The New Manager Thread

[Taxi]

Where did I say finishing 7th was brilliant? **** off mate. If Rafa was sacked and Sam Allardyce was appointed as manager, I wouldn't give a flying **** as it is, so pissed off with all things LFC at the moment.

Can u at least confirm that alonso moved on because of his treatment during the barry saga. We've all seen the interview as have u no doubt, but u failed to mention that small bit of evidence.

Alonso was not a 1 dimensional defensive mf in the cut of lucas or mascher. Dont point to goals scored to show he was defensive, thats bs. He was a superbly intelligent player who ran the team and provided the linkup play for gerrard and torres. He had great vision and was very creative. He is the main reason we aren't functioning as a unit and that, AS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE MAN HIMSELF, is down to rafa.

[Tee]

Can u at least confirm that alonso moved on because of his treatment during the barry saga. We've all seen the interview as have u no doubt, but u failed to mention that small bit of evidence.

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

[Guest]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

[Lecter]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

Agreed

I think his missus & kid had moved back to Spain anyway which adds to the desire to return

[Kenneth]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

Isn't there a bit of contradiction here? He was always going to leave because of the chance to join Madrid. But the Barry issue led to his form which caused the Madrid chance to come up.

Anyway, if we'd spent 20 million quid on a player who could actually play and was suited to play in Alonso's position, we'd probably have coped reasonably well/

[Guest]

Isn't there a bit of contradiction here? He was always going to leave because of the chance to join Madrid. But the Barry issue led to his form which caused the Madrid chance to come up.

Anyway, if we'd spent 20 million quid on a player who could actually play and was suited to play in Alonso's position, we'd probably have coped reasonably well/

Life is about taking gambles, sometimes they work, sometimes they won't. Aquilani needed more time but I don't think the fact that he isn't playing has broken our season.

[Kenneth]

Life is about taking gambles, sometimes they work, sometimes they won't. Aquilani needed more time but I don't think the fact that he isn't playing has broken our season.

I think a 20million pound central midfielder would have made a big difference when you look at the success of the Mascherano and Lucas partnership.

[badpiggy]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

the details and choreography about him going are only part of the problem. it is now 100% clear - as if it wasn't before -that we sold our best player and attempted to replace him with lucas and/or an injured aquilani. and previous to this rafa saw Gareth Barry as the man to replace xabi and i'm sure now many peole were convinced by that.

i'm still on a rafa's to blame buzz so yet again i would say that this revsionist view of xabi's liverpool career that some people believe - 2 good seasons bookending 3 **** ones - is ludicrous. (not that you're saying this tee). xabi came as a sublime passer, rafa worked on his game to add in a DM aspect. he took a while to adapt to this, got injured a bit but still was our only player who could run a game, control the tempo, keep a passing game going etc. we all go on about the sideways passing that's afflicting us at the moment but if you like back at xabi he was everything that lucas and mascherano aren't - his body shape as he came into space to get the ball from defence was always angled to turn on it as quickly as he could and move the direction of the play quickly. since he went all we have is players running away from the oppositons goal to get a pass that they invariably give away anyway. this is a rafa fail no matter what and lots of people put the absence of xabi down as a huge factor in out downturn this season.

[barnes10]

there is FAR more wrong with our club than Rafa. And frankly, if everyone and everything else was fine, we'd be challenging for the title with rafa.

Owners (i.e. rafa backing over 2 years), Stevie, Carra form and Injuries have all contributed to the ruin of this season. To say rafa should overcome all of this and have us at least on arsenal's heels and comfortably in 4th is asking a lot. I don't believe any manager would be able to.

I think our squad looks good and is very strong relative to the net sums invested in it since houllier's time. For that Rafa has worked wonders. Few other prem managers - probably only wenger - would be able to do as well im pretty confident in that.

I would boot stevie out before rafa

[saj]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

That most definitely is not the case. There is an actual interview Alonso did on TV (I think it might have been shown on Football Focus) where he all but said it was the situation of Barry and Rafa wanting him to be sold was the reason why he left. He said everything changed after that whole saga with Barry.

[Kenneth]

there is FAR more wrong with our club than Rafa. And frankly, if everyone and everything else was fine, we'd be challenging for the title with rafa.

Owners (i.e. rafa backing over 2 years), Stevie, Carra form and Injuries have all contributed to the ruin of this season. To say rafa should overcome all of this and have us at least on arsenal's heels and comfortably in 4th is asking a lot. I don't believe any manager would be able to.

I think our squad looks good and is very strong relative to the net sums invested in it since houllier's time. For that Rafa has worked wonders. Few other prem managers - probably only wenger - would be able to do as well im pretty confident in that.

I would boot stevie out before rafa

Yeah, I'm not convinced.

[saj]

I am convinced that even if the Barry saga had not occurred Xabi would still have gone this Summer.

He is 28 years old, spent the last 5 years in England and was always going to return to Spain at some point. What better opportunity would he have got, both sporting and financial, to return home? A chance to join the biggest club in World football playing alongside some of the greatest players of his generation and earning a fortune.

Also, the guy just got married so it was always a perfect time to go home and start a new chapter in his life/career.

In hindsight the Barry saga just gave us one last push out of Xabi and he produced his best football for us, which of course led to Madrid's interest in him. But once they were interested he was always a goner and I don't think anyone would/could have changed his mind.

Agreed

I think his missus & kid had moved back to Spain anyway which adds to the desire to return

That most definitely is not the case. There is an actual interview Alonso did on TV (I think it might have been shown on Football Focus) where he all but said it was the situation of Barry and Rafa wanting him to be sold was the reason why he left. He said everything changed after that whole saga with Barry.

OK, further to my reply, watch this interview. He clearly misses Liverpool and loved everyting about the city. He kind of also indrectly says how Madrid does not compare with Liverpool as a city - he obviously loved the lifestyle here so I somehow doubt he and his Missus wanted to move back.

Watch it: the juicy bits are 2:50 secs in:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...us/8384196.stm

The fact is, Rafa ****ed up. He bought a crock who by the way, still feels pain in his ankle everyday. Again, Aquilani said this in an interview on Football focus.

[Kenneth]

OK, further to my reply, watch this interview. He clearly misses Liverpool and loved everyting about the city. He kind of also indrectly says how Madrid does not compare with Liverpool as a city - he obviously loved the lifestyle here so I somehow doubt he and his Missus wanted to move back.

Watch it: the juicy bits are 2:50 secs in:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...us/8384196.stm

Then the obvious explanation for him leaving is that he went completely mental.

[saj]

Then the obvious explanation for him leaving is that he went completely mental.

I have no idea what you're talking about. But watch the interview. I'm trying to find the Aquilani interview video but am struggling

[Tee]

Then the obvious explanation for him leaving is that he went completely mental.

Guys, with the outstanding form he showed in his last season he was always going to attract interest. Fate had it that the 'Madrid Project' gathered pace and he quickly became a key target as he ticked all the right boxes.

Xabi would have found it impossible to turn them down because he knows he would never have had another opportunity like that.

Rafa, albeit inadvertently, sealed this fate and for Xabi I am sure it was an even sweeter way to prove Rafa's judgement wrong.

Xabi's career has been near perfectly managed in terms of his age and the clubs he has played for. He will probably get at least another good 2 seasons at Madrid by which time he will be 31 or so, and then he can make one final career move, or even stay at Madrid.

Sure Xabi loves Liverpool, the city and the club, but he knows he made the right move.