Alonso

Looks like Xabi and Luis (along with Reina) will be getting new deals soonish Spaniards set for new contract talks, Jan 24 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post LIVERPOOL are ready to sit down and discuss new contracts with Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia. Rafael Benitez is keen to extend the Anfield careers of the Spanish duo, who have proven a huge success in England since arriving before deadline day in August 2004. Alonso, signed for £10.6million from Real Sociedad, is under contract until the summer of 2009, while Garcia, a £6m capture from Barcelona, is poised to become a free agent at the end of next season. Alonso has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid while Garcia is attracting the interest of former club Atletico Madrid, despite being ruled out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage. Liverpool, though, want to keep hold of both players and negotiations could even begin later this week, with Benitez having already indicated his desire to reach a new agreement with goalkeeper Pepe Reina to head off interest from Valencia. Liverpool have also made the move in light of new rules over contracts that are due to come into force in August. Referred to as the ?protected period?, if a player?s contract was signed prior to reaching the age of 28 then, provided he has completed three entire seasons or three entire years, he is permitted to buy out the remainder of his contract with just 15 days? notice. However, if the contract was signed after he reaches 28, only two seasons or years must be served. In effect, the buy-out value will become the player?s transfer value as interested clubs would no doubt pay the fee rather than the player himself. Both Alonso and Garcia fall out of their ?protected period? at the end of the season and could conceivably then buy out their present contracts.

Agree there. I'd also like to see him take on the full back more often and really try to committ people. That'll come with the more confidence he gets tho and for me he is showing promise. He certainly has the ability.

I suggetsed we got Richards and do agree that the money being mentioned for him is way over the odds and he has recently said he wants to stay at City but I did say in a Football Manager world I'd sign him!! I also said he could be the long term replacement for Finnan as well as providing cover there in the short term and may even push Finnan for a starting place, nothing about him being 3rd choice.

Not sure Riise will go. Yes he's been off form this season but have we seen anything from Aurelio to prove he can be better than Riise at LB, not to mention Aurelio has his injury problems and may struggle to play the 50-60 games a season Riise has managed over the past few years. Strangely enough they both have the same birthday 24 Sept with Aurelio a year older.

We definitely need cover and long term replacemnet at RB so would go for Richards. If Hyypia leaves then we need another CB as Paletta is not ready to act as 3rd choice CB (presuming Carragher and Agger are 1 and 2). Therefore I'd go for Ayala. As for LB this is really open. Yes we have Insua but will be eased in gently IMO and from what I've read is also comfortable playing CB. Personally I'm still usnure about Aurelio, does he really have the ability to be our starting LB for the season and be able to stay injury free? Yes Riise has struggled for form this season but is the one that probably has the best understanding with the current back line and showed last year that he was more than capable at LB. On one hand I'd keep Aurelio but on the other I'd let him go and get in Bale to compete with Riise for LB. As people have mentioned we need a ball carrier, someone who can beat a player or add that bit of creativity, ideally I'd go for Kaka but that's just a peipe dream and looks Madrid bound in the summer anyway. I'm really not sure who to get for that role but it's also about being able to fit them into the side, especially if we get Mascherano. There'd be Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Mascherano (possibly), Garcia, Kewell, Gonzalez and Leto all trying to get into starting 11. As for the strikers then I can see Crouch staying but Fowler will be off IMO so would look to bring in a genuine world class striker to play alongside Kuyt and Villa seems to fit the bill and be a popular choice! Obviously this is in a FM type world!!

Gerrard Kaka Xavi Pirlo Essien

Lehman Eboue Terry Ferdinand G Neville Ronaldo Lampard Fabregas Robben Drogba Rooney

Generally, teams that play long balls have far less possession stats due to the nature of the hopeful hoof up field making it a 50/50 as to whether the team retains possession or not. We nearly always have more posession than our opposition. The long ball teams also generally bypass midfield as it goes long from defence to attack, similar to the later years of Houllier's side when Sami or Riise use to hoof it up to Heskey who'd try and flick it onto Owen.

His chest control is also exemplary.

That already happened earlier this week when West Ham offered near on £10m for Ahsley Young.

I think Blackburn will use any money they get from West Ham and just buy Warnock for cash instead of the exchange. £1.5m is what we're rumoured to be after for him. HERE

And we'll be replacing him with..... There aren't that many top left backs about and with Warnock on his way and Aurelio hardly much better at LB than Riise if at all and Insua who will probably still be adapting to life in England let alone the PL, who will we have as a first choice left back? Personally I'd prefer Aurelio to go before Riise.

Chelsea have failed in their bid to sign Ben Haim and West Ham have failed with a £4m bid for Upson.

Yep, he said something like "If you tell someone to do something they'll do it once, you teach someone to do something and they'll do it forever." I suppose they must be being taught loads of different variations of formations with different personnel. I just thought it would have been simpler for them to get one formation perfect but then what do I know!! Xabi says it's working well even tho they don't know what Rafa's gonna do so that must say something about him and his coaching team.

Maybe I should change my user name to Bone Alonso! Playing devil's advocat a bit here but surely that can't be good for cohesion and understanding.

Which surprises me why we haven't been linked with Bale, obviously we've got Insua but he's only on loan and would probably take longer to adapt than Bale.

Couple of weeks ago my mate got a yellow card and £5 fine as soon as he came on the pitch as sub in a 5-a-side league match for wearing a studded ear-ring!

Cheers! Dunno who I'd take outta those 2? I'd prefer us just to get Neill in!

I'd say that's pretty much right: Reina Carragher Agger Gerrard Alonso Sissoko Kuyt

Similar to being a scorer of great goals as opposed to being a great goal scorer!

Anyone have any ideas on who these would be? Can't remeber being linked to any other RBs apart from Alves and that clearly isn't gonna happen this transfer window.

No, cos we'd get one of them in exchange plus cash for our Crouchy!!

Heard Graham Beacroft this morning say on Talk Sport that the deal was completed and would be announced very soon. Alan Brazil then asked him to specify a date "Today, tomorrow, next week?" He said he didn't know but just that it was done.

Cos Cech is one of the best keepers in the world and far less prone to making errors. Also Chelsea's defence will be far better than ours was against Arsenal and give Cech much more protection.

For everyone I'd imagine as we have no-one else who can play there!!! Seriously tho he's been brilliant for us and one of those consistant 8 outta 10 players that Rafa likes.