Alonso question

[Guest Makaveli Smith]

Before I sign my own death warrant can I just add that I'm a huge fan of him personally, however.... Is it just me or has his passing (this season) not been anything close to what we all know he is capable of?

 

there have been quite a few games this season where Xabi hasn't really figured as much as you'd expect. Not gonna jump up and down about it but he is certainly a form player me thinks.

 

 

let the carnage begin

[_00_deathscar]

He's become a much better all round player.

 

He's marginally lost a bit of consistency in his passing, but that class is still there (assists for Gerrard, Cisse and Garcia against West Brom)

[Guest Makaveli Smith]

He's become a much better all round player.

 

He's marginally lost a bit of consistency in his passing, but that class is still there (assists for Gerrard, Cisse and Garcia against West Brom)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, He does still show that he is one of the best passers in the game sometimes and his tackling is really bloody good... but He should be the BEST passer of the ball on the face of the earth.. from what i've seen of him last season and in flashes this term...

 

thats my point I guess.

[ozziecazzie]

He's been great this year.

His percentage success rate of passes this year may be less as a result of, possibly, fatigue. He has played a lot of games this year (remember, he was out for a long time last year).

[CaptainXabi]

I put it down to Xabi focusing more on other aspects of his game, other teams putting more emphasis on shutting him down, and a bit of the 2nd year slump. While the success rate and "grandeur" of his passing has been reduced, in some ways he's made some more incisive passes this season. Anyway, I think that the passing will be back in full force next season.

[Maldini]

I don't think it's anything to do with Xabi, more to do with other teams realising that you only have two options to try and stop him, press him early and high up the pitch and/or get really tight on all his passing options.

 

We've seen less raking balls to wide positions this season because full backs have been warned to be alert when he gets on the ball.

[12twelve]

I think we've started to take excellence from Xabi for granted so we stopped noticing how good he is

[abc]

It's true that the passing hasn't been as amazing as it was last season. But I tell you what though, watch the Man Utd away match and you'll see that his reading of the game defensively has improved tremendously.

 

I suspect it's a case where he's been concentrating so much on that aspect of his game that he's overcompensated, so to speak. Next season I think we'll see him mature into the world class all-round midfielder he is destined to become.

[RP]

I must have been watching a different Xabi Alonso.

 

[Cooldude]

It's like shagging Keira Knightley, the first couple of months is absolutely mindblowing and amazing, but if you bang the same thing for a year or two, it suddenly doesn't seem as great as before

 

Xabi's passing hasn't faded, even last season he's had games where his passing hasn't come off, everyone have games like that. We just don't moan about a Xabi pass as many times as we used to like last season

 

He's still as good as ever with a better defensive game with clever positioning in front of the back four. Frightens me just how good he is

[Flip Martian]

Quite obviously he should be seen to be spreading inch perfect 40 yard passes at least 15 times a game. And never EVER misplace a pass. EVER!

 

Otherwise he's not as good as he was.

[Rimbeux]

I agree with Maldini, last season all the teams were trying to double team Gerrard, now it's Alonso, but we've coped pretty well as a side, Xabi has coped pretty well himself.

[_00_deathscar]

I agree with Maldini, last season all the teams were trying to double team Gerrard, now it's Alonso, but we've coped pretty well as a side, Xabi has coped pretty well himself.

 

Except now they've left Gerrard open.

 

Next season they'll double team both - so that's 4 out of 10 players on Gerrard and Alonso. Then you've got Kewell freed up ...

 

But just what exactly is Rafa trying to achieve here?...

[eth]

It's like shagging Keira Knightley, the first couple of months is absolutely mindblowing and amazing, but if you bang the same thing for a year or two, it suddenly doesn't seem as great as before

You, sir, have a charming way with words.

[The Hitman]

He also needs some proper targets to hit up there. Occasionally some of our players are static,with little room to run into. Players like Garcia,Gerrard and,occasionally,Cisse give Alonso good movements.Once we've got some proper wingers/wide players and a pacey striker,he'll be given some better passing options.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

It's like shagging Keira Knightley, the first couple of months is absolutely mindblowing and amazing, but if you bang the same thing for a year or two, it suddenly doesn't seem as great as before

 

Xabi's passing hasn't faded, even last season he's had games where his passing hasn't come off, everyone have games like that. We just don't moan about a Xabi pass as many times as we used to like last season

 

He's still as good as ever with a better defensive game with clever positioning in front of the back four. Frightens me just how good he is

 

This is true. Eventually, I got bored and told Keira to get lost.

[Cacofonix the Bard]

I remember at the start of the season in particular, many were saying he was out of form.

 

IMO he hasn't hit the same peaks this season.

[bigdave50uk]

He's done well again this seasson.

He made it into the opta team of the seasson, from sky team was

Reina,Chimbonda,Terry,ferdinand,queudrue,Gerrard,Alonso,Fat frank,Ronaldo, Rooney,Henry

[_00_deathscar]

Ferdinand, Quedrue and Ronaldo?

[Andy-oh-six]

Riise is miles ahead of Quedrue and likewise Carra over whichever Ferdinand it is.

[bigdave50uk]

sorry it was rio!!

Dont know what they base there ratings on. It doesnt say I'd be interested to find out.

I dont agree with half of them, but i was just trying to point out that alonso has had a good seasson