[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=33578.msg919539#msg919539 date=1249549736]
[quote author=gkmacca link=topic=33578.msg919492#msg919492 date=1249547430]
[quote author=rurikbird link=topic=33578.msg919397#msg919397 date=1249533158]
[quote author=Hardcastle link=topic=33578.msg919387#msg919387 date=1249522757]
How come Rafa came out on may the 18th and told everyone that Alonso has just told him how much he wants to stay, yet Alonso says he told Rafa he wants to leave in May?
[/quote]
By "how much" he probably meant "not very much".
[/quote]
This 'I'm going to completely reverse the actual meaning of the manager's comments to suit the imaginary puppet anti-christ version of the manager I've created in my brain' really is so tiresome. Alonso reflects on how close we are to winning the league, with all the glory that will bring, and decides, quite innocently, he wants a new challenge, and then, by an amazing coincidence, a new big money regime at Madrid come knocking soon after? Oh yes, happy to accept THAT. But not what the manager actually said. No, no, that's silly. :🙂
[/quote]Xabi's a manipulative little shitbag (not that Rafa cant shenanigan with the best of them when it suits him) and the only suprise is that so many normally rational and thoughtful people are buying what he's shovelling.
At the very least he's put to bed the most annoying myth that his nose was so bent out of joint last year that he felt he had no choice but to leave. Poor little put upon Xabi.
[/quote]
Agh, Oncy, really!
How does that make Xabi the manipulative one?
He told Rafa he wanted to leave at the earliest possible opportunity, people on here were slating him for leaving it so late before he moved, yet now it emerges that he done what he could by letting Rafa know early doors. Rafa strung out the whole 'We want Alonso to stay', probably to get the best possible money for him, fair enough. But like I said at the time, I didn't buy it from Rafa, at all. Plus the swift Aquilani deal is further evidence that Rafa knew we were gonna sell Xabi and was prepared for it.
For the record, I'm not knocking Rafa, I think he's managed the situation excellently from the clubs perspective, maximised the financial potential of the deal and signed a replacement.