Xabi Alonso

[Gibbo]

Norra chance of this happening.

Would love it though.

[spider-neil]

I'd have him back. Xabi was always about positioning and intelligence and it's not as if he has any pace to lose.

[Vermilion]

iirc his form was suffering till we tried to move him on, he then improved getting back to his best, enough for Madrid to want him.

Inspirational signing though, and very easy to like.

[Roboklopp]

His form was suffering post-injury, but he was still really good. Never understood the "he was only good for 2 seasons" ****e. He was exceptional for 2 & very, very good for the rest.

[Sarb]

Xabi was brilliant. End of. One of our biggest transfer blunders selling him

[Neil Young]

I agree it was a clearly mistake in hindsight for Benitez to try to sell him. Although if we're going to make that judgment we also need to remember all the stuff about British-trained players that was going about at the time, as well as the fact he hadn't been playing that well for a while, as has been pointed out. And yes, there were mitigating factors, just as there were when Kuyt was playing badly a couple of years earlier and plenty wanted him sold then.

But Alonso isn't stupid. I have no doubt he was quite well aware that LFC were only going to go backwards thanks to all the off-field problems. Yes, I'm sure he wasn't best pleased by Benitez trying to replace him a year earlier but he could see the club was going downhill and he made sure he got out while the going was good. Just as Mascherano tried to do at exactly the same time.

It's funny how the one who left is lionized here while the one who stayed on another season is regarded as a traitor.

Certainly Alonso leaving was one reason we went downhill in 09/10. But I still reckon we overachieved the season before so some correction was likely anyway plus the club was in the ****. His departure merely made the inevitable worse.

[Roboklopp]

I still love Masher tbf. Got over his doing one ages back.

[saj]

His form was suffering post-injury, but he was still really good. Never understood the "he was only good for 2 seasons" ****e. He was exceptional for 2 & very, very good for the rest.

It's a massive misconception.

[Vermilion]

I agree it was a clearly mistake in hindsight for Benitez to try to sell him. Although if we're going to make that judgment we also need to remember all the stuff about British-trained players that was going about at the time, as well as the fact he hadn't been playing that well for a while, as has been pointed out. And yes, there were mitigating factors, just as there were when Kuyt was playing badly a couple of years earlier and plenty wanted him sold then.

But Alonso isn't stupid. I have no doubt he was quite well aware that LFC were only going to go backwards thanks to all the off-field problems. Yes, I'm sure he wasn't best pleased by Benitez trying to replace him a year earlier but he could see the club was going downhill and he made sure he got out while the going was good. Just as Mascherano tried to do at exactly the same time.

It's funny how the one who left is lionized here while the one who stayed on another season is regarded as a traitor.

Certainly Alonso leaving was one reason we went downhill in 09/10. But I still reckon we overachieved the season before so some correction was likely anyway plus the club was in the ****. His departure merely made the inevitable worse.

[Tee]

Xabi was brilliant. End of. One of our biggest transfer blunders selling him

[dww]

I agree it was a clearly mistake in hindsight for Benitez to try to sell him. Although if we're going to make that judgment we also need to remember all the stuff about British-trained players that was going about at the time, as well as the fact he hadn't been playing that well for a while, as has been pointed out. And yes, there were mitigating factors, just as there were when Kuyt was playing badly a couple of years earlier and plenty wanted him sold then.

But Alonso isn't stupid. I have no doubt he was quite well aware that LFC were only going to go backwards thanks to all the off-field problems. Yes, I'm sure he wasn't best pleased by Benitez trying to replace him a year earlier but he could see the club was going downhill and he made sure he got out while the going was good. Just as Mascherano tried to do at exactly the same time.

It's funny how the one who left is lionized here while the one who stayed on another season is regarded as a traitor.

Certainly Alonso leaving was one reason we went downhill in 09/10. But I still reckon we overachieved the season before so some correction was likely anyway plus the club was in the ****. His departure merely made the inevitable worse.

All your posts I've read today have been sensible, someone is bound to be composing a poll right about now.

[Shaggy]

It's a massive misconception.

Does anyone genuinely think he was "****e"? He was definitely not at his best and definitely underperformed by his own very high standards (mitigated by the bad broken ankle from Lampard)....I don't think anyone would disagree with that? Not "****e" obviously.

[Alex]

'****e' is just a coverall word for 'Out of form' isnt it? If I say Gerrard has been ****e this season. It doesnt mean he is totally rubbish.

[dww]

Using a relative term in a subjective discussion where people strongly disagree is a recipe for trouble though.

[Sarb]

Does anyone genuinely think he was "****e"? He was definitely not at his best and definitely underperformed by his own very high standards (mitigated by the bad broken ankle from Lampard)....I don't think anyone would disagree with that? Not "****e" obviously.

Agree. I think he was off-form but was coming back from a broken ankle. No one can deny what a class player he was and what a class player he has continued to be at Real Madrid. I was absolutely gutted when he left.