Xabi Alonso

[Gingawaria]

Shaqiri on the way out possibly?

[Rich]

Class signing but he'll cost a lot in wages. He'd still be great for us but his position is exactly the same as what Gerrard now performs for us. So a total non-starter, although personally Alonso is the better player.

[RichC]

Class signing but he'll cost a lot in wages. He'd still be great for us but his position is exactly the same as what Gerrard now performs for us. So a total non-starter, although personally Alonso is the better player.

For that position I agree although his mobility has got worse over the years

[danperkins]

Yeah Alonso is not the answer we are looking for. IMO we need more of an out and out DM.

[Mike]

Yeah Alonso is not the answer we are looking for. IMO we need more of an out and out DM.

Mascherano would have been perfect

[frank the tank]

mascherano would have been perfect. To be honest, i am very very happy with our squad at the moment - however, when i look back to the team that contained Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard - that was an incredible midfield. Imagine had we kept Torres in fine form and added Suarez to that group!! Damn you Hicks and Gillett!!!

Back to reality - Alonso or Mascherano would be incredible. Masch / Alonso, Gerrard and Henderson would be a class middle 3 for me. Keep the ball ticking over and i think our average possession would go up a good 5% per game. For me, Gerrard in the quarter-back role looks good when he plays the wonderful 50 yard diagonal ball to start counter-attacks but for me it isnt a philosophy to implement to be sucessful in the long term. You're not going to get a high enough percentage of them right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. If gerrard moved up 10 yards or so, and his primary role was to link the defensive midfielder with attack, then we would be more sucessful in the long run. Gerrard would need to cover more ground - and as a consequence he would probably need to miss 10 - 15% of the games over the season - but the football would be more sucessful in my opinion. The most apt comparison i can think of is Scholes. In the latter parts of his career, he did move back deeper and deeper but never to the point where he was the defensive midfielder - he played slightly further up than Carrick - linking play between Carrick and the attack - but he wasn't the main guy protecting the back 4. In my view, it is too an important role to be used just to accomodate an aging player.

Mascherano signed a 5 year deal with Barca this summer. It was reported that he wanted to play defensive midfielder for barca and Luis Enrique gave him assurances that is where he would be. He started last weekend in central defense again - that may change when Vermaelen gets integrated into the team but if he is still playing out of position in Jan or next summer, then we should be in there like swimwear.

[baitman]

...The most apt comparison i can think of is Scholes. In the latter parts of his career, he did move back deeper and deeper but never to the point where he was the defensive midfielder - he played slightly further up than Carrick - linking play between Carrick and the attack - but he wasn't the main guy protecting the back 4. In my view, it is too an important role to be used just to accomodate an aging player.

a decent comparison.
gerrard could do a job controlling the centre of the pitch, 10-15 yards either side of the centre circle, being available to take and then give the ball, let other lads do all the running.

[Cormack74]

He'll miss the chance to come back to Anfield with RM. Maybe he'll come back with Bayern in the semis.

[Mostar]

Yeah Alonso is not the answer we are looking for. IMO we need more of an out and out DM.

I like Xabi but having him around this time imo would only create problems.

There is no room for both him and Stevie to play in the same lineup regularly.

[banditos]

We don't play with an out and out DM. Not sure why people keep mentioning it.

[baitman]

We don't play with an out and out DM. Not sure why people keep mentioning it.

because half the time gerrard is standing between the two centre backs. it doesnt really matter what you call his position, or how is is supposed to be playing, you will find he spends most of his time in our half, and when the opposing team come through our hollow midfield then you will often find gerrard on the edge of our box.

[Chazza]

Where he will have been told to play.

[kev776]

His salary at Bayern is 10m Euros tax free over 2 seasons, hence the low purchase price.

[kev776]

approx 90k a week tax free

[tsb]

How is it tax free?