Xabi AlonsoVerified account @XabiAlonso 25m25 minutes ago
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Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game.
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Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game.
Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game.
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Xabi Alonso. What a footballer.
Hell of a player. Should have finished his career with us. All the best Xabi.
Amazing player and by all accounts a thoroughly nice chap.
I doubt he agrees, as he would have three fewer league titles and only one European Cup medal.
Yes, he was a huge loss to our midfield and we haven't come close to replacing him or Mascherano.
MAscher left and won 4 titles and 2 European Cups.
I bet they both regret it.
Mascher wanted to leave though. If Rafa hadnt fallen out with Alonso he would have stayed for at least a few more years.
I doubt any of them regret it in terms of what they have won afterwards, but Alonso probably would have wanted to win something more at Anfield given his obvious love for the club.
I doubt any of them regret it in terms of what they have won afterwards, but Alonso probably would have wanted to win something more at Anfield given his obvious love for the club.
My favourite Liverpool player of all time, due to sheer nostalgia, I doubt he'll ever be replaced.
What? All he does is pass....
Imagine being as good as guaranteed a goal every time the team wins a 45
Maybe I've been affected by the Mandela effect, this is the *only explanation I can come up with for why I've never been drawn into the Xabi Alonso love-in.
Carra paints this picture of a bewildered Xabi Alonso being shown the door, but in my reality, he couldn't wait to get out. There was never any doubting his talent and he seemed like a genuinely nice bloke but during his penultimate season, with us, he really was the most frustrating player on the pitch.
In my reality, Alonso was a player that set his bar very high, over a season and a half, then, by his own high standards, coasted through a full season with levels of inconsistency that would have seen a lesser player torn to shreds by the support. I remember Rafa was supposedly looking at alternative midfielders to bring in (Barry) and unconfirmed reports were claiming Rafa was hawking Alonso around all the European clubs but nobody wanted him. Whatever went on I remember Alonso suddenly got his act together for his final season. At least Carra acknowledges this in the above article by admitting that Rafa ..."had won the initial battle by getting the upturn in his form." I bet he choked writing that.
During his last season he was frustrating for a very different reason, he seemed to be playing "in the shop window." He was back to his best - and some. Most people I talked to at the time already knew it was his final season. Stories of the ongoing battle with Rafa persisted and I had some sympathy for him working under a boss he supposedly despised, but his position was hardly untenable. He was being selected to play week in, week out and he was adored by team mates and fans alike. Alonso couldn't resist the lure of Madrid, which I reluctantly get. I wished the fella good luck when he left but my attitude to any player that wants to leave this club is..."Don't let the door smack you on the arse...."
*edit... Another explanation of course, without the need for a supernatural influence, is that I'm absolutely shite at judging/understanding players.
Carra paints this picture of a bewildered Xabi Alonso being shown the door, but in my reality, he couldn't wait to get out. There was never any doubting his talent and he seemed like a genuinely nice bloke but during his penultimate season, with us, he really was the most frustrating player on the pitch.
In my reality, Alonso was a player that set his bar very high, over a season and a half, then, by his own high standards, coasted through a full season with levels of inconsistency that would have seen a lesser player torn to shreds by the support. I remember Rafa was supposedly looking at alternative midfielders to bring in (Barry) and unconfirmed reports were claiming Rafa was hawking Alonso around all the European clubs but nobody wanted him. Whatever went on I remember Alonso suddenly got his act together for his final season. At least Carra acknowledges this in the above article by admitting that Rafa ..."had won the initial battle by getting the upturn in his form." I bet he choked writing that.
During his last season he was frustrating for a very different reason, he seemed to be playing "in the shop window." He was back to his best - and some. Most people I talked to at the time already knew it was his final season. Stories of the ongoing battle with Rafa persisted and I had some sympathy for him working under a boss he supposedly despised, but his position was hardly untenable. He was being selected to play week in, week out and he was adored by team mates and fans alike. Alonso couldn't resist the lure of Madrid, which I reluctantly get. I wished the fella good luck when he left but my attitude to any player that wants to leave this club is..."Don't let the door smack you on the arse...."
*edit... Another explanation of course, without the need for a supernatural influence, is that I'm absolutely shite at judging/understanding players.
Is it just me or does everyone think that the very beginning and end of that video just shows how top class Rafa was for a period he was managing us? Very often in many games it just seems like he was a master playing chess or something.
At his best, yes, but when he lost Pako the writing was on the wall. Pako was one person - possibly the only one ever - who could pick Rafa up on his poorer choices. When he lost Pako, he lost his way.
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