I thought I was over it

[charlie clown]

I thought that I'd got used to the idea of him leaving. But even with his new haircut, and his lack of fitness, and his not being used to the ball,seeing him on the telly for Spain just now, I want him back.... so much...

 

I am going to have to kill Tom Hicks if I ever see him.

[Conrad]

I thought this thread was going to be about Xabi - I'm not over him leaving!

[Nate.]

When was he sold?

[charlie clown]

When was he sold?

 

Questions like that will set my rehab back months.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

I thought this thread was going to be about Xabi - I'm not over him leaving!

but....we got Aquaman

[Redray]

Doesn't feel as if you are watching a Liverpool player.

 

Weird.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

who? what? does. Alonso is still ours. He must be

[Nebraska Red]

I take solace in the fact that he looked awful out there, almost as bad as his terrible mullet.

[chiliking]

There aren't many better players than Xabi out there. Xavi Who?

Xabi bossed everybody today. God I miss him!

[Coyler]

Excellent all right. Always a pleasure just to watch him.

[Epic Swindle]

There aren't many better players than Xabi out there. Xavi Who?

Xabi bossed everybody today. God I miss him!

 

He's no Garry Barry.

[CarraLegend]

He's no Garry Barry.

 

He's gone Momo. Chill.

[Billy Talbot]

He's no Garry Barry.

 

 

------------ Torres ------------

 

Keane - ------------ Gerrard

 

---- Barry ------ Alonso ------

 

--------- Mascherano --------

 

Dossena --------- Arbeloa

 

----- Agger ------ Carragher

 

----------- Reina ---------------

 

433

 

Hmmmm.....

[growler]

replace arbeloa with Alves, and Keane with Silva.....

[fred milne]

------------ Torres ------------

 

Keane - ------------ Gerrard

 

---- Barry ------ Alonso ------

 

--------- Mascherano --------

 

Dossena --------- Arbeloa

 

----- Agger ------ Carragher

 

----------- Reina ---------------

 

433

 

Hmmmm.....

That wasn't the plan though was it. Kuyt was to play where you have Gerrard and Gerrard where you have Alonso.

[Billy Talbot]

That wasn't the plan though was it. Kuyt was to play where you have Gerrard and Gerrard where you have Alonso.

 

Nah. I don't reckon. Though we'd have seen it, I think my version would have come to be regarded as the 1st XI. I don't for one second go along with Rafa wanting to sell Alonso to fund Barry. He wanted Barry and ended up being willing to sacrifice Alonso because the "poor" season he'd just had.

 

What unfolded was the beginning of the end for Rafa here - and it wasn't even his doing. Signing Keane without Barry was stupid. It was either neither or both. Singing Keane for £19m then not having funds for Barry forcing the Alonso situation was Parry at his worst though ultimately Benitez must shoulder some of the blame for even considering it.

[Spion kop]

Torres will stay.

[richwilks]

Torres will stay.

 

This I like.

[fred milne]

Nah. I don't reckon. Though we'd have seen it, I think my version would have come to be regarded as the 1st XI. I don't for one second go along with Rafa wanting to sell Alonso to fund Barry. He wanted Barry and ended up being willing to sacrifice Alonso because the "poor" season he'd just had.

We discuss the Alonso situation at length. Rafa made the decision at the end of the midfielder’s fourth season, in 2008; for two years Xabi wasn’t quite cutting it – loads of Kopites were even saying as much – and in Gareth Barry, Rafa had in mind a more robust player, with different qualities and, crucially, an English passport for the changing rules. And with Xabi’s wife expecting a baby, there had been rumblings of a desire to return to Spain.

 

A new formation was devised, to take into account Barry’s energy and his ability to get up and back, and also to cross with deadly accuracy, but for well-known reasons, the deal fell through.

 

http://tomkinstimes.com/2010/06/my-day-with-crisis-hit-benitez/

[McBain]

There aren't many better players than Xabi out there. Xavi Who?

Xabi bossed everybody today. God I miss him!

 

Aye. I was at the game and he was immense, in particular the first half. I'd have him back in a second

 

Ellis Park was bloody brilliant too

[_00_deathscar]

It was his biggest mistake.

[yellow jumper]

he's done well in the usual deep lying playmaker role, but i'm annoyed by his introduction into the spanish team. they've already lost a game they'd have won two years ago, and while better yesterday they no longer look like the most likely winners of this tournament. the success of aragones team was that it was built mainly around the ability of xavi to keep it and control the tempo, now they're trying to play him slightly advance of two sitting midfielders, and with xabi's ability to hit the wings he's not seeing enough of the ball, and to my mind not in the right sort of areas (fabregas would be better in that slot). they're more direct, they're more stretched and they look more susceptible on the counter attack because of it.

[Swipe]

Missing Senna. Busquets is a big tart.

[fred milne]

he's done well in the usual deep lying playmaker role, but i'm annoyed by his introduction into the spanish team. they've already lost a game they'd have won two years ago, and while better yesterday they no longer look like the most likely winners of this tournament. the success of aragones team was that it was built mainly around the ability of xavi to keep it and control the tempo, now they're trying to play him slightly advance of two sitting midfielders, and with xabi's ability to hit the wings he's not seeing enough of the ball, and to my mind not in the right sort of areas (fabregas would be better in that slot). they're more direct, they're more stretched and they look more susceptible on the counter attack because of it.

I'd agree that Xavi is playing too far forward but then again I'd like to see him and Alonso in the middle anyway with Fabregas, Iniesta, Villa and Torres as the front four.

[yellow jumper]

Missing Senna. Busquets is a big tart.

 

that's undoubtedly true. but even if you remove busquets, you still have most things coming through alonso first. he'll always be bound to come slightly deeper. also you're losing a bit of mobility in defending the counter.

 

xavi's basically become their equivalent of gerrard, the one who's responsible to give thrust and the final pass to the attack, when to my mind he's the most peerless midfield playmaker of the last twenty years.