KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Next Xabi Alonso please stand up

2011-12
7 Games remaining
56 Optimistic sorta kinda realistic total points at end of season
7 Predicted league position

Current goal stats
36 Goals for
33 Goals against

League impact before and after Xabi Alonso


+Xabi Alonso +Torres
2008–09
Total Points 86
League Position 2nd
GF 77
GA 27

-Xabi Alonso +Torres
2009–10 Premier League 61 35
Total Points 63
League Position 7th
GF 61
GA

-Xabi Alonso -Torres
2010–11 Premier League 58 6th 59 44

Selling Xabi Alonso was one of the biggest mistakes the club made. The sale amounted to losing one of the best attacking mids the Reds ever had. Even if the purchase of Gareth Barry went through (who would have replaced Xabi) we would have faultered. His influence in the mid field was critical to our way of play. Not only did Torres benefit so did the play of Stevie and the rest of the squad.

What did we get as a result of selling him? Aqualani who never really played for us (an f'd up managerial decision), Meireles who left for whatever reason (again an f'd up managerial decision), and Charlie Adam who - thats right - for all intents and purposes never really played for us either (another f'd up managerial decision).

Now I'm not always one for complaining however finding answers to this lack of a capable player is hard. Who would you bring in to fill the void that been left? Charlie Adam? Yeah his long balls are always spot on, his free kicks always challenge the goalie, his free kicks always get to a players head, his corners always get over the first defender, his corners alone are worth 10m...what the hell happened to this guy? These are the aspects of his game we brought him in for? Based on his performances he's taking a [oops] on LFC.

Who's the holy grail mid fielder who for one is willing to come to Liverpool and who we can afford?

Jan Molby for me.

i would think granero from real could be that person, underarted not at a club to expose him to reach his full potential as a range of passes also strikes the ball very well, all other attributes could be developed over time.

Lucas, he was superb before his injury

http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/ap...mp;type=article

The article speaks volumes on the influence of Xabi Alonso

Right, I'm assuming everyone can obviously see Alonso's loss was not the only factor in that poor season? Namely, Rafa falling out with everyone, the fact that after finishing 2nd, we had negative net spend and sold that seasons best player which resulted in a major loss of morale (a massive part of football), the whole ownership debacle...I mean, to isolate alonsos loss to the team in just a playing sense is ridiculous. His last season was by far his best, before that he was good but nowhere near that level, he wasn't the force some people like to make out season on season.

We went from a central midfield pairing of Alonso and Mascherano to Adam and Spearing/Henderson.

I have just depressed myself

in black and white it looks worse