him all game - not giving him an inch of space. Had we kept Alonso, how long before other times found us out and employed similar tactics?

Aye that is a fair point and one that I think leads more or less to my feelings that at some point we did need to either replace or augment Xabi as a creative central influence. Sadly we had to do that former and the transition has been handled badly (although this latter point is at least in part a function of injuries).

[FatTony]

Let's not go in this discussion again. It's been done to death.

Is that because we finally have it confirmed from Alonso?

[BillobShaisley]

Liverpool hero in petulant not wanting competition shocker?

or

Liverpool fans in small club mentality shocker?

[FatTony]

Liverpool hero in petulant not wanting competition shocker?

or

Liverpool fans in small club mentality shocker?

Don't forget that Alonso was being pimped out to several teams to fund the initial Barry transfer...not a great move.

[The Birdman]

I think the only team that really picked up on how reliant we were on Alonso was Chelsea under Gus Hiddink - the game last season where they gave us a sound beating, they basically had Lampard sitting on Xabi and harrassing him all game - not giving him an inch of space. Had we kept Alonso, how long before other teams found us out and employed similar tactics?

No what Hiddink did that was different and explained in his post match interview was to cut off the triangle down the right hand side as he described it of Gerrard, Kuyt and Arbeloa.

He put Essien on Gerrard rather than Lampard on Alonso, the fact that Alonso was our 'deep laying' midfielder and Lampard is Chelsea's midfielder who plays furthest forward means they would naturally come up against each other.

[The Birdman]

Don't forget that Alonso was being pimped out to several teams to fund the initial Barry transfer...not a great move.

None of whom wanted him for 50% of the value Real paid for him 12 months later.
That wouldn't have happened under Rick Parry that's for sure.

[BillobShaisley]

Don't forget that Alonso was being pimped out to several teams to fund the initial Barry transfer...not a great move.

Yeah for such an insultingly low valuation that NOT ONE TEAM bid for him.

Man the **** up Xabi!

[the rev leeroy brown]

Yeah for such an insultingly low valuation that NOT ONE TEAM bid for him.

Man the **** up Xabi!

juve bid for him but was woefully short of the 17 mill asked for. they bid 12 mill for him which was knocked back sharpish and then spent the next couple of months moaning bout it saying they wont go higher. it boggles the mind how people cant see xabi's side to this. he was being pimped around like fat tony said to whatever team would take him but was at the time overpriced by the club. if it was me and i was being publicly touted to every club and then told it was to fund a move for another ( and IMO weaker ) player i'd be ****ing fuming.

[Tee]

it boggles the mind how people cant see xabi's side to this. he was being pimped around like fat tony said to whatever team would take him but was at the time overpriced by the club. if it was me and i was being publicly touted to every club and then told it was to fund a move for another ( and IMO weaker ) player i'd be ****ing fuming.

Xabi did man up and produced his best football for us so the criticism he is still getting is shocking tbh.

His value nearly doubled in the process and showing that he is a different league altogether than GazBaz.

[BillobShaisley]

"Being pimped around" : you say it like we were dragging him round street corners in fish nets and a moob tube. He was playing all the time he wasn't injured, nobody was bad mouthing him, he was being praised but it was let known that he could go for big money to fund Raffas restructuring. So what? Only a poncey, spoilt, mediteranean arse bandit could actualy take any offence at that.

FFS he's a footballer who was underperforming, he upped his performance and got the kudos and respect for it. I have no problem with him wanting to leave to go to Real or back to Spain but to leave because someone indicated he wasn't doing well enough (While he wasn't) is the behaviour of a mincing great ****. Obviously no one else in European football thought he was worth more than £12mil at the time and Raffa thought he was worth more than that, so in fact Raffa was his biggest professional fan in world football! Who also then tried to keep him despite offers of £30mil, how much respect does he want? A ****ing reacharound from Raffa?

He's gone down in my estimation since coming out and indicating that was any part of his decision. Maybe its the Galactico mentality rubbing off on him as he's changed his tune since interviews shortly after the move.

[The Birdman]

"Being pimped around" : you say it like we were dragging him round street corners in fish nets and a moob tube. He was playing all the time he wasn't injured, nobody was bad mouthing him, he was being praised but it was let known that he could go for big money to fund Raffas restructuring. So what? Only a poncey, spoilt, mediteranean arse bandit could actualy take any offence at that.

FFS he's a footballer who was underperforming, he upped his performance and got the kudos and respect for it. I have no problem with him wanting to leave to go to Real or back to Spain but to leave because someone indicated he wasn't doing well enough (While he wasn't) is the behaviour of a mincing great ****. Obviously no one else in European football thought he was worth more than £12mil at the time and Raffa thought he was worth more than that, so in fact Raffa was his biggest professional fan in world football! Who also then tried to keep him despite offers of £30mil, how much respect does he want? A ****ing reacharound from Raffa?

He's gone down in my estimation since coming out and indicating that was any part of his decision. Maybe its the Galactico mentality rubbing off on him as he's changed his tune since interviews shortly after the move.

Pretty much sums it all up for me although I don't think I could have put it quite of eloquently

[Guest]

"Being pimped around" : you say it like we were dragging him round street corners in fish nets and a moob tube. He was playing all the time he wasn't injured, nobody was bad mouthing him, he was being praised but it was let known that he could go for big money to fund Raffas restructuring. So what? Only a poncey, spoilt, mediteranean arse bandit could actualy take any offence at that.

FFS he's a footballer who was underperforming, he upped his performance and got the kudos and respect for it. I have no problem with him wanting to leave to go to Real or back to Spain but to leave because someone indicated he wasn't doing well enough (While he wasn't) is the behaviour of a mincing great ****. Obviously no one else in European football thought he was worth more than £12mil at the time and Raffa thought he was worth more than that, so in fact Raffa was his biggest professional fan in world football! Who also then tried to keep him despite offers of £30mil, how much respect does he want? A ****ing reacharound from Raffa?

He's gone down in my estimation since coming out and indicating that was any part of his decision. Maybe its the Galactico mentality rubbing off on him as he's changed his tune since interviews shortly after the move.

Should we close this thread now. Discussion closed.

[the rev leeroy brown]

"Being pimped around" : you say it like we were dragging him round street corners in fish nets and a moob tube. He was playing all the time he wasn't injured, nobody was bad mouthing him, he was being praised but it was let known that he could go for big money to fund Raffas restructuring. So what? Only a poncey, spoilt, mediteranean arse bandit could actualy take any offence at that.

i think it's more the fact that rafa told him to his face he wanted to sell him to finance a deal for someone else AND then overpricing him out of the market. thats what pissed xabi off IMO. you've been told your up for sale but then, to not accept at that time for how he was playing, a fair bid of 12 mill which would also have been a profit no matter how slight, would piss off even the thickest and emotionless of players.

FFS he's a footballer who was underperforming, he upped his performance and got the kudos and respect for it. I have no problem with him wanting to leave to go to Real or back to Spain but to leave because someone indicated he wasn't doing well enough (While he wasn't) is the behaviour of a mincing great ****. Obviously no one else in European football thought he was worth more than £12mil at the time and Raffa thought he was worth more than that, so in fact Raffa was his biggest professional fan in world football! Who also then tried to keep him despite offers of £30mil, how much respect does he want? A ****ing reacharound from Raffa?

granted he was underperforming for how we all knew he could play, but FFS he was easily one of our best players behind ste, carra and pepe. he was integral at a time in our play before we got mash and then after we bought mash was building a relationship with him. by the time rafa was saying he wanted to keep xabi after madrid came in with 30 mill, of course the damage had been done. rafa cant have it both ways. he wanted rid and told him to his face.

He's gone down in my estimation since coming out and indicating that was any part of his decision. Maybe its the Galactico mentality rubbing off on him as he's changed his tune since interviews shortly after the move.

he's actually gone up in my estimation. he could have easily come out and bad mouthed us after leaving but he kept his dignity and said nowt but nice things. even now he still comes back to watch us, keeps in touch with the players and whay shouldnt he say why he wanted to leave. total respect xabi.

[BillobShaisley]

So he was overpriced at £17mil. He was worth £12mil, but better than barry who went for how much? That's why he was upset, that's your story?

[rudedog]

So he was overpriced at £17mil. He was worth £12mil, but better than barry who went for how much? That's why he was upset, that's your story?

Don't you think the reason that other teams might have been reluctant to shell out more than £12 million was down to the fact that he'd had an injury hit season and hadn't shown anything like his previous form since coming back from injury?


I think we got Aquilani on a knock down price for a similar reason.

I think some people are just bitter because he left and to be honest, I don't really blame them - football is an emotional sport and not everyone is as enlightened/forgiving as myself.