Wardy

I'd agree with that but I reckon we'll be alright, Barry and Dossenna should be funded by sales with some change to spare so you'd think we'd be able to afford a quality forward player. Rafa said he wanted to bring in four or maybe five players - I make that Degen, Dossena, Barry and one or two forwards. We're continually being linked with quality forwards so you'd hope there's some truth to it.

I think he may be saying that in public to get the price he wants.

Did I not conceed that his reading of the game and positioning are good in an earlier post? I'm not slating Alonso, far from it. I'm just suggesting that maybe Barry has more to his game and if that's not the case then why is the manager trying to buy Barry and engineering the sale of Alonso?

Then you must be easily pleased.

Your version of f***ing fantastic must be very different to mine then, just like your version of a good tackler. I know what I see at the match and stats aren't going to convince me otherwise. Alonso is about as good a tackler as Jamie Redknapp.

You can manipulate stats to say pretty much anything. Alonso does read the game well and has a habit of being in the right place to intercept a pass I'll give you that but in reality he's offered us little for the last couple of seasons and it's time people woke up to it.

I see the forum police are at it again. FFS there's far less Liverpool related threads than this to move to forums that no one reads.

I think that's b******s to be honest, Alonso is not a good tackler let alone superb. If Alonso is superb then what does that make Mascherano? And yes I am suggesting Alonso can't keep up with the pace of the league games, he wants too long on the ball and gets closed down easily which renders him ineffective. You see Barry getting into the box and scoring goals, you don't see Alonso doing that.

I can see an Oxymoron there somewhere. At least they made their own for once instead of finding it under their seat at Stamford Bridge.

There's also the fact that Barry can tackle, head, score goals and keep up with the pace of the league games but that's not a clear improvement................ I think Alonso's a great player but he is very one dimensional and I'm starting to come around to the view that there may be more to Barry's game.

Welsh Lamb.

Based on what exactly? It was a ridiculous decision to start him in that Champions League game, he clearly wasn't ready and it could have killed his confidence completely.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/name...20LAMB%20BANANA

Agreed, I think he's been found out to be honest. Whilst he's one of the best passers I've ever seen in reality there's not a lot else that's great about his game. His tackling and heading are average at best and he doesn't score many goals. If Benitez is planning on replacing him with Barry I can understand why, although his passing game isn't upto Alonso's standards it's not bad at all and the rest of his game is arguably better.

Wide of the mark there I think, as much as I like Xabi he's been poor this season. Injury has undoubtedly contributed to that but to suggest otherwise is deluded.

Alonso seems to struggle in the faster paced games, whilst not as good technically Barry has at least shown he can cope with that at Villa. Barry is better than some give him credit for and he weighs in with a few goals as well.

One slight problem with that is Alves was being signed as a right winger, the reason we didn't pursue the deal was because Seville wanted too much money for a player who we planned to take a gamble on by changing his position but it was Rafa who pulled the plug. I see Arbeloa as our first choice right back next season with Degen in reserve, Arbeloas form has been affected by injury that's all. The press have Finnan going back to Fulham for £2 Million which would make signing Deggen a decent bit of business.

I'm guessing it's more than me.

I'm sure he got a pay hike as part of the deal but I'd be very surprised if he was on anything like Finnan is.

Not necessarily.

No s*** Sherlock but wages don't come out of the summer transfer budget do they? As good a servant as Finnan has been the likelyhood is that Deggens wages will be a lot lower and Finnan is clearly past his best now.

I'm wondering if he doesn't fancy Lucas much WRT Barry. I was against the idea of signing Barry but at the end of the day he's a decent player who can play in four positions. I'd have thought we'd have other priorities but I reckon he'd be a useful addition.

Looks like Deggen is a replacement for a player who can't get a game in front of Carragher at right back. He's also a free transfer for those that haven't noticed. It's worth thinking about what Rafa said there as well - it frees up money to strengthen other positions. Other positions that are more of a priority. f***ing doom mongers, get a grip. Oh and Alves has been s**** this season.

Nail on head there hopefully.

Two lads I know who live in Germany said he's slow, sounds a lot like Finnan to me from what they've said.