RedHarvest

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Riise and Voronin ??

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It's all about the hair - ponytails and gingers universally derided. This forum = the hair police.

Agree, it's totally psychological against them. Hopefully Stevie will make it back in time,,either way we must be positive and aggressive. I think Keane is gonna win this one for us.

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Yes she was

Ballague says there'll be no Barry thread but there may be a "surprise" thread about another player - he's left footed, plays in several positions and speaks good english

Being closed down quickly limits any ball playing midfielder. Any oppo with a clue identify and target the playmaker and try to close him out and limit his space. Xabis form has been about 70% since his injury - what you refer to is not his A game in the league and in Europe it's known the pace is slower and the classier players shine brighter than they can in the premiership.

Good post.

I disagree with you. How has this myth about him needing lots of space to play his game gathered any creedence? Legitimate criticism of Xabi (needs to score more goals, set piece delivery could improve) I can take but repeating baseless flaws like this wont make it true.

I think he'll get it, he's the best player and Capello wont appoint poitically. Hope not though, it's a media distraction we could do without.

I think the statement from us and the reported feelings of G&H regarding Barrys value are all a tactic to drive down his price. I still see this happening before the window closes, hopefully for a few million less than 18.

I'd tend to agree but the fact remains Rafa is willing to sacrifice him for Barry. My opinion is that it comes down to a combination of Xabis saleability and the unknown factor of a personal reason between them. But none of us know Rafas thinking on this - hence 105 pages of speculation, reasoned argument and some unfair revisionism concerning both players.

It's astonishing they sold to him, he's going to bury them. The FA are totally culpable too, passing him as a fit and proper owner, they haven't a shred of credibility. Cant help feeling sorry for the fans

Well said. It's all very well making a guess at Rafas tactical rationale for the switch of these two players, but calling Xabi class in one breath and then a serial conceder of posession/cant play in tight spaces/ too slow etc in the other is a contradictory argument - if he's all those things he's not good enough for this club. Alonsos champions on this forum can accept Barrys strengths but it doesn't have to be justified by spurious arguments about the abilities of a player who has been brilliant for us apart from one season of indifferent form due to injury. Rimbeux makes a very eloquent argument for the possible reasons Rafa is prepared to let Xabi go without insulting the players abilities ..

I'm not saying it hasn't happened to him, but (unlike Gerrard who has been rounded by tricky attackers and conceded FKs too) his injury blighted form of last season magnifies these occasions in the eyes of the fans.

I think this idea is overstated and basically untrue - IMO it all stems from the free kick he conceded to Kaka in the CL final leading to thier goal, some fans cant seem to forgive him for that.

It will definitely happen, day after tomorrow, around teatime. Really hope we dont sell Yossi unless we have someone equal or better lined up to replace him.

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It's true that Rafa will live or die by this decision more than any other next season. Things wouldn't appear so seemingly insane though if Barrys price wasn't so inflated and/or had Juve stumped up the 16Mill asking price for Xabi. I'm now reconciled to Xabi leaving but I remain in the to-be-convinced category about Barry. There may be personal tension between Xabi and Rafa, only they know, but the reality is that Barry's coming in and Xabi will move on and be a great player for another team - please let it not be Arsenal.

That's only one prediction