City- Post match thread.

[Craig_H]

Look you think that Heskey is as equally an effective defensive midfielder as Alonso, you have zero credibility.

The irony.

I said 'by that logic' - which really wasnt any logic whatsoever.

"He has low goals and assists, so he has to be a defensive midfielder"

Maybe we should play Pepe as a DM then, after all he has low goals and assists figures too

[Kinell]

I was talking about last season when people were categorising Alonso purely as a defensive midfielder to support their complaints about us playing too negatively, even though we were shortly off the back of our best run of league results in a long long time (spanning over the start of least season and the end of the previous season).

Oh, and I would argue the loss of Gerrard and Torres and to a lesser extent Benni and Johnson caused a lot more damage to our season this year.

Ah very well, misinterpreted sorry . The loss of players has called alot more damage your right, but we weren't exactly functioning properly with em all fit.

[Kinell]

Thats undeniably true but he also intercepted more through balls and timed more tackles to perfection then most other midfielders in the league.

Thats brilliant if the stats back it up, but alongside Mascherano that's not his primary job. His attacking attributes should be his strength alongside Masch, I mean ****ing hell he came with the reputation as a Brazilian box to box midfielder! His idea of a tackle is clumsily clattering someone and his idea of getting forward is a misplaced pass or a ball to someone with a defender right on him. Once, only once has he notably split a side open with a killer ball and that was at St James Park last season for Gerrard to finish, other than that he brings **** all to the side in terms of attacking. Be it Rafa's poor decisions or Lucas's inabilities he isn't the right type of player for us right now.

[Armchairkopite]

He is a defensive midfielder , his goals and assist ratio say it all really.

The irony.

I said 'by that logic' - which really wasnt any logic whatsoever.

"He has low goals and assists, so he has to be a defensive midfielder"

Maybe we should play Pepe as a DM then, after all he has low goals and assists figures too

Sorry, but my comment was more flippant then you make out with your edited quote. Misquoting people is a defeatist attitude, your better then that ; )

Your saying that there is absolutely no connection to Alonsos lack of goals and assists to his position on the pitch, I disagree.

Ok 'His low goals and assists return in way point to Alonso being more defensive then attacking minded', there you go, would you say that's a fair comment?

[Armchairkopite]

Thats brilliant if the stats back it up, but alongside Mascherano that's not his primary job. His attacking attributes should be his strength alongside Masch, I mean ****ing hell he came with the reputation as a Brazilian box to box midfielder! His idea of a tackle is clumsily clattering someone and his idea of getting forward is a misplaced pass or a ball to someone with a defender right on him. Once, only once has he notably split a side open with a killer ball and that was at St James Park last season for Gerrard to finish, other than that he brings **** all to the side in terms of attacking. Be it Rafa's poor decisions or Lucas's inabilities he isn't the right type of player for us right now.

I was taliking about Alonso.: )

[Kinell]

I was taliking about Alonso.: )

My Lucas rant still stands!

I'm off to bed, I can't keep up...

[Leyton388]

Are we still doing the Alonso thing? Seriously?

The guy chose to leave at a point when the team was so so close and i agree if he had stayed things could have been a lot different but the fact is he left as he could not handle the fact Rafa wanted shot 12 months earlier and wanted Barry. But **** me the guy needs to grow a backbone. Ahh poor Xabi had his feelings hurt so what he was paid a **** load of money to perform and up until last season he was not producing the goods.

Now he is at Madrid where players come and go quicker than Wayne Rooney and John Terry in a brothel. What's he going to do when Madrid want to replace him with the next Galactico? Which will happen and IMO will be the summer. Will he get hurt again and move somewhere else? The grass is not always greener on the other side and that turd who plays down the M62 proves that.

The guy needs to grow a backbone and take a look at why rafa wanted barry in as like i said before last season he was turd. IMO xabi will be at Madrid until this summer if not the summer after and he will end up at somewhere like Valenica having won **** all at madrid as they are nowhere near half as good as barca are.

[Craig_H]

Sorry, but my comment was more flippant then you make out with your edited quote. Misquoting people is a defeatist attitude, your better then that ; )

Your saying that there is absolutely no connection to Alonsos lack of goals and assists to his position on the pitch, I disagree.

Ok 'His low goals and assists return in way point to Alonso being more defensive then attacking minded', there you go, would you say that's a fair comment?

You're changing it though. He isnt a defensive midfielder. Whether he's more defensive than an attacking midfielder, is another question and he probably is, certainly territorially speaking, because he holds his position on the park rather than making powerful forward runs, like SG does.

It's not as if you either have to be a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder, and nothing else.

[Vermilion]

Alonso is a midfielder, that generally takes up and holds a defensive position, but who also possesses an attacking range of passes..

[Armchairkopite]

You're changing it though. He isnt a defensive midfielder. Whether he's more defensive than an attacking midfielder, is another question and he probably is, certainly territorially speaking, because he holds his position on the park rather than making powerful forward runs, like SG does.

It's not as if you either have to be a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder, and nothing else.

We are making head way, now, would you agree that Xabi is good at tackling and intercepting the ball ? : )

Alonso is a midfielder, that generally takes up and holds a defensive position, but who also possesses an attacking range of passes..

He also posses excellent tackling technique and defensive awareness.

[Exiled_red]

Does he have to be an "attacking midfielder" or a "defensive midfielder" can we not just call him a "midfielder"

[Armchairkopite]

Does he have to be an "attacking midfielder" or a "defensive midfielder" can we not just call him a "midfielder"

No.

[Craig_H]

We are making head way, now, would you agree that Xabi is good at tackling and intercepting the ball ? : )

No i wouldnt, not especially. He's alright, without being great at it.

His main attribute is his ability to dictate the tempo of a game, spot passes and pull the strings, because he's a playmaker and not a defensive midfielder.

[Armchairkopite]

No i wouldnt, not especially. He's alright, without being great at it.

Your entitled to your opinion but in mine Alonso was a superb defensive midfielder with the ability to dictate the play.

[Woobus]

Ah very well, misinterpreted sorry . The loss of players has called alot more damage your right, but we weren't exactly functioning properly with em all fit.

Up front we were it was in defense that we were messing up, think a lot of people forget how many goals we were scoring at the start of the season when we had the full team fit.