Rafa backs Aquilani to shine

[keniget]

Rafael Benitez believes Liverpool new boy Alberto Aquilani will prove to be a better playmaker than Xabi Alonso.

Aquilani has yet to make his Reds debut since his £20million summer switch from Roma but the Italian international has stepped up his rehabilitation from an ankle injury and should be available in October for the Merseysiders.

Reds boss Benitez has previously backed the Anfield new boy to fill the void of the departed Alonso - who returned to his homeland in a £30 million move to Real Madrid.

But the Spanish tactician has elaborated further, claiming the 25-year-old midfielder will carve out more chances for the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres than Alonso did before his summer switch.

Benitez told The Daily Mirror: "Alberto is running again and when we travel to play Fiorentina in the Champions League this week he will stay behind to continue with his rehabilitation programme.

"I know the fans are frustrated but we have signed a good player with talent and I never worried that we would have to wait for him to be fit.

"Xabi was a player who received the ball and played long and short passes. Aquilani wants to play higher up the pitch than that.

"He wants to be in the final third so that he can create chances.

"In that respect, playing passes to give the strikers the chance to score, he is better than Alonso.

"When he is fit the team will be more dangerous because he has the ability to find Torres and Gerrard with passes that will give them more chances to score.

"He is ahead of schedule for his comeback, but we must be careful with him."

 

[Skullflower]

i can't wait for this bell end to start playing.

 

[rage]

its like a jilted lover and the new girlfriend.

 

[TheBunnyman]

I'm excited about Aquilani, but I do wonder whether Xabi not being there is part of the reason we look more vulnerable defensively. Obviously it doesn't explain our weakness at set-pieces, but I don't think either Mascher or Lucas are as positionally sound as Xabi was.

I also worry a little that Aquilani will end up making the same runs as Yossi and Stevie.

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=36098.msg952544#msg952544 date=1254122073]
I'm excited about Aquilani, but I do wonder whether Xabi not being there is part of the reason we look more vulnerable defensively. Obviously it doesn't explain our weakness at set-pieces, but I don't think either Mascher or Lucas are as positionally sound as Xabi was.

I also worry a little that Aquilani will end up making the same runs as Yossi and Stevie.

[/quote]

we are being caught out in the air rather than on the ground, so in that regard we aren't missing the shield of alonso. we were definately missing alonso's calmness and passing ability in the first few games of the season though but we seem to have found our feet again.

 

[gkmacca]

The one blessing in disguise is that he's had plenty of time to get to know the players and watch how the team plays, so he ought to start much more effectively than he would've if he'd started in August. Hopefully he'll arrive in the team with an unusually sharp sense of what he can do to improve us.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=rage link=topic=36098.msg952405#msg952405 date=1254087963]
its like a jilted lover and the new girlfriend.
[/quote]

who has cystitis.

 

[Foxwold]

Rafa spent 20m on him. I'd liked to think that shows that he thinks Aqua is a good player.

 

[gkmacca]

...and on that bombshell!

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=Foxwold link=topic=36098.msg952628#msg952628 date=1254129441]
Rafa spent 20m on him. I'd liked to think that shows that he thinks Aqua is a good player.
[/quote]

*cough* keane *cough*

 

[Ryan]

Once fit, I'm gonna be very disappointed if Aquilani isn't amazing from day one.

 

[gkmacca]

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=36098.msg952707#msg952707 date=1254137449]
Once fit, I'm gonna be very disappointed if Aquilani isn't amazing from day one.
[/quote]

How far from fitness are you?

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=36098.msg952544#msg952544 date=1254122073]
I'm excited about Aquilani, but I do wonder whether Xabi not being there is part of the reason we look more vulnerable defensively. Obviously it doesn't explain our weakness at set-pieces, but I don't think either Mascher or Lucas are as positionally sound as Xabi was.

I also worry a little that Aquilani will end up making the same runs as Yossi and Stevie.

[/quote]

I agree about Alonso, but not so much on your fear of him making the same runs as Gerrard or Benayoun, surely he'll be playing much deeper than Gerrard?

I hope he's eased into the team, the delay of his debut has just made the sense of expectation and pressure ridiculous.

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=36098.msg952713#msg952713 date=1254137598]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=36098.msg952707#msg952707 date=1254137449]
Once fit, I'm gonna be very disappointed if Aquilani isn't amazing from day one.
[/quote]

How far from fitness are you?
[/quote]

Arf!

 

[Fox]

a winning team, a team scoring shit loads. Is Rafa going to change it just like that to fit in a man returning from injury?

Does yossi replace Riera then?

 

[spider-Neil]

aqua will have to work his way into the team and earn his place on merit rather than expect to start because he cost 20 mil

*cough* keane *cough*

 

[LadyRed]

 

[dossena]

[quote author=LadyRed link=topic=36098.msg952781#msg952781 date=1254140138]

[/quote]

 

[aquaman4]

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=36098.msg952707#msg952707 date=1254137449]
Once fit, I'm gonna be very disappointed if Aquilani isn't amazing from day one.
[/quote]

i watch him in calcio for ac roma very good player we win brimium leuge with this aqualani